Vultee V-11

In 1935, Vultee produced a light bomber derivative of their single-engined passenger transport, the Vultee V-1, which, while demonstrating good performance, was only sold in small numbers owing to restrictions placed on the use of single-engined aircraft for scheduled passenger transport operations.{{harvnb|Green and Swanborough Air Enthusiast July 1974|p=29}}

The resulting aircraft, the Vultee V-11, retained the single-engined, low wing format and all-metal stressed skin structure of the V-1. It combined a new fuselage with accommodation for the three crew members under a long greenhouse canopy with the wings and tail surfaces of the Vultee V-1.{{harvnb|Green and Swanborough Air Enthusiast July 1974|p= 32}}

According to Jonathan Thompson, "Based on the V-1A, the V-11 was a modern, fast and effective military airplane when it appeared in 1935; during the next three years 102 V-11s in six variations were sold to four countries - the Soviet Union, China, Turkey and Brazil - before the Air Corps took seven A-19s. An improved version known as the AB-2 (Attack bomber, 2nd type) and later as the V-12, was tested in 1938 and provided the basis for further sales to China, bringing the total V-11 models and derivatives, including those built under license, to an estimated 225."{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Jonathan |title=Vultee Aircraft 1932-1947 |publisher=Narkiewicz // Thompson |location=Santa Ana |isbn=0913322024 |pages=20–47}}

Duplicate emergency flying controls were provided for the observer/dorsal gunner in the V-11GB. According to Thompson, "Below his seat is the retractable bombardier's hatch; he lay prone, facing forward for the bomb run or rearward to use the ventral gun."

File:Chinese Vultee V-11-G (cropped).jpg

An initial order for 30 two-seat V-11Gs was placed by China before the end of 1935. This was followed in 1939 by orders for two versions (the V-12-C and V-12D) of the more powerful V-12 variant. The majority of these were planned to be assembled from kits at the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company factory at Loiwing near the China-Burma border,{{harvnb|Green and Swanborough Air Enthusiast July 1974|p=39}} and while the first batch of 25 V-12-Cs were completed successfully, the factory was heavily bombed just after assembly of the first V-12-Ds commenced. This resulted in the part built airframes being evacuated to India, where it was planned that the aircraft be completed at the Hindustan Aircraft Limited factory in Bangalore. However, after a few were assembled, production was stopped as the factory was diverted to more urgent overhaul work.{{harvnb|Green and Swanborough Air Enthusiast July 1974|p=42}}

The V-11s and V-12s served as light bombers and achieved some success, including a mission by 4 aircraft to bomb the Japanese held airfield at Yuncheng on February 5, 1939, by the 10th Squadron of the Republic of China Air Force, before the aircraft were withdrawn from bombing missions to training and liaison duties in 1940.{{Cite web|last=Gustavsson|first=Hakans|title=Håkans Aviation page – Sino-Japanese Air War 1939|url=http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/sino-japanese-1939.htm|access-date=2020-11-19|website=Biplane Fighter Aces - China|quote=05 February 1939. Four Vultees of the 10th BS attacked Yuncheng airfield and dropped 1120 kg of bombs. They returned claiming 10 aircraft destroyed on the ground.}}

File:Brazilian Vultee V-11-GB2 landing (cropped).jpg

In February 1939, the Brazilian Army Air Corps acquired the first 10 Vultee V-11–GB2s for long range bombing. 26 aircraft were eventually used by the Brazilian Air Force.

A {{cvt|3250|km}} non-stop flight was made across the Brazilian hinterland in 11 hours and 45 min on 8 November 1939 using a V-11.

On 26 August 1942, a U-boat was attacked 50 miles off the town of Ararangua off the southern coast of Brazil. Despite the unsuitability for anti submarine operations, the aircraft flew low and dropped its load of three {{cvt|250|lb}} bombs, some of which exploded around the submarine, however the blast damaged the low flying aircraft.

