Innovative For Five Minutes, Obsolete Forever | Curtiss A-12 Shrike [Aircraft Overview #87]

[@RexsHangar]

F.A.Q Section Q: Do you take aircraft requests? A: I have a list of aircraft I plan to cover, but feel free to add to it with suggestions:) Q: Why do you use imperial measurements for some videos, and metric for others? A: I do this based on country of manufacture. Imperial measurements for Britain and the U.S, metric for the rest of the world, but I include text in my videos that convert it for both. Q: Will you include video footage in your videos, or just photos? A: Video footage is very expensive to licence, if I can find footage in the public domain I will try to use it, but a lot of it is hoarded by licencing studies (British Pathe, Periscope films etc). In the future I may be able to afford clips :) Q: Why do you sometimes feature images/screenshots from flight simulators? A: Sometimes there are not a lot of photos available for certain aircraft, so I substitute this with digital images that are as accurate as possible.

[@jakobc.2558]

Q: Did any aircraft get lost during "wingtip signing"? This seems like the type of thing that I would attempt to do with my friends in a game and it subsequently leading to the loss of multiple aircraft.

[@shero113]

IAI Arava. Good aircraft, some export sales, now barely known.

[@wimheitinga728]

Have you ever done a video about the Fokker G-1? That would be interesting.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

lt is very good to your fine video's once again.....Hope you are doing well my friend and thanks....... Shoe🇺🇸

[@dester3275]

The British prop wyvern

[@sergeipohkerova7211]

I really like this era of interwar aviation. The bright colors, the knowledge that these would be deathtraps just a few years later in WW2, but they're still art-deco steampunk cool. Tupolev TB3, Polikarpov I115 and I16, TBD Devastator, biplane Curtiss Helldiver, USS Akron/Macon and the Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawks, Ju-52... Makes me think of the flapper era.

[@Pgb633]

The Curtiss Helldiver was never a biplane

[@DeliveryMcGee]

@@Pgb633 The F8C and SBC beg to differ. "Helldiver" was used for TWO models of biplane. And the SBC was quite good-looking.

[@maciek_k.cichon]

I'am seriously conflicted here. Rag kites, dirigibles or trimotors and flying boats? Saddest thing is, most of them did not last till now 😢

[@lafeelabriel]

Might not be as well known as the one above, but surely the PZL P23 Karas deserves at least a honourable mention.

[@flutter8712]

It's called the golden age of Aviation

[@brucewelty7684]

The wing signing was not only a testament to their boredom but of the stability of the craft.

[@Guardias]

But not the stability of their pilots.

[@Sporkmater]

@@Guardias There is boredom and military grade boredom. This is what happens when the later is present.

[@Audemed]

Do you want more mandatory safety briefings? This is how you get more mandatory safety briefings!

[@i-love-space390]

And a testament to how good the pilots were. Has any of you thought how HARD that would be? And he did say "returned to base with squiggles on the wind tips", so they must have been doing this SUCCESSFULLY.

[@ronniedale6040]

The pace of aviation in the first half of the 20th century is truly amazing. This aircraft is only separated from the f4 phantom by only 25 ish years. To put that in perspective about as far from the spice girls to today…

[@reluctantheist5224]

Stop Right Now !

[@worldtraveler930]

😛

[@kenboulder212]

Spice girls was a big sh.t

[@SephirothRyu]

Get your plane off my lawn, whippersnapper!

[@salvadorsempere1701]

And now the F16 keep strong in his 45 aniversary. 45 years came really close in time the time from the Crossing of the Channel by Bleriot to the Phantom (49 years gap)

[@jakobc.2558]

"Wingtip signing" is the most interwar aviation thing I have ever heared.

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

Always liked the look of the Shrikes, something an odd but pleasing about it. Innovative For Five Minutes, that's a LOT of aircraft between 1929 to 1938. The RAF Alone went from the Bristol Bulldog (178 mph, 29,000 feet), to the Hawker Hurricane (320-ish mph and 35,000 feet). and in between were Demons, Furies, Gauntlets and Gladiators each at least 10% faster and flew 1000 feet higher.

