jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) (10/24/90)
From: jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) There have been recurring questions about attack aircraft in recent postings. I spent a few pleasant hours gathering together the information I had on planes in the A for attack designation category. Hope you enjoy! Some degree of confusion has resulted from the fact that there were TWO A- series of aircraft. The first A series of attack planes referred to aircraft used by the US Army in the years between 1926 and 1948. The other A series is an entirely separate and distinct set of attack aircraft used by all the services (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force) in the years since 1962. I'll start with the initial A series, which was used exclusively by the Army. The Army introduced the A designation category in 1926. It applied to attack and light bombardment categories of combat aircraft. This is the original A-series, which covered the years 1926-1948: Cox-Klemm XA-1 Designation given to an ambulance plane. This designation doesn't really fit in the A series. I don't know why the Army considered this aircraft as part of its attack series. Perhaps it was due to some bureaucratic blunder. Does anyone have any details? Douglas XA-2 Conversion of O-2 two-seat observation biplane to attack configuration. One Liberty V-1410 inverted air cooled engine. Six 0.30 cal guns firing forward (2 in nose, 2 in lower wing, two in upper wing) plus two flexible 0.30 cal guns in rear fuselage. 130 mph at sea level. Lost out to Curtiss A-3 in attack plane competition. Only one built. Curtiss A-3 Falcon O-1B observation plane adapted to attack role by addition of bomb racks and additional 0.30 cal gun in each lower wing. Curtiss V-1150 liquid-cooled engine. 144 built. Curtiss XA-4 Falcon A-3 modified to test 440hp P & W R-1340 Wasp radial engine. 137 mph. Only one built. Curtiss XA-5 Attack counterpart of XO-16 two-seat observation biplane. Canceled before any could be delivered. Curtiss XA-6 Attack counterpart of XO-18 two-seat observation biplane. Canceled before any could be delivered. General Aviation (Fokker) Two-seat low-wing monoplane ground attack plane. XA-7 One Curtiss V-1570 liquid-cooled engine. Thick cantilever wing, wheel pants, open cockpits. Four 0.30 cal guns in wings, one 0.30 cal gun in flexible position in rear cockpit. Lost out to Curtiss A-8 for production orders. Curtiss YA-8 Shrike Two-seat monoplane ground attack aircraft. One Curtiss V-1570 liquid-cooled engine. Externally braced wing, fixed undercarriage. The two crew members sat in widely-separated enclosed cockpits. Four fixed, forward-firing 0.30 cal guns in undercarriage fairings. Flexible 0.30 cal gun in rear cockpit. 197 mph at sea level. 8 built. Lockheed YA-9 Two-seat monoplane attack aircraft. Attack version of Lockheed YP-24 experimental pursuit aircraft. Fully retractable landing gear, flaps, and enclosed cockpits. Five ordered. One Curtiss V-1570 liquid-cooled engine. Parent company (Detroit Aircraft) went belly-up and none were produced. Curtiss YA-10 Shrike First YA-8 reequipped with a 625 hp P&W Hornet radial engine. 175 mph. Proved that radial engine was preferable to liquid-cooled engine for attack role, and convinced Army to have A-8B aircraft on order be produced as A-12. Consolidated A-11 Development of Lockheed YA-9. Two-seat monoplane attack aircraft. One Curtiss V-1570 liquid-cooled engine. Four fixed wing guns, one flexible gun in rear cockpit. 10 30-lb. bombs. 228 mph at sea level. Performance was well advanced over its contemporaries, but the Army disliked liquid-cooled engines for ground attack planes. Pursuit versions were P-30 and PB-2A. Curtiss A-12 Shrike Two-seat monoplane attack aircraft. Adaptation of A-8 design to 690 hp Wright R-1820 Cyclone radial engine. Rear crew member moved further forward. Four fixed, forward-firing 0.30 cal guns in undercarriage fairings. Flexible 0.30 cal gun in rear cockpit. 177 mph at sea level. 500-pound bombload. Forty-six A-12s built for U. S. Army. 20 export versions sent to China. Northrop XA-13 Two-seat monoplane attack aircraft. One Wright R-1820 radial engine. Enclosed cockpit, fixed landing gear. Extensively modified version of Gamma 2C commercial monoplane. Four fixed 0.30 guns in wings, one flexible 0.3 cal gun in rear cockpit. 