>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
sagindragin (#12371),
This should help, I hope:
(With full acknowlegdements to Peter C. Smith: "Vengeance", Appendix III)
BRITISH (US A-31)
AF745-944; VV II, VULTEE BUILT, BRITISH CONTRACT.
AN538-837; DO.
AH838-AN999; VV I NORTHROP BUILT, BRITISH CONTRACT.
AP001-AP137; DO.
EZ800-EZ999; VVIA NORTHROP BUILT LEND LEASE
FB918-FD117; VVIII VULTEE BUILT US CONTRACT FOR LEND LEASE
BRITISH (US A-35)
FD118-FD221; VVIV VULTEE BUILT LEND LEASE
HB300-HB550; VVIV DO.
AUSTRALIAN
Appear to be mostly in the AN-*** series (as in your Line Drawing).
.......................
Notes:
The "Contract Price" was US$63,000 (ca £15,500) per aircraft
Can't remember Squadron letters (did we have them ?) on either 110 (RAF) or 8 (IAF) Sqns: think just a solitary aircraft letter. Stand to be corrected !
All RAF and IAF ops in Burma were carried out in VVs Mks. I and II. The Mk. III (mechanically identical, all US A-31s) came out only after ops ceased in summer 1944.
The Mk.IV (US A-35) was different in that it had a 4-degree Angle of Incidence in the wing. Your Line Drawing would appear to show an A-31 (zero angle of Incidence), which would indicate an A-31 (VV Mk. I-III).
The A-31 (all the Marks (I-III I flew) was a lousy aircraft per se, but a fine dive bomber. Never saw a Mk. IV (A-35): would guess it to be a better aircraft and a worse dive bomber. They also had 0.50 Brownings in the wings (replacing the 0.300s in the A-31s), and a single 0.50 Browning in the back (replacing the original twin US 0-300s - which we replaced by British 0.303s in service).
The Mk.IV s went all over the place, Brazil got some; the Free French used them, the ones that went to UK and Australia were converted to target tugs.
The last survivor (a Mk.I dolled up as a Mk.IV) lives/lived in the Camden Aviation Museum (currently closed), Narellan, Sydney.
That's about all I know.
Cheers, Danny.
PS: No thanks for your line drawing, but thanks all the same: I already have a very good one drawn by two of the very nice new baby Controllers who came to me in ATC at Leeming. They also did a 1/72 Airfix model for me (God knows what became of it).
One finished as a Wing Commander, commanding that ATC School where he had started as a pupil !