North American NA-50 Torito - Peruvian Air Force's Little Bull

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Aerial view of NA-50 XXI-41-1, assigned to the commanding officer of the 41 Squadron, Commander Antonio Alberti. Note the diagonal bands on the fuselage and wings, identifying it as the unit leader’s aircraft. (Amaru Tincopa Gallegos Collection)

North American NA-50 Torito

   Hello everybody. I’ve noticed that Peru currently lacks aircraft in War Thunder, particularly fighters, as there are no entries for Peruvian fighters at all. To address this, I’d like to introduce and suggest this little export fighter: the North American NA-50 Torito (“Little Bull”)! The NA-50 Torito is a unique and historically significant aircraft that would make a valuable addition to War Thunder.

Key Characteristics

  • Export American-designed fighter for Peru
  • Powered by an 840-hp Wright R-1820-G3 Cyclone radial engine
  • Armed with two synchronized 0.30 caliber (7.62 mm) machine guns
  • Provisions for a 550 lb (250 kg) bomb load on underwing racks for dive bombing

Background

The North American NA-50 was a lightweight, single-seat fighter aircraft developed in the late 1930s as an export model. Derived from the North American NA-16 trainer, it was modified for countries seeking an affordable fighter. Notably, North American would later develop the highly successful T-6 Texan trainer. The US Army Air Corps showed no interest in the NA-50, but the aircraft was marketed as a versatile, cost-effective option for smaller nations with limited defense budgets before World War II. Peru found the aircraft attractive, as it met the Peruvian Air Force’s need for a modern fighter to bolster its air defenses. As a result, Peru purchased seven NA-50s.

Technical Description

The NA-50 was powered by a Wright R-1820-G3 Cyclone radial engine, producing 840 horsepower and swinging a three-bladed constant-speed propeller. This gave it a top speed of 295 mph (475 km/h) and a climb rate of 3,000 feet per minute (15.24 meters per second). The aircraft was armed with two 0.30 caliber (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns synchronized to fire through the propeller arc and could carry a 550 lb (250 kg) bomb load on underwing racks for dive bombing. Its design featured retractable landing gear (a first for Peruvian aircraft), an all-metal construction, and a compact airframe. The cockpit was comfortable and roomy, offering excellent visibility for the pilot.

History

In 1938–1939, a Peruvian delegation, including Lieutenant Commander Armando Revoredo Iglesias and other officers, traveled to the United States to inspect and test aircraft ordered for the Cuerpo Aeronáutico del Perú (Peruvian Aeronautical Corps, or CAP). These included Douglas 8A-3Ps (Northrop A-17s), NA-50s, and Grumman amphibians. Sources differ on whether North American Aviation pilot Paul Balfour made the first flight of the NA-50 on August 1, 1938, or February 1939. However, all seven NA-50s were tested and inspected before final acceptance on April 15, 1939. Delivery to Callao, Peru, was completed by May 1939.

Upon arrival, the NA-50s were painted in a natural metal scheme with a black anti-glare panel on the decking in front of the cockpit. Markings included red-white-red vertical rudder stripes and roundels on the fuselage and wings. They were initially assigned to the 41st Flight of the 21st Fighter Squadron, based at Chiclayo, and serialed XXI-41-1 to XXI-41-7. Operating alongside Caproni CA-114s of Squadrons 42 and 43, the NA-50s were nicknamed Torito (Little Bull) by the Peruvians. They were also modified with bomb shackles for carrying bombs. Tragically, on August 17, 1939, Sub Lt. José Sánchez Navarrete perished when his NA-50 crashed at sea during aerobatics.

The NA-50s saw combat during the 1941 war between Peru and Ecuador. They were used as ground attackers to support the Peruvian Army. Two were lost, including one in a famous action on July 23, 1941, where José Abelardo Quiñones Gonzáles sacrificed his life by deliberately crashing his NA-50, XXI-41-3, into an Ecuadorian anti-aircraft battery that had shot him down. Another NA-50, serial XXI-41-2, was lost on July 6, 1941, when Lt. Renan Elias attempted to dislodge an unexploded bomb on his wing rack before landing; the bomb detonated, killing the pilot and destroying the aircraft.

After the war ended in 1942, the remaining four NA-50s returned to their peacetime base at Chiclayo before transferring to the 21st Squadron at Las Palmas in Chorrillos. They served until 1947, when Peruvian P-36 Hawks replaced them as combat aircraft. The NA-50s were then reassigned as fighter trainers in the 4th Advanced Training Squadron of the 28th Training Squadron at the Air Academy, where they trained future fighter pilots. Wearing serials 28-4-10 to 28-4-13, these aircraft were repainted in a blue and yellow trainer scheme and remained in service until 1950, when they were retired and placed in storage.

