Initially designed in 1941, the XA-32 was grossly overweight, at almost 20,000 lb (9,100 kg), similar to the Douglas A-20 Havoc.
The drag induced by its bulbous shape was amplified by careless detail design, which left it festooned with bumps and lumps.
One disastrous characteristic was that the exhaust scoops that ringed the cowling nearly blinded the test pilots during night flying; the backfiring at low power settings resulted in flames engulfing the nose of the aircraft.
Even with the 2,100 hp (1,600 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800, the XA-32 was underpowered and an attempt to re-engine the aircraft with the 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major was unsuccessful.
The first flight of the XA-32 prototype was not until May 22, 1943, two years after the design was proposed, and almost every aspect of performance fell short of the specifications.
Without its load of weapons, the XA-32 could only reach 279 mph (242 kn; 449 km/h) and although handling was adequate, as soon as armament and external stores were added, the performance dropped drastically and more seriously, the disturbed airflow set up severe buffeting at its top speed.
Only two examples were built, the XA-32 and XA-32A, both of which were scrapped at the conclusion of flight testing.
The XA-32 failure was to be the last product and the end for Brewster.
Specifications
Crew
One
Length
40 ft 7 in (12.37 m)
Wingspan
45 ft 1 in (13.74 m)
Height
11 ft 3 in (3.44 m)
Gross weight
13,500 lb (6,123 kg)
Powerplant
1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-37 Double Wasp radial engine, 2,100 hp (1,600 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed
311 mph (501 km/h, 270 kn)
Cruise speed
196 mph (315 km/h, 170 kn)
Combat range
500 mi (800 km, 430 nmi)
Service ceiling
26,000 ft (7,900 m)
Armament
Guns
8 x .50-cal. machine guns
Or
4 x 37mm gun
Bombs
1,000 pounds (450 kg) in an internal fuselage bomb bay