207 mph at 3300 ft. 600 lbs of bombs. Curtiss XA-14 Shrike Two-seat, twin-engined ground attack aircraft. Two Wright R-1670 radials. Four 0.30 cal guns fixed in nose, one flexible 0.30 cal gun in rear cockpit position. Fuselage bomb bay with 20 30-lb bombs. 243 mph at sea level. Only one built. Martin XA-15 Attack version of Martin YB-10 bomber. Two Wright R-1820 radials. 214 mph at 4500 ft. Abandoned in design stage in favor of Curtiss XA-14. Northrop XA-16 XA-13 fitted with 950 hp P&W R-1830-7 radial. Only one built. Test results indicated that the aircraft was overpowered and that production aircraft should have either a smaller engine or larger tail. (Note: this is one of the few cases I've uncovered where an aircraft was deemed to be OVERpowered). Northrop A-17 Two-seat, single-engine attack aircraft. One 825 hp P&W R-1535 radial engine. A-17 had fixed landing gear, A-17A had retractable landing gear. 220 mph at 2500 ft. Four fixed 0.30 cal guns, one flexible 0.30 gun. Was revised version of A-16 with lower-powered engine and simplified undercarriage. 110 A-17s (fixed undercarriage) and 129 A-17As (retractable undercarriage) delivered to Army. Most were resold to Britain and France, where they were found to be totally unsuited for combat. Basic Northrop design adapted by Douglas as the Model 8-A for export to several foreign nations. Curtiss Y1A-18 Shrike Two-seat, twin-engined ground attack aircraft. Two Wright R-1820 radials driving 3-bladed props. Same armament as XA-1, but bombs were carried in wing bays rather than in fuselage. 13 built. Used primarily for operational training. Vultee YA-19 Two-seat attack aircraft. Evolved from V-11GB export attack aircraft. One P&W R-1830 radial. 6 0.30 cal guns and 1080 lbs of bombs. 230 mph at 6500 ft. Five built. Some were used as engine testbeds. Douglas A-20 Havoc Twin engine, three-seat attack bomber Most widely-used aircraft in the A series. Produced in many different versions with many different armament schemes. 7478 built. Saw action in Pacific, Europe and North Africa, primarily in the low-altitude attack role. 3125 examples were sent to the Russian front. A-20G was the most widely-used version. 6 0.50 cal guns in nose, two 0.50 cal guns in dorsal power turret, and one 0.50 cal gun in ventral tunnel. 339 mph at 12,400 ft Two Wright R-2600-23 Double Cyclone radials, 1600 hp each. 2600 lbs of bombs. F-3 was photo recon version. P-70 was night-fighter adaptation equipped with radar. Stearman XA-21 Three-seat, twin-engine light bomber. Two P&W R-2180 radials. High mounted wing. Flexible 0.30 cal gun in nose, one 0.30 cal gun in turret behind the wing, two guns in the side, and one 0.30 cal gun in belly position. Four wing guns. 257 mph at 5000 ft. 720 mi range with 1200-lb bombload. No production orders. Only one built. Martin A-22 Maryland Twin engine, three-seat attack aircraft. Two P&W R-1830 radials. 304 mph at 13,000 ft. Crew 3. 1200 lbs of bombs. Four 0.30 cal guns in wing, one gun in dorsal turret, and one gun in ventral position behind bomb bay. Lost out to Douglas A-20 for Army production orders, but ordered by French. Flew in combat during German invasion. After French collapse, remaining Marylands were taken over by British. Served with British units in Mediterranean and North Africa. Some service with Vichy French. Martin A-23 Proposal for twin-engine attack aircraft powered by Wright R-3350 radials. Project was dropped. Douglas A-24 Dauntless Army version of SDB Dauntless carrier-based dive bomber. One 1000-hp Wright R-1820 radial engine, crew of 2. Two 0.50 cal guns in nose, two 0.30 cal guns in flexible mount on rear cockpit. 1200-lb bombload. 254 mph at 15000 feet. A-24 was similar to Navy SBD except for removal of deck landing gear and a new tail wheel. 953 built. Saw combat in Java, the Gilberts, and Kiska. Considered too slow, too short-range, and too weakly armed to be useful in Army service. Curtiss A-25 Helldiver Army version of SB2C-1 Helldiver carrier- based dive bomber. Larger wheels, no arrestor gear, no folding wings. One Wright R-2600 radial, crew of 2. Four 0.50 cal guns in wing, one flexible 0.30 cal gun in rear cockpit. 