![Vultee V-11GB prototype NR-17327](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Vultee_V-11GB_prototype_NR-17327.jpg)
The Vultee V-11 and V-12 were
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
stressed-skin
monocoque
Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell".
First used for boats, ...
monoplane
attack aircraft
An attack aircraft, strike aircraft, or attack bomber is a tactical military aircraft that has a primary role of carrying out airstrikes with greater precision than bombers, and is prepared to encounter strong low-level air defenses while pre ...
of the 1930s. Developed from the
Vultee V-1
The Vultee V-1 was a 1930s American single-engined airliner built by the Airplane Development Corporation, designed by Gerard Vultee and financed by automobile manufacturer Errett Cord.
Design and development
The prototype (designated the ...
single-engined airliner, the V-11 and V-12 were purchased by several nations for their armed forces, including
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, who used them in combat against
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese forces in the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
. The
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 ...
purchased seven V-11s as the YA-19 in the years before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, testing them to gather data to compare against twin engine light attack aircraft.
Design and development
In 1935,
Vultee
The Vultee Aircraft Corporation became an independent company in 1939 in Los Angeles County, California. It had limited success before merging with the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation in 1943, to form the Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporatio ...
produced a light bomber derivative of their single-engined passenger transport, the
Vultee V-1
The Vultee V-1 was a 1930s American single-engined airliner built by the Airplane Development Corporation, designed by Gerard Vultee and financed by automobile manufacturer Errett Cord.
Design and development
The prototype (designated the ...
, which, while demonstrating good performance, was only sold in small numbers owing to restrictions placed on the use of single-engined aircraft for scheduled passenger transport operations.
[Green and Swanborough ''Air Enthusiast'' July 1974, p. 29.]
The resulting aircraft, the Vultee V-11, retained the single-engined, low wing format and all-metal stressed skin structure of the V-1. It combined a new fuselage with accommodation for the three crew members under a long greenhouse canopy with the wings and tail surfaces of the Vultee V-1.
[Green and Swanborough ''Air Enthusiast'' July 1974, p. 32.]
Operational history
China
![Chinese Vultee V-11-G (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Chinese_Vultee_V-11-G_%28cropped%29.jpg)
An initial order for 30 two-seat V-11Gs was placed by
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
before the end of 1935. This was followed by orders in 1939, for two versions (the V-12-C and V-12D) of the more powerful V-12 variant. The majority of these were planned to be assembled from kits at the
Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company factory at
Loiwing
The Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO; ), also known as the Loiwing Factory (雷允飛機製造廠) after they moved to Yunnan, was a Chinese aircraft manufacturer established by American entrepreneur William D. Pawley in the 1930s.
...
near the China-
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
border,
[Green and Swanborough ''Air Enthusiast'' July 1974, p.39.] and while the first batch of 25 V-12-Cs were completed successfully, the factory was heavily bombed just after assembly of the first V-12-Ds commenced. This resulted in the part built airframes being evacuated to
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, where it was planned that the aircraft be completed at the
Hindustan Aircraft Limited
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Bangalore, India. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers in the worl ...
factory in
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
. However, after a few were assembled, production was stopped as the factory was diverted to more urgent overhaul work.
[Green and Swanborough ''Air Enthusiast'' July 1974, p.42.]
The V-11s and V-12s were used as light bombers and achieved some success, including a mission to bomb the Japanese held airfield by 4 aircraft at
Yuncheng
Yuncheng is the southernmost prefecture-level city in Shanxi province, People's Republic of China. It borders Linfen and Jincheng municipalities to the north and east, and Henan (Luoyang and Jiyuan to the east, Sanmenxia to the south) and Shaan ...
on February 5, 1939, by the 10th Squadron of the Republic of China Air Force, before the aircraft were withdrawn from bombing missions to training and liaison duties in 1940.
Brazil
![Brazilian Vultee V-11-GB2 landing (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Brazilian_Vultee_V-11-GB2_landing_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In February 1939, the
Brazilian Army Air Corps acquired the first 10 Vultee V-11–GB2s for long range bombing. 26 aircraft were eventually used by the Brazilian Air Force.
A non-stop flight was made across the Brazilian hinterland in 11 hours and 45 min on 8 November 1939 using a V-11.
On 26 August 1942, a
U-boat
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...
was attacked 50 miles off the town of
Ararangua off the southern coast of Brazil. Despite the unsuitability for anti submarine operations, the aircraft flew low and dropped its load of three bombs, some of which exploded around the submarine, however the blast damaged the low flying aircraft.
Soviet Union
![Soviet Aeroflot Vultee V-11-GB or PS-43](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Soviet_Aeroflot_Vultee_V-11-GB_or_PS-43.jpg)
In 1936, the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
purchased four three-seat V-11-GB aircraft, together with a production license. The aircraft entered Soviet production in 1937 as the BSh-1 (''Bronirovanny Shturmovik''), but the armour fitted for the ground attack role unacceptably reduced performance and production was stopped after 31 aircraft. They were transferred to
Aeroflot
PJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines (russian: ПАО "Аэрофло́т — Росси́йские авиали́нии", ), commonly known as Aeroflot ( or ; russian: Аэрофлот, , ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia. The ...
and redesignated PS-43 for use as high speed transports until the
German invasion German invasion may refer to:
Pre-1900s
* German invasion of Hungary (1063)
World War I
* German invasion of Belgium (1914)
* German invasion of Luxembourg (1914)
World War II
* Invasion of Poland
* German invasion of Belgium (1940)
* G ...
in 1941, when they were returned to the
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
for liaison purposes.
