History
On September 6, 1941, the US Army issued a requirement for a Close Support Army Cooperation Airplane (dive bomber) after receiving war reports in 1940 that analyzed the German Luftwaffe’s Junkers Ju 87 “Stuka” dive bombers in combat. The new dive bomber was intended to replace a rear gunner with heavy armor, enabling it to withstand significant damage in air-to-air combat engagements.
Several companies submitted proposals to meet this requirement, and Brewster Aeronautical Corporation secured a contract to build a prototype. Brewster was already known for designing and producing the F2A Buffalo and S2A Buccaneer for the US Navy.
Brewster’s proposal for the Army was designated the XA-32. The aircraft featured an all-metal construction and was loosely based on the XSB2A-1 design. It was a single-seat, mid-wing configuration with an internal bomb bay, heavily armored with 650 pounds of protective plating. Powered by a 2,100 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-37 engine, it drove a four-blade Curtiss propeller. Brewster estimated a top speed of 331 mph at 10,000 feet, a range of 500 miles, and a bomb load capacity of 3,000 pounds. The internal bomb bay could carry up to a 1,000-pound bomb, supplemented by wing shackles for additional ordnance. Planned armament included four 20-mm cannons with 120 rounds per gun and several .50-caliber machine guns with 400 rounds per gun.
The Army ordered two XA-32 prototypes on October 31, 1941, making it Brewster’s only Army Air Forces contract. Delivery was expected by September 1942, and initial inspections in May 1942 were optimistic. However, the Army would soon experience the same frustrations the Navy had endured with Brewster’s Buffalo and Buccaneer designs.
As the XA-32 moved into production, Brewster was already overwhelmed with delays in fulfilling existing contracts for the Buffalo and Buccaneer. These problems, caused by foreign and domestic demands that exceeded the company’s capacity, resulted in missed deadlines and constant design changes.
The XA-32 prototype wasn’t completed until March 1943, with its first flight on May 22, 1943—two years after the design was proposed. During flight evaluations, the XA-32 was found to be underpowered, overweight, and far below specifications for speed and range. Handling during bombing runs was poor, and its bulbous design, combined with various lumps and bumps, significantly increased drag. Additional issues arose, including exhaust scoops around the cowling that blinded test pilots during night flights as flames engulfed the nose at low power settings. The XA-32 also lacked modern features, such as a bubble canopy and a retractable tail wheel, making it unsuitable for combat.
By this point, the Army had abandoned plans to field the XA-32 and did not pursue further production. Changing combat priorities and lessons learned in North Africa and Italy revealed the vulnerabilities of dive bombers like the A-36 Apache when facing enemy fighters. This led to a shift toward versatile fighter-bombers like the P-47 Thunderbolt, which excelled in both ground attack and air combat roles.
The XA-32’s massive shortcoming was its extensive weight. The empty weight was 13,500 pounds (6,124 kg), and the loaded weight was 20,000 pounds (9,072 kg). This made the XA-32 comparable to the larger Grumman Avenger. A second prototype, the XA-32A, was built with reduced armament (just four cannons), but it failed to resolve the issues. Efforts to re-engine the aircraft with a 3,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major also proved fruitless.
The XA-32 program was officially canceled in 1944, which dealt a severe blow to Brewster Aeronautical Corporation. Congressional investigations into the company revealed significant management issues, and Brewster’s contract to build Corsairs was terminated. Brewster went out of business in 1946, becoming the only American aircraft manufacturer to fail due to World War II. Both XA-32 prototypes were scrapped, and this marked the end of Brewster’s position as an aircraft manufacturer.
