Curtiss A-18 Shrike
Curtiss-Wright · United States · first flew 1935 · bomber
The Curtiss A-18 Shrike was a twin-engine attack aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Corps in the mid-1930s as a follow-on to the successful A-12 Shrike. It was one of the more capable American ground-attack types of its generation.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 10.08 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin-engine USAAC attack aircraft of the 1930s
- Wright R-1820 Cyclone radials
- Low-wing monoplane with fixed undercarriage
A low-wing twin-engine monoplane with two radial engines and fixed main undercarriage; somewhat resembling a scaled-down B-18 Bolo in its general configuration.
Specifications
- The Curtiss A-18 Shrike has a length of 10.08 m (33 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 17.37 m (57 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 393 km/h (244 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The A-18 flew in 1935 and was ordered in modest numbers by the USAAC. It represented a significant performance improvement over single-engine predecessors, using two Wright R-1820 Cyclone radials. The type saw limited service before being declared obsolescent as monoplane attack designs advanced rapidly in the late 1930s.
Variants
The XA-18 was the prototype; the A-18 was the production version; a small number of improved YA-18 aircraft were evaluated.
Where you'll see it
Used by the United States Army Air Corps in the late 1930s; declared obsolete before US entry into WWII.
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