Did RAF used North American A-36 during WW2?
http://www.military.cz/usa/air/war/bomber/a36/a36b.jpg
Is it a test a/c only?
Regards
Max
http://www.military.cz/usa/air/war/bomber/a36/a36b.jpg
Is it a test a/c only?
Regards
Max
British A-36 ?
- Thread starter maxs75
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Glider
Captain
I understood that we used the Mustang I in some numbers which was basically an A36 without the dive brakes.
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- #6
Look at the situation the other way around. Why did the US have the A-36? Because there was hostility to the Mustang initially. It was perceived as a British inspired aircraft - it was. The US fighter policy was for the P-40, P-47 P-38. Although Mustangs were accepted for evaluation, the initial order for the US was as a Dive-bomber A-36 Apache, the only difference to the standard airframe, I believe, was the addition of air-breaks. Then came the US acceptance of the P-51A. Whilst those in the know in the RAF - especially AVM Freeman, could see the potential of the Mustang with a Rolls Royce engine. It took a lot of persuading on his part, for Mustang production with the Packard Merlin engine to be increased - to be the saviour of the 8th Air Force.
the lancaster kicks ass
Major General
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and what thanks do we get 
Jarda Rankl
Airman
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- Aug 12, 2004
- Thread starter
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Thought you might find these shots helpful. Its currently being worked over
at Chino after returning from a trip to GB.
A36 Dive Bomber
at Chino after returning from a trip to GB.
A36 Dive Bomber
Attachments
HealzDevo
Staff Sergeant
The way I understood the matter was that there were problems with the original engine which relegated it to the dive-bomber role, and then the British changed the engine and voila the characteristics of the plane were changed and the US then licenced the engine to build and the legend of the P-51 Mustang was born...
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
"In April 1942, the RAF's Air Fighter Development Unit (AFDU) tested the Mustang at higher altitudes and found its performance inadequate, but the commanding officer was so impressed with its maneuverability and low-altitude speeds that he invited Ronnie Harker from Rolls Royce's Flight Test establishment to fly it. Rolls-Royce engineers rapidly realized that equipping the Mustang with a Merlin 61 would substantially improve performance and started converting five aircraft as the Mustang X. Ministry official Sir W.R. Freeman lobbied vociferously for Merlin-powered Mustangs, insisting two of the five experimental Mustang Xs be handed over to Carl Spaatz for trials and evaluation by the US 8th Air Force in Britain."
HealzDevo
Staff Sergeant
Ok, thanks interesting. I had thought it was in service as a dive-bomber originally because it didn't have the performance wanted for a fighter. I suppose it might have languished in the dive-bomber role a bit longer than necessary due to hostility by the US...
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
OK genius, where did you come up with that?
Wildcat
Major
HealzDevo
Staff Sergeant
That was based on what I was being told about the hostility towards it by the Americans. I had always thought it was substandard performance that had condemned it to the dive bomber role, and then when the engine was upgraded by the British voila a new fighter that was good in the escort role.
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Well who ever told you that is either dreaming or lying (maybe both) or perhaps mixed up in some anti-American delusional paranoia. The introduction of the Mustang with the Merlin lit up the production lines at Inglewood and Dallas and was also a boom for Packard - NA had a Merlin Powered Mustang in mind since mid 1942...
"In the summer of 1942, Packard Motors was negotiating with Rolls Royce to license-build the Merlin engine at its Detroit plant. Learning of Rolls Royce' Merlin-Mustang plans, Major Thomas Hitchcock, the American military attache in London, and others, pushed for the development of a Mustang powered by the Packard-built Merlin. Authorized in July, 1942, North American began its Merlin Mustang development in August."
Bottom line, NA welcomed it with open arms - look at the dates. If there was real resistance to putting a Merlin in a P-51 NA could of really dragged it's feet. By November 1942 the XP-51B was flying...
HealzDevo
Staff Sergeant
Okay, misinterpretation of what I was told because it was on the first page. I interpreted it that way.
MacArther
Staff Sergeant
Oy, didn't the British and some American A-36's have 20mm guns in the wings and no nose guns, and were used as recon units? I have heard about these, but I can never find good pictures of them, or information about how often, or for how long they were used.
