The Air Corps purchased a total of 110 A-17s and assigned them to dedicated attack groups and as attack squadrons attached to pursuit groups. The 3rd Attack Group was based at Barksdale Field, La. while the 17th Attack Group was at March Field, Calif. The 16th Pursuit Group at Albrook Field, Calif. has the 74th Attack Squadron attached to it. As the A-17A began to replace the A-17 in operational units, the A-17s were assigned to secondary duties. Some aircraft were assigned to General Headquarters Air Force for use as staff transports.

The A-17 could carry twenty 30-pound bombs internally in small fuselage bomb compartments. The aircraft could also carry four 100-pound bombs on external wing racks. The A-17 was also capable of carrying gas canisters on wing pylons.

Although the A-17 formed the major part of the Air Corps attack capability in the mid to late 1930s, none were ever used in combat. The improved A-17A replaced the A-17 in first line attack units by mid 1938.

---

SPECIFICATIONS:

Span: 47 ft. 9 in.

Length: 31 ft. 9 in.

Height: 11 ft. 11 in.

Weight: 7,350 lbs. gross take off weight

Armament: Four forward-firing .30-cal. machine guns and one flexible .30-cal. machine gun for the rear gunner, plus provisions for four 100-lb. bombs externally mounted and 20 17-30-lb. bombs internally carried in four dispensers (1,000 lbs. maximum bomb load)

Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1535-11 Twin Wasp Junior radial of 750 hp

Crew: Two (pilot and observer/rear gunner)

PERFORMANCE:

Maximum speed: 206 mph

Cruising speed: 170 mph

Range: Approx. 1,250 miles maximum ferry range

Service ceiling: 20,700 ft.