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American Combat Planes of the 20th Century is an incredible reference for anyone who is interested in any American Combat Plane History. There are 758 pages and 1700 b/w photos in this substantial labor of love by Ray Wagner, who has been passionately researching and writing about aircraft for over 50 years. Whether you are already familiar with his past works, or just discovering this accomplished author for the first time... This is the book that you've been waiting for!

If you'd like to see the book's Table of Contents ... Click here. You can also browse the entire Index Section to get an idea of the extensive amount of information that is covered within this book.

Search our site for other combat planes. A- 1 Eaton A- 4 Skyhawk A- 6 & A- 7 Air Weapons AV- 8 to A- 10 A- 20 Havoc A- 22 Martin Maryland A- 23 Martin Baltimore A- 24 Douglas A- 26 Douglas Invader Attack Planes B- 2A, F-111, F-117 Stealth B- 17 Flying Fortress B- 24 Liberator B- 25 North American B- 26 Marauder B- 29 Superfortress B- 32 Dominator B- 35 Flying Wing B- 36 B- 47 Stratojet B- 50 Boeing B- 52 Stratofortress B- 57 Canberra B- 58 Hustler Biplanes Biplanes, Army Pursuits Bombers, B- 70 to Stealth Bombers, First Big Curtiss Falcon CO- 1 DH- 4 De Havilland F3D- Douglas Skyknight F3H- McDonnell Demon F4D- 1 Skyray F4F Grumman Wildcats F- 4U Corsair F6F Grumman F7F Grumman F7U Vought F9F G. Cougar F9F G. Panther F- 16 Fighting Falcon F- 84 F- 86 Sabre F- 89 to F-94 F- 100 to F-108 First Fighters Flying Boats GAX Iraq to Afghanistan Martin Bombers Missile Era Fighters Navy Fighers Navy Flying Boats O- 2 Douglas P- 35 Seversky P- 36 to 42 Curtiss P- 38 Lightning P- 39 Airacobra P- 40 Line P- 47 Thunderbolt P- 51 Mustang Fighter P- 61 Black Widow P- 63 Kingcobra P- 79 to P-81 P- 82 Twin Mustang SB2C Helldiver TBF-TBM Avenger Thomas-Morse Torpedo Planes V- 11 Vultee XB -28 XP -48 / 77

Curtiss Falcon

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The next Falcon contract on June 19, 1929, ordered the A-3B and O-1E versions using the V-1150-5, balanced (Frise) ailerons and elevators, and a .30-caliber M1922 Browning flexible gun in the rear, instead of the drum-fed Lewis guns. Seventy-eight A-3Bs were built on two contracts, the first tested in April 1930 and armed with five Browning guns, 2,700 rounds, and two 116-pound bombs on wing racks. Attack Falcons equipped all four of the Air Corps ground-attack squadrons; the 8th, 13th, and 90th of the 3rd Attack Group at Fort Crockett, Texas, and the 26th Attack Squadron in Hawaii. CURTISS A-3 CURTISS XA-4

Similar to the A-3B, but armed with just one fixed and one flexible Browning with 500 rounds per gun, was the O-lE appearing in December 1929. Curtiss built 35 O-lE, one unarmed O-lF transport, and in October 1930, one XO-lG (later Y1O-lG) introducing such refinements as a new rear gun post mount allowing more cockpit room and a recess to fold the gun away, wheel pants, and tail wheel. The latter was adopted and retrofitted to earlier Falcons, but the pants proved unsuitable for service use.

Thirty O-lG Falcons were ordered January 17, 1931 and delivery began in May 1931. Their equipment included the usual two Brownings, camera, and a 109-pound radio (SCR-134) with a 30-mile range with voice and 150 miles with Morse code.

Since each Army observation squadron was assigned to work on its own with particular infantry corps and divisions, group organization had been limited to the 9th Observation Group formed with the three squadrons (1st, 5th and 99th) based at Mitchel Field, New York. That group was equipped with Curtiss Falcons, which also went to the 12th and 16th Observation squadrons. In October 1930, the 12th Observation Group was activated at Brooks Field, Texas, to control O-l, O-2 and O-l9 squadrons in the western states. CURTISS O-l CURTISS O-lB

The Falcon series also included several examples testing new engines. First was the air-cooled-Pratt & Whitney R-1340-1 flown May 21, 1928, on the XO-12, which looked like the XA-4 and had originally been an O-l1 airframe. The Curtiss V-1570-1 Conqueror was introduced in September 1927 on the XO-13 and XO-13A conversions of O-1 airframes, with the XO-13A having wing radiators good for racing, but not service use. There was also an O-13B transport converted from an O-1C, and three YO-13C Falcons with the usual tunnel radiators followed the O-1E off the Curtiss line in August 1930.

The Conqueror engine was adapted for Prestone cooling and used on the XO-16 ordered December 28, 1927, and completed in May 1930. The usual two Brownings were carried, but the rear M1922 gun was on the new fold-away post mount.

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