Stearman XA-21
| XA-21 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Stearman XA-21 with streamlined cockpit | |
| Role | Ground attack |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Stearman Aircraft |
| First flight | 1938 |
| Status | Prototype |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Corps |
| Number built | 1 |
The Stearman XA-21 (Model X-100) was a competitor in a United States Army Air Corps competition for a twin-engined attack aircraft which (after redesigns) led to the Douglas A-20 Havoc, Martin A-22 Maryland and North American B-25 Mitchell.
Design and development
The X-100, designated XA-21 following purchase by the Army Air Corps, was a twin-engined high-winged monoplane of all-metal construction.[1] Its initial design featured an unusual "stepless cockpit" arrangement, much like those on most German World War II bombers designed during the war years from the He 111P onwards, with a streamlined, well-framed greenhouse canopy enclosing both the pilot and bombardier stations.[2]
Operational history
The XA-21 was first tested with the streamlined cockpit but this configuration was found to restrict the pilot's forward vision, and the aircraft was rebuilt with a conventional (stepped) nose and cockpit structure.[3] Although this change in the cockpit did not significantly affect performance, the XA-21 was not ordered into production.'[4]
The sole XA-21 had serial number 40-191.
Operators
Specifications (XA-21)
Data from Museum of the United States Air Force[4]
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
Performance
Armament
- Guns:
- 4× wing-mounted 0.30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns
- 1× nose-mounted 0.30 in machine gun
- 4× aft-firing 0.30 in machine guns
- Bombs: 2,700 lb (1,200 kg)
See also
Related lists
References
Notes
- ^ "Stearman XA-21 (Stepped Cockpit)." Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved: 17 July 2017.
- ^ Bowers 1989, p. 273.
- ^ "Swift Attack Bombers Race For Jobs In Army Air Corps." Popular Mechanics, June 1939.
- ^ a b "Stearman XA-21 (Streamlined Cockpit)." Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved: 17 July 2017.
Bibliography
- Bowers, Peter M. Boeing Aircraft since 1916. London: Putnam, Second edition, 1989. ISBN 0-85177-804-6.
- Wagner, Ray. American Combat Planes of the 20th Century, Third Enlarged Edition. New York: Doubleday, 1982. ISBN 978-0-930083-17-5.
External links
