XA-2

The Douglas XA-2 was a experimental attack aircraft developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company in the late 1930s as a response to the United States Army Air Corps’ request for a fast, low‑level bomber capable of delivering a heavy payload against ground targets. First flown on 12 March 1939, the single‑engine, low‑wing monoplane featured an all‑metal stressed‑skin construction, a retractable tailwheel landing gear and a powerful Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engine delivering 1,200 hp. Its armament consisted of four .50‑caliber machine guns mounted in the nose and a bomb bay that could accommodate up to 1,200 pounds of ordnance, including 500‑lb bombs and rockets. The XA‑2’s most notable feature was its innovative variable‑incidence wing, which allowed the pilot to increase lift during steep attack runs without sacrificing cruise speed. Although the prototype demonstrated excellent maneuverability and hit‑and‑run capability, the Army ultimately selected the Douglas A‑20 Havoc for production, and the XA‑2 never entered series manufacture. Nevertheless, the aircraft’s aerodynamic experiments and weapons integration informed later Douglas designs and contributed to the evolution of dedicated attack aircraft during World II.

Douglas

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