Beechcraft XA-38 Grizzly
| XA-38 Grizzly | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Attack aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Beechcraft |
| Status | Canceled |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Forces |
| Number built | 2 |
| History | |
| First flight | 7 May 1944 |
The Beechcraft XA-38 "Grizzly" was a World War II-era ground attack aircraft, developed by Beechcraft, but never put into production. The Grizzly was to have been fitted with a forward-firing 75 mm cannon to penetrate heavily armored targets.
While the first prototype flew on 7 May 1944, testing established that the type would not be ready for the projected invasion of Japan. It also featured the Wright R-3350 engines already in use with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress—which had priority. Consequently, the XA-38 was canceled after a second prototype had been completed.