File:Soviet Aeroflot Vultee V-11-GB or PS-43.jpg

In 1936, the Soviet Union purchased four three-seat V-11-GB aircraft, together with a production license. The aircraft entered Soviet production in 1937 as the BSh-1 (Bronirovanny Shturmovik), but the armour fitted for the ground attack role unacceptably reduced performance and production was stopped after 31 aircraft. They were transferred to Aeroflot and redesignated PS-43 for use as high speed transports until the German invasion in 1941, when they were returned to the Air Force for liaison purposes.{{harvnb|Green and Swanborough Air Enthusiast July 1974|p=38}}

File:Vultee XA-19A 17 Attack Group (cropped).jpg, California in 1939]]

In the late 1930s, the United States Army Air Corps favored twin-engine light attack aircraft but seven YA-19 aircraft were ordered in the summer of 1938 for comparison purposes. The YA-19s were armed with six {{cvt|.30|in|2}} machine guns and {{cvt|1080|lb}} bombs in an internal bomb bay, powered by a {{cvt|1200|hp}} Twin Wasp radial engine and was manned by a crew of three including a pilot, observer/gunner, and bombardier/photographer.

An unusual feature of the YA-19 design was its horizontal stabiliser which was located forward of the vertical tail. The small size of the vertical stabilizer caused yaw instability so the last YA-19 (S/N 38-555) was equipped with enlarged vertical stabilizer.

Service tests showed that twin-engine attack aircraft were faster, could be better armed and carried a larger bomb load so no further YA-19s were ordered. After comparison tests five YA-19s were redesignated A-19 and assigned to the 17th Attack Group at March Field in California for a brief period before being transferred to the Panama Canal Zone for utility transport and liaison duties. The A-19 never saw combat and was quickly withdrawn in the early 1940s.

;V-11

:First prototype fitted with {{cvt|750|hp}} Wright SR-1820-F53 Cyclone driving a two-bladed Hamilton Standard controllable-pitch propeller, which crashed killing both pilot and the project engineer.

;V-11-A

:Second prototype, similar to first V-11, but with a three-bladed constant speed propeller.

File:Vultee V-12 prototype.jpg

File:Vultee V-12-D prototype (cropped).jpg

;V-11-G

:Initial production two-seat light bomber. Powered by an {{cvt|850|hp}} Wright R-1820-G2 Cyclone engine. 30 built for China.{{Harvnb|Wegg|1990|pp=155–156}}

;V-11-GB

:Three-seat version of V-11. 4 aircraft purchased by Soviet Union (2 as pattern aircraft), 40 by Turkey and others.{{Harvnb|Wegg|1990|p=156}}

;V-11-GB2

:26 purchased by Brazil – generally similar to V-11-GB

;V11-GB2F

:Final example for Brazil fitted with floats, however it wasn't accepted.

;V-11-GBT

:redesignation of V-11-GB for Turkey

;V-12

:Revised version of three-seat bomber with refined aerodynamics and more power. One prototype flew in 1939 powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine.

;V-12-C

:Production version of V-12 for China. Powered by R1820-G105B Cyclone engine. 26 built, one by Vultee and remaining 25 assembled in China.

;V-12-D

:Revised version with new fuselage and powered by {{cvt|1600|hp}} Wright R-2600 Cyclone 14 engine. 52 ordered for China, two pattern aircraft built by Vultee and 50 for local assembly.

;V-52

:Unbuilt observation design based on YA-19.

File:Vultee XA-19A.jpg engine]]

;YA-19

:Variant of V-11-GB for United states Army Air Corps. Seven examples built.

;YA-19A

:The last YA-19 was redesignated and completed as an engine test bed. Equipped with enlarged vertical stabilizer (for improve directional stability) and powered by Lycoming O-1230 (12-cylinder opposed) engine.

;YA-19B

:The second YA-19 built was redesignated after being fitted with a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine as an engine test bed.

;YA-19C

:The YA-19A was redesignated after being fitted with a Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R-1830-51 engine. Performance was similar to the YA-19.

;A-19

:The remaining five YA-19s were redesignated A-19 after assignment to active duty.

;BSh-1

:Soviet licensed armoured ground attack version. Powered by {{cvt|920|hp}} M-62. Production stopped after at least 31 built.

;PS-43

:Designation for BSh-1 when used by Aeroflot as light transport.

