América del Norte A-36A Apache | |
|---|---|
| País | Estados Unidos |
| Papel | Bombardero de ataque a tierra/en picado |
| Primer vuelo | Octubre de 1942 |
| Construido | 500 |
el Norteamericano A-36 Apache (listado en algunas fuentes como "Invader", pero también llamado Mustang) fue la versión de ataque a tierra / bombardero en picado del North American P-51 Mustang, del cual se podía distinguir por la presencia de frenos de buceo rectangulares de listones por encima y por debajo de las alas. Un total de 500 bombarderos en picado A-36 sirvieron en el norte de África, el Mediterráneo, Italia y el teatro China-Birmania-India durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial antes de ser retirados del uso operativo en 1944.
| North American A-36A Apache | |
|---|---|
| Fotógrafo | Juan Heck |
| Localización | Unknow |
| Fotos | 14 |
| Info | |
|---|---|
| Papel | Bombardero de ataque a tierra/en picado |
| Fabricante | Aviación norteamericana |
| diseñador | Edgar Schmued |
| Primer vuelo | Octubre de 1942 |
| Introducción | 1942 |
| Retirado | 1945 |
| Usuario principal | Fuerzas Aéreas del Ejército de los Estados Unidos |
| Número construido | 500 |
| Desarrollado a partir de | P-51 Mustang |
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| North American A-36A Apache | |
|---|---|
| Fotógrafo | Vladimir Yakubov |
| Localización | Unknow |
| Fotos | 26 |
The Mustang’s Forgotten Warrior
el América del Norte A-36A Apache (often called the “Invader” by its crews) was the ground-attack version of the early P-51 Mustang. Before the Mustang became a high-altitude escort legend with a Merlin engine, it was a low-level specialist powered by the Allison V-1710. The A-36A was specifically adapted for the dive-bombing role to satisfy U.S. Army Air Corps contracts. It was rugged, fast, and surprisingly effective, proving that the Mustang airframe was a winner long before it ever saw a drop of British-designed power.
| Attribute | Technical Specification (A-36A) |
|---|---|
| Papel | Dive Bomber / Ground Attack |
| Equipo | 1 (Pilot) |
| Planta motriz | 1 × Allison V-1710-87 liquid-cooled V12 |
| Horsepower | 1,325 hp (at low altitude) |
| Velocidad máxima | 365 mph (587 km/h) at 5,000 ft |
| Dive Speed Limit | 390 mph (with brakes deployed) |
| Armamento | 6 × .50 cal Browning M2 machine guns; 2 × 500 lb bombs |
| First Combat | June 1943 (North Africa/Sicily) |
Design Engineering: Brakes and Brownings
- Hydraulic Dive Brakes: The most distinctive feature of the A-36A was the set of rectangular, cast-aluminum “slats” on the upper and lower wings. These acted as fences to limit dive speeds to a manageable 390 mph, allowing for much greater bombing accuracy during a steep descent.
- Nose-Mounted Guns: Unlike later Mustangs which carried all their guns in the wings, the A-36A carried two of its six .50 caliber machine guns in the lower engine cowling, synchronized to fire through the propeller arc. This provided a very concentrated “point” of fire for strafing.
- The Allison Engine: The V-1710 was a fantastic engine at low altitudes, but it lacked a multi-stage supercharger. This made the A-36A a “mud-mover” by necessity, as its performance dropped off significantly above 12,000 feet.
- Rugged Cooling: The iconic scoop under the belly was reinforced on the A-36 to handle the debris and high-stress maneuvers associated with “hedge-hopping” and low-level ground support.
Combat History: Screaming Over the Mediterranean
- Sicily and Italy: The A-36A saw its heaviest use in the Mediterranean Theater. Pilots would dive at 70-degree angles to drop bombs on bridges, trains, and bunkers. It was so quiet in a dive that it often achieved total surprise over German and Italian positions.
- A Surprising Dogfighter: Despite being weighed down by bombs and dive brakes, the A-36A was still a Mustang. A-36 pilots were credited with 84 aerial victories, and the type even produced one ace: Lt. Michael T. Russo.
- The Name Game: While the factory called it the “Apache,” the AAF initially tried to name it the “Invader.” However, crews and the public eventually just started calling them “Mustangs,” leading to the A-36 name largely fading into the shadow of the P-51.
- The Burma Front: The A-36A also served in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater, where its long range (compared to the P-40) allowed it to strike Japanese supply lines deep in the jungle.
Vistas : 3395
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