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Author: Terry
North American AJ Savage / A-2 Savage / NA-146 / NA-163 / A2J
The first heavy attack type to see service from aircraft-carriers of the US Navy, the North American AJ Savage was developed (as the North American NA-146) using two Pratt & Whitney radial engines, augmented by a tail-mounted Allison J33 turbojet. In practice the type saw only limited use in the strategic bombing role for which it had been designed, being replaced from the mid 1950s onwards by the Douglas A3D Skywarrior, but several were subsequently modified to serve as inflight-refuelling tankers with a hose-and-reel unit in place of the turbojet.
In order to meet the specification’s demands a large aircraft was required, this in turn dictating the need far an unusual composite powerplants configuration – a pair of Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radials as the primary engines augmented by an auxiliary Allison J33 turbojet in the lower rear fuselage.
This third engine was intended to provide a high speed ‘dash’ capability during the attack phase of the aircraft’s operation and for extra boost on takeoff when required. Other features included shoulder mounted folding wings, tricycle undercarriage, wing tip fuel tanks and (on the first models) dihedral tail planes.
An initial contract for three prototype XAJ-l (NA-146) aircraft was awarded to North American in late June 1946, and construction of these got under way almost immediately although more than two years were to elapse before the Savage took to the air for the first time on 3 July 1948. In its original guise the Savage was manned by a crew of three and was intended to carry a 4536-kg (10,000-lb) weapon load in an internal bomb bay in the aircraft’s belly. The three prototypes (121460 to 121462), were fitted with a flat horizontal tail.
These were followed by 55 initial production AJ-1s (NA-156, -160, and -169, 122590 to 122601, 124157 to 124186, and 124850 to 124864), the first one flying on 10 May 1949. The horizontal tail with dihedral. Production-configured aircraft began to enter service with Composite Squadron VC-5 in mid-September 1949, but it was not until the end of August 1950 that this unit was considered operationally ready, this marking the climax of several months of sea-borne trials aboard the USS Coral Sea. The AJ-1 was re-designated A-2A in 1962. The first carrier landings were performed aboard USS Constellation in August 1950. The first variant to see service with the US Navy was the AJ-l, of which 40 were built, and these were followed by 55 examples of the AJ-2 (NA-163and NA-184, 130405 to 130421, and 134035 to 134072) which featured slightly more powerful radial engines as well as increased fuel capacity, a slightly longer fuselage and a taller fin and rudder to improve handling qualities. The AJ-2 first flew on 19 February 1953 and was re-designated A-2B in 1962.
This photo is AJ-2 130418, probably taken in 1971, possibly at Bridgeport CT. It is wearing markings applied by Avco Lycoming while used an engine test-bed, registered N68667. Following its naval use, it was used as a fire bomber in Oregon, registered N101Z, before going to new owners. In 1984 it was flown to the Naval Air Museum at Pensacola and is now on display in USN markings.
Preceding the AJ-2 bomber was the photo-reconnaissance AJ-2P (NA-175 and NA -183, first flight 30 March 1952) equipped with 18 cameras for day and night photography at high and low altitudes, photo-flash bombs in the weapons bay, automatic control of most of the cameras, the associated electronics equipment in a modified nose and additional fuel capacity. Four US Navy combat squadrons were still operating the AJ-2 in 1958 and these received AJ-2Ps.
A total of 30 AJ-2Ps was built, 128043 to 128051, 129185 to 129195, 130422 to 130425, and 134073 to 134075, this being the last model to see squadron service, not being retired from the active inventory until the beginning of 1960. The AJ-2P has distinctive radar “thimble” nose and zero-dihedral stabilizer.
A number of AJ-1s and AJ-2s were converted to flight refuelling tankers with a hose-and-reel unit installed in the weapons bay. The few Savages still in service in September 1962 when all USAF and USN aircraft designations were combined into the existing Air Force system were redesignated A-2A (AJ-1) and A-2B (AJ-2).
AJ Air Tankers of Van Nuys CA converted two as fire fighters after removing the J-33 in the tail, showing one in action with no big prop spinners and a firefighting scheme with a big #88 about 1988.
