The Curtiss A-8 was a low-wing

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

ground-attack aircraft built by the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

company

Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (1909 – 1929) was an American aircraft manufacturer originally founded by Glenn Hammond Curtiss and Augustus Moore Herring in Hammondsport, New York. After significant commercial success in its first decades ...

, designed in response to a 1929

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

requirement for an attack aircraft to replace the

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. The Model 59 "Shrike" was designated XA-8 (the "Shrike" nickname was not officially adopted).

Development

The XA-8 won a competition against the General Aviation/Fokker XA-7, after which 13 service test aircraft were ordered (five as YA-8s and eight as Y1A-8s). After the completion of testing, 11 of these aircraft were redesignated A-8. The A-8 was the first Curtiss machine of all-metal low-wing monoplane configuration with advanced features such as automatic leading edge slats and trailing-edge flaps. Four forward-firing .30 in (7.62 mm)

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...

s were mounted in the wheel fairings, and an additional weapon of the same calibre was fitted in the observer's

cockpit A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft or spacecraft, from which a Pilot in command, pilot controls the aircraft. The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the ...

for rear defense. The standard bomb load was four 100 lb (45 kg) bombs. One YA-8 was fitted with a

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ca ...

and designated YA-10, while another was used for testing of the Curtiss

V-1570 The Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror was a 12-cylinder V12 engine, vee liquid-cooled aircraft engine. Representing a more powerful version of the Curtiss D-12, the engine entered production in 1926 in aviation, 1926 and flew in numerous aircraft.Gunston ...

Conqueror engine as the Y1A-8A. This aircraft was redesignated A-8 upon the completion of testing. 46 aircraft were ordered as A-8Bs, however the order was changed to the Model 60 A-12s before production began.

Operational history

The A-8 created a sensation in US aviation circles when it went into service with the 3rd Attack Group at Fort Crockett,

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in April 1932. All other standard aircraft were of

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

configuration, and the first monoplane fighter (the Boeing P-26A) did not become operational until eight months later.

Variants

;XA-8: Model 59, one prototype, (30-387), length , wingspan , gross weight

Curtiss V-1570-23 The Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror was a 12-cylinder vee liquid-cooled aircraft engine. Representing a more powerful version of the Curtiss D-12, the engine entered production in 1926 and flew in numerous aircraft.Gunston 1989, p. 46. Design and deve ...

direct drive engine EL-2003-00274

;YA-8: Model 59A, service test aircraft, 5 built, (32-344 to 32-348), gross weight , one was reworked as the YA-10 prototype with the Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial engine ;Y1A-8: service test aircraft, 8 built, (32-349 to 32-356) gross weight ;A-8: 12 redesignated YA-8 and Y1A-8 aircraft ;Y1A-8A: last Y1A-8 with

Curtiss V-1570-57 The Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror was a 12-cylinder vee liquid-cooled aircraft engine. Representing a more powerful version of the Curtiss D-12, the engine entered production in 1926 and flew in numerous aircraft.Gunston 1989, p. 46. Design and deve ...

geared engine, length , gross weight ;A-8A: redesignated Y1A-8A aircraft ;A-8B: cancelled, replaced by

A-12 Shrike The Curtiss A-12 Shrike was the United States Army Air Corps' second monoplane ground-attack aircraft, and its main attack aircraft through most of the 1930s. It was based on the A-8, but had a radial engine instead of the A-8's inline, water ...

Operators

; *

Specifications (YA-8)

References