Cubdriver

Nothing new here, just wanted to get this old beauty out and look her again. It was a great airplane that probably should have been secured as a JPATS trainer. In the end it lost out to a slightly cheaper airplane that had a single engine rather than two. But those who reviewed it at the time thought it the better airplane in the 1995 JPATS competition. Ironically, there is currently a push in Congress to acquire a number of LAAR (light attack and armed reconnaissance) airplanes, and the contract may very well go to a foreign supplier this time. I say, hang a GAU-14 Gatling gun in the nose, mount a few rockets on the wings, and make 750 of them.

Kasserine06

I don't know much about this plane, but would the F-20 do better in the LAAR role?

crewdawg

I say bring this bad johnny back.....this would suffice, and I would be first in line to fly it!

Cubdriver

The Tigershark is too big, heavy, fast, and expensive for this role. The Texan, Cessna 526, and Tucano are much smaller, lighter, slower, and much cheaper aircraft. Think of a baby A-10 Warthog, that kind of thing. The T6-A was borne of the same competition as the Cessna, the 1995 JPATS competition. They are all very similar aircraft, except the 526 is slightly faster and more expensive than the other JPATS entries. With some updates it would be ideal in a LAARs role. Pilots used to love the Cessna A-37 DragonFly on which it is based.

Dougdrvr

The Spad or the Helldiver.......?

deadstick35

It reminded me of a redesigned Tweet.

Then I started thinking about the first American VLJ....Cessna 407. I don't think it ever flew because I think they just made a wooden mock-up.



Didn't somebody try to redesign the T-33 for JPATS with an engine config like the A-10?

Blackwater already has a Tucano, right?

Cubdriver

Nice link on the 407 here.

Don't know about the T-33 redo, but I read in AIAA a month or two ago that Blackwater has Super Tucanos on loan with the Air Force who likes them far too much. Tucanos may be groovy but Wichita needs more jobs and already has several low and slow attack airplanes ready to go. Incidentally, Blackwater calls themselves DKWSATI these days... don't know who shot all those Iraqis.

FlyOrDie

How about this...
Piper PA-48 Enforcer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cubdriver

None of the airplanes here will likely get it. The Mustang derivative does not have two seats, the Cessna can't handle dirt operations, the piston plane is a piston plane, and so on. The best airplane is probably the Hawker-Beechcraft Texan AT-6B, and I support that as well. I believe the actual request for proposal is not out yet however, which is why I wanted to put the Cessna 526 up and look at it. Who knows, they may be able to adapt the 526 to dirt strips, armor it up, hang some weapons and install the newer systems, and make it into a modern Dragonfly. I think it should be a fair competition, or better yet simply given to Hawker Beechcraft.

Wiki on LAAR

USMCFLYR

You know what can already do most.....if not all of these requirements ?

The selected LAAR aircraft will have to meet several key requirements, including:

- Rough field operations. The RFI requires that the aircraft be capable of operating from semi-prepared runways such as grass or dirt surfaces.
- Defensive package. The aircraft will have to include several defensive measures, including a Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS), a Radar warning receiver (RWR), and chaff and flare dispensers.
- Armored cockpit and engine.
- Long loiter time. The aircraft must be able to fly 5 hour sorties (with 30 minute fuel reserves).
- Range. The aircraft must have a 900 nautical mile (1600 km) ferry range.
- Data link capability. The aircraft is required to have a line-of-sight data link (with beyond line-of-sight desired) capability of transmitting and receiving still and video images.
- Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. The aircraft will have to laser track and designate targets, as well as track targets using electro-optical and infrared video/still images.
- Weaponry. The LAAR aircraft will need at least 4 weapons stores capable of carrying a variety of weapons, including 500 lb bombs, 2.75 inch rockets, rail-launched missiles, and illumination flares. The aircraft will also be capable of aerial gunnery, either with an integrated or pylon mounted gun.

Desired traits (but not requirements) include:
- Infrared signature suppression for the engine(s).
- 30,000 ft (9000 m) operational ceiling.
- 6,000 ft (1800 m) takeoff and landing distance.
- Aerobatic capabilities capable of maneuvers such as the Immelmann turn, Cuban eight, and Split S.
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UAVs!
Just saying......

USMCFLYR