Maj. Jesse Smith exits an AT-6C after testing the light-attack aircraft's ability to perform a CSAR mission.
Posted on 10/15/2010 6:41:58 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Maj. Jesse Smith exits an AT-6C after testing the light-attack aircraft's ability to perform a CSAR mission.
Back to the future. I wonder what its capabilities are for absorbing punishment.
Aircraft such as the Skyraider should have never left our inventory. All the actual benefits of cost, ease of maintenance, ease of training, ability to stay on mission for hours as opposed to minutes, etc. I guess low and slow just isn’t sexy enough.
Yeppers.
Can’t it take a hit (or 10) and keep on giving?
And what about endurance? Note the BIG external fuel tank(s).
Just bring back the Douglas A-1 Skyraider!
http://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/AirShows/Gillespie2005/Highlights/SkyraiderWithSpeedBrake.jpg
You beat me to the comment about Skyraiders by 2 minutes.
Bring back Sandy!
“Sandy” and “Hobo”...may they live in our memories forever.
Conceptually, it’s similar to a manned Predator.
JMHO, of course.
That design never did make sense to me....
‘cept that Predators don’t do the CLOSE part of close air support.
A strafing aircraft has a BIG morale effect on troopers.
But then again, so does a Sudden-Hellfire-From-Heaven making a DIRECT hit on the gomers who thought they were safe in that mud-walled compound 300M away from ya.
They’re doin’ it wrong.
They need big, tough radial engines that will run forever on minimal maintenance and can absorb damage and keep on running. They need big, boxy airframes that can be adapted to whatever needs doing. They need big, well sprung landing gear that can handle rough fields. They need cannons that deliver HE or AP.
They need AD1 Skyraiders or the Il-10 version of the Sturmovik.
The “high-tech” should be in the sensors and the precision guided munitions that can be swapped out as the mission demands.
A Sandy saved my bacon once. I found the pilot, kissed him full on the lips and bought him a water buffalo steak and some beer. Craziest piece of flying I have ever seen.
Give them "The Tractor" !!!
Now that’s one bird I’d love to fly. It may be a trainer, but I’ll guarantee you it’s hot compared to other single-engine props available to general aviation.
I flew a WWII SNJ (Navy version of T-6 Texan) once and was stunned at what that 600HP radial could do - for a few seconds at least. The owner/friend (now deceased - went in in a P-38 similar to one his dad flew in WWII) was aerobatic rated and we had a lot of fun in it.
http://www.warbirdalley.com/t6.htm
I’m sure this bird is hotter than the SNJ.
It looks like the trainers used by the USAF in San Antonio. Their route runs right over I-35 and 1604. You can hear the turbo whining. Sounds cool.
Actually I'd like to see the three A/C fly together for comparison. My guess is that the AT-6 would compare fairly well to a P-51. Comparison with a Skyraider is another matter; few aircraft have the performance to make a takeoff with wings folded... '-)
My best friends dad flew for the SVAF & he would tell us about bombing & strafing runs all the time.
Over 400 kills in one run alone. Mr.Vo was the Man!
How about this, the ARES from Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites? It can carry the GAU-12U 25mm cannon!
Yeah, the A-1 takeoff sans wings was likely due to the massive horsepower up front. Think Gee Bee Model R Super Sportster.
Turboprop power is an awesome thing. I got to do a minimum roll takeoff in a Maule Rocket once. I doubt we rolled 125 feet. The noise was amazing. We also landed that aircraft at 30 KIAS ;-) ... once.
SO ... the right powerplant mated to the right airframe can be a LOT of fun.
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