A-12 Shrike
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| A-12 Shrike | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Ground attack |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss |
| Introduced | 1933 |
| Retired | 1942 |
| Primary users | United States Army Air Corps Nationalist Chinese Air Force |
| Number built | 46[1] |
| Developed from | XA-8 Shrike YA-10 Shrike |
| Variants | YA-14 Shrike |
The Curtiss A-12 Shrike was the United States Army Air Corps' first monoplane attack aircraft, and its main attack aircraft through most of the 1930s.
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[edit] Design and development
The Model 60 was developed from advancements of the XA-8 and the experimental YA-10. However, it became obsolete after a short use period, mainly because of fast-improving aviation technology.
These aircraft retained the open cockpit introduced in the A-8 production batch, and carried the same weapons load. In an attempt to improve pilot/observer co-operation the rear cockpit was moved forward sufficiently for its glazed covering to form a continuation of the fuselage decking behind the pilot's cockpit.[2]
Nine USAAC A-12s were still in service at Hickam Field on December 7, 1941 but saw no combat.[3]
[edit] Operational Service
A-12s served with the 3rd Attack Group plus the 8th and 18th Pursuit Groups. Surviving Shrikes were grounded just after Pearl Harbor was bombed in December 1941.[4]
[edit] Operators
- Chinese Nationalist Air Force received 20 A-12 Shrikes in 1936, arming the 27th and the 28th Squadron of the 9th Group. When the full scale war between Japan and China broke out, they were used. The initial success including the downing of 4 Japanese Aichi Type 94 carrier-based light-bombers on August 15, 1937. However, after deploying in ground support missions in Shanxi, most did not survive and the extremely few left were reassigned as training duties.[citation needed]
[edit] Specifications (A-12 Shrike)
Data from "The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft" Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1, page 514</ref>
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
- Wingspan: 44 ft 0 in (13.41 m)
- Height: 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m)
- Wing area: 284 ft² (26.38 m²)
- Empty weight: 3,898 lb (1,768 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 5,756 lb (2,611 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Wright R-1820 "Cyclone" radial engine, 690 hp (515 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 177 mph (154 knots, 285 km/h)
- Range: 521 mi (453 nmi, 838 km)
- Service ceiling 15,150 ft (4,620 m)
Armament
- Guns:
- 4× forward-firing .30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns
- 1× aft-firing .30 in gun
- Bombs: ** 4× 122 lb (55 kg) bombs on underwing racks or 10× 30 lb (13.6 kg) fragmentation bombs in chutes on either side of the main fuel tank
[edit] References
- ^ "U.S. Army Aircraft 1908-1946" by James C. Fahey, 1946, 64pp.
- ^ "United States Military Aircraft Since 1909" by F. G. Swanborough & Peter M. Bowers (Putnam New York, ISBN 085177816X) 1964, 596 pp.
- ^ "The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft" Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, (Amber Books Ltd. Bradley's Close, 74-77 White Lion Street, London, NI 9PF, 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1), 1152 pp.
- ^ "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the 20th Century Weapons and Warfare" Editor: Bernard Fitzsimons (Purnell & Sons Ltd., ISBN 0839361750) 1967/1969, Vol. 21, page 2324
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
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