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Vultee A-19

From PlaneSpottingWorld, for aviation fans everywhere
YA-19
Type Ground attack
Manufacturer Vultee
Introduced 1938
Primary user U.S. Army Air Corps

Seven Vultee YA-19 aircraft were ordered by the USAAC in 1938 for testing against the new twin-engine attack aircraft. The latter proved superior and further A-19s were not ordered.

Armament of the YA-19 consisted of four .30 machine guns firing forwards, one for the rear gunner and one in a ventral tunnel.

An interesting feature of the A-19 was that its horizontal stabiliser was located entirely forwards of the vertical tail, which proved to be undersized.

Following testing, the YA-19s were assigned to service in the Panama Canal Zone as utility aircraft.

One YA-19 was fitted as a testbed for the Lycoming O-1230 engine and designated XA-19A; later this aircraft was refitted with an upgraded Twin Wasp radial and redesignated XA-19C. Another A-19 was fitted with a P&W R-2800 radial as the XA-19B. The A-19 in Chinese inventory were used as light bombers to some limited success, including a mission to bomb the Japanese held airfield by 4 A-19's at Yuncheng on Februrary 5, 1939 by the 10th Squdaron of the Republic of China Air Force, before the aircraft being retired from frontline bombing missions to training and liaison duties in 1940.

Operators

Specifications (YA-19)

Data from USAF Museum

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

  • 4 x forwards-firing .30 calibre machine guns
  • 1 x aft-firing .30 calibre machine gun
  • 1 x ventral .30 calibre machine gun
  • 1,080 lbs bombs in internal bay


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Comparable aircraft

Designation sequence
XA-16 - A-17 - A-18 - YA-19 - A-20 - XA-21 - A-22 Related lists