File:Turkish V-11-GB.jpg

;{{BRA}}

: Brazilian Army Aviation – Vultee V-11-GB2 (25 delivered)

: Brazilian Air Force - aircraft transferred when Air Force created

;{{flagcountry|Nationalist government}}

• Chinese Nationalist Air Force
• 14th Squadron – Vultee V-11G (30), V-12C (25 delivered from order of 26, which was built but never delivered){{Harvnb|Wegg|1990|p=157}} & Vultee V-12D (52 delivered)

;{{USSR}}

: Soviet Air Forces – Vultee V-11GB (4 delivered) & BSh-1 (31-35 built at Moscow Menzhinskii factory)

;{{TUR}}

• Turkish Air Force
• 2nd Regiment – Vultee V-11GB (41 delivered)

;{{USA}}

: United States Army Air Corps – A-19/V-11GB (7 delivered)

File:Vultee V-11 3-view line drawing.png

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=U.S. Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects{{harvnb|Norton|2008|p=182}}

|prime units?=imp

|crew=Three (pilot, observer/gunner and bombardier/photographer)

|length ft=37

|length in=10

|span ft=50

|span in=0

|height ft=10

|height in=0

|wing area sqft=384

|airfoil=Clark Y{{harvnb|Lednicer The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage 2010}}

|empty weight lb=6452

|gross weight lb=10420

|max takeoff weight lb=16285

|fuel capacity={{convert|311|-|330|USgal|L}}

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Pratt & Whitney R-1830-17 Twin Wasp

|eng1 type=14-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engine

|eng1 hp=1200

|eng1 note=

|power original=

|prop blade number=3

|prop name=Hamilton Standard variable-pitch propeller

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop dia note=

|max speed mph=230

|max speed note=at {{cvt|6500|ft}}

|cruise speed mph=207

|minimum control speed mph=80

|ferry range miles=1350

|range miles=1110

|range note=with {{cvt|1080|lb}} of bombs

|ceiling ft=20500

|climb rate ftmin=1320

|guns=

• 4 x forward-firing {{cvt|.30|in|2}} machine guns in wings
• 1 x dorsal {{cvt|.30|in|2}} machine gun
• 1 x ventral {{cvt|.30|in|2}} machine gun

|bombs= 6 x {{cvt|30|lb}} in cells semi-recessed in wing center section and {{cvt|1100|lb}} externally

}}

{{aircontent

|related=

• Vultee V-1

|similar aircraft=

• Fairey Battle
• Heinkel He 70
• Mitsubishi Ki-30
• Neman R-10
• Northrop A-17
• PZL.23 Karaś

|lists=

• List of aircraft of World War II
• List of military aircraft of the United States

|see also=

}}

{{Commons category}}

{{reflist|group=notes}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite web|last=Baugher|first=Joseph F.|title=Vultee XA-19|url=http://www.joebaugher.com/usattack/a19.html|work=www.joebaugher.com|date=1 July 2000|access-date=3 October 2019}}
• {{cite journal |last1=Deryakulu|first1=Nejat |title=Les Vultee V-11GBT turcs |journal=Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire |date=November 1995 |issue=32 |pages=29–32 |trans-title=Turkish Vultee V-11GBTs |language=French |issn=1243-8650}}
• {{cite magazine|editor-last1=Green|editor-first1=William|editor-last2=Swanborough|editor-first2=Gordon |title=Those Versatile Vultees|magazine=Air Enthusiast|volume=3|number=1|date=July 1972|pages=27–32, 38–42 |ref={{harvid|Green and Swanborough Air Enthusiast July 1974}} }}
• {{cite book|last=Johnson|first=E.R.|title=American Attack Aircraft Since 1926|url=https://archive.org/details/americanattackai1926john_140|url-access=limited|publisher=McFarland|year=2008|isbn=978-0786434640|pages=[https://archive.org/details/americanattackai1926john_140/page/n36 30]-32}}
• {{cite web|last=Lednicer|first=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu|date=15 September 2010 |access-date=16 April 2019|ref={{harvid|Lednicer The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage 2010}} }}
• {{cite book|last=Norton|first=William|title=U.S. Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects: Fighters 1939-1945|publisher=Specialty Press|location=North Branch, MN|year=2008|isbn=978-1580071093|page=182}}
• {{cite book|last1=Swanborough|first1=Gordon|last2=Bowers|first2=Peter M.|title=United States Military Aircraft Since 1909|publisher=Smithsonian|year=1989|isbn=978-0874748802|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesmili00swan}}
• {{cite book |last=Wegg |first=John |title=General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors |year=1990 |location=London |publisher=Putnam |isbn=0-85177-833-X }}

{{Vultee aircraft}}

{{USAF attack aircraft}}

{{Soviet bomber-attack designations}}

{{Soviet transport designations}}

A-19

A-19

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Category:Low-wing aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1935

Category:Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear

Category:Single-engined piston aircraft