Parvati PA-17

Parvati PA-17
Role	Ground attack
National origin	Tennai
Manufacturer	Parvati
Designer	Priya Parvati
First flight	January 1934
Introduction	May 1935
Retired	1949
Status	Retired
Primary user	Royal Tennaiite Air Force
Produced	1935-1945
Number built	3,756
Developed from	Parvati Gamma
Developed into	Parvati PA-33

The Parvati PA-17, a development of the Parvati Gamma 2F model, was a two-seat, single-engine, monoplane, attack bomber built in 1934 by the Parvati Corporation for the Royal Tennaiite Air Force. When in service with other Nations during the Siduri War, the PA-17 was called Nomad.

Development and Design

The Parvati Gamma 2F was an attack bomber derivative of the Parvati Gamma transport aircraft, developed in parallel with the Parvati Gamma 2C, (of which one was built), designated the XPA-13 and XPA-16. The Gamma 2F had a revised tail, cockpit canopy and wing flaps compared with the Gamma 2C, and was fitted with new retractable landing gear. It was delivered to the Royal Tennaiite Air Force for tests on 6 October 1933, and after modifications, was accepted by the Air Force.

The resulting PA-17 was equipped with perforated flaps, and had retractable gear with partial fairings. It was fitted with an internal fuselage bomb bay that carried fragmentation bombs and well as external bomb racks.

By 1936, the Parvati Corporation had been taken over by Nikita, export models being known as the Nikita Model 8.

Operational History

Siduri War

Variants

• PA-17
  • Initial production version for RTAF.
• PA-17AS
  • Three seat staff transport version for RTAF.
• Model 8A-1
• Model 8A-2
• Model 8A-3
• Model 8A-4

Specifications (PA-17)

General characteristics

• Crew: 2 (pilot and gunner)
• Length: 9.67 m (31 ft 9 in)
• Wingspan: 14.54 m (47 ft 8 in)
• Height: 3.62 m (11 ft 11 in)
• Wing area: 33.7 m² (363 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 2,211 kg (4,874 lb)
• Gross weight: 3,328 kg (7,337 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Kaveri 14N-A1 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 600 kW (800 hp)
• Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propellers

Performance

• Maximum speed: 346 km/h (215 mph; 187 kn)
• Cruise speed: 288 km/h (179 mph; 156 kn)
• Range: 2,092 km (1,300 mi; 1,130 nmi)
• Combat range: 1,046 km (650 mi; 565 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 5,915 m (19,406 ft)
• Rate of climb: 6.9 m/s (1,360 ft/min)
• Time to altitude: 6,000 m (19,685 ft) in 5 minutes 12 seconds

Armament

• Guns:
  

• 4 × 12.72 mm (0.501 in) Basu HV 82 machine guns in fuselage sides
• 2 × 20 mm (0.787 in) Basu FG 20-20 cannon in lower fuselage

• 4× M10 three-tube 4.5 in (112 mm) Hornet 7 rocket launchers; or:
  • Inner hardpoints:
    • 2× 2,000 lb (907 kg) bombs or drop tanks; or
    • 2× 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs or drop tanks, plus either
      • 4× 500 lb (227 kg) bombs or
      • 4× 250 lb (113 kg) bombs; or
    • 6× 500 lb (227 kg) bombs; or
    • 6× 250 lb (113 kg) bombs
  • Outer hardpoints:
    • 10× 5 in (127 mm) HVARs (High Velocity Aircraft Rockets); or
    • 2× 500 lb (227 kg) bombs; or
    • 2× 250 lb (113 kg) bombs