The Northrop A-17, also known as the Northrop Model 8, a development of the

Northrop Gamma The Northrop Gamma is a single-engine all-metal monoplane cargo aircraft used in the 1930s. Towards the end of its service life, it was developed into the A-17 light bomber. Design and development The Gamma was a further development of the suc ...

2F model, is a two-seat, single-engine,

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple wings. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...

, attack

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...

built in 1935 by the

Northrop Corporation Northrop Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its 1994 merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, most successfully the B-2 Spiri ...

for the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

. When in British Commonwealth service during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the A-17 was called Nomad.

Development and design

The Northrop Gamma 2F was an attack bomber derivative of the

transport aircraft, developed in parallel with the Northrop Gamma 2C, designated the YA-13 and XA-16. The Gamma 2F had a revised tail, cockpit canopy and wing flaps compared with the Gamma 2C, and was fitted with new semi-retractable landing gear. It was delivered to the

for tests on 6 October 1934, and after modifications which included fitting with a conventional fixed landing gear, was accepted by the Air Corps.Pelletier ''Air Enthusiast'' May–June 1998. pp. 63–64. A total of 110 aircraft were ordered as the A-17 in 1935. The resulting A-17 was equipped with perforated flaps, and had a fixed landing gear with partial fairings. It was fitted with an internal fuselage bomb bay, that carried fragmentation bombs, and external bomb racks. Northrop developed a new landing gear, this time completely retractable, producing the A-17A variant. This version was again purchased by the Army Air Corps, who placed orders for 129 aircraft.Pelletier ''Air Enthusiast'' May–June 1998, p. 65. By the time these were delivered, the Northrop Corporation had been taken over by

Douglas Aircraft Company The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, aerospace and military, defense company based in Southern California. Founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas Sr., it merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell D ...

, with export models being known as the Douglas Model 8.Pelletier ''Air Enthusiast'' May–June 1998, p. 66.

Operational history

United States

The A-17 entered service in February 1936, and proved to be a reliable and popular aircraft.Pelletier ''Air Enthusiast'' May–June 1998, pp. 64–65. However, in 1938, the Air Corps decided that attack aircraft should be multi-engined, rendering the A-17 surplus to requirements. From 14 December 1941, A-17s were used for coastal patrols by the

59th Bombardment Squadron The 59th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first activated in Panama in 1941 during the expansion of the United States Army Air Corps before World War II. Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor the squadron ...

(Light) on the Pacific side of the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

. The last remaining A-17s, used as utility aircraft, were retired from USAAF service in 1944.Pelletier ''Air Enthusiast'' May–June 1998, p. 67.

Other countries

Argentina

Argentina purchased 30 Model 8A-2s in 1937 and received them between February and March 1938; their serial numbers were between 348 and 377. These remained in frontline service until replaced by the

I.Ae. 24 Calquin The I.Ae.24 Calquin (a Mapudungun word which means "Royal Eagle") was a tactical bomber designed and built by the ''Instituto Aerotécnico'' at Córdoba, Argentina, Córdoba, in Argentina in the immediate post-World War II era. Although superfici ...

, continuing in service as trainers and reconnaissance aircraft until their last flight in 1954.Pelletier ''Air Enthusiast'' September/October 1998, p. 2.Bontti 2003, p. 21.

Peru

Peru ordered ten Model 8A-3Ps, these being delivered from 1938 onwards. These aircraft were used in combat by Peru in the

Ecuadorian–Peruvian War The Ecuadorian–Peruvian War, known locally as the War of '41 (), was a South American border war fought between 5–31 July 1941. It was the first of three military conflicts between Ecuador and Peru during the 20th century. During the war, ...

of July 1941.Pelletier ''Air Enthusiast'' September/October 1998, p. 6. The survivors of these aircraft were supplemented by 13 Model 8A-5s from Norway (see below), delivered via the United States in 1943 (designated A-33). These remained in service until 1958.

