Vultee Vengeance IV

Vultee Aircraft · United States · first flew 1942 · bomber

The Vultee Vengeance IV is the final production variant of the Vengeance dive bomber series, built for British Commonwealth service in the Second World War.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	12.12 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Single-engine dive bomber with tandem greenhouse canopy
Wright R-2600 radial engine
Final production Vengeance variant

Virtually identical externally to the Mark III; distinguished from earlier marks by minor equipment changes rather than visible airframe differences.

Specifications

The Vultee Vengeance IV has a length of 12.12 m (40 ft).
It has a wingspan of 14.63 m (48 ft).
Its maximum speed is 449 km/h (279 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

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

History

The Mark IV represented the refined endpoint of Vultee's Vengeance development programme, incorporating lessons from earlier marks' operational use in Burma. Like its predecessors it saw most of its combat service in the CBI theatre, where Japanese air opposition was lighter than in Europe. By 1944 most Vengeances were relegated to target-towing and training duties as Allied air superiority reduced the need for dedicated dive bombers.

Variants

The Mark IV is broadly equivalent to late-production A-35B airframes; some were converted to target tugs as TBV-1 in US service.

Where you'll see it

Operated by the RAF, RAAF, and IAF in the Burma theatre; a number were also delivered to Brazil under Lend-Lease arrangements.

Related aircraft

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