North American A-27 - Texan in an Attacker Outfit

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North American A-27

   Hello everybody. I’d like to suggest a very obscure American-operated attacker for US Aviation in War Thunder: the North American A-27! In short, the A-27 is the attack-oriented cousin of the North American P-64. Developed from the T-6 Texan, one of the world’s most notable trainer aircraft, the A-27 was intended for delivery to Thailand. However, like the P-64, it was confiscated and kept under control by the US Army Air Corps. Sadly, no A-27s survived the outbreak of America’s entry into World War II, as all were damaged during the first month of the Philippines campaign. The A-27 is comparable to the CAC Wirraway (a license-built variant), which also shares its lineage with North American.

Key Characteristics

  • AT-6 Texan adapted for attack roles
  • Powered by a 785-hp Wright R-1820-75 radial engine
  • Armed with 2 x LMGs in the nose and 1 x LMG in a rear-mounted turret
  • Bomb load of 1 x 500-lb bomb or 4 x 110-lb bombs for light ground attack

Background

The North American A-27 was a light attack aircraft developed in the late 1930s as a derivative of the North American BC-1, itself based on the NA-16 trainer series. The BC-1 was later redesignated as the AT-6, known today as the T-6 Texan. The A-27 was originally designed to meet the requirements of the Royal Thai Air Force, which sought a cost-effective attack aircraft capable of performing light ground attack missions. Initially designated as the NA-69, Thailand placed an order for ten NA-69s on November 29, 1939. The order was completed by September 1940, and the aircraft were awaiting shipment to Thailand in Manila, Philippines. However, due to US government restrictions on arms exports following Japan’s increasing aggression in Southeast Asia—including its attack on French Indochina in October 1940 and Thailand’s involvement in the Franco-Thai War—the NA-69s were intercepted and confiscated by US authorities on October 10, 1940. They were never delivered to Thailand and were instead repurposed for the US Army Air Corps in 1941.

Technical Specifications

The A-27 was powered by a Wright R-1820-75 Cyclone radial engine, producing 785 horsepower, which gave it a top speed of 250 mph (402 km/h). It was armed with two 0.30 caliber (7.62 mm) machine guns mounted in the nose and one on a flexible mount in the rear. The aircraft could carry up to 440 pounds (200 kg) of bombs under the wings and up to 500 pounds (227 kg) on the centerline. Its design featured retractable landing gear, an all-metal construction, and a tandem seating arrangement for the pilot and gunner.

Service History

Originally intended for the Royal Thai Air Force, the ten completed A-27s were seized by the US Army Air Corps in 1941. They were assigned to Nichols Field in Luzon, Philippines, and operated under the designation A-27, with serials 41-18890 to 41-18899. These aircraft occasionally operated from Clark Field in Luzon as well. When Japanese forces invaded the Philippines on December 8, 1941, all but two A-27s were destroyed on Clark Field during the initial attack. The two surviving A-27s were repaired and served as squadron hacks, making minimal contributions until early March 1942. It is assumed these two were either destroyed or deliberately scuttled to prevent capture when the Philippines capitulated to Japan. As a result, no A-27s survive today. However, the North American NA-72s sold to Brazil and NA-74s sold to Chile shared many similarities with the A-27/NA-69, and some NA-72s and NA-74s survived beyond World War II.

Specifications

North American A-27

General Characteristics

  • Crew: 2 (Pilot and Gunner)
  • Length: 29 ft (8.84 m)
  • Height: 12 ft 2 in (3.71 m)
  • Span: 42 ft (12.8 m)
  • Wing Area: 258 sq ft (23.97 sq m)
  • Propeller Type: three-bladed Hamilton Standard constant-speed propeller
  • Powerplant: Wright R-1820-75 Cyclone 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engine
    → 785 hp (585 kW)
  • Empty Weight: 4,250 lb (1,928 kg)
  • Gross Weight: 6,006 lb (2,724 kg)
  • Max. Takeoff Weight: 6,730 lb (3,053 kg)

Performance

  • Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.13 hp/lb (0.214 kW/kg)
  • Cruising Speed: 220 mph (354 km/h)
  • Critical Altitude Speed: 250 mph @ 11,500 ft (402 km/h @ 3,505 m)
  • Wing Loading: 23.28 lb/sq ft (113.66 kg/sq m)
  • Service Ceiling: 28,000 ft (8,530 m)
  • Combat Range: 575 miles (925 km)
  • Max. Range: 800 miles (1,287 km)

Armament

  • Guns:
    • 2 x synchronized, fixed forward-firing .30-cal. M1919 Browning machine guns in the nose (500 rpg; 1,000 rounds?)
  • Turrets:
    • 1 x flexible .30-cal. Browning machine gun in the rear cockpit (500 or 600 rounds?)
  • Bombs:
    • 1 x 500-lb bomb in the centerline
    • 4 x 110-lb bombs on the wings
Images

1273×833 71.1 KB

Sources

Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