North American NA-50 Torito

North American Aviation · United States · first flew 1938 · fighter

The North American NA-50 Torito (Little Bull) was a single-seat export fighter developed from the NA-16/BT-9 trainer family and sold to Peru, where it saw combat during the 1941 Ecuadorian-Peruvian War.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	8.66 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Export fighter derived from the BT-9 trainer lineage
Wright Cyclone radial engine with NACA cowl
Served with Peruvian Air Force as 'Little Bull'

Compact low-wing monoplane fighter with a radial engine under an NACA cowl, retractable undercarriage, and a single open or lightly enclosed cockpit; similar in outline to the Harvard/Texan trainer family.

Specifications

The North American NA-50 Torito has a length of 8.66 m (28 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.07 m (36 ft).
Its maximum speed is 485 km/h (301 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

North American developed the NA-50 in 1938 by mating a fighter fuselage with the trainer wing and tail unit, powered by a Wright GR-1820 Cyclone radial. Seven aircraft were delivered to Peru, which used them operationally during the brief 1941 border conflict with Ecuador — making the NA-50 one of the few American-built interwar fighters to see actual combat. The type was a direct progenitor of the NA-68 sold to Thailand.

Variants

The closely related NA-68 was ordered by Thailand but embargoed in 1941 and taken over by the USAAC as P-64 fighters used for training.

Where you'll see it

Served exclusively with the Cuerpo Aeronáutico del Perú; saw combat in the 1941 Ecuadorian-Peruvian War.

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