During World War II, the United States put all its effort into strengthening its air forces, prioritizing the strangest ideas and proposals for fighters that manufacturers could conceive and build within a couple of years.

One of the most bizarre examples was the Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet, which ultimately was too innovative to be produced.

In the early days of the conflict, the United States Air Corps was well aware that potentially unfriendly countries were already flying too fast and too high. Not to mention their well-armed and smoothly maneuverable aircraft that totally outclassed every model currently built in the US.

The need for advanced pursuit aircraft became palpable as air combat exploded in Europe, and Germany showcased its technological superiority. Even the Japanese aircraft were unpaired at the time.

The Northrop XP 56 was a unique prototype for a cutting-edge fighter interceptor. Although some problems were expected due to the design’s novel qualities, the results were so unsuccessful that the aircraft was never produced.

Still, by the early 1940s, the XP-56 was one of the most radical experimental aircraft ever conceived, and it was designed to become the fastest airborne ship to roam the skies…