285 mph at 12,400 ft. 1090 mi range with 2000-lb bombload. 900 delivered to US Army. Army eventually decided that it didn't need dive bombers, and A-25 never entered combat. Most used as trainers and target tugs. Ten were delivered to Australia. Douglas A-26 Invader Twin-engine light bomber. Two P&W R-2800 radials. 371 mph at 10,000 feet. Various different armament packages available. Late B version had 14 0.50 cal guns, 8 fixed in nose, 6 fixed in wings. Early versions had two remote-controlled turrets, each containing 2 0.50 cal guns. Internal bomb bay could carry up to 4000 pounds of bombs. Service in European and Pacific theater during closing months of World War 2. Extensive service in Korean War. Served with French in Vietnam and in Algeria. Served in Vietnam with American forces. In June 1948, the A category was eliminated, and the designation of the Invader was changed to B-26. North American A-27 Designation for 10 NA-69 export attack planes ordered by Thailand, but siezed by Army lest they fall into Japanese hands. NA-69 was an attack version of the well-known AT-6 advanced trainer. Four 100-lb bombs, 2 0.30 guns in nose, one 0.30 cal gun in rear cockpit. One Wright R-1820 radial. 250 mph at 11,000 ft. Used only for training. Lockheed A-28 Hudson Hudson was military adaptation of Model 14 commercial airliner designed to British requirements. Nearly 2000 Hudsons were acquired by British, either by direct purchase or via Lend-Lease. Substantial numbers were also supplied to the Army under the designation A-28. Two P&W R-1830 Twin Wasp radials. Served with Army largely in non-combat roles such as troop transport, training, target towing, and air-sea rescue. Lockheed A-29 Hudson Designation given to Hudson light bomber acquired by US Army. Differed from A-28 in being powered by two Wright R-1820 Cyclone radials. Crew of 5, 5 or 7 0.30 cal guns, up to 1400 lbs of bombs. 253 mph at 15,000 ft. A few went to US Navy under designation PBO. Martin A-30 Baltimore Twin-engine attack bomber built for British use under Lend-Lease. Two Wright R-2600 radials. Crew of 4, eleven guns (four fixed in wings, two in upper rear cockpit, one in ventral position, and four fixed in belly and pointing aft. 320 mph at 15,000 ft. 920 mi. range with 2000 lbs. of bombs. Served exclusively in the Mediterranean area with British, South African, Greek and Italian Co-belligerent air forces. None used operationally by USAAF. 1575 built. Vultee A-31 Vengeance Two-seat, single-engined dive bomber. One Wright R-2600 radial engine. Six 0.30-cal guns (four in wings, two on flexible mount in rear cockpit. Two 500-lb bombs in an internal bay. 275 mph at 11,000 ft. 700 mile range with 1500-lb bombload. Most were sent to the British under Lend-Lease. Flown primarily on the Burma front. Some sent to Australia where they flew some missions against Japanese-held island bases. Vengeances in US service used primarily for training and never saw combat. Brewster XA-32 Single-seat attack bomber. One P&W R-2800 radial. 4 20 mm cannon, 6 0.50 cal guns. Internal bomb bay with 1000-lb capacity, with another 1000-lb bomb under each wing. 311 mph at 13,200 ft. 500 mi range with 3000 lb bombload. Speed and range performance fell below expectation. Project cancelled. Douglas A-33 Designation for 31 Douglas 8A-5 attack planes taken over from Peruvian order. 8A was export version of A-17 attack bomber. Similar to A-17A except for Wright R-1820 engine and a hinged bombardier's window. Two 0.50 cal and four 0.30 cal wing guns and a a flexible 0.30 cal gun in rear cockpit. Up to 1800 lbs of bombs. 248 mph at 15,700 ft. Used for general utility service. Never saw any combat. Brewster A-34 Bermuda Designation assigned for purpose of Lend-Lease documentation of SB2A Buccaneer naval dive bomber. None ever served with AAF. Vultee A-35 Vengeance Two-seat, single-engined dive bomber. Modification of A-31 with four fixed 0.50 cal guns in wing, one 0.50 cal gun in rear cockpit. One Wright R-2600 radial engine. 