| A-18 Shrike II | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Curtiss A-18 No. 37-52 assigned to Wright Field (Y1A-18, probably during testing) | |
| Role | Ground-attack aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company |
| First flight | 3 July 1935 [1] |
| Retired | 1943 |
| Status | Service test |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Corps |
| Number built | 13 [2] |
| Developed from | Curtiss XA-14 |
The Curtiss A-18Model 76A Shrike II was a 1930s United States twin-engine ground-attack aircraft. It was the production test version of that company's A-14 Shrike.
In the years leading up to World War II, the United States Army Air Corps were interested in attack aircraft capable of carrying larger bomb loads with greater firepower. The attack aircraft design standard essentially became a light bomber with firepower only slightly less than the medium bombers being developed as the standard .30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun generally was replaced by .50 in (12.7 mm) ones on new aircraft in development. [3]
The Curtiss YA-14 prototype that emerged in 1935 was one of the first single-mission attack aircraft. Although it looked purposeful with its slender fuselage, thin nose, and sleek streamlining, the A-14 was hampered by a lack of power, despite its two 775 hp (578 kW ) Wright Whirlwind radial engines. Nevertheless, the prototype was able to achieve a maximum speed of 254 mph (409 km/h), outstripping the front line Boeing P-26 Peashooter fighter by 20 mph (32 km/h). [3] Re-engined with 735 hp (548 kW) Curtiss R-1670-5 engines, it was delivered to the Army under serial number 36-146. [4]
A newly improved variant, the Y1A-18, had upgraded 850 hp (630 kW) Wright R-1820-47 radial engines with three-blade propellers replacing the original two-blade models. Thirteen aircraft were produced, serial numbers 37-52 through 37-64, [4] at a contract cost of $1,259,235.00, [5] with the first example produced (Y1A-18) first flight occurring on July 3,1935; and although successful in testing, no further production was ordered due to a lack of funds as well as the availability of more advanced aircraft (such as the Douglas A-20 Havoc) under design.
After completion of service testing, the Y1A-18s were redesignated A-18. They were assigned to the 8th Attack Squadron, 3rd Attack Group at Barksdale Field, Louisiana in 1937. [6] The squadron won the coveted Harmon Trophy for gunnery and bombing accuracy in their first year of service. [7] [8] During its service with the 8th Attack Squadron, the retractable landing gear of the A-18 had an inherent weakness, with no less than eight of the 13 A-18s suffering from a landing gear collapse on landing or roll-out. [7] The last of the A-18s with the 8th were replaced by early-model A-20 Havocs in 1941. [6]
The A-18 was only used for a short time before being replaced by more advanced attack aircraft. After its service with the 8th AS, the aircraft were assigned to several Light Bombardment Squadrons during 1940-42, likely being used as support aircraft. The last A-18 Shrike II was retired from front line squadrons in 1942; none of the aircraft were ever used in combat. [6] [9]
Lastly, four of the A-18s (37-52, 37-56, 37-61, and one other un-identified) were assigned to the Caribbean Air Force in late November 1941 and were based initially at Albrook Field. Three of the aircraft were first assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 12th Pursuit Wing, while the fourth aircraft was assigned to HHS Bomber Command (later VI Bomber Command) at Albrook. The aircraft remained with these units though February 1942. [10]
By December 1942, two or three of the aircraft were still airworthy. One was employed as a tow target tug, the other two were operated as reconnaissance aircraft by the 108th Reconnaissance Squadron (Special) from Howard Field, patrolling the approaches to the Panama Canal. A-18 37-61 was damaged in a landing accident at Albrook field on 22 February 1943, [11] and cannibalization kept at least one aircraft flying until it was grounded due to a lack of spare parts. Serial 37-56 was transferred to instructional airframe training at Howard. All were eventually scrapped in the Canal Zone by the end of 1943. [10]
United States
|
|
Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947, [12] The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft [9]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
The Curtiss Falcon was a family of military biplane aircraft built by the American aircraft manufacturer Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company during the 1920s. Most saw service as part of the United States Army Air Corps as observation aircraft with the designations O-1 and O-11, or as the attack aircraft designated the A-3 Falcon.
The Curtiss A-12 Shrike was the United States Army Air Corps' second monoplane ground-attack aircraft, and its main attack aircraft through most of the 1930s. It was based on the A-8, but had a radial engine instead of the A-8's inline, water-cooled engine, as well as other changes.
