DAN SHUMAKER COLLECTION
No. 7547. Convair 90 XA-41 (43-35124) US Army Air Forces
Source unknown

Convair 90 XA-41

03/31/2008. Remarks by Dan Shumaker: "On November 10, 1942, the USAAF placed an order with Vultee for the XA-41 single-seat dive-bomber. The company assigned it the designation Model 90, Vultee merged into Consolidated Vultee (gradually known as Convair) on March 17, 1943. On April 30, 1943, the USAAF changed the contract to call for a low-level ground attack aircraft.

Only a few months later the USAAF abandoned the idea for a low-level ground attack aircraft, but allowed the completion of the first prototype as a flying test bed for the 3,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-9 Wasp Major 28-cylinder air-cooled radial. The first flight took place at March Field, California on February 11, 1944, and after testing by the USAAF and the USN, the aircraft was bought by Pratt & Whitney, Hartford, Connecticut, and registered NX60373. The aircraft was scrapped at Hartford in 1950."

Convair 90 XA-41
(Ray Crupi Collection)


Created March 31, 2008