Beechcraft XA-38 Grizzly

The Beechcraft XA-38 Grizzly, a ground attack aircraft, was developed by Beechcraft during World War II to replace the ageing Douglas A-20 Havoc.

The Grizzly was designed to be equipped with a forward firing 75mm cannon for penetrating heavily armoured targets.

Although the first prototype took flight on May 7, 1944, tests determined it would not be ready in time for the planned invasion of Japan.

The aircraft also utilised the Wright R-3350 engines, which were already allocated to the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, receiving higher priority.

As a result, the XA-38 program was discontinued after the completion of a second prototype.

Specifications

Crew

2

Length

51 ft 9 in (15.77 m)

Wingspan

67 ft 4 in (20.52 m)

Height

15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)

Wing area

626 sq ft (58.2 m²)

Empty weight

22,480 lb (10,197 kg)

Max take-off weight

35,265 lb (15,996 kg)

Powerplant

2 × Wright R-3350-43 air-cooled radial engines,

2,300 hp (1,700 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed

370 mph (600 km/h, 320 kn)

Range

1,625 mi (2,615 km, 1,412 nmi)

Service ceiling

29,000 ft (8,800 m)

Rate of climb

2,600 ft/min (13 m/s)

Armament

Guns

1 × T15E1 75 mm cannon (20 rounds)

6 × .50 calibre (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns.

Sources
Beech Aircraft and their Predecessors-Alain Pelletier.
National Museum of the United States Air Force.
Beechcraft Aircraft.