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| XA-38 Grizzly | |
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| Role | Heavy attack |
| Manufacturer | Beechcraft |
| First flight | 7 May 1944 |
| Status | Canceled |
| Primary user | U.S. Army Air Force |
| Number built | Two |
The Beechcraft XA-38 Grizzly was a United States ground attack aircraft, fitted with a forward-firing 75 mm cannon to attack heavily armored targets. The first prototype flew on 7 May 1944 but after testing it became obvious it would not be ready for the projected invasion of Japan, and furthermore it used engines required by the B-29 Superfortress — which had priority. It was thus canceled after two prototypes had been completed, and remains a fascinating might-have-been.
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Design and development
The United States Army Air Forces awarded the Beech Aircraft Corporation a contract in December 1942 for two prototypes for their Model 28 "Destroyer". The requirement was for a powerful ground attack aircraft to replace the Douglas A-20 Havoc, with the ability to hit "hardened" targets like tanks and bunkers. This capability was achieved through the cannon with 20 rounds, mounted in a fixed position on the nose (very visible in photographs) as well as two .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns firing forward. Defensive armament consisted of remotely-controlled ventral and dorsal turrets, each armed with twin .50 calibers (12.7 mm). There were to be two crew members, a pilot and an observer/gunner in the rear cabin, using periscope sights to aim the guns.
Testing
On 7 May 1944, Beech test pilot Vern Carstens flew the XA-38 on its maiden flight from the company's Wichita airfield. The aircraft proved satisfactory in all respects and better than expected in some, including top speed.
During testing, the XA-38 prototypes were flown by U.S. Army pilots and serviced by military personnel, proving to be reliable and establishing a high level of serviceability.1
The armament proved especially effective and had it not been for wartime priorities shifting in 1944, the aircraft would most likely have been ordered in quantity, although the B-29 had priority for the Wright R-3350 engines. Instead, one prototype was scrapped and the other, intended for the USAF Museum, had an unknown fate.
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 51 ft 9 in (15.8 m)
- Wingspan: 67 ft 4 in (20.5 m)
- Height: 13 ft 6 in (4.1 m)
- Wing area: 626 ft² (58 m²)
- Empty weight: 22,480 lb (10,197 kg)
- Loaded weight: lb (kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 32,000 lb (14,515 kg)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 376 mph (605 km/h)
- Range: miles (km)
- Service ceiling 27,800 ft (8,500 m)
- Rate of climb: ft/min (m/s)
- Wing loading: lb/ft² (kg/m²)
Armament
- 1 × T15E1 75 mm cannon (20 rounds)
- 6 × Browning .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns (2 forward-facing, 2 in ventral turret, 2 in dorsal turret)
- 2,000 lb (907 kg) of external stores
See also
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
References
Notes
- ^ Trimble 1983, p. 24.
Bibliography
- McCullough, Anson. "Grind 'Em Out Ground Attack: The Search for the Elusive Fighter Bomber". Wings Vol. 25, No. 4, August 1995.
- Trimble, Robert L. "Beech Grizzly". Air Classics Vol. 9, no. 7, August 1983.
External links
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 27 October 2008, at 06:16.
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