Английская Википедия:Curtiss A-8
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 "Shrike" nickname was not officially adopted).
Development
The XA-8 won a competition against the General Aviation/Fokker XA-7, after which 13 service test aircraft were ordered (five as YA-8s and eight as Y1A-8s). After the completion of testing, 11 of these aircraft were redesignated A-8.
The A-8 was the first Curtiss machine of all-metal low-wing monoplane configuration with advanced features such as automatic leading edge slats and trailing-edge flaps.[1]
Four forward-firing .30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns were mounted in the wheel fairings, and an additional weapon of the same calibre was fitted in the observer's cockpit for rear defense. The standard bomb load was four 100 lb (45 kg) bombs.[2]
One YA-8 was fitted with a radial engine and designated YA-10, while another was used for testing of the Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror engine as the Y1A-8A. This aircraft was redesignated A-8 upon the completion of testing.
46 aircraft were ordered as A-8Bs, however the order was changed to the Model 60 A-12s before production began.
Operational history
The A-8 created a sensation in US aviation circles when it went into service with the 3rd Attack Group at Fort Crockett, Texas in April 1932. All other standard aircraft were of biplane configuration, and the first monoplane fighter (the Boeing P-26A) did not become operational until eight months later.[1]
Variants
- XA-8
- Model 59, one prototype, (30-387), length Шаблон:Cvt, wingspan Шаблон:Cvt, gross weight Шаблон:Cvt Curtiss V-1570-23 direct drive engine[3]
- YA-8
- Model 59A, service test aircraft, 5 built, (32-344 to 32-348), gross weight Шаблон:Cvt,[3] one was reworked as the YA-10 prototype with the Шаблон:Cvt Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial engine[1]
- Y1A-8
- service test aircraft, 8 built, (32-349 to 32-356) gross weight Шаблон:Cvt[3]
- A-8
- 12 redesignated YA-8 and Y1A-8 aircraft[3]
- Y1A-8A
- last Y1A-8 with Curtiss V-1570-57 geared engine, length Шаблон:Cvt, gross weight Шаблон:Cvt[3]
- A-8A
- redesignated Y1A-8A aircraft[3]
- A-8B
- cancelled, replaced by A-12 Shrike[3]
Operators
Specifications (YA-8)
See also
References
Шаблон:Commons category Шаблон:Reflist Шаблон:Curtiss aircraft Шаблон:USAF attack aircraft
- Английская Википедия
- Страницы с неработающими файловыми ссылками
- 1930s United States attack aircraft
- Curtiss aircraft
- Single-engined tractor aircraft
- Low-wing aircraft
- Aircraft first flown in 1931
- Страницы, где используется шаблон "Навигационная таблица/Телепорт"
- Страницы с телепортом
- Википедия
- Статья из Википедии
- Статья из Английской Википедии