[@Ocrilat]

Heck, even the Hurricane wasn't all-metal at first. It's an interesting time for aircraft development.

[@wbertie2604]

@@Ocrilat in terms of covering, the Hurricane was never all metal, but the first lacked fully metal wings, even.

[@Ocrilat]

@@wbertie2604 Agreed, that was my point. And that's why I also think the aircraft of the period are interesting. I think what I wrote was a little unclear...unfortunately a bad habit of mine.

[@wbertie2604]

@@Ocrilat I was trying to further emphasise your point

[@kdrapertrucker]

Imagine some of the more radical designs that didn't see large production runs. The lifting bodies, flying wings, etc.

[@stephenkneller6435]

I love this era of the Army Air Corp. The designs and paint schemes were fabulous.

[@richmcgee434]

Never heard the wingtip signature thing before. That is simply outstanding. It sounds like something my grandfather would have thought up, but he wasn't in the service until a few years later.

[@kingnull2697]

Your Granddad must have been a real one

[@crodsbye]

it might even be a good exercise for precise motor control

[@richmcgee434]

@@kingnull2697 He was something. Nearly wound up sitting out the war after they caught him training pilots up in Canada by teaching them to fly under power lines, going by teh theory that it built character. Bloody madman, he was.

[@Alexandros11]

"Innovative For Five Minutes, Obsolete Forever" sounds like a philosophical quote from Socrates or something

[@admiraltiberius1989]

I love how aircraft were painted in this era....shame they don't do that today. Id love to see Squadrons of Hornets or Lightnings in bright blues and yellows.

[@handblitz4408]

Blue angels?

[@admiraltiberius1989]

@@handblitz4408 that's not a regular unit though, they don't operate off Carriers

[@Leevalee]

I got news for you, Japan still does their F2-A and F2-B in a very nice blue

[@admiraltiberius1989]

@@Leevalee would be cool if they did the classic white with the red meatball. Or some of the other classic schemes, like the green of various camouflage efforts

[@Leevalee]

@@admiraltiberius1989 they do them for the T-4s.

[@bryanparkhurst17]

Rex, you have got to be a miner. You keep digging up some of the coolest airplanes.

[@090giver090]

Pray he would not mine too deep. :)

[@wbertie2604]

The Shrike is quite well known, but he's done well on the photos.

[@wbertie2604]

I haven't seen those photos of A-8 and A-10 before. Quite fascinating, and the A-10 reminds me a bit of the Wellesley

[@kennethobrien6537]

He's just a... plane miner. A simple man.

[@kennethobrien6537]

Rex ich besser

[@samadams2203]

The engine housing and fixed landing gear make it look at a glance almost like a JU-87.

[@weldonwin]

Yeah, I was thinking the Model-59 looked like a chonkier version of a Stuka

[@johnathandavis3693]

The A-12 looks like a big brother to the P-26 -I love the P-26!

[@michaelbeloff3505]

Me too!

[@thehunger86]

Can't believe they built the plane we all drew in 1st grade.

[@JosephKano]

Interesting plane

[@danpatterson8009]

Never heard of these- a unique snapshot in the technical whirlwinds of the 1930s. The aircraft at 4:50 is- well, not beautiful, but... wow.

[@vikramputtanna3333]

Wonderful video as usual thank you so much. The Fokker xa-7 mentioned in passing piqued my interest… I hope you plan to cover it one day at your convenience. It’s lines look very pleasing and the old adage of “if it looks right it is right” comes to mind.

[@richardaubrecht2822]

It's not much to talk about. The company is more interresting. It as developed by Fokker Aviation Co. but before it was finished the company was bought by General Motors and renamed General Aviation Co. The company was founded in 1924 by Anthony Fokker as Atlantic Aircraft Co as his American subsidiary, named like that because Fokker was afraid to put his name on it because it could damage sales as people weren't looking fondly at the former enemy. The plane had roughly the same look as Shrike but it had the typical Fokker-ian fat cantileveer wing. It had the same engine as Shrike, and during the tests at Wright Field it was plagued with problems with engine cooling. In the end it was not satisfactory, hence the Curtiss Shrike was chosen.The only XA-7 was then cut up. Three years later the struggling company was bought by one of the several holding companies that emerged as the aviation companies, struggling through the Depresion, tried to save thmenselves by reorganising and merging. This one was named North American Aviation, and at first it merged GA with the Berliner-Joyce Co, then it dissolved the company and managed the factory directly. Thus the manufacturer of Mustang and Texan was born.

[@jayg1438]

Very very cool topic. The interwar period is my favorite and this aircraft always gets overlooked. Thank you!

[@williamscoggin1509]

Pilots signing other pilots wingtips while in flight. That's the most incredible hilarious thing I've ever heard about World war aviation. 😂😂😂🤣🤣👍🏻 Gives a whole new meaning to the old song, THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES! 😂😂😂 It is also a testament to the sturdiness of that aircraft and how much the people flying in them actually trusted it. 👍🏻🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

[@deltavee2]

One wonders how far out of his cockpit did the observer have to hang to get hands on the wing tip.

[@stoneomountain2390]

One wonders what screw up caused the possibility of this phenomenon to be realised.

[@juamont]

one of the best channels in youtube

[@jehoiakimelidoronila5450]

The model 59/xa-8 @ 0:58 screams stuka to me. It's three-blade prop, v-12 motor (albeit not inverted), underslung radiator & spatted fixed main gear *&* the dihedral (minus the anhedral inner section) wing is the giveaway. Coincidence?

[@marktaylor8659]

Thank you for sharing this information. My father use to see these fly down the beach area of Galveston, TX in the 30s. He was born in 1925 and I guess he'd have been about 8-12 years old. He told stories of seeing several in formation "roar" down the beach with their big radial engines.

[@Pgb633]

"Mom , can we have a Stuka?" "We have a Stuka at home." "No , wait , i know that the thing at home is a bad copy , so can we get a IL-2?" "We have that IL-2 Stuka thing at home too." "Noooo." IL-2 Stuka thing at home: Curtiss A-12 Shrike Edit: Made it sound better

[@xgford94]

That’s what I was thinking too!

[@SnakebitSTI]

"Can we have a Lockheed A-12?" "We have an A-12 at home."

[@patjohnson3100]

This is a very informative channel. Thank you from the USA.

[@FPilotBierce]

At the same time the Shrikes were entering service, the corporate successor to Fokker in the U.S.--North American--had the first flight of the NA-16, which led to the Yale, the Harvard, the Wirraway, the Texan, and the BC-1A and A-27 attack variants. So a "clean sheet" alternative to the Shrike was always there for the Army if they wanted one badly enough.

[@wesrrowlands8309]

This era of planes have some of the best design styles of the era like this.

[@marioacevedo5077]

Great video. Love research into the interwar period.

[@Dr.K.Wette_BE]

I like the way you named "interesting results" the trials and horrors of that period ! 😁

[@SKILLED521]

Thanks!

[@SKILLED521]

Cheers, Rex!

[@maxsmodels]

Now you have to do a video on the Northrop A-17.

[@admiralradish]

I think the best thing about this aircraft for the time period and the innovation was putting the offensive armament in the landing gear. At least they didnt have to worry about shooting the propeller off.

[@flutter8712]

Took a look at the Pasped Skylark, lovely looking plane too

[@bloodknightgaming]

Interesting video of a ....unique looking aircraft. Love the content.

[@bullnukeoldman3794]

These, along with the P-26, were my father's favorite aircraft from when he was growing up. He lived in Springfield, Ohio, just northeast of Wright Field and would see them passing over regularly when he was in his early teens. Some 50 years later he could still draw pictures of these aircraft with remarkable precision from memory.

[@mikearmstrong8483]

The P-26 was one of the best fighters of WWII. It only shot down 4 Japanese planes in Philippine service, but it also served in the Guatemalan Air Force, and let's remember that not a single Axis bomber ever made it safely through Guatemalan air space. Edited for accuracy.

[@worldtraveler930]

@@mikearmstrong8483 Actually the Boeing Pea Shooter's had successfully shot down 5 Japanese Zeros in the early part of the war!!!

[@mikearmstrong8483]

@@worldtraveler930 Looking into it now, I read that it was 3 Zeros and 1 bomber. Not counting a few kills made in Chinese service.

[@worldtraveler930]

@@mikearmstrong8483 Yep'ers, all together one has to be Impressed with the Pea Shooters for what they were!!! 🤠👍

[@tombogan03884]

About the "AAir Mail Crisis". Germany had the Condor Legion, England and Italy had their colonial wars, Japan had China, and America's future war leaders had the Mail crisis. The core leaders of WW II gained their training in these things.

[@jasonz7788]

Awesome thanks 👍

[@airportreview913]

Thank for the video they are really entertaining and informative

[@xcrockery8080]

Thank you, an interesting inter-war plane.

[@jeremywilson4326]

This was very interesting. And educational. Thanks man.

[@johnhudghton2287]

Wow interesting stuff. I knew nothing about this aircraft until I watched the video. Thank you.

[@auntbarbara5576]

Very interesting, thank you!

[@philipoakley2360]

The Shrike is one my favorites!! Many thanks. Wish there was more info written on these in- between beauties.

[@brianedwards7142]

Spats give a plane or a man that Fred Astaire charm. Or Burgess Meredith as Penguin, your pick. 🤣🐧

[@jimdavis8391]

Burgess Meredith was better looking. Just.

[@rafarosso8518]

those videos about planes are for me more interesting then ever bc i LOVE planes even more war planes and this channel is offering me so much pleasure continue like that! also ey 5 minutes is better then obelete from the start lol, and also maybe try to check the Dewoitine D.520 a french plane project it may not be the most interesting plane but i still think it interesting ofc its just a suggestion im not forcing you. its your channel, your choice not mine

[@michaeltelson9798]

I read in a book about the New York-Rio-Buenos Ares Airline that mentioned how some of the corrupt practices of the time. PanAm being a competitor had members of the presidential cabinet. The president of New York-Rio was friends of many people in the industry including the military. Admiral Moffet suggested to him that the Navy’s newest flying boat would make a good airliner seaplane as well. He went to Consolidated to get the changes done. Upon receiving the first of these aircraft he thought it would be a coup to have the First Lady to christen it. On the day of the event. He awaited for Mrs. Hoover to arrive. As he went to greet her, he was swept aside by Secret Service and the man accompanying her gave a short speech. That man was Juan Tripp, the very rich Chairman of PanAm. Of course that type of shenanigan wouldn’t happen again. Tripp and his influence of the Post Master General delayed mail contracts to starve competing companies into bankruptcy. Remember he tried that with Howard Hughes when that equally rich man started TWA. PanAm was bailed out by our government 3 times in their history. Their final request for a fourth bailout to Ronald Reagan failed as Reagan would have had to do something that he pledged not to do, bailout failing industry. PanAm then fell into the history books.

[@jaywalkersunite]

This is such a soothing channel. Love it

[@christofmaupin2023]

I agree with some of the other comments on the aesthetics of so many aircraft of this period. Whatever their merits as functional aircraft, the Buck Rogers look is really satisfying. Great color schemes, strangely satisfying lines and profiles, and a sense that in their time they must have looked amazing to anyone seeing them in flight or on the ground. I had never heard of or seen this particular plane before, and I think it looks great (although I'm not sure I would have wanted to fly it).

[@Luca_Sprues_Model_Kits]

Can’t wait for more content @RexsHanger 😱 Really enjoying your videos mate😁👍🏻

[@basilreid257]

Thanks for enlightening me on a most unusual but nice looking aircraft.

[@mattw785]

Great vid. Something you don't hear about often.

[@chrish9698]

Great video! Very well researched and presented. I shudder at the thought of the skill needed to keep your aircraft flying steady and straight while an airman in another aircraft literally signs their name to your wing in flight.

[@macnitt4039]

Aircraft of this era were hard to replicate in balsa. I remember trying to carve the wheel spats and all the struts and protrusions. And the the struts wood promptly rip the wing off on the first landing. P26 ..I gave up. W2 a/c so much easier.

[@msgfrmdaactionman3000]

Thanks for the video, great! This plane was deadly for its time, for its crews.

[@evinchester7820]

Fort Crockett: During the First World War, Fort Crockett served as a US Army artillery training center. Troops bound for France were trained in the use of several types of artillery. During the 1920s and early 1930s, Fort Crockett housed the United States Army Air Corps' (USAAC) 3rd Attack Group (an ancestor to USAF's 3rd Wing). At this time, the 3rd Attack Group was the only USAAC group devoted solely to attack aircraft. In 1932, Fort Crocket received eleven A-8 Shrike attack aircraft, the US military's very first all-metal monowing combat aircraft this delivery constituted the first delivery of this aircraft to a forward operational unit. After 1934, the 3rd Attack group was relocated to Barksdale, Louisiana.

[@RedGunDSL]

1:47 A MONO WHAT

[@PolesAreEverywhere]

Looks exactly like PZL 23 Karaś that had similiar role. It actually fought against germany and it performed about as you would expect against bf 109

[@Straswa]

Great work Rex, I like the look of this aircraft. I was surprised to learn these saw action with the Nationalist Chinese.

[@sinisterisrandom8537]

Looks like a P-26 and Ju-87 had a child. Although it shares a vague resemblance to the Ki-32.

[@barryervin8536]

About 65 years ago I had a balsa wood kit of the Shrike. I spent about a million hours building the fuselage, which was all thin balsa strips butted together, and finally lost interest. Never even started on the wing or anything else. I always liked the look of this plane though.

[@gregmottram292]

Hi Rex. Having just recently found the channel, I have just finished binging the whole back catalogue! Very informative and entertaining. Just wondered if you redraw the plans for each plane as they look similar across the vids. Can’t wait to keep watching.

[@eyo8766]

Australians: "HA WE HAVE THE EMU WAR" Americans: M a i l W a r

[@richardjamieson6681]

Cheers Rex! This video will be very useful. I have a CMR Curtiss A-12 Shrike in 1:72nd scale to build at some point. It's made of resin as opposed to the usual plastic so is going to be a bit of a challenge. It'll go well with the P-26 and A-17 I also have, all in the blue and yellow paint scheme the USAAF adopted in the latter parts of the 30s.

[@jasons44]

U have a great reading voice ☺️

[@jessehamm3573]

11:02 According to "Aces of the Republic of China Air Force" by Raymond Cheung, the dogfight in question resulted in the loss of two D1A2's (with another damaged), at a cost of 3 A-12s.

[@SGusky]

Perfect timing I am painting up six of these for our blood red skies china campaign. Thank you so much

[@Quadrenaro]

Army Air Corp: Can we have Ju-87? Curtiss: We have Ju-87 at home. Ju-87 at home:

[@merafirewing6591]

Hey, why don't we see if that can become a carrier-based.

[@HereticalKitsune]

Looks fancy, I like the looks of the A-12.

[@MM22966]

Looks vaguely like the Stuka's American cousin.

[@Riccardo_Silva]

A notable aircraft, i 'd say! Apart from those absurd bracing wires, it looks pretty modern, for an aircraft of the late twenties/early thirties. And - it's a monoplane!

