Apache A-36A norte-americano | |
|---|---|
| País | Estados Unidos |
| Papel | Bombardeiro de ataque ao solo/mergulho |
| Primeiro voo | outubro de 1942 |
| Construído | 500 |
O A-36 Apache norte-americano (listado em algumas fontes como "Invader", mas também chamado de Mustang) foi a versão de bombardeiro de ataque ao solo / mergulho do North American P-51 Mustang, do qual poderia ser distinguido pela presença de freios de mergulho retangulares e ripados acima e abaixo das asas. Um total de 500 bombardeiros de mergulho A-36 serviram no norte da África, no Mediterrâneo, na Itália e no teatro China-Birmânia-Índia durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial antes de serem retirados do uso operacional em 1944.
| North American A-36A Apache | |
|---|---|
| Fotógrafo | John Heck |
| Localização | Desconhecido |
| Fotos | 14 |
| Infos | |
|---|---|
| Papel | Bombardeiro de ataque ao solo/mergulho |
| Fabricante | Aviação norte-americana |
| desenhista | Edgar Schmued |
| Primeiro voo | outubro de 1942 |
| Introdução | 1942 |
| Aposentado | 1945 |
| Usuário primário | Forças Aéreas do Exército dos Estados Unidos |
| Número construído | 500 |
| Desenvolvido a partir de | P-51 Mustang |
Compre-me um caféVeja também:
| North American A-36A Apache | |
|---|---|
| Fotógrafo | Vladimir Yakubov |
| Localização | Desconhecido |
| Fotos | 26 |
The Mustang’s Forgotten Warrior
O Apache A-36A norte-americano (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 |
| tripulação | 1 (Pilot) |
| Usina | 1 × Allison V-1710-87 liquid-cooled V12 |
| Horsepower | 1,325 hp (at low altitude) |
| Maximum Speed | 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.
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