279 mph at 13,500 ft. 550 mile range with 1000 lbs of bombs. Most sent to the British and the Australians. Some given to Free French. Never saw combat in USAAF service, serving only in training and target-towing roles. North American A-36 Mustang Dive bomber version of P-51 Mustang fighter. One Allison V-1710 liquid cooled engine. Four 0.50 cal guns in wings, two 0.50 cal guns in fuselage, underwing racks for two 500-lb bombs, and dive brakes under the wings. 500 built. First version of Mustang to see action in USAAF service. Saw action primarily on Italian front and in India. Hughes XA-37 Twin-boom light bomber powered by two P&W R-2800 radials. Constructed of Duramold, a material made of heat-bonded wood and plastic. Carried no armament. 433 mph, 1000 mile range with 2200 lbs of bombs. Howard Hughes personally flew the prototype, but it was destroyed by fire before it could be tested by AAF. Later served as inspiration for XF-11 reconnaissance aircraft. Beechcraft XA-38 Destroyer Two-seat attack bomber. Two Wright R-3350 radials. Two pairs of 0.50 cal guns in upper and lower remote control turrets. One 75-mm cannon and two 0.50 cal guns in nose. External racks for 2000 lbs of bombs. 376 mph at 4800 ft. 1070 mi range. Delayed by lack of availability of engines, which were needed by B-29. Never reached production. Note: The XA-38 looked a lot like a Beech Model 18 which had taken an overdose of steroids. Kaiser-Fleetwings XA-39 Single seat, single-engined light bomber. One P&W R-2800 radial. Two 37-mm cannon and and 0.50 cal guns in wing. Internal bomb bay for either a 1000-lb bomb or a 2000-lb torpedo. 1000 lbs of bombs on wing racks. Never got past the mockup stage. Curtiss XA-40 Single seat, single-engined light bomber. One Wright R-3350 radial. Two 37-mm cannon and and 0.50 cal guns in wing. Internal bomb bay for either a 1000-lb bomb or a 2000-lb torpedo. 1000 lbs of bombs on wing racks. Never got past the mockup stage. Convair XA-41 Single seat, single engine close-support aircraft. One P&W R-4360 radial. Four 37-mm cannon and four 0.50 cal guns in the wings. Internal bomb bay could carry 3000 lbs of bombs. Flight tests showed promise, but Army close support was well provided for by P-47 Thunderbolt and A-26 Invader. No production orders. Only one built. Douglas XA-42 Proposal for twin-engine attack aircraft powered by two Allison V-1710 liquid cooled engines mounted in fuselage and driving two contra- rotating props in tail. Armament of 16 0.50 cal machine guns or one 75-mm cannon and two 0.50 cal guns or two 37-mm cannon. Design showed greater potential as a medium bomber and was redesignated XB-42. Curtiss XA-43 Proposal for two seat, four jet attack plane. Project cancelled in early design stage. Funds and serial numbers transferred to similarly- configured XP-87 Blackhawk night fighter. Convair XA-44 Tactical bomber with three 4000 lb. st. General Electric J-35 turbojets buried in the fuselage and fed by two lateral intakes. 30-degree swept-forward wing. Redesignated XB-53 in 1948. Cancelled before any could be built. Martin XA-45 Three-jet light tactical bomber. Redesignated XB-51 in 1948. [The original A series ends at this point.] In 1948, the separate A category was eliminated from the Air Force designation scheme. Henceforth, all future Air Force planes that would fall in the attack category would be classified under B (for bomber). At that time, only one aircraft from the original attack series remained in service with the Air Force--the Douglas A-26 Invader. The Invader was redesignated as B-26. There was no danger of confusion with the Martin B-26 Marauder, since all Marauders had been removed from active service by that time. So there were TWO airplanes that carried the designation B-26, but they didn't both serve at the same time! Prior to 1962, the US Navy had its own separate designation scheme for its attack aircraft. In 1962, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara decided to unify the aircraft designation schemes of all the services under one umbrella. In addition, the A for attack category (which had been eliminated in 1948) was reintroduced. The Air Force initially had no aircraft listed in the A category, but the Navy did have some and they were duly redesignated. Later, the Air Force did acquire attack aircraft, and they were assigned numbers in the A series in the order in which they were ordered into service. The attack planes in the post-1962 A-category are: Douglas A-1 Skyraider Formerly designated AD. Single-engine, carrier-based attack aircraft. One Wright R-3350 radial. 