North American P-64 - The Forgotten "American" Fighter Trainer

[Nostalgistic]

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North American P-64

   Hello everybody. Today, I’d like to suggest the North American P-64 for US Aviation in War Thunder. The P-64 was the designation assigned by the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) to the North American NA-68 fighter, an upgraded variant of the NA-50 developed during the late 1930s for Thailand. Only six NA-68s were built and ordered by the Royal Thai Air Force; however, they were seized by the US government before export due to the Franco-Thai War and Thailand’s growing ties with Japan. Ultimately, the P-64s were used as unarmed fighter trainers by the US Army for the remainder of World War II. Although the P-64 served as an unarmed trainer for the US Army, I believe it would make a unique “what-if” low-tier, heavily-armed fighter for US Aviation in War Thunder, thanks to its two 20 mm cannons. In my opinion, it could fit well as a premium 2.0 BR fighter, comparable to the Finnish Fokker D.XXI.

NA-68 for Thai Aviation Sub-tree

As with my P-64 suggestion, @NotKringe has already suggested the NA-68, the export variant, for the Thai aviation sub-tree. I recommend checking out his suggestion for more details on Thailand’s order of NA-68s. Please show your support for his suggestion!

North American NA-68 - Almost a Thai Fighter

poll Hello, since the Thai aviation sub-tree is already implemented, I would like to suggest a unique model of fighter that were very close to enter service with the Royal Thai Air Force. This is the North American NA-68. (This suggestion is essentially a repost from the old forum.) [p64-3.jpg.06c69ec802157c024d3c5568017d46] The NA-68 with the RTAF markings. Note the 20 mm wing-mounted gun pods and bomb hooks. The North American NA-68 was an improved version of the North American NA-50. It…

Key Characteristics

• Heavily armed, low-cost fighter
• Powered by an 870-hp Wright R-1820 radial engine
• Initially armed with 4 x 0.30-caliber machine guns and 2 x 20 mm cannons
• Light-bombing capability, able to carry 4 x 110-lb bombs

History

Background

The North American P-64 was a single-seat fighter aircraft originally developed as the NA-68, a variant of the NA-16 trainer series from 1935, for the Royal Thai Air Force in the late 1930s. Prior to the 1940s, the Royal Thai Air Force had tested one of the low-cost NA-50 fighters—similar to the NA-68 but designed for Peru—before it was exported. The RTAF was so impressed with the NA-50 that they requested North American to develop a modified and more heavily armed version, which became the NA-68. On December 30, 1939, the RTAF placed an order for six NA-68s. The aircraft was designed to meet Thailand’s need for a modern, lightweight fighter capable of defending its airspace.

Overview of Technical Specifications

The P-64/NA-68 featured an all-metal construction and a compact airframe, powered by a Wright R-1820-77 Cyclone radial engine producing 870 horsepower. This gave it a top speed of 270 mph (435 km/h). The aircraft was armed with two synchronized 0.30 caliber (7.62 mm) machine guns in the cowl, two more in the wings, and two 20 mm Madsen cannons mounted in pods beneath each wing. It could also carry up to four 110-pound bombs under the wings. Additional modifications included retractable landing gear, new outer wings, and a more angular rudder similar to those used on later production trainers. Its visual appearance differed significantly from the NA-50 exported to Peru.

Service History

North American test pilot Lewis Waite flew the first NA-68 on September 1, 1940. By the fall of 1940, the six completed NA-68s were held in California awaiting shipment. However, they were never delivered to Thailand 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. As a result, the aircraft were seized by the US Army Air Corps on March 5, 1941, and redesignated as the P-64 under the grounds of urgent national defense needs. Deemed unsuitable for frontline service, the US Army removed the cannons and converted them into advanced trainers at Luke Field in Arizona. There, they helped train pilots transitioning to more advanced combat aircraft. For the rest of their service life, the P-64s retained their original Thai camouflage and were later assigned as liaison aircraft with Trainer Command. The aircraft was praised for its excellent aerobatic handling and reasonable performance for its design and purpose. In 1943, surviving P-64s were redesignated RP-64, with the “R” standing for “Restricted,” meaning they were excluded from combat duties. After the war, the P-64 was retired from service, and most were eventually scrapped. Today, only one P-64 survives, preserved and on display at the EAA Aviation Museum’s Eagle Hangar in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Despite its limited operational use, the P-64 is a unique example of a pre-war fighter design repurposed for advanced fighter training during a critical period in military aviation history.

The P-64 is often compared to the Commonwealth CA-12 Boomerang of Australia, as both share a similar appearance and weapon configuration. The Boomerang was a fighter adaptation of the Wirraway trainer, itself a license-built version of the North American NA-33.

Specifications

North American P-64

General Characteristics

• Crew: 1 (Pilot)
• Dimensions:
  • Length: 27 ft (8.23 m)
  • Height: 9 ft (2.74 m)
  • Span: 37 ft 3 in (11.35 m)
  • Wing Area: 228 sq ft (21.2 sq m)
• Propeller Type: 3-blade propeller
• Powerplant: Wright R-1820-77 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine
  • Output: 870 hp (882.07 ps)
• Fuel/Oil:
  • Internal Fuel: 170 US gal. (643 L)
  • Oil Tankage: 15.5 US gal (58.67 L)
• Weights:
  • Empty: 4,660 lb (2,114 kg)
  • Gross: 5,990 lb (2,717 kg)
  • Max. Takeoff: 6,800 lb (3,084 kg)

Performance

• Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.145 hp/lb (0.32 ps/kg)
• Wing Loading: 26.27 lb/sq ft (128.26 kg/sq m)
• Airspeeds:
  • Cruising: 235 mph (378 km/h)
  • Critical Altitude: 270 mph (430 km/h, 230 kn) at 8,700 ft (2,700 m)
  • Landing: 70 mph (113 km/h)
• Service Ceiling: 27,500 ft (8,382 m)
• Ranges:
  • Combat: 630 miles (1,014 km)
  • Max.: 965 (1,553 km)

Armament

• Guns:
  • 4 x .30-cal. (7.62-mm) Browning machine guns in the cowl and wings (500 rpg; 2,000 rounds?)
  • 2 x 20-mm Madsen cannons in the gunpods beneath the wings (60 rpg; 120 rounds?)
• Bombs:
  • 4 x 110-lb bombs, two on each wing

Diagrams

Images of P-64 in Air Force of Siam Colours Prior to Export

Images of P-64 in USAAC Markings

Sources

• The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft from 1917 to the Present (1987)
• US Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects - Fighters 1939-1945 (2008)
• North American P-64 - Wikipedia
• 1940 North American P-64/NA-50 - N840
• North American P-64
• The P-64; North American’s “Little Bull” - Forgotten Aircraft - Military Matters

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

[FlyingOstridge]

Looks cool. +1.

[JamesPond1200-psn]

Sounds fun! Any armed trainer aircraft get my approval. +1

[Nostalgistic]

Well, by the time these aircraft were converted into fighter trainers for the U.S. Army Air Corps, they were effectively unarmed. However, this doesn’t matter for the game, as they can still be equipped with their original armament, which was planned for the aircraft intended for Thai service. This isn’t a unique issue since plenty of prototypes suggested on the forum were unarmed in real life but had planned armament.

[AstralTitan]

I really like this plane! +1