The Beechcraft XA-38 "Grizzly" was a World War II-era ground
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 ...
, developed by
Beechcraft
Beechcraft is an American brand of civil aviation and military aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of Beech Aircraft Corporation, an American manufacturer of general aviati ...
, but never put into production. The Grizzly was to have been fitted with a forward-firing
75 mm cannon to penetrate heavily armored targets.
While the first prototype flew on 7 May 1944, testing established that the type would not be ready for the projected
invasion of Japan
Operation Downfall was the proposed Allied plan for the invasion of the Japanese home islands near the end of World War II. The planned operation was canceled when Japan surrendered following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ...
. It also featured the
Wright R-3350 engines already in use with the
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...
—which had priority. Consequently, the XA-38 was canceled after a second prototype had been completed.
Design and development
The
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
awarded the Beech Aircraft Corporation a contract in December 1942 for two prototypes for their Model 28 "Destroyer".
to give a powerful ground attack aircraft to replace the
Douglas A-20 Havoc, with the ability to hit "hardened" targets like
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...
s and
bunkers and to attack coastal shipping.
This capability was achieved through a 75 mm cannon with 20 rounds, mounted in a fixed position on the nose as well as two .50 cal (12.7 mm)
M2 Browning machine gun
The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, w ...
s firing forward. Defensive armament consisted of remotely controlled ventral and dorsal turrets, each armed with twin .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns. There were to be two crew members, a pilot and an observer/gunner in the rear cabin, using periscope sights to aim the guns.
Testing
On 7 May 1944, Beech
test pilot
A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testing ...
Vern Carstens flew the XA-38 on its maiden flight from the company's
Wichita airfield.
The aircraft proved satisfactory in all respects and better than expected in some, including top speed.
During testing, the XA-38 prototypes were flown by USAAF pilots and serviced by military personnel, proving to be reliable and establishing a high level of serviceability.
The armament proved especially effective; if not for a shift in wartime priorities in 1944, the aircraft would most likely have been ordered in quantity even though the B-29 had priority for the
Wright R-3350 engines. Instead, one prototype was scrapped and the other, intended for the
USAF Museum
The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the ...
, had an unknown fate.
Specifications
See also
References
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Further reading
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External links
USAF Museum: XA-38 Grizzly
{{USAF attack aircraft
A-038
Beechcraft A-38 Grizzly
Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United States
Aircraft first flown in 1944
Mid-wing aircraft
Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft