The North American A-36 was the ground-attack/dive bomber version of the North American P-51 Mustang, from which it could be distinguished by the presence of rectangular, slatted dive brakes above and below the wings. A total of 500 A-36 dive bombers served in the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia theaters during World War II before being withdrawn from operational use in 1944.
North American A-36
A-36A production line at NAA Inglewood, October 1942.
A-36A of the 86th Fighter Bomber Group (Dive) in Italy in 1944.
A-36 of the 86th Bombardment Group (Dive), 284067 was lost to flak on 14 January 1944.
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 throughout the bomb run. This allows attacks on point targets and ships, which were difficult to attack with conventional level bombers, even en masse.
A Douglas SBD Dauntless drops its bomb. The dive brakes are extended and are visible behind the wings.
Final assembly view of SBD Dauntless dive bombers in 1943 at the Douglas Aircraft Company plant in El Segundo, California. The dive brakes are visible behind the wings.
The Aichi D1A2, a carrier-borne dive bomber
Ju 87D Stukas over the Eastern Front, December 1943
