Puneet Varma (Editor)

Stearman XA 21

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Top speed
  
413 km/h

Length
  
16 m

Manufacturer
  
Stearman Aircraft

Wingspan
  
20 m

First flight
  
1938

Stearman XA-21 httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

The Stearman Model X-100 was a competitor in a United States Army Air Corps competition for a twin-engined attack aircraft which (after redesigns) led to the Douglas A-20 Havoc, Martin A-22 Maryland and North American B-25 Mitchell.

Contents

Design and development

The X-100, designated XA-21 following purchase by the Army Air Corps, was a twin-engined high-winged monoplane of all-metal construction. It featured an unusual cockpit arrangement, much like those on most German World War II bombers designed during the war years, with a streamlined greenhouse canopy enclosing both the pilot and bombardier stations.

Operational history

The XA-21 was first tested with the streamlined cockpit but this configuration was found to restrict the pilot's forward vision, and the aircraft was rebuilt with a conventional (stepped) nose and cockpit structure. Although this change in the cockpit did not significantly affect performance, the XA-21 was not ordered into production.'

The sole XA-21 had serial number 40-191.

Operators

 United States
  • United States Army Air Corps
  • Specifications (XA-21)

    Data from Museum of the United States Air Force

    General characteristics

  • Crew: 3
  • Length: 53 ft 1 in (16.18 m)
  • Wingspan: 65 ft 0 in (19.81 m)
  • Height: 14 ft 2 in (4.32 m)
  • Wing area: 607 ft² (56.39 m²)
  • Empty weight: 12,760 lb (5,789 kg)
  • Useful load: 5,560 lb (2,520 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 18,230 lb (8,269 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2180-7 Twin Hornet radial engines, 1,400 hp (1,030 kW) each
  • Performance

  • Maximum speed: 223 knots (257 mph, 414 km/h)
  • Cruise speed: 174 knots (200 mph, 322 km/h)
  • Wing loading: 30.0 lb/ft² (147 kg/m²)
  • Power/mass: 0.15 hp/b (250 W/kg)
  • Armament

  • Guns:
  • 4× wing-mounted 0.30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns
  • 1× nose-mounted 0.30 in machine gun
  • 4× aft-firing 0.30 in machine guns
  • Bombs: 2,700 lb (1,200 kg)
  • References

    Stearman XA-21 Wikipedia