The Greatest Attack Aircraft of All Time...

[tomo pauk]

My favorite Hurry

 

[Tangopilot89]

I do like the look of it, the other Hurricane I like has to be the MKIIC, with four 20mm Hispano cannon.

As for the Spitfire, I've always liked the MKXIV (just love the look of that 5-blade prop). I know they had 'Hurribombers' during WW2 but did they also use Spits as fighter-bombers?

 

[tomo pauk]

Of course they did. A Yugoslav squadron (part of RAF, based originally in Italy, 1944) was performing bombing attacks vs. Axis forces. One of the founder's of Tito's partisans' air force, Franjo Kluz, was claimed by flak while flying a Spit in such role:
Franjo Kluz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Tangopilot89]

Well, you learn something new every day. I've been looking it up and apparently the first Spit adapted to carry bombs was a Mk VC. Cheers mate!

Andy

 

[icepac]

Here's a story about the skyraider dogfighting against the F8F bearcat.

Skyraider Stories

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Very interesting site Icepac, thank you for sharing the link.

 

[michaelmaltby]

Able Dog .... carrying a nuke to Sevastopol. Interesting read:

http://www.warbirdforum.com/toss.htm

MM

 

[ShVAK]

I voted A-1 because I have a soft spot for the good ol' Spad chugging along through two wars in the heart of the jet age but when it comes to modern aircraft, A-10 all the way in the CAS role (with a nod to the mighty AC-130 as well). The Jaguar is also really capable but it's an interdictor, fast in and fast out. It wasn't meant to provide real-time support for ground infantry, which is the hallmark of a true ground attack aircraft for me.

 

[Sgt. Pappy]

Too bad three's no De Havilland Mosquito... that was probably the most significant Allied attack plane of WWII.

I'll take the Il-2 because it's always overshadowed and did what the A-10 did, but did it first!

 

[Dan Fahey]

I would chose the P-63 King Kobra !

 

[swampyankee]

Where are the A-7 and the A-6?

 

[Elvis]

That too futuristic for this bunch.

 

[Zipper730]

I'm thinking it would be useful to add the following to the list

F-111
Though classified as a fighter, the aircraft was, for most all intents and purposes a bomber. It had good range, a good load-carrying capability, and was one of the fastest airplanes at low altitudes. It had a CCIP and terrain-following autopilot.

Harrier
Forget about everything in the previous thread about fighters. The aircraft's vertical takeoff and landing-capabilities were extremely useful for carrier operation and any cases where long airfields are in short supply.

Blackburn Buccaneer
Designed to fly high subsonic at low-altitude, it used a fairly heavy wing-loading combined with extensive use of flap-blowing to allow adequate low-speed handling. In some ways it was arguably better than the A-6, in other ways, probably inferior.

A-6 Intruder
It had the ability to bomb in all weather (not sure exactly what altitudes this applied to), was able to fly rapidly at low altitude, and had an 18000 pound bomb-load. It was also highly nimble, supposedly able to outmaneuver a MiG-21 below 15000 feet.

F-117 Nighthawk
While technically classified as a fighter, the aircraft was an attack/bomber in most all purposes.

 

[Elvis]

Wait a minute!
What are we all talking about?! Wouldn't the greatest attack aircraft of all time be the A-10?
It can carry more ordinance than any other attack craft that came before it.
It can take more punishment than an entire flight of B-17's ever could
...and who's gonna argue with a gau-8 30 mm gattling cannon.

OK, changing my vote again - A-10 warthog FOR THE WIN!!!

Elvis