AF Light Air Support Aircraft

[slacker]

The PA-48 looks pretty bad ass. Now if they could find a way to make the turbine sound like a Merlin, I say buy 'em.

The Merlin is definitely the coolest sounding engine ever built.

[OverTQ]

Absolutely untrue. Why does everyone assume a COIN aircraft is going to be down in the mud. With the sensors and weapons we have today it is simply not necessary to loiter at 500'

Excatly, we have Attack Helicopters operating up to 10.

[Stitch]

If anyone is at Edwards, there is a PA-48 in the little junk yard thing at Rosamond and Forbes. Freakin' bad ass looking. ... it's the a/c at the north end of the yard facing due south. I wonder if they'll ever do anything with it...

That thing is STILL there? It was in the exact same "junk yard" when I PCS'd out of Eddies for Nellis in Jan 1990. So I don't think they're in any big hurry to do anythng with it.

OBTW, isn't that "junk yard some sort of "holding pen" for exhibts for the Eddie's Flight Test Museum? At least that's what I remember, but that was a good 20 yrs and many brain cells ago.

[ClearedHot]

All platforms can hang out high until they need to shoot the gun, going down into the threat is in the job description but smart employment can limi he amount of time doing that. As for the passive aggressive UAV comment, you are missing the basic premise of COIN which is to give the capability to the Partner Nation so they can provide for their own defense and security.

As to your last sentence, you are saying they don't have them in Afghanistan or Iraq? HUH!!! Are you still in ROTC?

Edited May 16, 2010 by HerkDerka

[Fontus]

As to your last sentence, you are saying they don't have them in Afghanistan or Iraq? HUH!!! Are you still in ROTC?

I assume he is an intel guy...

[Guest bunk22]

So let me get this straight, I "mis-identified" two missiles that I watched bite off on flares and detonate a few hundred feet behind me? Unless it hits me, I am uninformed?

I am going to stop because the sheer number of moronic statements you have in this one post alone should elevate this to an epic thread.

Slamming folks for sport is not fun to me and it pains me to type the following...Your post leads me to believe you are either;

1. A flaming Troll trying to stir the pot.

2. A poser.

3. The single most uninformed aircrew member I've ever heard of.

If the answer is 3, you have zero business flying in combat with anyone in my Air Force.

We get this type of poser all the time over on airwarriors. There is a reason he doesn't fill out his profile, he's full of shit. A wannabe or poser.

I've had some privy info into the Super T program of the Navy and all I can say is I'm impressed.

Edited August 9, 2009 by bunk22

[Majestik Møøse]

Overall, I would fly the plane in combat tomorrow.

The T-6As on our ramp seem to always be in some state of slightly broken. We treat ours pretty well, how likely is it that the AT-6B will be any more durable in combat from a forward location? Can the AT-6B land on unimproved strips? I bet the Sky Tractor could.

[ClearedHot]

The T-6As on our ramp seem to always be in some state of slightly broken. We treat ours pretty well, how likely is it that the AT-6B will be any more durable in combat from a forward location? Can the AT-6B land on unimproved strips? I bet the Sky Tractor could.

When we did the assessment we operated out of a civilian airport in Virginia for a month with a single crew chief and never lost a sortie.

[ol-IEWO]

This may be a candidate. It even has a pointy nose and armour plated tub.

https://www.stavatti.com/MACHETE_HOME.html

[nsplayr]

This may be a candidate. It even has a pointy nose and armour plated tub.

https://www.stavatti.com/MACHETE_HOME.html

This thing looks ridiculous and very prototype-y. Good luck bringing it to market anytime soon...it's cool on paper though.

[FlyinGrunt]

The aircraft itself isn't what looks ridiculous, it's all the specs it claims to have. Basically, it's like a christmas list of things for a COIN plane (or hell, for an A-10 replacement!). Might as well claim to loiter at 100 KIAS and also be able to go supersonic . . . with a prop.

[Guest Krabs]

It's amazing how much fun you can have with CATIA and a little web design.

EDIT:

I hope no one gets their hands on an F-26.

https://web.archive.org/web/20030114212313/www.stavatti.com/f26/f26_homepage.html

Gotta love a little one on one comparison:

https://www.stavatti.com/STAVATTI_ADVERTISEMENTS.html

Edited August 27, 2009 by Krabs

[RangerMateo]

Where's the AT-1???

[StoleIt]

How the hell do they think that thing is going to get 540 KIAS?!

