Curtiss A-12 Shrike

The Curtiss A‑12 Shrike was a single‑engine, low‑wing attack aircraft built for the United States Army Air Corps in the early 1930s. Developed from the earlier A‑9 model, the A‑12 first flew in 1933 and entered service in 1934 as the Army’s first purpose‑designed ground‑attack plane. Powered by a 750‑horsepower Wright R‑1820‑G “Cyclone” radial engine, the Shrike could reach 250 mph at 10,000 ft and carried a useful payload of up to 1,200 lb of bombs, four forward‑firing .30‑caliber machine guns, and a rear‑facing .30‑caliber defensive gun. Its all‑metal, semi‑monocoque fuselage, retractable main landing gear, and robust fixed armament gave it superior survivability in the harsh low‑altitude environments of the era. Although quickly superseded by faster monoplane designs such as the Douglas SBD and the North American A‑36, the A‑12 Shrike proved valuable during the interwar years, providing the Army Air Corps with critical experience in close‑air support tactics and in integrating radio navigation and sighting equipment. The aircraft’s brief but influential service helped shape the doctrinal shift toward dedicated attack platforms that later dominated World War II air warfare. Its legacy endures in modern close‑air support doctrine.

Curtiss-Wright

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