View source for Curtiss A-8

{{short description|American attack aircraft}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name=A-8 "Shrike"
 |image=File:Curtiss A-8 No.60.jpg
 |caption=Curtiss A-8 No.60 of the 13th Attack Squadron
 |type=[[Attack aircraft]]
 |manufacturer=[[Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company]]
 |designer=Don Berlin<ref name="wep">{{cite book|editor1-last=Fitzsimmons|editor1-first=Bernard|title=The Illustrated encyclopedia of 20th century weapons and warfare|date=1967|publisher=Purnell Reference Books|isbn=0-8393-6175-0|edition=Volume 21}}</ref>
 |first_flight=June 1931
 |introduction=April 1932
 |retired=
 |produced=13
 |number_built=
 |status=
 |primary_user=[[United States Army Air Corps]]
 |more_users=
 |developed_from=
 |variants=[[YA-10 Shrike]]<br>[[A-12 Shrike]]
}}

The '''Curtiss A-8''' was a low-wing [[monoplane]] ground-attack aircraft built by the [[United States]] company [[Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company]], designed in response to a 1929 [[United States Army Air Corps]] requirement for an attack aircraft to replace the [[A-3 Falcon]]. The '''Model 59''' "Shrike" was designated '''XA-8'''.{{efn|The "Shrike" nickname was not officially adopted.}}

==Development==
The '''XA-8''' won a competition against the [[Fokker XA-7|General Aviation/Fokker XA-7]], after which 13 service test aircraft were ordered (five as '''YA-8s''' and eight as '''Y1A-8s'''). After the completion of testing, 11 of these aircraft were redesignated '''A-8'''.

The A-8 was the first Curtiss machine of all-metal low-wing monoplane configuration with advanced features such as automatic [[leading edge slats]] and trailing-edge [[Flap (aircraft)|flap]]s.<ref name="world">{{cite book|editor1-last=Eden|editor1-first=Paul|editor2-last=Moeng|editor2-first=Soph|title=The complete encyclopedia of world aircraft|date=2002|publisher=Barnes & Noble Books|location=London, NI 9PF|isbn=0-7607-3432-1|page=1152}}</ref>

Four forward-firing {{cvt|.30|in|2}} [[machine gun]]s were mounted in the wheel fairings, and an additional weapon of the same calibre was fitted in the observer's [[cockpit]] for rear defense. The standard bomb load was four {{cvt|100|lb}} bombs.<ref name="ohnine">{{cite book|last1=Swanborough|first1=Gordon|last2=Bowers|first2=Peter M.|title=United States military aircraft since 1909|date=1964|publisher=Putnam|location=New York|isbn=0-85177-816-X|page=596|edition=New}}</ref>

One '''YA-8''' was fitted with a [[radial engine]] and designated [[YA-10 Shrike|YA-10]], while another was used for testing of the Curtiss [[V-1570]] Conqueror engine as the '''Y1A-8A'''. This aircraft was redesignated '''A-8''' upon the completion of testing.

46 aircraft were ordered as '''A-8B'''s, however the order was changed to the '''Model 60''' [[A-12 Shrike|A-12s]] before production began.

==Operational history==
The A-8 created a sensation in US aviation circles when it went into service with the 3rd Attack Group at [[Fort Crockett]], [[Texas]] in April 1932. All other standard aircraft were of [[biplane]] configuration, and the first monoplane fighter (the [[P-26 Peashooter|Boeing P-26A]]) did not become operational until eight months later.<ref name="world"/>

==Variants==
;XA-8: Model 59, one prototype, (30-387), length {{cvt|32|ft|6|in}}, wingspan {{cvt|44|ft}}, gross weight {{cvt|5413|lb}} [[Curtiss V-1570-23]] direct drive engine<ref name="fahey">{{cite book|last1=Fahey|first1=James C.|title=U.S. Army Aircraft 1908-1946|date=1946|page=64}}</ref>
[[File:EL-2003-00274.jpg|right|thumb|Curtiss YA-8 Shrike]]
;YA-8: Model 59A, service test aircraft, 5 built, (32-344 to 32-348), gross weight {{cvt|5706|lb}},<ref name="fahey"/> one was reworked as the [[YA-10 Shrike|YA-10]] prototype with the {{cvt|625|hp}} [[Pratt & Whitney Hornet]] radial engine<ref name="world"/>
;Y1A-8: service test aircraft, 8 built, (32-349 to 32-356) gross weight {{cvt|5710|lb}}<ref name="fahey"/>
;A-8: 12 redesignated YA-8 and Y1A-8 aircraft<ref name="fahey"/>
;Y1A-8A: last Y1A-8 with [[Curtiss V-1570-57]] geared engine, length {{cvt|3|ft|7|in}}, gross weight {{cvt|6287|lb}}<ref name="fahey"/>
;A-8A: redesignated Y1A-8A aircraft<ref name="fahey"/>
;A-8B: cancelled, replaced by [[A-12 Shrike]]<ref name="fahey"/>

==Operators==
;{{flag|United States|1912}}
*[[United States Army Air Corps]]

==Specifications (YA-8)==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947<ref name=Bowers>{{cite book|last1=Bowers|first1=Peter M.|title=Curtiss aircraft, 1907-1947|date=1979|publisher=Putnam|location=London|isbn=0370100298|pages=327–331}}</ref>
|prime units?=imp
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=2
|capacity=
|length ft=32
|length in=0
|length note=
|span ft=44
|span in=0
|height ft=9
|height in=0
|height note=
|wing area sqft=256
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=
|empty weight lb=3910
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=5888
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|lift lb=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
|lift note=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Curtiss V-1570-31 Conqueror]]
|eng1 type=V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine
|eng1 hp=600

|prop blade number=3
|prop name=fixed-pitch propeller
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed mph=183
|max speed note=
|max speed mach=<!-- supersonic aircraft -->
|cruise speed mph=153
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed note=
|range miles=480
|range note=
|combat range miles=
|combat range note=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling ft=18100
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|glide ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|climb rate ftmin=1325
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|sink rate ftmin=<!-- sailplanes -->
|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|disk loading lb/sqft=
|disk loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=

|more performance=
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns=<br />
:* 4 × forward-firing {{cvt|0.30|in|2}} [[M1919 Browning machine gun]]s mounted in the wheel fairings
:* 1 × {{cvt|0.30|in|2}} machine gun mounted in the observer's cockpit for rear defense
|bombs= Up to 4 × {{cvt|122|lb}} bombs carried under the wings<ref name="ohnine"/> or up to 10 × {{cvt|30|lb}} fragmentation bombs in fuselage chutes either side of the main fuel tank<ref name="wep"/>
|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent
|related=
*[[YA-10 Shrike]]
*[[A-12 Shrike]]
|similar aircraft=
*[[Fokker XA-7]]
|lists =
*[[List of military aircraft of the United States]]
|see also=
}}

==References==
{{commons category}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

<!--==External links==-->
{{Curtiss aircraft}}
{{USAF attack aircraft}}

[[Category:1930s United States attack aircraft|A-08 Shrike]]
[[Category:Curtiss aircraft|A-08]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1931]]
[[Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear]]
[[Category:Single-engined piston aircraft]]