Sweden

The Swedish government purchased a licence for production of a Mercury-powered version, building 63 B 5Bs and 31 B 5Cs, production taking place from 1938 to 1941. They were replaced in service with the

Swedish Air Force The Swedish Air Force ( or just ) is the air force Military branch, branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. History The Swedish Air Force was created on 1 July 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the escalatin ...

by SAAB 17s from 1944.Pelletier ''Air Enthusiast'' September/October 1998, pp. 12–13. The Swedish version was used as a

dive bomber A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact througho ...

and as such, it featured prominently in the 1941 film ''

Första divisionen ''Första divisionen'' () is a 1941 Cinema of Sweden, Swedish drama film, drama film directed by Hasse Ekman. Plot summary After a period of hospitalization, caused by an aircraft accident, second lieutenant Gunnar Bråde returns to his old squ ...

''.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands, in urgent need of modern combat aircraft, placed an order for 18 Model 8A-3Ns in 1939, with all being delivered by the end of the year. Used in a fighter role for which they were unsuited, the majority were destroyed by

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

attacks on 10 May 1940, the first day of the German invasion.Pelletier ''Air Enthusiast'' September/October 1998, pp. 3–4.

Iraq

Iraq purchased 15 Model 8A-4s in 1939. They arrived in Iraq in September 1940. Twelve of them were destroyed in the

Anglo-Iraqi War The Anglo-Iraqi War was a British-led Allies of World War II, Allied military campaign during the Second World War against the Kingdom of Iraq, then ruled by Rashid Ali al-Gaylani who had seized power in the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état with assista ...

in 1941, and one of the three remaining aircraft crashed in early 1944.

Norway

Norway ordered 36 Model 8A-5Ns in 1940. These were not ready by the time of the German Invasion of Norway and were diverted to the Norwegian training camp in Canada, which became known as ''

Little Norway Little Norway (), officially (FTL, "Air Force Training Camp"), was a Norwegian Army Air Service/Royal Norwegian Air Force training camp in southern Ontario during the Second World War. Origins When Nazi Germany attacked Norway on 9 April 1940, ...

''.Pelletier ''Air Enthusiast'' September/October 1998, p. 4. Norway decided to sell 18 of these aircraft as surplus to Peru, but these were embargoed by the United States, who requisitioned the aircraft, using them as trainers, designating them the A-33. Norway sold their surviving aircraft to Peru in 1943.Pelletier ''Air Enthusiast'' September/October 1998, pp. 4, 6.

Great Britain

In June 1940, 93 ex-USAAC aircraft were purchased by France, and refurbished by Douglas, including being given new engines.Pelletier ''Air Enthusiast'' September/October 1998, p. 3. These were not delivered before the

fall of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg and the Net ...

and 61 were taken over by the

British Purchasing Commission The British Purchasing Commission was a United Kingdom organisation of the Second World War. Also known at some time as the "Anglo-French Purchasing Board", it was based in New York City, where it arranged the production and purchase of armaments fr ...

for British Commonwealth use under the name Northrop Nomad Mk I.

South Africa

After the RAF assessed the Northrop Nomad Mk Is as "obsolete", most of the Nomads were sent to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

for use as trainers and target tugs.Donald 1995, p. 212.Pelletier ''Air Enthusiast'' September/October 1998, p. 12. The Nomads suffered shortages of spare parts (particularly engines) and from 1942 onwards were gradually replaced by

Fairey Battle The Fairey Battle is a British single-engine light bomber that was designed and manufactured by the Fairey Aviation Company. It was developed during the mid-1930s for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a monoplane successor to the Hawker Hart and Ha ...

s. The last Nomads were retired in 1944.

Canada

The

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...

received 32 Nomads that had been part of a French order of 93 aircraft. When France fell in 1940, this order was taken over by Great Britain who transferred 32 of the aircraft to Canada, where they were used as advanced trainers and target tugs as part of the

British Commonwealth Air Training Plan The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a large-scale multinational military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand during the Second Wo ...

. These were serialed 3490 to 3521; all were assigned to No. 3 Training Command RCAF.

Variants

;A-17 :Initial production for USAAC. Fixed gear, powered by

Pratt & Whitney R-1535 The Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior is an American aircraft engine developed in the 1930s. The engine was introduced in 1932 as a 14-cylinder version of the 9-cylinder R-985, and was a two-row, air-cooled radial design. Displacement was ...

