A2J Super Savage

infobox Aircraft
name = A2J "Super Savage"
type = Attack aircraft
manufacturer =North American Aviation



caption =
designer =
first flight = 4 January 1952
introduced =
retired =
status =Cancelled
primary user =
more users =
produced =1
number built =
unit cost =
developed from = AJ Savage
variants with their own articles =The North American Aviation A2J "Super Savage" was a prototype carrier-based attack aircraft built in the early 1950s developed from the smaller AJ Savage.

Design and development

The A2J was intended to replace the AJ Savage which was deficient in performance and was a less than satisfactory carrier plane. [Miller, Jerry, "Nuclear Weapons and Aircraft Carriers," Washington D.C., Smithsonian institution Press, 2001, pgs. 90-99, ISSBN 1-56098-944-0] It was essentially an 'enlarged' AJ Savage with the two reciprocating engines replaced with two Allison T40 turboprop engines and removal of the tail-mounted turbojet. Construction of two prototypes started 1 October 1948. but due to delays developing the engines, the first flight was not until 4 January 1952. [Wagner, Ray, "American Combat Planes," third edition, Garden City, NY, Doubleday & Company, 1982, pgs. 389-490, ISBN 0-385-13120-8] The competing XA3D, the prototypes of which were ordered the year after construction had began on the A2J prototypes, first flew in October 1952. The A3D had far superior performance, and that doomed the A2J.

The root cause for the failure of the A2J was the protracted development and poor reliability of the Allison T40 engines. The T40 engine was an advanced engine design of joining two T38 turboprop engines to drive two large contra-rotating propellers through a combining gearbox, proved to be very unreliable. The T40 engine was also used in the developmental A2D Skyshark, and the XF-84H Thunderscreech. After a number of engine related mishaps the A2J project was abandoned.

Operators

;USA
*United States Navy

pecifications (XA2J-1)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=
length main=70 ft 3 in
length alt=21.42 m
span main=71 ft 6 in
span alt=21.80 m
height main=24 ft 2 in
height alt=7.37 m
area main=836 ft²
area alt=77.7 m²
empty weight main=35,350 lb
empty weight alt=16,035 kg
loaded weight main=46,890 lb
loaded weight alt=21,269 kg
max takeoff weight main=61,200 lb
max takeoff weight alt=27,760 kg
more general=
engine (prop)=Allison T40-A-6
type of prop=turboprops
number of props=2
power main=5,035 eshp
power alt=3,756 kW
max speed main=451 mph
max speed alt=726 km/h
range main=2,180 miles
range alt=3,508 km
ceiling main=37,500 ft
ceiling alt=11,400 m
climb rate main=6,820 ft/min
climb rate alt=34.7 m/s
loading main=56 lb/ft²
loading alt=274 kg/m²
power/mass main=0.21 hp/lb
power/mass alt=350 W/kg
more performance=
armament=
* 10,500 lb (4,763 kg) of disposable stores
* 2x 20 mm cannons in tail (never fitted)

ee also

aircontent
related=
*AJ Savage
similar aircraft=

References

*Wagner, Ray, "American Combat Planes," third edition, Garden City, NY, Doubleday & Company, 1982, ISBN 0-385-13120-8
*Miller, Jerry, "Nuclear Weapons and Aircraft Carriers," Washington D.C., Smithsonian institution Press, 2001, ISSBN 1-56098-944-0