Vultee V-11

The Vultee V‑11, introduced in the mid‑1930s, was the first all‑metal, twin‑engine bomber produced by Vulcan Aircraft (later Vultee Aircraft) in the United States. Developed from the earlier V‑1 single‑engine monoplane, the V‑11 featured a low‑wing cantilever design, retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit that accommodated a pilot, co‑pilot and a gunner. Powered by two 775‑horsepower Wright R‑1820 radial engines, the aircraft could reach a top speed of 300 mph, carry a 2,300‑pound bomb load and sustain a range of roughly 1,200 miles. Its defensive armament consisted of a dorsal turret with a .30‑caliber machine gun and a ventral gun position, providing all‑round protection in an era when bomber survivability was a primary concern.

Only 17 V‑11s were built before the program was canceled in favor of more advanced designs such as the Vultee V‑12 and the Boeing B‑17. Nevertheless, the V‑11 proved influential as a testbed for all‑metal construction techniques and twin‑engine handling characteristics that informed later United States Army Air Corps bombers. Its brief service highlighted the rapid evolution of tactical bombing doctrine on the eve of World II.

Vultee Aircraft

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