North American A-27

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

The North American A-27 was a light attack aircraft developed as an export variant of the NA-16 trainer/attack family, powered by a Wright Cyclone radial engine. It was ordered by the Royal Siamese Air Force.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	8.84 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Export attack derivative of the NA-16 / BC-1
Single radial engine with retractable undercarriage
Low-wing monoplane with fixed armament

A clean low-wing monoplane with a large cowled radial engine and retractable gear; distinguished from the Texan by its more aggressive armament provisions and slightly different cockpit arrangement.

Specifications

The North American A-27 has a length of 8.84 m (29 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.8 m (42 ft).
Its maximum speed is 402 km/h (250 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

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

History

Ordered by Siam (Thailand) in the late 1930s, the A-27s were seized by the USAAF after Japan's entry into the war and used briefly in the Philippines in late 1941. Several were lost in the initial Japanese attacks on Clark Field in December 1941.

Variants

The A-27 was essentially a militarised export variant of the NA-16 family; it shared design lineage with the AT-6 Texan and the O-47 observation aircraft.

Where you'll see it

Siam received its A-27 order but the aircraft were redirected to the USAAF; the type saw brief and unsuccessful combat use in the Philippines at the outbreak of the Pacific War before being destroyed or captured.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.