A-12 Shrike

Infobox Aircraft
name=A-12 Shrike
type=Ground attack
manufacturer=Curtiss


caption=
designer=
first flight=
introduced=1933
retired=1942
produced=
number built= 46"U.S. Army Aircraft 1908-1946" by James C. Fahey, 1946, 64pp.]
status=
unit cost=
primary user=United States Army Air Corps
more users=Nationalist Chinese Air Force
developed from=XA-8 Shrike YA-10 Shrike
variants with their own articles=YA-14 ShrikeThe Curtiss A-12 Shrike was the United States Army Air Corps' second monoplane attack aircraft, and its main attack aircraft through most of the 1930s. It was based on the A-8, but had radial engines instead of the A-8's inline, water-cooled engines, as well as other changes.

Design and development

The Model 60 was developed from advancements of the A-8 and the experimental YA-10. However, it became obsolete after a short use period, mainly because of fast-improving aviation technology, as well as the USAAC's desire for multi-engined attack aircraft.

The most obvious difference between the A-12 and the A-8 is the air-cooled, radial engine in the A-12, which replaced the A-8's inline, water-cooled engine. This was a response to the USAAC's move toward a preference for radial engines, especially in attack aircraft. The rationale behind this preference is that the radial engine has a lower profile, making it less vulnerable to ground fire, and a simpler cooling mechanism, which is also less prone to groundfire, as well as overall maintenance problems.

These aircraft retained the open cockpit introduced in the A-8 production batch, and carried the same weapons load. In an attempt to improve pilot/observer co-operation the rear cockpit was moved forward sufficiently for its glazed covering to form a continuation of the fuselage decking behind the pilot's cockpit."United States Military Aircraft Since 1909" by F. G. Swanborough & Peter M. Bowers (Putnam New York, ISBN 085177816X) 1964, 596 pp.]

Nine USAAF A-12s were still in service at Hickam Field on December 7, 1941 but saw no combat."The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft" Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, (Amber Books Ltd. Bradley's Close, 74-77 White Lion Street, London, NI 9PF, 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1), 1152 pp.]

Operational Service

A-12s served with the 3rd Attack Group plus the 8th and 18th Pursuit Groups. Surviving Shrikes were grounded just after Pearl Harbor was bombed in December 1941."The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the 20th Century Weapons and Warfare" Editor: Bernard Fitzsimons (Purnell & Sons Ltd., ISBN 0839361750) 1967/1969, Vol. 21, page 2324]

Operators

;China as ROC
*Chinese Nationalist Air Force received 20 A-12 Shrikes in 1936, arming the 27th and the 28th Squadron of the 9th Group. 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 not survive and the extremely few left were reassigned as training duties.Fact|date=September 2007;flag|United States|1912
*United States Army Air Corps

pecifications (A-12 Shrike)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref="The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft" Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1, page 514]
crew=2
length main=32 ft 3 in
length alt=9.83 m
span main=44 ft 0 in
span alt=13.41 m
height main=9 ft 4 in
height alt=2.84 m
area main= 284 ft²
area alt= 26.38 m²
empty weight main= 3,898 lb
empty weight alt= 1,768 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main=5,756 lb
max takeoff weight alt=2,611 kg
engine (prop)=Wright R-1820 "Cyclone"
type of prop=radial engine
number of props=1
power main=690 hp
power alt=515 kW
max speed main=177 mph
max speed alt=154 knots, 285 km/h
range main=521 mi
range alt=453 nmi, 838 km
ceiling main=15,150 ft
ceiling alt=4,620 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
guns=
** 4× forward-firing .30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns
** 1× aft-firing .30 in gun
bombs=
** 4× 122 lb (55 kg) bombs on underwing racks or 10× 30 lb (13.6 kg) fragmentation bombs in chutes on either side of the main fuel tank

ee also

aircontent
sequence=
* A-9 - YA-10 - XA-11 - A-12 - YA-13 - YA-14 - A-15
related=
* Curtiss XA-8
* YA-10 Shrike
similar aircraft=
* Fokker XA-7
lists=
* List of military aircraft of the United States
see also=

References

External links

* USAF Museum:
** [http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2907 Attack Aircraft Development in the 1930s]
** [http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2914 Curtiss A-12]
** [http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2907 Curtiss A-12 Special Projects]