In 1948 North American began work on the NA-163 turboprop-powered derivative of the AJ-1 Savage, two prototypes being ordered in September of that year. The US Navy specified major changes, including deletion of the Allison J33 booster engine, and the first prototype North American XA2J-1, 124439, did not fly until 4 January 1952. Development was hampered by problems with the Allison XT40-A-6 engines, each of which comprised two T38 engines driving contra-rotating propellers through a gearbox, allowing either T38 in each unit to be shut down for long-range cruise. The three-man crew was provided with a pressurised cabin and defensive armament comprised two 20mm guns in a remotely-controlled barbette. Maximum offensive load was 4911kg of bombs. The completed second prototype, 124440, was never flown. One ended up being burned in a fire-fighting demo at Edwards AFB in 1962.
AJ-2 Savage
Engines: 2 x 2,500-hp (1864-kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-48 radial and 1 x 4,600-lb (2087-kg) thrust Allison J33-A-10 turbojet
Max speed: 628 km/h (390 mph)
Service ceiling: 12190 m(40,000 ft)
Range 3540 km (2,200 miles)
Empty wt: 12247 kg (27,000 lb)
Maximum take-off wt: 23396 kg (51,580 lb)
Wing span 21.77 m (71 ft 5 in)
Length 19.23 m (63 ft 1 in)
Height 6.22 m (20 ft 5 in)
Wing area 77.62 sq.m (835.5 sq ft)
Armament: up to 4536 kg (10,000 lb) of bombs carried internally.
Crew: 3
AJ-2
Engines: 2 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-44W, 1790kW + Allison J33-A-19 auxiliary turboprop, 2087kg
Max take-off weight: 23973 kg / 52852 lb
Wingspan: 22.91 m / 75 ft 2 in
Length: 19.20 m / 62 ft 12 in
Max. speed: 758 km/h / 471 mph
Crew: 3
AJ-2P Savage
Carrier-based photo-reconnaissance and attack bomber
Engines: 2×2,400 h.p. Pratt & Whitney R2800-48W and 1 x 4,600 lb. thrust Allison J33-A-10
turbojet.
Wingspan: 71 ft. 5 in
Length: 65 ft.
Loaded weight: 55,000 lb.
Max. speed: 425 m.p.h.
Ceiling: 40,000 ft.
Typical range: More than 3,000 miles at 290 mph
Payload: 12,000 lbs internal
Operational equipment: 18 cameras
Armament: 2 x 20mm cannon
Crew: 3
XA2J-1
Engines: 2 x Allison XT40-A-6 turboprops
Armament: 2 x 20mm cannons, 4900kg of weapons
Crew: 3
North American A-5 Vigilante Gallery
North American A3J / A-5 Vigilante
The Vigilante was designed as a Mach 2 carrier-based attack aircraft capable of carrying nuclear or conventional bombs. The airframe has high-set wings sweptback at 37.5 degrees, and sweptback tail surfaces, both horizontal and vertical surfaces consisting of one-piece all-moving surfaces. There are three section spoilers instead of ailerons. Three-section leading-edge flaps are on each wing. There is a flap blowing system for the trailing-edge flaps. The wingtips fold upward, fin-tip sideways and fuselage nose upward for stowage on board ship. The engines are mounted side-by-side in the rear fuselage, with wedge-shape air intakes on each side of the fuselage. A tricycle undercarriage has a single wheel on each unit, the nosewheel retracts inward and mains retract inward.
North American A3J / A-5 Vigilante Article
The first prototype flew on 31 August 1958.
Two YA3J-1 (NA-233, -247 / 145157/145158) were built, powered by 16150 lb GE YJ79-GE-2. First deliveries were made to the US Navy were made in June 1961 for service trials. They became YA5-A in 1962.
57 production A3J-1 (NA-247, -258, -263, -269, -272) attack aircraft were delivered to the US Navy during 1960, becoming operational on board USS Enterprise in February 1962 (146694/146702, 147850/147863, 148924/148933, 149276/149299). These became A-5A.
In 1962 six A3J-2 (NA-269) were built (149300/149305) with Additional fuel in a humped fuselage-top decking. First flying on 29 April 1962, they became A-5B.
First flying on 30 June 1962, 55 A3J-3P (149306/149317, 150823/150842, 151615/151634, 151726/151728, 156608/156643) were built as a long-range photo-recon version of the A3J-2, plus 59 converted A-5A and A-5B. These became A-5C/RA-5C in 1962.
