YA-10 Shrike

The Curtiss YA‑10 Shrike was a prototype attack aircraft built for the United States Army Air Corps in the late 1930s, emerging from the successful Curtiss P‑36 Hawk fighter line. Intended to fulfill a new tactical requirement for a dedicated, low‑level ground‑attack platform, the YA‑10 combined a sturdy all‑metal monocoque fuselage with a 1,050‑horsepower Wright R‑1820‑G radial engine. Its low‑mounted, constant‑speed propeller and relatively compact wingspan gave it a high roll rate, while the under‑wing hardpoints allowed carriage of up to 1,000 lb of bombs and a pair of forward‑firing .30‑caliber machine guns supplemented by two .50‑caliber guns in the nose. A distinctive feature was the incorporation of perforated dive brakes, enabling steep, controlled attacks that were still relatively novel for American aircraft at the time.

Although the YA‑10 never entered production—its flight tests revealed handling quirks and the Army preferred the more powerful Curtiss A‑18 Shrike—the prototype provided valuable data on integrating heavy armament and dive‑bombing techniques into a single‑engine fighter chassis. Lessons learned directly influenced later attack types such as the P‑40 Warhawk and the A‑25 “Shrike,” cementing the YA‑10’s place as a transitional step in the evolution of U.S. close‑support aviation.

Curtiss

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Production & History

Design & Classification