WW2 American attack aircraft
The
Douglas A-33
(
Model 8A-5
) was an American
attack aircraft
built in small numbers during World War II. It was an updated version of the
Northrop A-17
, with a more powerful engine and an increased bomb load. While the A-33 was intended initially for the export market, the entire production run was taken up by the
United States Army Air Corps
.
Design and development
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In 1932, the Northrop Corporation had been formed as a partly owned subsidiary of
Douglas
and by 1937, the Northrop Model 8 became known as the Douglas 8A produced in the El Segundo Division of Douglas aircraft.
The 8A-5 was powered by a 1,200 hp (895 kW) Wright R-1820-87 engine and was the most powerful and best armed of the series, with four wing mounted 0.30 in machine guns, two 0.50 in machine guns in pods below the wing, a rear-firing flexibly mounted 0.30 in gun, and the ability carry up to 2,000 lb of bombs.
Operational history
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Early in 1940, the Norwegian government ordered 36 8A-5s which not had been delivered before Norway was invaded by the Germans. Completed between October 1940 and January 1941, the aircraft were delivered to a training center in Canada that had been set up for the Norwegian government-in-exile, named "
Little Norway
" at Toronto Island Airport, Ontario.
After the loss of two aircraft and a reassessment of the training needs now met by the use of other aircraft, the remaining 34 Model 8A-5Ps were sold to
Peru
. However, 31 were repossessed by the
Army Air Corps
at the start of
World War II
. These aircraft, designated
A-33
, were used for training, target tug, and utility duties.
[1]
Variants
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- Model 8A-5
- A-33
- Serial numbers: 42-13584/13601; 42-109007/109019
Operators
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-
Norway
-
Peru
-
United States
Specifications (A-33)
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Data from
McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920
[2]
General characteristics
- Crew:
2
- Length:
32 ft 6 in (9.91 m)
- Wingspan:
47 ft 9 in (14.55 m)
- Height:
9 ft 4 in (2.84 m)
- Wing area:
363 sq ft (33.7 m
2
)
- Airfoil
:
root:
NACA 2215
;
tip:
NACA 2209
[3]
- Empty weight:
5,510 lb (2,499 kg)
- Gross weight:
8,600 lb (3,901 kg)
- Max takeoff weight:
9,200 lb (4,173 kg)
- Powerplant:
1 ×
Wright GR-1820-G205A
Cyclone 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 1,200 hp (890 kW)
- Propellers:
3-bladed variable-pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed:
248 mph (399 km/h, 216 kn) at 15,700 ft (4,800 m)
- Service ceiling:
29,000 ft (8,800 m)
- Time to altitude:
10,000 ft (3,000 m) in 5 minutes 48 seconds
Armament
- Guns:
- 4 × forward-firing .30 cal (7.62mm)
1919 Browning machine guns
, 500rpg
- 2 × forward-firing .50 cal M2 Brownings in gun pods, 200rpg
- 1 × .30 cal (7.62mm) 1919 Browning machine gun in rear cockpit, 1,000 rounds
- Bombs:
2,000lb max load
- Internal: Up to twenty 20 lb (9.1 kg) bombs in internal racks
- External: Eight hardpoints under the fuselage, four outboard hardpoints can take 500 lb (230 kg) bombs, all eight can carry 100 lb (45 kg)
See also
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Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
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- Notes
- Bibliography
- Francillon, Rene J.
McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920
. London: Putnam, 1979.
ISBN
0-370-00050-1
.
- Pelletier, Alain J. "Northrop's Connection: The unsung A-17 attack aircraft and its legacy, Part 1".
Air Enthusiast
No 75, May?June 1998, pp. 62?67. Stamford, Lincolnshire: Key Publishing.
ISSN
0143-5450
.
- Pelletier, Alain J. "Northrop's Connection: The unsung A-17 attack aircraft and its legacy, Part 2".
Air Enthusiast
No 77, September?October 1998, pp. 2?15. Stamford, Lincolnshire: Key Publishing.
ISSN
0143-5450
.
- Wagner, Ray.
American Combat Planes of the 20th Century, Third Enlarged Edition.
New York: Doubleday, 1982.
ISBN
978-0-930083-17-5
.
- Andrade, John M. .
U.S Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909
. Leicester: Midland Counties Publications, 1979.
ISBN
0-904597-22-9
.
- Swanborough, F. G. and Peter M. Bowers.
United States Military aircraft since 1909
. London: Putnam, 1963, 1971, 1989.
ISBN
0-85177-816-X
.
Further reading
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]
External links
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]
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Fighters
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Ground attack
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Bombers
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Observation
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Patrol
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Reconnaissance
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Transports
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Gliders
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Training aircraft
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Experimental
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Army/Air Force sequence
(1925?1962)
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Tri-service sequence
(1962?present)
| Main sequence
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Non-sequential
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Related designations
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