The Curtiss A-8 was a low-wing monoplane ground-attack aircraft built by the United States company Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, designed in response to a 1929 United States Army Air Corps requirement for an attack aircraft to replace the A-3 Falcon. The Model 59 "Shrike" was designated XA-8.
The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation of combat aircraft—a sleek monoplane design with a retractable undercarriage making extensive use of metal in its construction.
The Lockheed-Detroit YP-24 was a 1930s prototype two-seat fighter aircraft produced by Detroit Lockheed. An attack version called the A-9 was also proposed. The YP-24 is most remarkable for being the first fighter aircraft to bear the Lockheed name.
The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver is a dive bomber developed by Curtiss-Wright during World War II. As a carrier-based bomber with the United States Navy (USN), in Pacific theaters, it supplemented and replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless. A few survivors are extant.
The Boeing XB-15 was a United States bomber aircraft designed in 1934 as a test for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) to see if it would be possible to build a heavy bomber with a 5,000 mi (8,000 km) range. For a year beginning in mid-1935 it was designated the XBLR-1. When it first flew in 1937, it was the most massive and voluminous airplane ever built in the US. It set a number of load-to-altitude records for land-based aircraft, including carrying a 31,205 lb (14,154 kg) payload to 8,200 ft (2,500 m) on 30 July 1939.
The Curtiss B-2 Condor was a 1920s United States bomber aircraft. It was a descendant of the Martin NBS-1, which was built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the Glenn L. Martin Company. There were a few differences, such as stronger materials and different engines, but they were relatively minor.
The Keystone B-3A was a bomber aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Corps by Keystone Aircraft in the late 1920s.
The Curtiss P-6 Hawk is an American single-engine biplane fighter introduced into service in the late 1920s with the United States Army Air Corps and operated until the late 1930s prior to the outbreak of World War II.
The Douglas O-38 was an observation airplane used by the United States Army Air Corps.
The North American O-47 is an American observation fixed-wing aircraft monoplane designed in the mid-1930s and used by the United States Army Air Corps during the Second World War. It has a low-wing configuration, retractable landing gear, and a three-blade propeller.
The Curtiss F11C Goshawk is an American naval biplane fighter aircraft that saw limited success. It was part of a long line of Curtiss Hawk airplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the American military.
The Curtiss YA-10 Shrike was a 1930s United States test and development version of the A-8 Shrike ground-attack aircraft using various radial engines in place of the inline engine.
The Curtiss XA-14 was a 1930s United States airplane, the first multi-engine attack aircraft tested by the United States Army Air Corps. Carrying a crew of two, it was as fast as the standard pursuit aircraft in service at the time.
The Northrop Gamma was a single-engine all-metal monoplane cargo aircraft used in the 1930s. Towards the end of its service life, it was developed into the A-17 light bomber.
The Consolidated P-30 (PB-2) was a 1930s United States two-seat fighter aircraft. An attack version called the A-11 was also built, along with 2 Y1P-25 prototypes and YP-27, Y1P-28, and XP-33 proposals. The P-30 is significant for being the first fighter in United States Army Air Corps service to have retractable landing gear, an enclosed and heated cockpit for the pilot, and an exhaust-driven turbo-supercharger for altitude operation.
The Boeing GA-1 was an armored triplane. Designed in 1919, it was powered by a pair of modified Liberty engines driving pusher propellers. The first of the Engineering Division's heavily armored GAX series aircraft, the ponderous airplane was intended to strafe ground troops while remaining immune to attack from the ground as well as from other enemy aircraft. It was so well armored that its five-ton weight proved excessive.
The Fairchild AT-21 was an American World War II specialized bomber crew trainer, intended to train crews in the use of power gun turrets or a gun on a flexible mount, as well as learn to function as a member of a crew. It had a brief career as a training aircraft before modified bombers took over this role.
The Martin NBS-1 was a military aircraft of the United States Army Air Service and its successor, the Army Air Corps. An improved version of the Martin MB-1, a scout-bomber built during the final months of World War I, the NBS-1 was ordered under the designation MB-2 and is often referred to as such. The designation NBS-1, standing for "Night Bomber-Short Range", was adopted by the Air Service after the first five of the Martin bombers were delivered.