The other major version of the Vigilante was the RA-5G, a reconnaissance type of which more than 90 were built as new; most of the A-5A were subsequently converted to this standard.
A3J-1
Engines: 2x General Electric J79-GE-2, 10,500 lb (15,000 with reheat)
Wingspan: 53 ft
Length: 73 ft
Height: 20 ft
A3J-1 / A-5A
Engines: 2 x J-79, 17000 lb
Wingspan: 53’0″
Length: 76’6″
Max speed: 1385 mph
Cruise speed: 805 mph
Stall: 156 mph
Range: 985 mi
Ceiling: 43,800′
A3J-3P / A-5C / RA-5C
Engines: 2 x J79, 17860 lb
Length: 76’6″
Useful load: 42,090 lb
Max speed: 1290 mph
Cruise speed: 783 mph
Stall: 154 mph
Range internal fuel: 547 mi
Range max fuel: 944 mi
Ceiling: 48,400′
Combat radius: 1,500 mi
RA 5C Vigilante
Engines: 2 x GE J-79-8(N) turbo-jet, 75.6kN
Max take-off weight: 27300 kg / 60187 lb
Wingspan: 16.2 m / 53 ft 2 in
Length: 22.3 m / 73 ft 2 in
Height: 5.9 m / 19 ft 4 in
Wing area: 65.0 sq.m / 699.65 sq ft
Max. speed: M2+
Ceiling: 18300 m / 60050 ft
Range: 3700 km / 2299 miles
Crew: 2
North American B-45 Tornado Article
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North American B-45 Tornado
In 1943, aware of Nazi Germany’s advances in the field of jet propulsion, the Army Air Forces (AAF) asked the General Electric Company to devise a more powerful engine than its prospective axial turboprop. This eventually brought about the production of the J35 and J47 turbojets. In 1944, 1 year after the jet engine requirements were established, the War Department requested the aircraft industry to submit proposals for various jet bombers, with gross weights ranging from 80,000 to more than 200,000 pounds, and only 4 contractors answered the call. The design was frozen in early 1945.
North American B-45 Tornado Article
Pressed for time, the AAF in 1946 decided to skip the usual contractor competition, review the designs, and choose among the proposed aircraft that could be obtained first. The multi-jet engine B-45, with the understanding that if a less readily available bomber was to prove superior enough to supplant it (which the Boeing XB-47 did), that aircraft would also be purchased.
The design was generally conventional, though the main gears had very large single wheels which retracted sideways into the wing roots. In normal bomber versions the bomb aimer/navigator occupied the capacious pressurized nose, the two pilots sitting in a tandem fighter like cockpit farther aft and above, with a large multi pane canopy. The crew door was on the left side of the forward fuselage. A gunner was housed in a pressurized tail compartment.
The first flight was on 17 March 1947 (piloted by George Krebs) and testing of the XB-45 prompted pre-production changes. North American Aviation redesigned the nose panel, increased the aircraft’s stabilizer area, and lengthened the tailplane by nearly 7 feet.
In August 1948, 22 of the 90 B-45s, ordered less than 2 years before, reached the newly independent Air Force. However, the B-45’s weight and takeoff distances had increased, and numerous structural and mechanical defects appeared.
In November 1948 the B 45A (NA-147) went into service with the 47th Bombardment Group of the USAF, later based in England. Ninety-six were built (47-001/097, the last one of which was a static test-frame.
In June 1951 an RB-45 became the first jet bomber to be refuelled in flight by a Boeing KB-29.
The DB-45A were conversion of B-45A as guided missile director. The JB-45A 47-096 and JB-45C of 1950 were engine test beds for Westinghouse and General Electric.
The fourteen TB-45A were target tugs modified from B-45A.
The B-45B was a project only, none were built.
Ten B-45C (NA-153 48-001/010) were built in 1950. The DB-45C were conversions of B-45A as guided missile director.
Thirty-three RB-45C and JRB-45C (NA-153 48-011/043) were built in 1949 for Photo-recon.
As the B-47’s future production had become certain, in mid-1948 the Air Staff questioned the B-45’s value as well as its potential use. As President Truman slashed Air Force expenditures, the programmed production of B-45s was reduced to a total of 142 aircraft at a unit cost of US$1,081,000.
