https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_A-36_Apache
Role Ground-attack/dive bomber
Manufacturer North American Aviation
Designer Edgar Schmued
First flight October 1942
Introduction 1942
Retired 1945
Primary users United States Army Air Forces
Civilian air racer
Number built 500
Unit cost $49,000[1]
Developed from P-51 Mustang
The North American A-36 Apache (listed in some sources as "Invader", but also
called Mustang) was the ground-attack/dive bomber version of the North American
P-51 Mustang, from which it could be distinguished by the presence of
rectangular, slatted dive brakes above and below the wings. A total of 500 A-36
dive bombers served in North Africa, the Mediterranean, Italy and the
China-Burma-India theater during World War II before being withdrawn from
operational use in 1944.
With the introduction of the North American Mustang I with the RAF Army
Co-operation Squadrons in February 1942, the new fighter began combat missions
as a low-altitude reconnaissance and ground-support aircraft. Supplementing the
Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks already in service, Mustang Is were first supplied to No.
26 Squadron RAF, then rapidly deployed to 10 additional squadrons by June 1942.
First used in combat over the Dieppe Raid on 19 August 1942, a Mustang of No.
414 (RCAF) Squadron downed one of the formidable Focke-Wulf Fw 190s, the first
victory for a Mustang.[2] Despite the limited high-altitude performance of the
Allison V-1710 engine, the RAF was enthusiastic about its new mount, which
"performed magnificently".
Operational history
The A-36A-1-NA "Apache" (although Apache was the A-36A's official name, it was
rarely used)[14] joined the 27th Fighter-Bomber Group (27th FBG) composed of
four squadrons based at Ras el Ma Airfield in French Morocco in April 1943
during the campaign in North Africa.[14] The 27th had a mixed component of
Douglas A-20 Havocs and A-36As while the second operational unit, the 86th
Fighter Bomber Group (Dive) arrived in March 1943 with the first pilots trained
and qualified on the A-36A.[15][16] On 6 June 1943, both of these A-36A units
flew combat missions directed against the island of Pantelleria. The island fell
to Allied attack and became the home base for the two A-36A groups during the
Allied invasion of Sicily. The A-36A proved to be a potent weapon; it could be
put into a vertical dive at 12,000 ft (3,658 m) with deployed dive brakes, thus
limiting the dive speed to 390 mph (628 km/h)("A36A-1 Flight Manual requires
deployment before starting a dive"). Pilots soon recognized that extending the
dive brakes after "peel-off" led to some unequal extension of the brakes due to
varying hydraulic pressure, setting up an invariable slight roll, which impeded
aiming. Proper technique soon cured this anomaly and, subsequently, pilots
achieved extremely consistent results.[6] Depending on the target and defenses,
the bomb release took place between 2,000 ft and 4,000 ft (610 and 1,219 m),
followed by an immediate sharp "pull up."[9]
Dive brakes in the wings gave the A-36A greater stability in a dive; however, a
myth has arisen that they were useless due to malfunctions or because of the
danger of deploying them and that they should be wired closed.[17] Capt. Charles
E. Dills, 522d Fighter Squadron, 27th FBG, XIIth Air Force emphatically stated
in a postwar interview: "I flew the A-36 for 39 of my 94 missions, from 11/43 to
3/44. They were never wired shut in Italy in combat. This 'wired shut' story
apparently came from the training group at Harding Field, Baton Rouge, LA."
Specifications (A-36A)
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
Wingspan: 37 ft 0.25 in (11.28 m)
Height: 12 ft 2 in (3.71 m)
Loaded weight: 10,000 lb (4,535 kg)
kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 365 mph (315 kn, 590 km/h)
Cruise speed: 250 mph (215 kn, 400 km/h)
Range: 550 mi (478 nmi, 885 km)
Service ceiling: 25,100ft (7,650 m)
Armament
Up to 1,000 lb (454 kg) of bombs on two underwing hardpoints
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