North American O-47 Competition

[hesham]

Hi,
'
for Air Crops Circular Proposal 35-21 of early 1934,there were thirteen proposals submitted to it,

- Curtiss O-39
- Curtiss Y1O-40B
- Curtiss YO-40A
- Curtiss A-1
- Curtiss B-1
- Curtiss C-1
- Douglas No.1, D-?
- Douglas No.2
- Grumman No.1 (G-12 ?)
- Grumman No.2
- Grumman No.3
- Consolidated ?
- Vought V-?

A revised edition was ordered in late 1934,as 35-405 to create General Aviation GA-15,later North
American NA-15,who can ID those unknown entries ?

North American Aviation O-47,by Dan Hagedorn

 

[hesham]

Hi,

for Grumman,I think it was the same design with different kind of engines,for Douglas,I think
it was the same design also but differs as a two concepts,because they had the identical engine
and performance.

Here's a note from the book about these competitors;

“NOTE: The aircraft listed with asterisks were paper proposals only and cannot be matched to any specific production aircraft
types from these manufacturers. The Air Corps was not pleased with these paper submissions, and almost immediately
dismissed them, leaving only three slightly improved Curtiss designs the Airc Corps had already acquired in service test lots!

 

[hesham]

Hi,

last thing,the only known Project,which was based on O-47,it's called P-447-7,but with
high wing,inspired from Westland Lysander.

 

[Dynoman]

The Douglas design for the Circular Proposal 35-21 was the OX-46, which received a contract and built approximately 90 O-46's. In 1935 the revised circular (35-405) requested the designs be three seat aircraft. Hence, the North American O-47, which built over 200 airframes.

The mid-1930s the requirements for a USAAC observation aircraft was a quagmire of changes in demands. There were two requirements: a two-place battlefield observation aircraft (over the battlefield) and a three-place reconnaissance aircraft (flying inside enemy territory).

The GHQ even considered a multi-engine five man high-altitude observation aircraft that was an amphibian. This may have been the Consolidated proposal (from Army Air Corps Airplanes and Observation: 1935-1941).

Army Air Corps Airplanes and Observation 1935-1941

books.google.com

 

[Dynoman]

Vought is likely the Vought V-70A

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/the-life-and-times-of-the-vought-v-70-demonstrator.20443/

The twin-engine amphibian mentioned above may have been the Douglas YOA-5

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/douglas-yoa-5-xp3d-twins.10492/