A-12 Shrike
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| A-12 Shrike | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | Ground attack |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss |
| Retired | 1942 |
| Primary users | United States Army Air Corps Nationalist Chinese Air Force |
| 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
It 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.
Some USAAC A-12s were still in service at Hickam Field on December 7, 1941 but saw no combat.
[edit] Operators
China: 20 A-12 Shrikes were delivered to China in 1936, arming the 27th and the 28th Squadron of the 9th Group, and 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 notsurvive and the extremely few left were reassigned as training duties.
United States: United States Army Air Corps
[edit] Specifications (A-12A Shrike)
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
- Wingspan: 44 ft 0 in (13.41 m)
- Height: 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m)
- Wing area: ft² (m²)
- Empty weight: lb (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 nm, 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: 488 lb (221 kg)
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