NA-50
"Armed and Dangerous"
Manufacturer: North American
Model: NA-50
Name: “Armed and Dangerous”
Tail Number: N250NA
Specifications
Wing Span: 37' 3"
Length: 26' 11"
Height: 19' 8"
Max Speed: 295 mph
Gross Weight: 5,700 lbs
Power Plant: Wright R-1820-77 radial air-cooled engine
Horsepower: 870
Armament
Guns: 2 x .30 cal M1919 Browning machine guns
Bombs: 550 lbs
North American originally designed the P-64 as a fighter to be exported to foreign customers. In fact, the first group with the designation P-64 was on its way to Thailand in 1940, when that country was invaded by Japanese forces, and were seized by the U.S. government before they could leave. The confiscated Siam-bound fighters were stripped of their armament and converted to trainers. Domestically, the fighter gained a reputation as a highly advanced trainer also suitable for basic pilot instruction. Its design was simple and economical, suiting smaller countries that needed an uncomplicated fighter with advanced features. Armed and Dangerous is one of the NA-50 configurations, developed for the Peruvian Air Force and the first model to incorporate retractable landing gear. Peruvian NA-50s like this one fought in the Ecuadorian-Peruvian War of 1941.
