North American A-36A Apache - Photos & Video

A-36A Apache nordamericano
Paese	Stati Uniti
Ruolo	Bombardiere da attacco al suolo/in picchiata
Primo volo	Ottobre 1942
Costruito	500

Le A-36 Apache nordamericano (elencato in alcune fonti come "Invader", ma chiamato anche Mustang) era la versione da attacco al suolo/picchiata del North American P-51 Mustang, dal quale si distingueva per la presenza di freni in picchiata rettangolari sopra e sotto le ali. Un totale di 500 bombardieri in picchiata A-36 servirono in Nord Africa, nel Mediterraneo, in Italia e nel teatro Cina-Birmania-India durante la seconda guerra mondiale prima di essere ritirati dall'uso operativo nel 1944.

fonte: A-36A Apache nordamericano su Wikipedia

North American A-36A Apache
Fotografo	John Heck
Localizzazione	Inconsapevole
Foto	14

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Informazioni
Ruolo	Bombardiere da attacco al suolo/in picchiata
Produttore	Aviazione nordamericana
Designer	Edgar Schmued
Primo volo	Ottobre 1942
Introduzione	1942
Pensionati	1945
Utente primario	United States Army Air Forces
Numero costruito	500
Sviluppato da	P-51 Mustang

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North American A-36A Apache
Fotografo	Vladimir Jakubov
Localizzazione	Inconsapevole
Foto	26

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The Mustang’s Forgotten Warrior

Le A-36A Apache nordamericano (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)
Ruolo	Dive Bomber / Ground Attack
Equipaggio	1 (Pilot)
Motopropulsore	1 × Allison V-1710-87 liquid-cooled V12
Horsepower	1,325 hp (at low altitude)
Velocità massima	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.