Only 96 B 45As were built, plus 10 of the stronger and more powerful B 45C which was disting¬uished by large wingtip tanks. Many A models were modified to B 45C standard. The final 33 aircraft were RB-¬45C camera aircraft, some of which (unlike the bomber versions) operated over Korea. Some had water injection tanks hung under the twin engine nacelles, jettisoned after take off.
Although continuously plagued by engine problems, component malfunctions, lack of spare parts, and numerous minor flaws, the B-45 regained importance. The B-45 was designed to carry both conventional and atomic bombs. Under the code name of Backbreaker, several distinct atomic bomb types and large amounts of new electronics support equipment had to be fitted in place of the standard components. In addition, the 40 B-45s allocated to the Backbreaker program also had to be equipped with a new defensive system and extra fuel tanks. Despite the magnitude of the modification project, plus recurring engine problems, atomic-capable B-45s began reaching the United Kingdom in May 1952, and deployment of the 40 aircraft was completed in mid-June, barely 30 days behind the Air Staff deadline.
The British and American military intelligence services collaborated under utmost secrecy. Thus in 1952 four American RB-45C reconnaissance aircraft, wearing British colours but without registration marks, operated from RAF Sculthorpe on photo-missions over East Germany and other Eastern-bloc countries. Very up-to-date for the time, the RB-45C was equipped with 12 cameras. The aircraft were based at Sculthorpe in January 1952 as a detachment of the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing of SAC.
The last B 45s were withdrawn from combat duty in mid-1958. The entire contingent, Backbreaker and reconnaissance models included, was phased out by 1959. Yet, the B-45 was the Air Force’s first jet bomber and as the first atomic carrier of the tactical forces.
XB-45 / NA-130
Engines: 4 x GE TG180, 4000 lb
Speed: 536 mph
B-45A Tornado
Engines: 4 x GE J47, 5200 lb
Wingspan: 89’1″
Length: 75’4″
Max speed: 575 mph
Cruise speed: 455 mp
Crew: 3-4
B 45C Tornado / NA-153
Engines: four 2359 kg (5,200 lb) thrust General Electric J47 GE 13/15 turbojets (some with water injection 2722 kg/6,000 lb)
Wing span over tip tanks: 29.26 m (96 ft 0 in)
Length: 22.96 m (75 ft 4 in)
Height 7.68 m (25 ft 2 in)
Wing area: 109.2 sq.m (1,175.0 sq ft)
Empty weight 22182 kg (48,903 lb)
MTOW: 51235 kg (112,952 lb)
Max speed 932 km/h (579 mph) at low level
Service ceiling: 13165 m (43,200 ft)
Range 3074 km (1,910 miles)
Armament: two 12.7 mm (0.5 in) machine guns in tail turret
Internal bombload of up to 9979 kg (22000 lb).
Crew: 3
North American T-2 Buckeye Gallery
North American T-2 Buckeye / Rockwell T-2
With a requirement in 1956 for a multi-role jet trainer, the US Navy awarded North American a contract to build its North American NA-241 design, which combined proven components and equipment from earlier aircraft manufactured by the company. Ordered as the T2J-1 (later T-2A), this trainer combined a wing derived from the FJ-1 Fury and the control system of the T-28C Trojan with a single 1542kg thrust Westinghouse J34-WE-36 turbojet, and accommodated the instructor and pupil in tandem, seated (eventually) on zero-zero ejection seats.
North American T-2 Buckeye Article
The first of six initial production T-2As was flown on 31 January 1958 and deliveries to the US Navy began in July 1959, by which time the name Buckeye had been allocated to this trainer. Equipping US Navy Training Squadrons VT-4, -7, -9 and -19, a total of 217 T-2As was built.
Two T-2A were modified to serve as YT-2B prototypes, in which the single J34 turbojet was replaced by two 1361kg thrust Pratt & Whitney J60-P-6 turbojets. The first was flown on 30 August 1962, being followed by 97 similar T-2B aircraft , 152382-152391, 152440-152475, 153538-153555, and 155206-155238 (NA-280, -288, -291, -294, -310) from 1962.
Final production version was the 1958 T-2C (NA-307, -318, -332, -340) which introduced General Electric J85 turbojets, preceded by a single YT-2C prototype conversion from a T-2B.