322 mph at 15,000 ft. Four 20-mm cannon in wings, underwing load of up to 10,000 pounds of bombs. Night-attack, antisubmarine warfare, ambulance, cargo, and radar picket versions built. Also served with USAF, Royal Navy, France, Vietnam. Served in Korean, Algerian, and Vietnam wars. Total of 3180 built. North American A-2 Savage Formerly designated AJ. Three-engined carrier- based strategic bomber. Two P&W R-2800 radials in underwing-mounted nacelles, one Allison J-33 jet in rear fuselage. The jet engine was normally used only for short-duration dashes. 449 mph at 34,000 feet. 2475 mi. range with 3200-lb bombload in internal bay. Total of 88 built. Douglas A-3 Skywarrior Formerly designated A3D. Twin-jet, swept-wing carrier-based heavy attack aircraft. Two P&W J-57 turbojets. Two 20-mm cannon in radar- guided, remote-controlled turret in tail. 643 mph at sea level. 1380 mi combat radius with 4100 lbs of bombs. Many converted to aerial tankers, electronic countermeasures planes, and trainers. Total of 284 built. Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Formerly designated A4D. Single-engine carrier- based attack aircraft. Versions A through D powered by Wright J-65 jet. E version powered by P & W J-52 jet. 673 mph at sea level (clean) Up to 6000 lbs of bombs or missiles on underwing racks. 2 20 mm cannon in wing roots. Extensive service with US Navy during Vietnam War. Served with IAF during "War of Attrition" and Yom Kippur War. Served with Argentina during Falklands/Malvinas campaign. Also delivered to New Zealand, Singapore, and Kuwait. 2960 built. North American A-5 Vigilante Formerly designated A3J. Twin-engine carrier- based supersonic strategic bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. Two General Electric J-79 turbojets with afterburners. Crew of 2 in tandem seats. Nuclear bomb ejected rearwards from an internal linear bomb bay. Underwing stores also carried. 1320 mph at 40,000 ft. 1295 mi combat radius with one nuclear weapon and two underwing drop tanks. Replaced in strategic bombing role by Polaris-armed nuclear submarines. Remaining A-5s all converted to RA-5C configuration with additional fuel in a hump behind the cockpits and the linear bomb bay replaced by a reconnaissance package. 156 built. Grumman A-6 Intruder Formerly designated A2F. Twin engine, two seat carrier-based all-weather attack aircraft. Two P&W J-52 turbojets mounted below wing roots. The two crew members sit side-by-side in a bulbous nose. Up to 15,000 pounds of underwing and centerline stores can be carried. No guns. 646 mph at sea level. EA-6B Prowler is four- seat electronic countermeasures version. Still in production. Link/Temco/Vought A-7 Single seat attack and close support aircraft. Corsair II Looks much like a snub nose F-8 Crusader. A, B versions are Navy carrier-based attack planes powered by P&W TF-30 turbofans and armed with two 20 cannon. D is Air Force land- based version with one Allison TF-41 turbofan and armed with one 20-mm rotary cannon. External load of 15,000 pounds of bombs on hardpoints under the wing. 699 mph at sea level (clean). McDonnell-Douglas AV-8 Single-seat V/STOL close support and tactical Harrier reconnaissance aircraft. License-built British Aerospace Harrier. Northrop A-9 Twin-engine, single-seat close air support aircraft. Two Lycoming YF102 turbofans under the wing roots of a high wing. Lost out to Fairchild Republic A-10 for production orders. Fairchild Republic A-10 Twin-engine, single-seat close air support Thunderbolt II aircraft. Two General Electric TF34 turbofans in pods above and behind low-mounted wings. Primary armament is seven-barrel GAU-8/A 30-mm antitank cannon. 