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The Vultee A-31 Vengeance was the designation given to early Vengeance dive-bombers produced on lend-lease orders, which required all military equipment to have an official American designation.
A-31-NO
The A-31-NO was the designation given to the Vengeance Mk IA produced under lend-lease by Northrop
A-31-VN
The A-31-VN was the designation for Vultee produced lend-lease aircraft
XA-31A
The prototype Vengeance, AF745, was retained in the United States. In June 1942 it was accepted by the US Army without an engine or armament, as the Vultee V88 and with the USAAF designation XA-31A.
XA-31B
This aircraft was then used to test the 3,000hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major XR-4360-1 engine and given the designation XA-31B.
XA-31C
The XA-31C was the designation given to aircraft AF759 when it was given a 2,200hp Wright Cyclone R-3350-18 engine.
YA-31C
This designation was given to five V-72s (AF756. 782, 845, 887 and 904) when they were used to test the R-3350-17 engine with a four blade propeller as part of the B-29 development programme.
YA-31C
A-31C-VN
The designation A-31C-VN was given to the last 100 A-31s produced by Vultee (RAF serial numbers FB918-999 and FD100-117). Production then switched to the A-35, with American 0.50in guns and equipment.
United States Service
The A-31 saw very little American service. The 311th Bombardment Squadron and 525th and 527th Fighter Squadrons used the type for training in the United States during 1942, but didn't take it into combat in North Africa, using the A-36, P-40 and P-47 instead.
Engine: Wright R-2600-19 Cyclone
Power: 1,600hp
Crew: 2
Wing span: 48ft
Length: 39ft 9in
Height: 15ft 4in
Empty Weight: 9,725lb
Maximum Gross Weight: 14,300lb
Max Speed: 275mph at 11,000ft
Cruising Speed: 235mph
Service Ceiling: 22,500ft
Range: 1,400 miles
Armament: Four 0.30in guns in wings and two 0.30in flexibly mounted guns in rear cockpit
Bomb-load: 1,500lb