A total of 273 was built under US Navy contracts before production ceased, comprising 231 T-2Cs for navy use (155239-155241, 156686-156733, 157030-157065, 158310-158333, 158575-158610, 158876-158911, 159150-159173, 159704-159727) plus 12 T-2D and 30 T-2E aircraft in 1969, procured for Venezuela and Greece respectively.
The DT-2C was a drone director conversion.
It was to be re¬tired in favour of the more advanced T 45 Goshawk which has cockpit instrumentation similar to the F/A-18 Hornet.
T 2A
Engine: 1 x 3,400 lbs.t. (1542 kpg) Westinghouse J34 WE 36
Max speed, 492 mph (792 kph) at 25,000 ft (7620 m)
Cruise, 422 mph (679 kph)
Initial climb, 5,000 fpm (25.4 m/sec)
Service ceiling, 42,500 ft (12 950 m)
Range, 550 mls (885 km)
Empty weight, 6,893 lb (3 127 kg)
Loaded weight, 9,916 lb (4498 kg)
Span, 36 ft (10.97 m)
Length, 38 ft 8 in (11.78 m)
Wing area, 255 sq.ft (23.7 sq.m)
T 2B
Engines: 2 x 3,000 lbs.t. (1316 kgp) J60.
MTOW: 12,300 lb
Top speed: 545 mph
YT-2B / T 2B
Engines: 2 x J60-P, 3,000 lbs.t. (1316 kgp)
Useful load: 3842 lb
Speed: 540 mph
Ceiling: 44,000 ft
T-2C / DT-2C
Engines: 2 x General Electric J85-GE-4 turbo-jet, 13.1kN / 2950 lb
Max take-off weight: 5978 kg / 13179 lb
Empty weight: 3681 kg / 8115 lb
Wingspan: 11.63 m / 38 ft 2 in
Length: 11.79 m / 38 ft 8 in
Height: 4.51 m / 14 ft 10 in
Wing area: 23.70 sq.m / 255.10 sq ft
Useful load: 5065 lb
Max speed: 521 mph
Cruise speed: 465 mph
Ceiling: 13535 m / 44400 ft
Range: 1465 km / 910 miles
Crew: 2
T-2J
Engines: 2 x Westinghouse J34, 3400 lb
Wingspan: 36’0″
Length: 38’4″
Max speed: 494 mph
Cruise speed: 417 mph
Stall: 67 mph
Range: 967 mi
North American NA-63 / XB-28
Envisaged originally as a high-altitude version of the B-25 Mitchell, the North American NA-63 (XB-28) emerged finally as an almost entirely different aircraft. With single vertical tail surfaces and a circular-section fuselage with a pressure cabin for the five-man crew, the XB-28 was powered by two 1491kW Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radials and bomb bay capacity was 1814kg and -28A with R-2800-27. Dorsal, ventral and tail turrets, each containing two 12.7mm machine-guns, were remotely controlled from the cockpit; three similar forward-firing weapons were also fitted.
Of three prototypes ordered in February 1940, the first flew in April 1942 (40-3056), the second (40-3058), with a reconnaissance camera installation, crashed during the test programme and the third was cancelled. Although the XB-28 achieved a maximum speed of 599km/h at 7620m and could carry a 272kg bomb load for 3283km, production orders were not placed when no particular need for such a plane was found. A third prototype was unbuilt.
XB-28 / NA-63
Engines: two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-11, 11491kW / 2000 hp
Wingspan: 22.12 m / 72 ft 7 in
Length: 17.20 m / 56 ft 5 in
Wing area: 62.80 sq.m / 675.97 sq ft
Max take-off weight: 16226 kg / 35772 lb
Empty weight: 11611 kg / 25598 lb
Useful load: 10,165 lb
Max speed: 372 mph
Cruise speed: 411 km/h / 255 mph
Stall: 86 mph
Ceiling: 34,600 ft
Range: 3284 km / 2041 miles
XB-28A / NA-67
Engines: two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27, 11491kW / 2000 hp
Wingspan: 22.12 m / 72 ft 7 in
Length: 17.20 m / 56 ft 5 in
Wing area: 62.80 sq.m / 675.97 sq ft
North American B-25 Gallery
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