space dodo
Airman 1st Class
I know the A-1 was produced after the other 2. i'm just curious to see which of them was superior.
best piston CAS: P-47, IL-2 or A-1 skyraider
- Thread starter space dodo
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soulezoo
Senior Airman
Skyraider. I don't think it's even close. But it has the advantage of the improved technology available.
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swampyankee
Chief Master Sergeant
- 3,954
- Jun 25, 2013
I'd vote AD. Importantly, it was produced after, which means that the customer could better define their needs and the designers better execute them. It also had sufficient performance, unladen, to be a serious handful for piston-engine fighters. Pilots flying ADs also shot down La-11 and MiG-17 fighters (in the case of the MiGs, it probably says less about the AD than it does about the competence of the MiG pilots)
fastmongrel
1st Sergeant
Spad is the best, 2nd best, 3rd best. Any WWII aircraft is a long way back. The IL2 was a good way of killing pilots.
Admiral Beez
Captain
Does the P-47 really belong in the CAS category? It's a fighter that can be heavily armed for ground attack, like the Typhoon, Tempest and variants of Fw 190, but it's a fighter that should be ensuring air superiority for the CAS birds below. If you already have air supremacy, then anything that can carry the bombs can do the job.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
The "Able Dog" was designed as a flying dump-truck where the P-47 was a fighter that was well suited for ground attack as a secondary role.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
The Able Dog. Just because.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
The AD is one of the very few warbirds that if I won a lottery big time, I could buy and restore.
Admiral Beez
Captain
What? And not the Supermarine Nighthawk?
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Now we're talking!
- Thread starter
- #11
space dodo
Airman 1st Class
i realize that its an unfair question. Thanks for the replies though !
Peter Gunn
Master Sergeant
Well, since two out of three are actual WWII planes... man I hate to go down this hole but...
Solomon's -> Guadalcanal -> Bell P-... excelled at CAS.
Solomon's -> Guadalcanal -> Bell P-... excelled at CAS.
soulezoo
Senior Airman
Time out for you!!
drgondog
Major
Depends - with complete air superiority over battlefield, the A-1 is best. If he airspace is contested, the P-47 is best.
EDIT; One jet aircraft contested airspace - like Korea, neither one were capable of securing the airspace. AD was uncontested 'best' IMO from that point forward.
NOTE: In1941 the AAC/AAF doctrine split Observation and Attack and Attack Fighters were tasked to provide both Attack and sir superiority and recon. The A-36 was purchased on this basis. At the time (1942) the P-39 was primary, replaced largely with A-36 and P-40 and P-47 in 1943-44. The reason the first P-51B Groups were sent to 9th AF is that they were selected to replace all P-40 and P-39 in TAC role. There was a lot of politics involved and the Chief, Air Defense was a P-38 acolyte - but also tasked for priority allocation of fighters. Gen. Saville was over-run by Arnold in August 1943 after Blitz Week and P-51B were prioritized for escort in ETO.
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Clayton Magnet
Staff Sergeant
- 854
- Feb 16, 2013
Do you think the P-47's low altitude air-to-air performance was superior to the A-1? I am curious why you think the P-47 would be better in contested airspace.
That is an interesting question, I wonder if an unladen A-1 wouldn't be a better air-to-air fighter at low altitude
Thumpalumpacus
Captain
Skyraider for long-range loiter with air superiority or supremacy covering it. P-47 for shoot-and-scoot missions that don't have longer range-requirements, or where cover is absent. Just don't pull a Gabby!
GregP
Major
The Skyraider WAS a WWII airplane. First flight was 18 Mar 1945. It was designed and built at the end of the war, and the technology was firmly WWII. The only thing later that wasn't was avionics.
- Thread starter
- #20
space dodo
Airman 1st Class
thanks for the replies, I get the feeling that a better question would have been IL-2 vs P-47 vs Typhoon. and i know that the P-47 was an air superiority fighter but it is also well known for CAS
