Originally posted by Mark Allen. Images restored 11-03-2018. Scott WRG EditorPer request ... lets see if I can put these together in some sort of groovy way.
Sources: SDASM archives. (U.S. Air Force photos)
The U.S. Army Air Force had its own version of the SBD, called the
A-24 Banshee. It lacked the tail hook used for carrier landings, and a pneumatic tire replaced the solid tail wheel. First assigned to the 27th Bombardment Group (Light) at Hunter Field, Georgia, A-24s flew in the Louisiana maneuvers of September 1941. There were three versions of the Banshee (A-24, A-24A and A-24B) flown by the Army to a very minor degree in the early stages of the war. The USAAF used 948 of the 5,937 Dauntlesses built. Wiki
Built at Curtiss' St. Louis plant, 900 aircraft were ordered by the USAAF under the designation
A-25A Shrike. The first 10 aircraft had folding wings, while the remainder of the production order omitted this unnecessary feature. Many other changes distinguished the A-25A, including larger main wheels, a pneumatic tail wheel, ring and bead gunsight, longer exhaust stubs, and other Army specified radio equipment. By late 1943 when the A-25A was being introduced, the USAAF no longer had a role for the dive bomber, as fighter aircraft such as the P-47 Thunderbolt had shown their ability to carry out tactical air support missions with great success. Wiki
After offering the Shrike to Australia, only 10 were accepted before the Royal Australian Air Force rejected the remainder of the order, forcing the USAAF to send 410 to the U.S. Marines. The A-25As were converted to the SB2C-1 standard but the Marine SB2C-1 variant never saw combat, being used primarily as trainers. The remaining A-25As were similarly employed as trainers and target tugs.
The
Vultee A-31 Vengeance was an American dive bomber of World War II, built by Vultee Aircraft. A modified version was designated A-35. The Vengeance was not used in combat by the United States; it did see combat, however, with the British Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the Indian Air Force in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific. The A-31 remained in service with U.S. units until 1945, primarily in a target-tug role. Wiki
After the U.S. entered the war following the attack on Pearl Harbor, a number of V-72 and A-31 aircraft were re-possessed for use by the Army Air Corps. As the Army Air Corps became interested in dive bombing, it decided to order production of an improved version of the Vengeance, designated the
A-35, for both its own use and for supply to its allies under Lend-Lease. It was fitted with a more powerful Wright Twin Cyclone R-2600-19 engine and improved armament. As US Army test pilots disliked the poor pilot view resulting from the zero-incidence wing, this was "corrected" in the A-35, giving a better attitude in cruise but losing its accuracy as a dive bomber. Wiki
When production of the Vengeance was completed in 1944, a total of 1,931 aircraft had been produced.[7] The majority were produced at the Vultee plant in Nashville, Tennessee.
Douglas A-24 Banshee
Curtiss A-25 Shrike
Vultee A-31 Vengeance
Vultee A-35 Vengeance
Douglas A-24B Banshee
Curtiss A-25 Shrike
]
Curtiss A-25 Shrike
Vultee A-35 Vengeance
Curtiss A-25 Shrike
Douglas A-24 Banshee
Curtiss A-25 Shrike
Douglas A-24 Banshee
Vultee A-35 Vengeance
Curtiss A-25 Shrike
Vultee A-35 Vengeance
Vultee A-35 Vengeance
Douglas A-24 Banshee
Curtiss A-25 Shrike
Curtiss A-25 Shrike
Douglas A-24 Banshee
Douglas A-24 Banshee
Vultee A-31 Vengeance
Curtiss A-25 Shrike
Douglas A-24 Banshee
Vultee A-35 Vengeance
Douglas A-24 Banshee
Douglas A-24 Banshee
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
