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United States' Douglas A-20 Havoc light attack bomber1
Douglas A-20 Havocs:
U.S. Army in World War II - Pictorial Record, 1951, pg 46
Douglas A-20 Boston, 88 Squadron, North Sea, 1941 with P-51 escorts:
Douglas A-20 Boston on fire:
Design
The DB-7 Boston was designed by Jack Northrop and Edward Heinemann in 1938.1
Had a tricycle gear.1
Prototype
The Model 7B (DB-7 prototype) first flew on October 26, 1938.3
Was known as the DB-7 and flew on January 23, 19391 / August 17, 19392.
The last one was produced September 20, 1944.1
Production
France placed the main orders.2,3 Many of these were taken over by the Royal Air Force (RAF) when France fell.2
The United States Army Air Corps placed an order for 63 A-20s in June 1939.3
- Model 7B: 13
- DB-7: 2703
- DB-7A: 1003
- DB-7B: 7813
- Douglas: 5413
- Boeing: 2403
- DB-7C: 483
- A-20: 633
- A-20A: 1433
- A-20B: 9992,3
- A-20C: 9483
- Douglas: 8083
- Boeing: 1403
- A-20G: 2,8502,3
- A-20H: 4122,3
- A-20J: 4503
- A-20K: 4133
- Total: 7,3852,3
Variants
- Model 7B: Prototype.3
- DB-7 / Boston I:
- DB-7A / Boston II: Wright R-2600 Double Cyclone (1,600 HP).3 Had a larger fin and rudder.3
- DB-7B / Boston III: Wright R-2600 Double Cyclone (1,600 HP).3 Redesigned structure that was stronger.3 Carried more fuel.3
- DB-7C: Ordered by Belgium.3
- Boston IIIA:
- Havoc Mk I: Night fighter.2 Had eight 7.7 mm MG in nose.2 Used by RAF.2
- Havoc Mk II: Night fighter.2 Had twelve 7.7 mm MG in nose.2 Used by RAF.2
- Havoc Mk III:
- A-20: Main variant.1
- A-20A: Had Wright R-2600 7 turbo charged radial engines.2
Had Wright R-2600-3/11 (1,600 HP).3 - A-20B: Based on the DB-7A.3 Change in nose shape.2 Had Wright R-2600-3/11 (1,600 HP).3 Most went to the Soviet Union.3
- A-20C: Attempt to make this model meet American and British requirements with one plane.2 Had Wright R-2600-3/11 (1,600 HP).3 Had additional armor.3 Self sealing fuel tanks.3 Could carry a 2,000 lb / 907 kg torpedo.3
- A-20E: 17 A-20As that installed the Wright R-2600-3/11 engines.3
- A-20G: Attack version3 Had a solid nose.3
- A-20H:
- A-20J / Boston IV: Had transparent nose.3 Used as a bombing formation lead ship.3 165 went to the RAF.3
- A-20K / Boston V: 90 went to RAF.3
- ??: Used by the RAF to carry a Turbinlite (searchlight) to light up Luftwaffe planes at night for Hurricanes to shoot down.1
- P-70: Night fighter.1,3 Two crew.3 60 A-20s converted.3 Had radar.3 There were four 20 mm cannons mounted under the fuselage.3 Used for night fighter training.3
- P-70A-1: 13 A-20Cs converted in 1943.3 Installed a radar and 6 MGs in the nose.3
- F-3: Reconnaissance.1 Were used mostly for training.1 Three A-20s were converted.3
- F-3A: Reconnaissance.3 46 A-20Js and A-20Ks converted.3 Used in Europe.3
- BD-2: Eight used by the Marine Corps.1
- XA-20F: An A-20A that had a 37 mm cannon in the nose.3 Dorsal and ventral turrets were powered.3
Usage
Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Netherlands, South Africa, Soviet Union, and the United States used the DB-7 Boston.3
Australia (69 Bostons), Britain, Canada, Netherlands, South Africa, Soviet Union, and the United States used the A-20 Havoc.3
Great Britain
Was purchased in 1940.1 Was given the name Boston.1 A total of 1,800 were delivered.1
France
The DB-7s were used in the Battle of France and the survivors were used by the Vichy Frech.3
France - Vichy
Some were used by the Vichy air force.1
First Use by USAAF
The A-20C was first used by the 15th Bomb Squadron.2
Australia
Only one Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) squadron had Bostons.3
The RAAF's only Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously to Boston pilot Flt Lt William Newton.3
Soviet Union
Received 3,125.1,2
United States
Used 1,962.1
After the Japanese surrendered, a F-3A Havoc was the first to land at Itazuke, Japan.1
