The Greatest Attack Aircraft of All Time...

The Greatest Attack Aircraft of All Time...

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FLYBOYJ said:
Remember this - almost everything on the A-10 that has a "left" and "right" is interchangable. Outter wing panels, aileron, rudders, engines. A-10 gets my vote....
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I can certainly see the logic but the A10 depends on its survivability on being able to take damage and operating in airspace dominated by friendly forces.

I feel thats its use is severely limited by these factors.

In addition, whilst there can be no doubt that the A10 is exceptional at what it does best, i.e. knocking out enemy tanks. These are a small minority of the targets on the battlefield, and the Jaguar can tackle the rest. This small limitation which can be addressed by the use of cluster bombs and other weapons is I feel outweighed by the greater flexibility of the Jaguar.
 
There's no doubt the A-10 is a successful aircraft, and it was inexpensive too.

The original cost was only $2.4 million per plane.
 
There's just something about the get down in the dirt with the grunts, roll up you sleave and fight attitude of the A-10. Psychologically, its gotta be depressing for the enemy and a great lift for our guys to see an A-10 bobbing around the battlefield. I remember seeing a report form Bagdad right after we entered. In the background was the unmistakeable form of an A-10 flying overhead. It was magnificent.

I vote for the A-10
 
Having seen A-10s in action on a few occasions, I would go for that as well. While the Jaguar is a capable aircraft, when you need support on the ground, the low speed and loiter capability of the A-10 is outstanding.

Twitch, I agree the A-1 is one mean mutha. It won't do for tanks, but it sure will keep the bad guys heads low.
 
Twitch said:
While it doesn't have "the gun" the old A-1 could haul massive amounts of ordnance low and slow.
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Right you are. Interestingly, the A-1 was not the biggest lifter of the competion for an attack aircraft. The Martin AM-1 Mauler, with around 500 more horses could lift an amazing amount of ordinance, once lifting 12,179 lbs of useful load including three torpedoes and 12 250lb bombs, guns and ammuntion for a gross weight of 29,332 lbs. Unfortunately, Martin could not do a good job building the aircraft and only 149 were built with most going to the Reserves.

The A-1 was a great aircraft and was replaced by a great and worthy successor, the A-10.
 
Yeah it made no sense to have 2 attack planes in the peacetime budget so the beefier AM-1 got the ax. After only a year of its introduction the Reserves got it!

I only say the A-1 was greatest because of its long and successful combat history which eclipses the A-10's to some degree.
 
That isn't why I say the A-1. It simply has a longer overall successful in-service record and deployment in many theaters of operation and model variants. Those are the criteria I use, not one engagement. And that's not taking anything away from the A-10.
 
Dont take me wrong the A-1 was a great aircraft and you are certainly entitled to your opinion.

The A-10 however has been successful in Iraq (twice), Kuwait, Afganistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, and based off of the service there it would have been successfull in Germany as well if the Russians had attacked (based off of the way it performed in Bosnia and Kosovo.).
 
I feel a special afinity for ther Spads due to the fact that they had a close personal hand in keeping us breathing several times. After a B-52 strike once that didn't kill the target a section of A-1s came in at like 100 knots and pickled their ordnance on Charlie dead on. And I remember my high school history teacher who was also a Marine fondly recalling how they saved his butt in Korea. Who knows, maybe even the same exact planes.
 
My brother was with the 82nd AB in Vietnam 1968-69. He spent time in the Ashore Valley and in Hue. He has called in airstrikes and says continually that the Skyraider is one of the things that kept him alive while in Vietnam.
 
The Israeli's used A4 Skyhawks with deadly effect against Arab tank formations.

A1 or A4......... a toss up for which was most effective in what it was supposed to do.
 
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