Fokker XA-7

The Fokker XA‑7 was a prototype attack aircraft developed by the Dutch manufacturer Fokker in the early 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps. Conceived as a response to the Army’s demand for a fast, low‑level tactical bomber, the XA‑7 first flew in March 1933 from the company's Terschelling facility. It featured an all‑metal airframe with a low‑wing monoplane layout, powered by a single Pratt & Whitney R‑985 radial engine delivering 450 horsepower. The design incorporated retractable landing gear, semi‑enclosed cockpit, and provision for up to 500 pounds of bombload carried internally and on external racks. Defensive armament consisted of a flexible .30‑caliber machine gun for the rear observer and a fixed forward‑firing gun for the pilot. Although the XA‑7 demonstrated excellent handling and respectable speed of 210 mph, it was ultimately outperformed by competing designs such as the Douglas A‑20 and was cancelled after only one prototype was built. Nevertheless, the aircraft provided valuable insight into low‑drag monoplane construction and influenced later Fokker projects, marking an important transitional step in the evolution of European‑American combat aircraft during the interwar period.