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Douglas A-20 Havoc

🇺🇸 United States ·first flew 1939· medium bomber, attack aircraft, night fighter

🎖️ military 2× piston retired
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. Douglas A-20G Havoc USAF: U.S. Air Force photo· Public domain
  2. 2. A-20 Havoc: Alfred T. Palmer· Public domain
  3. 3. A Douglas A-20 attack bomber leaves the assembly line at the Long Beach, Calif., plant for transfer to the flight... - NARA - 196398: Alfred T. Palmer· Public domain
  4. 4. American mechanic on Douglas A-20 before delivery to Russia, somewhere in Iran, 1943 (27372406451): Nick Parrino· Public domain
  5. 5. Douglas A-20A - Wright R-2600-3 Engines (00910460 206): U.S. Air Force photo· Public domain
  6. 6. Douglas A-20G Havoc: USAAF· Public domain
  7. 7. Douglas A-20J-10-DO 050606-F-1234P-024 USAF: U.S. Air Force photo 342-FH-3A20393-53324AC· Public domain
  8. 8. Douglas A-20J France: Unknown author Unknown author· Public domain
  9. 9. Douglas A-20 Havoc attacks a Japanese merchant ship off Wewak, Papua New Guinea, 19 March 1944 (342-FH-3A33323-50758AC): U.S. Army Air Forces photo 342-FH-3A33323-50758AC· Public domain
  10. 10. Servicing an A-20 bomber, Langley Field, Va: Alfred T. Palmer· Public domain
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
Douglas A-20 Havoc, photo 1 of 10
1/10 U.S. Air Force photo· Public domain

what is it?

The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American light bomber, attack aircraft, night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II. Designed to meet a U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) requirement for a bomber, it was ordered by France for its air force before the USAAC decided the aircraft would also meet its requirements. French DB-7s were the first to see combat; after the fall of France, the bomber served with the Royal Air Force under the service name Boston. From 1941, night-fighter and intruder versions were given the service name Havoc.

How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · 18.7 m wingspan

base stats

  • speed 510 km/htop speed
  • range 1,521 kmwithout refuelling
  • size 10.9 tmax take-off weight
  • built 7,478made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

  • First flew 87 years ago, in 1939.
  • Top speed is 3.9× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
  • Wingspan of 18.7 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
  • Range of 1,521 km: 8× Amsterdam to Brussels.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight
1939-01-23
introduced
1939
retired
1953
status
retired
number built
7,478
role
medium bomber, attack aircraft, night fighter
origin
🇺🇸 United States
makers
Douglas
engines
2× Wright R-2600-23 Twin Cyclone / R-2600 Twin Cyclone / R-1830 Twin Wasp
crew
3
length
14.6 m
wingspan
18.7 m
height
5.5 m
max take-off weight
10.9 t
top speed
510 km/h
cruise speed
451 km/h
range
1,521 km
ceiling
7,224 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q939344, Wikipedia: Douglas A-20 Havoc (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.

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