One NA-50 was pulled from storage and kept flying until 1961. After being damaged in a crash and repaired, it was placed on a display pedestal at Las Palmas Air Force Base in 1965. It remained there for over 50 years until 2018, when it was taken down and disassembled for potential restoration. Unfortunately, in 2019, the restoration team determined that insufficient funding prevented further work, so the aircraft was reassembled and returned to its pedestal. Today, it remains the only surviving NA-50 in the world.

Specifications

North American NA-50 Torito

General Characteristics

  • Crew: 1 (Pilot)
  • Length: 26 ft 11.125 in (8.21 m)
  • Height: 9 ft (2.74 m)
  • Span: 37 ft 3 in (11.35 m)
  • Wing Area: 236 sq ft (21.9 sq m)
  • Propeller Type: 3-blade propeller
  • Powerplant: Wright R-1820-77 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine
    → 840 hp (618 kW)
  • Internal Fuel: 170 US gal. (643 L)
  • Oil Tankage: 15.5 US gal (58.67 L)
  • Empty Weight: 4,470 lb (2,029 kg)
  • Gross Weight: 5,700 lb (2,588 kg)

Performance

  • Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.147 hp/lb (0.24 kW/kg)
  • Cruising Speed: 255 mph (410 km/h) @ 16,500 ft (5,030 m)
  • Critical Altitude Speed: 295 mph (475 km/h) @ 9,500 ft (2,900 m)
  • Landing Speed: 70 mph (113 km/h)
  • Wing Loading: 24.15 lb/sq ft (117.9 kg/sq m)
  • Time to Altitude: 3 minutes to 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
  • Service Ceiling: 32,000 ft (9,755 m)
  • Combat Range: 645 miles (1,038 km)
  • Max. Range: 910 miles (1,462 km)

Armament

  • Guns:
    • 2 x .30-cal. (7.62-mm) M1919 Browning machine guns in cowl (500 rpg; 1,000 rounds?)
  • Bombs:
    • 550 lb (250 kg) bombs
      • Combination of 50 kg and 15 kg bombs
Images

A Peruvian NA-50 at the North American Aviation plant was seen equipped with nose-mounted .30 Cal. machine-guns and carrying four bombs under each wing. (NAA via Dan Hagedorn)

An NA-50 during testing in the USA prior to its delivery to Peru (Wikipedia)

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North American NA-50 fighter-bombers from the 41st Flight of the 21st Fighter Squadron in Chiclayo during early 1941. Five of these aircraft were assigned to the unit and took active part during the conflict. (IEHAP)

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A portrait of the original members of the 41st Flight during a visit to Las Palmas in January 1941. First from the right is the young Lieutenant José Abelardo Quiñones Gonzales, who went missing in action during an attack on Ecuadorian positions on 23 July. (Amaru Tincopa Gallegos Collection)

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Chiclayo, 4 July 1941. Captain Fernando Parraud and a number of unidentified civilians next to NA-50 serial XXI-41-1, the aircraft assigned to the commanding officer of the 41st Flight of the 21st Fighter Squadron, shortly before departing for Tumbes forward airfield. (Ines de Pierola Collection)

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NA-50s from the 21st Fighter Squadron being readied for another day of operations from Tumbes forward airfield during the first days of July 1941. (Amaru Tincopa Gallegos Collection).

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North American NA-50 serial XXI-41-2 and its pilot Lieutenant Renán Elías Olivera seen during a review in Tumbes on the morning of 6 July 1941. Elias tragically died the next day when a bomb he was trying to detach from his aircraft detonated while still on its rack, destroying the plane. (Amaru Tincopa Gallegos Collection)

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A picture showing the crews and ground personnel from XXI EC at Tumbes forward airfield on the morning of 22 July. This is the last known picture of Lieutenant Quiñones (standing on the cockpit of his aircraft) before his death the next day. (IEHAP)

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North American NA-50 serial XXI-41-3. This was the aircraft in which Lieutenant José Abelardo Quiñones Gonzales was killed during the attack on Ecuadorian positions in Quebrada Seca on 23 July 1941. (Amaru Tincopa Gallegos Collection)

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Tumbes, 31 July 1941: North American NA-50 and Douglas 8A-3Ps being readied
by ground crews shortly before the launch of missions on that date. (IEHAP)

The world’s sole surviving NA-50 is displayed on a pedestal near the tomb of José Quiñones at Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, Peru.

A painting of the NA-50 and José Abelardo Quiñones Gonzáles, honoring his heroic actions before sacrificing his life by crashing into an Ecuadorian anti-aircraft artillery emplacement.

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Possible additions of unlockable camouflage for the NA-50

Sources

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

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