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Isn't this plane a direct rip-off of the Japanese Shinden?  There is no way that these two could not be related, but in nothing I have read is there any mention that Curtiss used any Japanese technology in it.  The planes look almost identical...  ::)

Isn't this plane a direct rip-off of the Japanese Shinden?  There is no way that these two could not be related, but in nothing I have read is there any mention that Curtiss used any Japanese technology in it.  The planes look almost identical...  ::)

That's probably as the XP-55 concept and its development (proof of concept) aircraft types predate the Shinden. Both the Americans and the British were working on canard concepts from the late 30s and early 40s.

The model for the XP-55 was first tested in a wind tunnel in 1940. The Shinden was conceived three years later. the first XP-55, after the prototype, flew in 1943. the Shinden made its first flight in 1945.
So I doubt the US ripped off Japan, there. Probably the other way around.
But it's possible that nobody stole any ideas from anyone else, because a lot of the distinctive design elements are more or less necessary when you build a high-speed prop pusher to military specs.

i remember when i was playing "ACES over Europe" by sierra many years ago as a young, rookie sim fighter pilot.

My trusty Corsair had made short work of a few zeros... but then i made contact with another flight of bandits. It was the Shinden!

having never seen or heard of a Shinden before when the target rolled and gave me a good profile view i fired a deflection shot at him... but i was leading the target the wrong way!

"WHAT!" i said "THAT ZERO IS FLYING BACKWARDS!!"  >:(

I remember closing in on the weird aircraft, taking a good look at him, and then blasting him out of the sky.  ;D