460 mph at 10,000 ft. A-11 This one appears never to have been assigned. The reasons are obscure. One possibility is that the A-11 designation was not used because someone might "confuse" it with the "A-11" designation which LBJ erroneously applied to the supersecret Lockheed A-12 spyplane. Another possibility is that A-11 is the designation given to an as-yet-unannounced "black" project. McDonnell Douglas/General Two-seat low-observable medium attack aircraft. Dynamics A-12 Extensive use of composites. Designed as Avenger II replacement for Grumman A-6. Large flying wing. Typical A-6 weapons load internally. Additional ordinance can be carried externally when stealth is not important. Range and speed supposedly exceed those of A-6. Most details are classified. Sources: American Combat Planes, Ray Wagner, Doubleday, 1982 United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and Peter Bowers, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft, Rene J. Francillon, Naval Institute Press, 1988. Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947, Peter Bowers, Naval Institute Press, 1979. Joe Baugher ************************************* AT&T Bell Laboratories * "You may spare the pleasantries. * 200 Park Plaza * I am here to get you back on * Naperville, Illinois 60566-7050 * schedule." * (708) 713 4548 ************************************* ihlpm!jfb jfb200@cbnewsd.att.com Who, me? Speak for AT&T? Surely you jest!
freeman@decwrl.dec.com (Jay R. Freeman) (10/26/90)
From: argosy!freeman@decwrl.dec.com (Jay R. Freeman) In article <1990Oct22.035508.17238@cbnews.att.com> jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) writes: >Some degree of confusion has resulted from the fact that there were TWO A- ### >series of aircraft. The first A series of attack planes referred to aircraft >used by the US Army in the years between 1926 and 1948. The other A series >is an entirely separate and distinct set of attack aircraft used by all the >services (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force) in the years since 1962. Actually, there were three. As Baugher indicates indirectly, later in his excellent posting, the US Navy used the "A" designation for its own aircraft during a period that started some time after WWII and ended with the introduction of all-service identifiers in 1962. The "A" designation was used in the same manner as all the others: Thus "A3D" was the third type of attack aircraft manufactured by the manufacturer whose code letter was "D" (Douglas). Postfix numbers and letters indicated major modifications to the type and other esoterica, eg A3D2. If the first number would have been a "1" it was omitted; thus the Skyraider was the AD, not the A1D. In an attempt to avoid too much confusion, the conversion to the new nomenclature preserved as many of the old numbers as possible: Thus the AD became the A1, the A4D the A4, and so on. I have never been sure whether this created less confusion or more. There were many Navy types classified under the old system which were not issued designations under the new one, simply because they were no longer in service at the time the switch was made, or had never gotten past the prototype stage in the first place. For example, if memory serves, Martin produced a potential competitor to the Skyraider which was called the Mauler, and was designated the AM. -- Jay Freeman <canonical disclaimer -- I speak only for myself>
military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) (11/05/90)
From: uunet!caleb!jdp (Jim Pritchett) [] Wasn't there an A-37 (B or D?) Dragonfly? Aren't they still used today? Does anyone out there have any info on this aircraft? I didn't see it mentioned in any of the A lists posted so far. Jim Pritchett UUCP: texsun.central.sun.com!letni!rwsys!caleb!jdp or letni.lonestar.org!dms3b1!caleb!jdp
megazone@wpi.WPI.EDU (MEGAZONE 23) (11/29/90)
From: megazone@wpi.WPI.EDU (MEGAZONE 23) In article <1990Nov4.205727.3085@cbnews.att.com> writes: >Wasn't there an A-37 (B or D?) Dragonfly? Aren't they still used today? >Does anyone out there have any info on this aircraft? I didn't see it >mentioned in any of the A lists posted so far. Yes it started as the Cessna T-37 trainer. Low wing, side by side seating, twin jets in the wing roots. The attack version is indeed the A-37 Dragonfly. ############################################################################### # "Calling Garland operator 7G," EVE Email megazone@wpi.wpi.edu # # MEGAZONE, aka DAYTONA, aka BRIAN BIKOWICZ Bitnet Use a gateway. Sorry. # ###############################################################################