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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 0936.PDF
MARCH 30, 1939 FLIGHT. * Spraying a thin solution of whitewash to simulate a gas attack, Douglas (Northrop) machines of the U.S. Army Air Corps demonstrate one of the functions of an attack squadron. So low do attack machines fly that they must drop their fragmentation bombs by parachute to avoid the explosions. The machines shown below are of the standard Douglas (Northrop) type. Military Aircraft—IV "ATTACK" MACHINES ALTHOUGH army co-operation machines (and- for that matter, the smaller types of bombers) are used for 1 making low flying attacks against ground targets, certain countries, notably America, have developed special aircraft for the job and have evolved suitable tactics. Targets which would make the first call on the attentions of attack machines would be troops on the march or convoys of transports, though trench strafing and the elimination of troublesome gun positions or dumps would also be undertaken. Attack aircraft might also parti cipate in raids on industrial centres, or points of great strategical importance, flying ahead of the bombers and strafing the ground defences. Desiderata in an attack machine are heavy armament in the form of small bombs and guns; provision for what the Americans call "chemical dispensation " ; performance and manoeuvrability at low altitude ; minimum projected area to make things more difficult for marksmen on the ground ; and engines as silent as possible. Surprise is the essence of assault by such machines. Taking cover behind any natural features which might offer themselves they would, in theory, suddenly descend on columns of hapless troops, dispersing them with their batteries of small-bore machine guns and completing their work with fragmentation bombs or chemicals. The bombs, which would break into as many as 2,000 pieces, might be dropped by parachutes attached to the tails of the projectiles, following American practice, enabling the machine to get clear before the explosion. Although the single - engined Douglas (Northrop), which carries twenty 30-lb. bombs and five 0.3 Browning guns, forms the equip ment of the majority of the American attack units, a number of twin-engined Curtiss A-i8s are on charge for service tests. The disposable load of the Curtiss is something like 800 lb. more than that of the Northrop (which has a single Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp Junior, whereas the Curtiss has two Wright Cyclones), the range is better and the armament load heavier. Other well-established attack machines in use are the American Vultee and the Italian Breda. That the U.S. Army Air Corps is still interested in a single-engined attack machine is indicated by the fact that an order has been placed for a small number of improved Vultees with Twin Wasp engine. Some tacticians favour the adoption of compact, fast machines (like the Nardi FN315) for attack work. Certainly a group of small agile machines even smaller than, say, the Miles Magister, doing well over 200 m.p.h. and carrying one man, one or two machine guns. Fitted with two Wright Cyclone engines, the Curtiss A-18 (above) carries five machine guns and a substantial load of light bombs. On the left is the Breguet 690 which has been adopted by France as a standard attack type. It is said to do more than 290 m.p.h. and to have a range of over 1,000 miles.
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