[Green and Swanborough ''Air Enthusiast'' July 1974, p.38.]
United States
![Vultee XA-19A 17 Attack Group (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Vultee_XA-19A_17_Attack_Group_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In the late 1930s, the
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 ...
favored twin-engine light attack aircraft but seven YA-19 aircraft were ordered in the summer of 1938 for comparison purposes. The YA-19s were armed with six machine guns and bombs in an internal bomb bay, powered by a Twin Wasp radial engine and was manned by a crew of three including a pilot, observer/gunner, and bombardier/photographer.
An unusual feature of the YA-19 design was its horizontal stabiliser which was located forward of the vertical tail. The small size of the vertical stabilizer caused yaw instability so the last YA-19 (S/N 38-555) was equipped with enlarged vertical stabilizer.
Service tests showed that twin-engine attack aircraft were faster, could be better armed and carried a larger bomb load so no further YA-19s were ordered. After comparison tests five YA-19s were redesignated A-19 and assigned to the 17th Attack Group at March Field in California for a brief period before being transferred to the
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...
for utility transport and liaison duties. The A-19 never saw combat and was quickly withdrawn in the early 1940s.
Variants
Vultee Designations
;V-11
:First prototype fitted with
Wright SR-1820-F53 Cyclone driving a two-bladed
Hamilton Standard
Hamilton Standard was an American aircraft propeller parts supplier. It was formed in 1929 when United Aircraft and Transport Corporation consolidated Hamilton Aero Manufacturing and Standard Steel Propeller into the Hamilton Standard Propeller C ...
controllable-pitch propeller, which crashed killing both pilot and the project engineer.
[
;V-11-A
:Second prototype, similar to first V-11, but with a three-bladed constant speed propeller.
]
;V-11-G
:Initial production two-seat light bomber. Powered by an Wright R-1820-G2 Cyclone engine. 30 built for China.
;V-11-GB
:Three-seat version of V-11. 4 aircraft purchased by Soviet Union (2 as pattern aircraft), 40 by Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
and others.
;V-11-GB2
:26 purchased by Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
– generally similar to V-11-GB[
;V11-GB2F
:Final example for Brazil fitted with floats, however it wasn't accepted.][
;V-11-GBT
:redesignation of V-11-GB for ]Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
;V-12
:Revised version of three-seat bomber with refined aerodynamics and more power. One prototype flew in 1939 powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp
The Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp is an American air-cooled radial aircraft engine. It displaces and its bore and stroke are both . The design traces its history to 1929 experiments at Pratt & Whitney on twin-row designs. Production began ...
engine.
;V-12-C
:Production version of V-12 for China. Powered by R1820-G105B Cyclone engine. 26 built, one by Vultee and remaining 25 assembled in China.
;V-12-D
:Revised version with new fuselage and powered by Wright R-2600 Cyclone 14 engine. 52 ordered for China, two pattern aircraft built by Vultee and 50 for local assembly.
;V-52
:Unbuilt observation design based on YA-19.
USAAC Designations
;YA-19
:Variant of V-11-GB for United states Army Air Corps. Seven examples built.
;YA-19A
:The last YA-19 was redesignated and completed as an engine test bed. Equipped with enlarged vertical stabilizer (for improve directional stability) and powered by Lycoming O-1230 (12-cylinder opposed) engine.
;YA-19B
:The second YA-19 built was redesignated after being fitted with a Pratt & Whitney R-2800
The Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp is an American twin-row, 18-cylinder, air-cooled radial aircraft engine with a displacement of , and is part of the long-lived Wasp family of engines.
The R-2800 saw widespread use in many importan ...
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 ...
as an engine test bed.
;YA-19C
:The YA-19A was redesignated after being fitted with a Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R-1830-51 engine. Performance was similar to the YA-19.
;A-19
:The remaining five YA-19s were redesignated A-19 after assignment to active duty.
Soviet Designations
;BSh-1
:Soviet licensed armoured ground attack version. Powered by M-62. Production stopped after at least 31 built.[
;PS-43
:Designation for BSh-1 when used by Aeroflot as light transport.][
]
Operators
;
: Brazilian Army Aviation
The Brazilian Army Aviation Command ( pt, Comando de Aviação do Exército) is a component of the Brazilian Army containing the army's helicopter units.
Tasks
The task of the Brazilian Army Aviation Command is to provide organic airmobility an ...
– Vultee V-11-GB2 (25 delivered)[
: ]Brazilian Air Force
"Wings that protect the country"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = Hino dos Aviadores
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...
- aircraft transferred when Air Force created
;
* Republic of China Air Force
The Republic of China Air Force, retroactively known by its historical name the Chinese Air Force and unofficially referred to as the Taiwanese Air Force, is the military aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces, currently based i ...
**14th Squadron – Vultee V-11G (30),[ V-12C (25 delivered from order of 26, which was built but never delivered)] & Vultee V-12D (52 delivered)[
;
: ]Soviet Air Forces
The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
– Vultee V-11GB (4 delivered) & BSh-1 (31-35 built at Moscow Menzhinskii factory)[
;
* ]Turkish Air Force
The Turkish Air Force ( tr, ) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The Turkish Air Force can trace its origins back to June 1911 when it was founded by the Ottoman Empire, however, the air force as it is known t ...
**2nd Regiment – Vultee V-11GB (41 delivered)[
;
: ]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 ...
– A-19/V-11GB (7 delivered)[
]
Specifications (Vultee XA-19)
See also
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
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{{Soviet transport designations
A-19
World War II ground attack aircraft of the United States
A-19
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1935