America's Special Forces NEWEST Attack Aircraft: The OA-1K Sky Raider II

[gray eagle]

 

[Dave43H]

Its new to the US i guess, but they had sent several to Iraq several years ago.

 

[CG_1976]

I still like Brazil's A29B Super Tucano, far more proven and can built in FL.

 

[wolfebee89]

from crop duster to spec ops - what can I say...'how versatile' is perhaps most apt!

 

[Chris RD]

The YouTube video is really impressive. A nice piece of promotional advertising. It gives you the impression the aircraft is a combat proven piece of equipment. The only problem is that it isn't combat proven... yet. I see some great possibilities but until it accomplishes a hairy mission and comes limping home with substantial battle damage and two untouched crew members I'm not sold on it. I just finished a book on the development of the A10 Warthog and it was very enlightening in respect to the parameters that were the foundation of the design. One of the prime requirements was KEEP IT SIMPLE. Forget the tons of pretty avionics, knobs and switches. Design the aircraft to get to the target, put ordnance on target with accuracy and get the hell home, preferably in one piece. Believe it or not, one of the resources for the design concept was an old WW2 pilot. Luftwaffe ace Stuka pilot Hans Ulrich Rudel. He probably knew more about ground attack and tactical support than most pilots living or dead. If you are interested in reading this book it's called "Warplane" by Hal Sundt. But Let me warn you, it's not about flying the Warthog in combat but rather the birth of the Warthog from initial concept to rubber on the ramp. Very interesting IMHO. So this is where I'm coming from when I say the Skyraider II doesn't have my vote...yet. But I'm hopeful.

 

[srgalahad]

Well, at least this time they aren't trying to renovate a WW2 fighter... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalier_Mustang
"We've tried this before, but if we make a fancy video people will believe it's a new idea."

 

[Tako_Kichi]

Looks like a glorified crop sprayer to me!

 

[gray eagle]

Looks like a glorified crop sprayer to me!

Well...it was a crop duster and now... glorified.

 

[Tako_Kichi]

I don't know about glorified as the paint is barely dry on it yet but it is certainly a member of the ugly plane club (along with many others)!

 

[Priller]

HEY!! I love ugly planes! They mean business!

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

HEY!! I love ugly planes! They mean business!

Like most Grumman's... "If it ain't fast, at least it's ugly."

 

[Tako_Kichi]

I thought the Mallard was a rather dignified lady!

 

[tiger1962]

Looks like a glorified crop sprayer to me!

Ploughshares into swords and all that - whatever next? A John Deere rocket launcher?

 

[Tako_Kichi]

Ploughshares into swords and all that - whatever next? A John Deere rocket launcher?

That would never work as JD no longer allow owner modifications, field repairs or maintenance. You would have to bring them back to a designated JD dealership to adjust sights and reload the weapon!

 

[FAC257]

Looks like they took a P-48 and beat it with an ugly stick.




Forest

 

[Blackbird686]

It's actually a modified P-51 with a turbo-prop.

 

[FAC257]

I was working in Vero Beach when they were developing the P-48 Enforcers. I don't know if the P-48s were direct modifications of stock P-51s or modifications of the Cavalier Mustangs when they moved them from Sarasota over to Vero.

 

[stansdds]

I was working in Vero Beach when they were developing the P-48 Enforcers. I don't know if the P-48s were direct modifications of stock P-51s or modifications of the Cavalier Mustangs when they moved them from Sarasota over to Vero.

Think Piper used P-51D airframes for conversion to their P-48.

 

[Psyoper]

Just get some sky raiders out of the boneyard, be much cheaper

 

[Blackbird686]

A "Cavalier Mustang"