North American A-36 Apache

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MIflyer said:
I was using P-51-1 and F-6A interchangably. I'm sure the P51-1's the A-36 unit acquired were the F-6A's that were sent to that theater.
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Reap:
And you are correct. Just didn't want readers to think P-51-1s were sent overseas for the purpose of strafing. The weird thing is that the USAAF while in Africa gave the RAF (on at least two occasions) several A-36As that were used as tactical reconnassance. Weird!
 
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Navalwarrior said:
The weird thing is that the USAAF while in Africa gave the RAF (on at least two occasions) several A-36As that were used as tactical reconnassance. Weird!
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And the RAF tried to escort the A-36 tac recon with Spit V. But the Spits could not keep up - or at least not and fly the same distance as the A-36.

An advantage the A-36 had over the Mustang Mk1 and Mk 1A was its ability to carry drop tanks, as well as an engine optimized for low altitude, around 5000 ft. An A-36 shot down an FW-190 that was being delivered to Luftwaffe unit at a forward airfield. The captured FW-190 pilot said to the A-36 pilot, "How in the world did you catch me?"
 
Resp:
Yes, it was the first Mustang to be plumbed for drop tanks. The dive bomber contract required pylon fittings for ordnance (bombs). So NAA took upon themselves to 'plumb' them for external fuel stores (drop tanks). Note that dive bombing was not a priority of the USAAF, and that the success of the A-36A was a surprise to all involved. Its ability to fend off attacking fighters by its 'fighter like qualities' made it viable. If not for the need to build Merlin Mustangs (limited space at NAA) I believe additional 'production runs' of the A-36A would have been produced. It is clear that the units that fielded the A-36A were high in praise of it, to the point that maintenance crews literally rebuilt them from damaged A-36As, as the b/w photos provided by members of this site. Thanks to all who found and furnished them.
 
Snautzer01 said:
*WWII photo- A-36 Apache Fighter/ Dive Bomber plane Nose Art- JUMPIN' JIVE* | eBay

View attachment 530201
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Snautzer01 said:
*WWII photo- A-36 Apache Fighter/ Dive Bomber plane Nose Art- JUMPIN' JIVE* | eBay

View attachment 530201
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Who is the "Administrator" or "Moderator" in this group?

I haven't read every post, but we NEED to use the actual OFFICIAL name given to it by both North American Aviation and the US Army Air Forces..."MUSTANG" is the only official name that it ever had.

This has been established for a number of years and even the National Museum of the U. S. Air Force corrected the signage to reflect the "Mustang" official name and mentioning "Apache" (and "Invader") as "nicknames," which IS interesting, but the official name from the day the first of 500 A-36As rolled out the doors at NAA Inglewood, was "Mustang," and it stayed that way.

I hesitated attaching files on this "comment" / "reply," in case I have already contacted y'all and you've not changed the name.

EDIT: Minutes after posting the above, I looked deeper into this forum and saw a comment (well, more than one) from me and it dealt with the A-36A Mustang's official name and had a couple attachments sent to me by the Boeing Historical Archivist - they both give the A-36A the official name of "Mustang."



Tom
 
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Capt. Vick said:
So where did Apache come from?
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In short, the Apache name is what the Army was leaning toward in several communications regarding the P-51 (NA-91), but it was decided in order to prevent confusion, to go with the British name, this was in '41 before the A-36 was even manufactured.
North American used neither name, always refering to it by the company designation: NA-97.

So *technically* speaking, the only "Apache" is the original P-51 (NA-91), the name "Mustang" being made official in early 1942 - so the A-36A (NA-97), the P-51A (NA-99) all that came after, are all Mustangs.
 
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