Curtiss A-8 and A-12 SHRIKE

Photo by Muess de 1' Air

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. 

Propulsion

Performance