-11 Twin Wasp Jr engine; 110 built.Francillon 1979, pp. 212–213. ;A-17A :Revised version for USAAC with retractable gear and R-1535-13 engine; 129 built.Francillon 1979, pp. 213–214. ;A-17AS :Three seat staff transport version for USAAC. Powered by

Pratt & Whitney R-1340 The Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp is an aircraft engine of the reciprocating engine, reciprocating type that was widely used in United States, American aircraft from the 1920s onward. It was the Pratt & Whitney aircraft company's first engine, an ...

Wasp engine; two built.Francillon 1979, p. 215. ;Model 8A-1 :Export version for Sweden. Fixed gear. Two Douglas built prototypes (Swedish designation B 5A), followed by 63 licensed built (by ASJA) B 5B aircraft powered by

Bristol Mercury The Bristol Mercury is a British nine-cylinder, air-cooled, single-row, piston radial engine. Designed by Roy Fedden of the Bristol Aeroplane Company it was used to power both civil and military aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s. Developed from ...

XXIV engine; 31 similar B 5C built by

SAAB Saab or SAAB may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Saab AB, a Swedish aircraft, aerospace and defence company, still known as SAAB, and together with subsidiaries as Saab Group ** Datasaab, a former computer company, started as spin off from Saab ...

. ;Model 8A-2 :Version for Argentina. Fitted with fixed gear, ventral gun position and powered by

Wright R-1820 The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. It was produced under license in France as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V, and in the Soviet Uni ...

-G3 Cyclone; 30 built.Francillon 1979, p. 218. ;Model 8A-3N :Version of A-17A for Netherlands. Powered by

Pratt & Whitney R-1830 The Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp is an American air-cooled radial aircraft engine. It has 14 cylinders, arranged in two rings of seven. It displaces and its bore and stroke are both . The design traces its history to 1929 experiments a ...

Twin Wasp S3C-G engine; 18 built.Francillon 1979, pp. 219–220. ;Model 8A-3P :Version of A-17A for Peru. Powered by GR-1820-G103 engine; ten built (c/n 412 to 421).Francillon 1979, pp. 218–219. ;Model 8A-4 :Version for Iraq, powered by a GR-1820-G103 engine; 15 built.Francillon 1979, p. 220. ;Model 8A-5N :Version for Norway, powered by GR-1830-G205A engine; 36 built. Later impressed into USAAF service as

Douglas A-33 The Douglas A-33 (Model 8A-5) was an American attack aircraft built in small numbers during World War II. It was an updated version of the Northrop A-17, with a more powerful engine and an increased bomb load. While the A-33 was intended initi ...

. ;Nomad Mk.I :RAF and RCAF designation for A-17As refurbished for French use but delivered to the UK and Canada.

Operators

; *

Fuerza Aérea Argentina The Argentine Air Force (, or simply ''FAA'') is the air force of Argentina and one of three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. In 2018, it had 13,837 military and 6,900 civilian personnel. FAA commander in chief is Brigadie ...

** ''Grupo "A" de la Escuela de Aplicación de Aviación'' ("'A' Group, School of Aviation Administration"), El Palomar Air Base ** ''

Regimiento Aéreo Nº3 The regimiento, cabildo de regidores or concejo cerrado ("closed council") was a system of local government established from the 14h century onwards in the Crown of Castile.; ; A feature of the progressive oligarchization of the form of government ...

de Bombardeo Liviano'' ("3rd Light Bombing Air Regiment"),

El Plumerillo Air Base EL, El or el may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities * El, a character from the manga series ''Shugo Chara!'' by Peach-Pit * Eleven (''Stranger Things'') (El), a fictional character in the TV series ''Stranger Things'' * El, fami ...

; *

** No. 3 Training Command ; *

Chinese Nationalist Air Force Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

; *

Royal Iraqi Air Force The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF; ) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It is responsible for the defense of Iraqi airspace as well as the policing of its international borders. The IQAF also acts as a support force for the ...

; * ''

Luchtvaartafdeeling The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF; , "Royal Air Force") is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It was created in 1953 to succeed its predecessor, the ''Luchtvaartafdeling'' () of the Dutch Army, which was founded i ...

'' ; *

Norwegian Air Force The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) () is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximately 2,430 employees (officers, enlisted ...

