Convair Model 48 Charger

In 1959, two United States Marine Corps officers developed the concept of a small low cost aircraft capable of providing close air support to the U.S. Marines, capable of operating from roads close to the battlefield, the concept being known as the Light Light Marine Attack Aircraft (L2VMA). As interest in such an aircraft grew, with interest from the US Army for a similar type, the Convair Division of General Dynamics started studies into counter-insurgency aircraft in 1961. In 1963, the various requirements were merged into a tri-service specification for a Light Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft (LARA), to be used not just by the U.S. Marines and Army, but also by the United States Air Force for counter-insurgency and forward air control roles, and to be available for export.Willis 2010, pp. 60–63.

File:Convair 48 Charger on the ground 1964.jpg

The specification produced responses from nine manufacturers, including Convair, who submitted its Model 48 Charger in March 1964. The Model 48 was a twin-boom monoplane, constructed mainly from aluminium, with fiberglass nose, rear fuselage and wingtips, with a retractable nosewheel undercarriage. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 (military designation T74), driving three bladed propellers. Its wings were of relatively short (27 ft 6 in/8.38 m) span, which meant that most of the wing was in the slipstream of the propellers, increasing the effectiveness of the full-span trailing-edge slotted flaps and leading edge slats inboard of the engines, which together acted to deflect the slipstream, giving a form of vectored thrust, in order to reduce takeoff and landing distances.Flight International 14 January 1965, pp. 54–55.Ginter 1997, p.10. The outer trailing-edge flaps doubled as ailerons, which were supplemented by spoilers at low speed. The aircraft was fitted with a large, all-moving tailplane which attached to the vertical fins located at the ends of the tailboom(s), with the tailplane having somewhat greater span (20 ft (6.1 m)) than the distance between the tailbooms.Ginter 1997, pp. 14–15.Willis 2010, p. 63.

Pilot and observer sat in tandem under a sliding canopy, while the rear fuselage held a cargo bay with a hinged tail cone capable of carrying 2,000 lb (910 kg) of cargo, which could include a complete PT6 engine, or five paratroopers, in extremely cramped conditions, with a sixth paratrooper in the observer's seat. Four 7.62 mm machine guns were mounted in pods on the side of the fuselage, while 2,000 lb (910 kg) of external stores, including bombs, rockets and gun pods, could be carried on hardpoints under the wings and fuselage. To meet the specification's requirements for amphibious operations, it could be fitted with two large floats.Ginter 1997, pp. 30–32.Taylor 1965, pp. 231–232.

Convair started construction of a prototype as a private venture before a winner of the LARA competition was announced. In August 1964, the US Navy announced North American Aviation's design, the NA-300 (later to become the OV-10 Bronco) as the winner of the LARA competition. The U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force favored the Charger, however, and protested against the U.S. Navy's decision, and Convair continued construction of their prototype, which made its maiden flight on 25 November 1964.

After initial flight tests, the Charger was modified with an increased wingspan and modified tail to improve low-speed control. The Charger demonstrated excellent STOL capability, taking off over a 50 ft (15 m) obstacle in 485 ft (148 m) with a normal payload. This was better both than the LARA specifications requirement of 800 ft (244 m), and the Bronco.Ginter 1997, p. 44.

The Charger was awarded a 100-hour joint service flight test contract where the prototype would be flown by representatives of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force. If orders followed, it was planned to build the production aircraft with a deeper and longer fuselage allowing full dual controls to be fitted. The prototype crashed on its 196th test flight on 19 October 1965, owing to pilot error by its U.S. Navy test pilot, however, and further development was abandoned.

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors Wegg 1990, p. 219.

|prime units?=imp

|genhide=

|crew=2

|capacity=6 paratroops in utility/cargo bay

|length m=

|length ft=34

|length in=10

|length note=

|span m=

|span ft=30

|span in=1+1/4

|span sigfig=3

|span note=

|height m=

|height ft=13

|height in=7

|height note=

|wing area sqm=

|wing area sqft=216

|wing area note=

|aspect ratio=

|airfoil=

|empty weight kg=

|empty weight lb=4457

|empty weight note=

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight lb=10,460

|gross weight note=

|max takeoff weight kg=

|max takeoff weight lb=

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity=258 US Gallon (977 L) internal

|more general=

|eng1 number=2

|eng1 name=Pratt & Whitney Canada T74-CP-8/10

|eng1 type=turboprop

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 hp=650

|eng1 note=

|power original=

|thrust original=

|prop blade number=3

|prop name=Hamilton Standard

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=8

|prop dia in=6

|prop note=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=

|max speed mph=319

|max speed kts=

|max speed note=at sea level

|max speed mach=

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed mph=

|cruise speed kts=

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed mph=

|stall speed kts=

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed kts=

|never exceed speed note=

|minimum control speed kmh=

|minimum control speed mph=

|minimum control speed kts=

|minimum control speed note=

|range km=

|range miles=

|range nmi=

|range note=

|combat range km=

|combat range miles=

|combat range nmi=

|combat range note=

|ferry range km=

|ferry range miles=3,000

|ferry range nmi=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=

|ceiling m=

|ceiling ft=21,300

|ceiling note=

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|glide ratio=

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude=

|sink rate note=

|lift to drag=

|wing loading kg/m2=

|wing loading lb/sqft=

|wing loading note=

|power/mass=

|thrust/weight=

|more performance=*Take-off to 50 ft (15 m): Less than 500 ft (152 m)

• Landing from 50 ft (15 m): Less than 500 ft (152 m)

|guns=4 × 7.62mm machine guns

|bombs=

|rockets=

|missiles=

|hardpoints=5

|hardpoint capacity=2,000 lb (910 kg) total

|hardpoint rockets=

|hardpoint missiles=

|hardpoint bombs=

|hardpoint other=

|avionics=

}}

{{aircontent

|see also=

|related=

|similar aircraft=

• North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco

|lists=

• List of military aircraft of the United States

}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• "[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1965/1965%20-%200088.html Convair's Charger]". Flight International, 14 January 1965. pp. 54–55.
• Ginter, Steve. Naval Fighters Number Thirty-Nine: Convair Model 48 Charger. Simi Valley, California, USA: Naval Fighters, 1997. {{ISBN|0-942612-39-6}}.
• Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London: Sampson Low, Marston, 1965.
• Wegg, John. General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors. London: Putnam, 1990. {{ISBN|0-85177-833-X}}.
• Willis, David. "Database:North American Bronco". Aeroplane, Vol. 38, No. 1, January 2010, pp. 59–76. London: IPC.

{{refend}}

{{commons category|Convair 48 Charger}}

• [http://www.1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Visschedijk/6899.htm Photo of Convair Model 48 Charger]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3liOIGmUvQ Corporate video presentation] in the San Diego Air and Space Museum Yt channel.

{{Convair aircraft}}

Charger

Category:1960s United States attack aircraft

Category:1960s United States military reconnaissance aircraft

Category:Twin-boom aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1964

Category:Shoulder-wing aircraft

Category:Twin-turboprop tractor aircraft

Category:Twin-tail aircraft

Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear