forgotten Mustang, The

Air Classics, May 2001

New book examines the unknown Mustang - the A-36A

The incredible story of the North American Aviation A-36A dive-bombers is told in great detail in Straight Down! by Peter C. Smith. Published by Crecy Publishing Ltd. ($34.95), the adoption by the USAAF in 1941 of the dive-bomber is little-known. It was largely brought about by one man, General George C. Marshall, then the Chief of Staff, following the stunning success of the Luftwaffe's Junkers Ju 87 Stuka in the defeats of Poland, France, and Greece. Army co-operation and close air support were in their infancy in the USA and dive-bombing seemed to be the answer.

The trouble was the AAF had no dive-bombers and the hunt was on to find a suitable aircraft to complete the mission. The new plane needed to be fast (Stukas would soon fall prey to Spitfires and Hurricanes) as well as accurate. The answer came from a somewhat surprising source. North American had started building the new Allison-powered Mustang for the Royal Air Force and it promised to be an excellent aircraft. When NAA was approached about the dive-bombing mission, their engineers fitted an early Mustang with dive brakes from a Vultee Vengeance dive-bomber which was being developed for the RAF in nearby Downey. The result was a sleek heavily armed craft that could dive straight down with a good bomb load - the answer to the question.

The AAF would buy 500 A-36As and the aircraft went on to equip three groups and the type served with distinction in Sicily, Italy, Burma, and China where it achieved a very high sortie rate while also being able to defend itself against enemy aircraft. Interviews with A-36A pilots highlight this volume.