** Norwegian Training Unit ; *

Peruvian Air Force The Peruvian Air Force (, FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Military of Peru, Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of aerial warfare, air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguarding i ...

; *

South African Air Force The South African Air Force (SAAF) is the air warfare branch of South African National Defence Force, with its headquarters in Pretoria. The South African Air Force was established on 1 February 1920. The Air Force saw service in World War II a ...

; *

General Headquarters Air Force The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

3d Attack Group The 3rd Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 3rd Wing. It is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska, and is assigned to Pacific Air Forces' Eleventh Air Force. The group (military ...

Barksdale Field Barksdale may refer to: Places * Barksdale, Mississippi, an unincorporated community *Barksdale, Texas, an unincorporated community * Barksdale, Wisconsin, a town ** Barksdale (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community *Barksdale Air Force ...

17th Attack Group The 17th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The group was last stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The Group is a direct successor to the 17th Pursuit Group, one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the ...

March Field March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 21 m ...

16th Pursuit Group The 1st Special Operations Wing (1 SOW) at Hurlburt Field, Florida is one of three United States Air Force active duty Special Operations wings and falls under the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The 1st Special Operations Wing i ...

Albrook Field Albrook Air Force Station is a former United States Air Force facility in Panama. It was closed on 30 September 1997 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties which specified that United States military facilities in the former Panama Canal Zon ...

*** 74th Attack Squadron

Surviving aircraft

* A-17A, U.S. Army Ser. No. 36-0207 c/n 234, ex-3rd Attack Group (Barksdale Field). On display at the

National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is ...

Wright-Patterson AFB Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene and Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wr ...

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

* 8A-3P c/n 415, registration FAP-277. This aircraft crash landed on 12 January 1957 at San Sebastián de Sacraca, Ayacucho,

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. The remains are preserved as monument at the town's main square. * 8A-3P c/n 417, registration FAP-279, ex-31^o Escuadrón de Ataque y Reconocimiento. On display next to Armando Revoredo's mausoleum, Grupo Aéreo N°8, Callao,

, painted as "XXXI-1" to resemble the aircraft flown by Revoredo in 1940 during the "Los Zorros" raid over South America. * RCAF Nomad 3521, crashed in

Lake Muskoka Lake Muskoka is located between Port Carling and Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. The lake is surrounded by many cottages. The lake is primarily within the boundary of the Township of Muskoka Lakes, the southeast corner is within the boundary of t ...

, Ontario on 13 December 1940, after a mid-air collision with another Nomad during a search for a missing aircraft. The wreck was found in July 2010 and both the aircraft and the crew's remains were recovered by the RCAF. The crew's remains, composed of RAF Lieutenant Peter Campbell and RCAF Leading Aircraftsman Theodore "Ted" Bates, were recovered in October 2012 and interred with full military honours in a cemetery in Guelph, ON in September 2013. The recovered aircraft will be put on display at the

National Air Force Museum of Canada The National Air Force Museum of Canada is an aviation museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is located on the west side of CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario. The museum is a permanent archive which c ...

Trenton, Ontario Trenton (2001 population 16,770) is a large community in Central Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the starting point for the Trent-Severn Waterway, which continues northwest to Pe ...

Specifications (A-17A)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Donald, David, ed. ''American Warplanes of World War II''. London: Aerospace, 1995. . * Francillon, René J. ''McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920''. London: Putnam, 1979. . * Pelletier, Alain J. "Northrop's Connection: The Unsung A-17 Attack Aircraft and its Legacy – Part 1". ''

Air Enthusiast ''Air Enthusiast'' was a British, bi-monthly, aviation magazine, published by the Key Publishing group. Initially begun in 1974 as ''Air Enthusiast Quarterly'', the magazine was conceived as a historical adjunct to ''Air International'' magaz ...

,'' No. 75, May–June 1998, pp. 62–67. . * Pelletier, Alain J. "Northrop's Connection: The Unsung A-17 Attack Aircraft and its Legacy – Part 2". ''

,'' No. 77, September/October 1998, pp. 2–15. . *

External links

Northrop A-17A
– National Museum of the United States Air Force
"Bullet Nose Fighter Flies 200 Miles An Hour" ''Popular Mechanics'', September 1937
{{Authority control A-17 A-17, Northrop Single-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1935