| Douglas DB-7 Boston3 | Boston III3 | Douglas A-20 Havoc3 | Douglas A-20A Havoc3 | Douglas A-20G Havoc1,2 | Douglas A-20H Havoc3 | Douglas A-20J Havoc3 | Douglas A-20K Havoc3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Light bomber3 | Light bomber3 | Light attack bomber1,2 | |||||
| Crew | 33 | 33 | 2-31, 32 | |||||
| Engine (Type) | 2: Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp3 | 2: Wright R-2600 Double Cyclone3 | 2: Wright R-2600-7 Double Cyclone3 | 2: Wright R-2800-23 Double Cyclone piston1,2,3 | 2: Wright R-2600-29 Double Cyclone3 | 2: Wright R-2600-23 Double Cyclone3 | 2: Wright R-2600-29 Double Cyclone3 | |
| Cylinders | Radial 143 | Radial 143 | Radial 143 | Radial1,2 Radial 143 |
Radial 143 | |||
| Cooling | ||||||||
| HP | 1,200 each3 | 1,600 each3 | 1,700 each3 | 1,600 each3, 2,625 each1 | 1,700 each3 | 1,600 each3 | 1,700 each3 | |
| Propeller blades | 3 each3 | 3 each3 | 3 each3 | 3 each1 | 3 each3 | 3 each3 | 3 each3 | |
| Dimensions | ||||||||
| Span | 61' 4"3 18.7 m3 |
61' 4"3 18.7 m3 |
61'1, 61' 4"2,3 18.69 m1,2, 18.7 m3 |
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| Length | 47' 6"3 14.48 m3 |
48'3 14.63 m3 |
48'1,2,3 14.63 m1,2,3 |
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| Height | 17' 7"3 5.36 m3 |
17' 7"3 5.36 m3 |
17' 7"2,3, 18'1 5.36 m1,2,3 |
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| Wing area | 464 ft2 1,2 43.11 m2 1,2 |
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| Weight | ||||||||
| Empty | 15,051 lb3 6,827 kg3 |
15,165 lb3 6,879 kg3 |
14,950 lb1, 15,984 lb2, 17,200 lb3 7,250 kg1,2, 7,802 kg3 |
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| Loaded | 20,230 lb3 9,217 kg3 |
27,144 lb1, 27,200 lb2 12,338 kg1,2 |
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| Maximum combat load | 27,200 lb3 12,338 kg3 |
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| Maximum load | 23,500 lb3 10,660 kg3 |
20,711 lb3 9,395 kg3 |
30,000 lb3 13,608 kg3 |
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| Performance | ||||||||
| Speed at sea level | 311 mph3 500 kph3 |
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| Speed @ 12,400' / 3,780 m |
347 mph3 558 kph3 |
339 mph2,3, 340 mph1 545 kph3, 546 kph1,2 |
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| Speed @ 12,500' / 3,810 m |
338 mph3 544 kph3 |
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| Speed @ 15,600' / 4,755 m |
333 mph3 536 kph3 |
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| Cruising speed | 273 mph3 439 kph3 |
295 mph3 475 kph3 |
230 - 272 mph3 370 -438 kph3 |
269 mph3 433 kph3 |
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| Climb | 2,000'/minute3 610 m/minute3 |
1,300'/minute3 396 m/minute3 |
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| Climb to 10,000' / 3,048 m |
5.1 minutes3 | |||||||
| Climb to 10,000' / 3,050 m |
7.1 minutes2 | |||||||
| Service ceiling | 27,600'3 8,412 m3 |
28,175'3 8,588 m3 |
25,800'1,2,3 7,864 m3, 7,865 m1,2 |
28,250'3 8,610 m3 |
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| Range | 675 miles3 1,086 km3 |
1,087 miles1, 1,090 miles2 1,754 km1,2 |
1,060 miles3 1,706 km3 |
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| Range with 1,000 lb | 745 miles3 1,200 km3 |
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| Range with 2,000 lb | 1,025 miles3 1,650 km3 |
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| Maximum ferry range | 2,035 miles3 4,755 km3 |
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| Armament | ||||||||
| Nose | 4: 0.303" MG3 | 4: 0.3" MG3 | 6: 12.7 mm MG1,2,3 | |||||
| OR | 2: 0.5" MG3 | 4: 20 mm3 2: 0.5" MG3 |
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| Dorsal turret | 2: 0.303" MG3 | 2: 0.3" MG3 | 2: 12.7 mm MG1,2,3 | |||||
| Ventral position | 1: 0.303" MG3 | 1: 0.3" MG3 | 1: 12.7 mm MG1,3 | |||||
| OR | 1: 0.5" MG3 | |||||||
| Bombs | 2,000 lb3 907 kg3 |
2,000 lb3 907 kg3 |
2,000 lb3, 2,600 lb2, 3,990 lb1 907 kg3, 1,179 kg2, 1,814 kg1 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
- Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
