XF8B/XA-41 Concept

[KJ_Lesnick]

I'm fascinated by the USAAF's decision to ultimately avoid going for a large single-engined tactical dive bomber like the XA-41 and A-1 in lieu of two-engined designs like the A-26 invader

• I do remember reading about how the XA-41 was re-purposed from dive to level bombing because of a supposed dive-bomber survivability issue
  
• I'm not sure if the USAAF was just making that up because they didn't want to develop a dive-bomber, due to the fact that planes like the Ju-87 no longer had fighter cover and were getting picked off as a result, or some genuine vulnerability I don't know about
  
• While the statements that the A-26 could turn inside a Bf-109 lead me to believe it could possibly pull a 60-degree dive and pull out of it without coming apart, I'm not sure if it would be as good as a more dedicated design
  

.
I'm curious if technologically it would have been possible to produce a dive-bomber/dive-torpedo bomber with the following capability

• Agility similar to the XA-41 or BT2D-1/AD-1/A-1, whichever is higher
  
• Top speed in excess of 385 to 450 mph
  
• A maximum load of 6,400 pounds of bombs
  
• The ability to carry 2,000 pounds a distance of 1,800 to 2,000 miles
  
• One R-3350 or R-4360
  

.
My reasoning is the following: The XA-41 could actually turn inside a P-51B (not sure about the A-1); the BTD (the forerunner of the BT2D/AD/A-1) could carry 6,400 pounds of ordinance (the A-1 could carry at least 4,000 from the outset if not 6,400), the XA-41 could carry 3,200 internally, or 3,200 externally (not sure about both); the AD-1 could carry 2,000 pounds of ordinance 1,940 miles (not sure if statute or nautical), with the XA-41 carrying 1,000 pounds a distance of of 1,600 miles (not sure if statute or nautical); the speed figure was based either somewhere between the XF8B and the XA-41: The P-47, while it made a great attack-plane was designed to be a fighter and it's better to have fighter planes up in the air sweeping the skies than being tied up in air-to-ground operations.