[@jaxsmith1744]

My hearing is getting so wonky I thought you said "Fort Crumpet,Texas". Took me a minute to remember Fort Crockett and got a laugh.Very interesting blend of design and the guns mounted in the wheel fairings really cool.

[@m0ther_bra1ned12]

This is one of my all time favorites airplanes.

[@fabovondestory]

Looks like a P-26 bomber

[@rastarn]

Great subject matter, Sir! 😁

[@Rickinsf]

Is that a starter crank strapped to the side, above the gear? (0:29)

[@garyjordan3914]

You should do a series on the whole class of OA class of aircraft .

[@maryclarafjare]

Most enjoyable, as always! Crazy about the bored guys in Hawaii writing on each other's planes!!! Thankful they didn't crash. 😊

[@platapus112]

That wing tip story is the most aircorp story I've ever heard

[@guaporeturns9472]

I love the Shrike

[@WardenWolf]

A rather nice aircraft for its era. For wingtip signing to even be a thing, they had to have had exceptionally good flying characteristics.

[@Ralphieboy]

I am fascinated by obscure transitional types

[@beavis6363]

3:48 Well she wasn't really a glamour girl now was she. Interesting plane and video.

[@AugustusLarch]

Then years later the CIA used this designation A-12 for the single seat Lockheed Blackbird. Astute.

[@Zorglub1966]

Just in time for the after lunch coffee!

[@reggiekoestoer1511]

Just in time for dinner. Thanks Rex!

[@williamscoggin1509]

Lol, I watched it while eating a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast. 😁

[@williamscoggin1509]

LOL, I watched it while eating a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast. 😁🇺🇲

[@colvinator1611]

Excellent video, very interesting. Way back in the 50's in one of my Ian Allen ' book of flight ' editions, there was an article about a DC 2 1/2 ! Apparently a DC 3 was damaged in the far east ( China ? ) and the wing of a DC 2 was fitted ( or maybe vice versa ). There was a picture of this aircraft and I think one wing was 4' shorter than the other but it certainly flew. Thanks again.

[@skyfreighter]

Yep. It was a CNAC DC-3 fitted witha dc-2 outer panel.

[@colvinator1611]

@@skyfreighter Thanks for that John.

[@ufoengines]

A camel is a horse designed by a comity . Cool post . Thanks!

[@sadwingsraging3044]

Signing each other's wing tips? That is one stable aircraft.😌

[@galvaniclegend917]

Babe wake up! New Rex video!

[@book3100]

These old planes are brilliant

[@Sssaaatttuuurrrnnn]

I find it fascinating that the A-8 looks several years more modern than its successor, the A-12. The A-12's open cockpit and radial engine do seem fitting for early 1930's.

[@anonymous-rb2sr]

The design reminds me a lot of the Bleriot planes (the engineer who created the plane to cross the English channel), it's intresting to see the roots of early military planes before biplanes took over ressemble so much the very first endurance planes

[@mrains100]

Thank you.

[@makschorney2514]

Love the 1930's aircraft, finally catching up to late WW1 German aircraft!

[@whome4642]

It seems that aircraft becoming obsolete was the rule rather than the exception given the pace of the progress of technology in those days.

[@brianjones7660]

those struts on the wings were for the wingwalkers at the county fair...😁

[@PyroRaptor1]

I love this plane

[@williamscoggin1509]

To me it has an art deco era look to it. 👍🏻🇺🇲

[@LowBrandon]

2:49 Rex I think you misspelled the Douglas O 38 as Douglas O 13. Btw thanks for making my favourite interwar attack plane.

[@Hykje]

Sometimes KZbin ads pop up at the perfect moment -at around 7:39 when the picture of the finished A-12 is shown an ad started that begins with a woman who says "I think it looks like s--t".

[@Shrike58]

I liked the Shrike so much I use it as my handle! One thing to keep in mind with the U.S. Army Air Crops is that it ate up a third of the U.S. Army's budget.

[@yes_head]

Excellent video. I've always been curious about this plane. In some ways it's the USA's version of the Stuka.