Lockheed XP-49 7x5 Photo: Only One Ever Built, None Survive Today For Sale

Lockheed XP-49 7x5 Photo:
Only One Ever Built, None Survive TodaySole Lockheed XP-49 prototype, built to out-fly the P-38 LightningDESCRIPTIONYou are looking at an original vintage photograph of the Lockheed XP-49, serial 40-3055, the only example of this WWII fighter prototype ever built. The photo is scanned at 600dpi so every detail comes through, and the reverse carries a period caption in blue pen reading "468. Lockheed XP-49."The XP-49 grew out of Lockheed's own P-38 Lightning, sharing the Lightning's twin-boom layout while aiming for a bigger performance jump with a new engine, a pressurized cockpit, and heavier armament.Lockheed received the development contract in January 1940, and the sole prototype was built at the company's Vega plant in Burbank, California, taking its first flight on November 11, 1942.The airplane's short career was eventful. It force landed on New Year's Day 1943 when the landing gear failed to lock, was repaired and back in the air by mid-February, and was later flown to Wright Field for further testing, where one test pilot reportedly said it could fly rings around the Lightning.Engine troubles never got resolved, and by the time the P-47 and P-51 proved themselves in combat, the Army had no reason to pursue it further. The lone XP-49 airframe was eventually dropped from measured heights onto concrete to gather structural crash data before being scrapped, so no example of this aircraft survives today.Despite making numerous test flights, the XP-49 was apparently never photographed in the air, so ground photographs like this one make up essentially the entire surviving photographic record of the aircraft.The print shows the aircraft parked on the ramp in front of a corrugated metal hangar, and its tail carries the alternating red and white rudder stripes the Army called for on the design, with an extra non-regulation stripe added by painters when the tail was heightened to improve handling.Every effort is made toward fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is ever incorrect in any way and you are unsatisfied with the item, please reach out and I will make it right.Orders placed before Noon CDT ship same day via Ground Advantage with tracking so you know exactly when it will arrive. Returns are accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. Every shipment is packaged rigid and professional, sealed and protected in acid free protectors. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONThis is an original vintage photographic print, not a modern reprint or press wire photo. The paper carries a soft satin sheen rather than a full gloss or a flat matte finish, consistent with other period prints from the same collection.The print measures 7 x 5 inches, with an image area slightly smaller once you exclude the white border margin. Corners and edges present cleanly with no tears, and the surface shows no creasing or major handling wear visible in the scan.The reverse is otherwise blank apart from the handwritten period caption noted above.