military-aircraft-a-12

To find a successor to its attack biplane, the US Army Air Corps issued a 1929 requirement for a high speed monoplane, and Curtiss responded with its Model 59 design that first flew in prototype form during June 1931 with the 600-hp Curtiss V-1570-c inline engine. In the following competition this XA-8 beat the Atlantic XA-7, and further development resulted in five YA-8 and eight Y1A-8 service test aircraft of which 11 later became A-8 Shrikes with the V-1570-31 engine. These entered service with the 3rd Attack Group in April 1932 as the US Army first monoplane. Another 46 Shrikes were ordered with the designation A-8B, but because of maintenance difficulties with the A-8s' inline engines, the aircraft were recast as radial engine A-12s. The aircraft also had the enclosed gunner's position moved forward along the fuselage to a position just behind the open pilot's cockpit as a means of improving intercommunication. The surviving aircraft were retired to second line duties in 1939.

Description	Specifications
Manufacturer: Curtiss	Length: 32 ft. 3 in.
First Flight: June 1931	Height: 9 ft. 0 in.
Model: A12	Wing Span: 44 ft. 0 in.
Crew: Two	Wing Area: 284.0 sq. ft.
Nickname: Shrike	Empty Weight: 3,898 lb.
Basic Role: Attack warplane.	Max. Weight:5,756 lb.
Other Versions: A-8 inline engine model. A-12 radial engine model and also exported Shrike for China.	Armament: Four fixed and one trainable 0.3-in 7.62-mm machine guns and ten 30-lb. or four 122-lb. bombs
Principal User: China, and USA	Propulsion
Performance	Power Plant: Wright R-1820-21 radial piston engine.
Range: 521 miles.	Horsepower: 690-hp (515-kW)
Max. Speed: 177 mph.	No. Of Engines: One
Ceiling: 15,150 ft.
Climb Rate: 1,170 ft. per minute.	Photo by Muess de 1' Air