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BRAZILIAN AIR FORCE FAB * - BRAZILIAN AIR FORCE

9)DOUGLAS A 20 HAVOC

Total received: 31

General characteristics

Crew: 2-3

Length: 47 ft 11 in (14.63 m) Wingspan: 61 ft 4 in (18.69 m) Height: 17 ft 7 in (5.36 m) Wing area: 465 ft² (43.2 m²)

Empty weight: 15,051 lb (6,827 kg). Loaded weight: 27,200 lb

Max takeoff weight: 20,320 lb (9,215 kg)

Powerplant: 2× Wright R-2600-A5B "Double Cyclone" radial engines, 1,700 hp(1,200 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 339 mph (295 knots, 546 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,050 m)

Range: 1,050 mi (912 nm, 1,690 km). Service ceiling 23,700 ft (7,225 m)

Rate of climb: 2,000 ft/min (10.2 m/s)

Armament

Guns: 4× fixed 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns in the nose

2× flexible 0.303 in Browning machine guns, mounted dorsally

1× flexible 0.303 in Vickers K machine gun, mounted ventrally

Bombs 4000 lb ( 1 900 kg)

Douglas A-20 Havoc (American designation or Boston (British version) was a twin engined medium bomber manned by 4 crewmembers, and designed for bombing, night fighter and ground attack during the World War II. It flew for the first time in 1939, having its production reached 7.385 units in 1944.

The A-20 Havoc was incorporated into the Brazilian Air Force under the contract and terms of the Leand Lease Act, as the advancement of hostilitIes along the Brazilian coast and the need for parental involvement in the allied war effort the need to have a modern fleet of aircraft capable of protecting the convoys against German and Italian submarines operating on the Brazilian coast. Between 1942 and 1945 hundreds of aircraft were received in these terms among them a lot of Havocs, being composed of 30 units of version A-20K (with the subversions A-20K-10DO and A-20K-15DO) and one of version A- 20C.

The first unit received on July 30, 1994 in the Campo de Marte in São Paulo - SP was an A-20C or Boston MK III (DB-7B), an aircraft used (Ex RAF) bearing the serial number of USAAF 44 -336 (c / n 23559), and the Technical School of Aviation (ETAv) was allocated to serve the instructional activities on the students' ground, remaining until 1947, when, already enrolled "FAB 6091", was in charge of the Aeronautical Park of São Paulo (PASP) for ground instruction tasks also until June 1955 when it was discharged and scrapped.

The other A-20K Havoc began arriving in Brazil from June 1944, all of them initially being assigned to the Santa Cruz Air Base (RJ), in order to create an intensive course for pilots and mechanics that was administered by USAAF, after this period by decree law 6,796 of August 17, 1944 that reorganized the disposition of the FAB personnel, the Havoc were distributed between the 1st and 2nd Light Bombardment Groups (GBL) based in Gravatai (RS) and Cumbica (SP ), in addition to continuing the operational combat training program, would be employed on patrol missions off the coast of Rio Grande do Sul.

23 A20 out from 31 aircraft delivered were lost due to accidents.They are as follows:

FAB 6063 EX USAAF 44-158. Crashed at Camaquã, RS 15 Dec 1944.

FAB 6079 EX USAAF 44-389. Crashed at Cumbica AFB, SP 16 Feb 1945.

FAB 6089 EX USAAF 44-543. Crashed at Cumbica AFB, SP 09 Mar 1945.

FAB 6081 EX USAAF 44-391. Crashed (colided with Santo Amaro Dam), SP 05 Apr 1945.

FAB 6075 EX USAAF 44-385. Crashed at São Paulo SP 02 Aug 1945.

FAB 6070 EX USAAF 44-165. Crashed at Gravatai AFB, RS 23 Aug 1945.

FAB 6082 EX USAAF 41-392. Crashed at Cumbica AFB, SP 01 Mar 1946.

FAB 6083 EX USAAF 44-537. Crashed at Cumbica AFB, SP 20 Mar 1946.

FAB 6088 EX USAAF 44-542. Crashed at Guarulhos, SP 07 May 1946.

FAB 6084 EX USAAF 44-538. Crashed at Cumbica AFB, SP 08 Sep 1947.

FAB 6087 EX USAAF 44-541. Crashed at Cumbica AFB, SP 17 Dec 1947.