By 1943, the USAF needed a long-range fighter to escort bombers. It was decided to design an aircraft with mixed jet-turboprop power plant. The development of the XP-81 fighter was ordered by Consolidated Vultee Corporation.
The XP-81 was a low-wing, trapezoidal wing with a straight leading edge and retractable landing gear. It was equipped with a General Electric T31-GE-3 turboprop engine (but made its first flights with a Packard V-1650 Merlin piston engine) and a General Electric J33-GE-5 turbojet. The maximum speed is 816 km/h, has a range of 4000 km. The armament consisted of 6 × 20 mm cannons and 910 kg bombs.
The mixed power plant did not justify itself in the tests. In addition, the war is over and the need for such a fighter has disappeared. Two built prototypes of the XP-81 were sent as targets to the firing range. After that, what was left of them was transferred to the National Museum of the US Air Force.