That has to be a joke. Currently the record holder for "The fastest single engine turboprop" is the XA2D Shyshark and is well over40 KIAS slower...(500 mph). So throwing up a giant BS flag.

[HiFlyer]

Where's the AT-1???

The plans are stored in the wastebasket...

[RangerMateo]

The plans are stored in the wastebasket...

I figured...just my luck. I actually heard they (Beech) had looked at that for some of the Honduras type nations as a mini-bomber. Craaaazy.

[ClearedHot]

How the hell do they think that thing is going to get 540 KIAS?!

That has to be a joke. Currently the record holder for "The fastest single engine turboprop" is the XA2D Shyshark and is well over40 KIAS slower...(500 mph). So throwing up a giant BS flag.

huh?

Did you actually read it?

Several different versions, only one has a turbo prop, the rest are regular jet.

[Guest Krabs]

How the hell do they think that thing is going to get 540 KIAS?!

It's a fvcking fake airplane by a fvucking fake company, they can say whatever the hell they feel like, even if something does violate physics (which the "CEO" has a degree in by the way).

https://www.defensetech.org/archives/000009.html

Here's the CEO, who has worked for such renowned aerospace firms as Minnesota Pipes & Drums. He's some dude with a lot of time and an airplane design hobby:

That has to be a joke..

I would call the website a hoax, and the worthless airplane designs a joke.

So throwing up a giant BS flag.

Bingo.

Edited August 29, 2009 by Krabs

[Guest 3GAF]

It's a fvcking fake airplane by a fvucking fake company, they can say whatever the hell they feel like, even if something does violate physics (which the "CEO" has a degree in by the way).

https://www.defensetech.org/archives/000009.html

Here's the CEO, who has worked for such renowned aerospace firms as Minnesota Pipes & Drums. He's some dude with a lot of time and an airplane design hobby:

I would call the website a hoax, and the worthless airplane designs a joke.

Bingo.

Agreed. Here's a little more grist to dispel any rumor that Stavatti might actually be legit. https://www.wingeddefense.com/archives/141

Edited August 30, 2009 by 3GAF

[Guest Krabs]

The fact that this aircraft was discussed in an ACSC paper makes me weep for the future of Air Force acquisitions. See attachment.

COIN_AC_Procurement.pdf

[Stitch]

Thread bump:

Fresh from today's AFA Daily Report:

"b]Branching Out: Hawker Beechcraft wants the Air Force to consider an attack variant of its T-6 trainer to fill the Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance aircraft role the service wants to fill within the next couple of years. Hawker announced last week that it had conducted a successful first flight of its AT-6 prototype and would complete the next phase of flight testing in October. "We are almost three weeks ahead of schedule," said Bill Boisture, Hawker Beechcraft CEO, and added, "We believe the AT-6 offers the broadest range capabilities available in the market." For the light attack role, the company has structurally strengthened the T-6 airframe. As we reported last month, the Air Force has put out feelers within industry to find a platform that can operate from dirt fields and employ a variety of air-to-ground weapons. It wants to field the first of 100 aircraft by 2012."

Unlike the wayward UAV that had to get spanked (sts) I'll bet a manned A/C wouldn't just wander off...

However, I sure driving an AT-6 or similiar aircraft from the states to anywhere overseas wouldn't be a whole ton o' fun. Especially in PACAF. But on drop night I'm sure no one would cry getting a AT-6 over a UAV.

To the dude/dudette who "killed" the Pred

Discuss...

[MKopack]

Apparently Boeing is piching a new Bronco, the OV-10(X) to fill the Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance aircraft role.

(per OV-10 Bronco.net and https://www.flightglobal.com)

Boeing OV-10(X) Super Bronco informational brochure

ov-10x.pdf

Mike

[Guest CharlieDontSurf]

Apparently Boeing is piching a new Bronco, the OV-10(X) to fill the Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance aircraft role.

(per OV-10 Bronco.net and https://www.flightglobal.com)

Boeing OV-10(X) Super Bronco informational brochure

ov-10x.pdf

Mike

uuuhhhhhh...i think i just pee-d a little. new OV-10, as in OOOOOOOOOOOV-10. Damn dude that looks awesome, good find.

[SurelySerious]

Already done, the AT-6B has 1400 SHP. The increased power as well as the weapons load does require a mod to the wing spar, but that was an easy fix.

Does the different engine in the AT-6 alleviate the problem that has been plaguing the T-6 engines?

Also, the T-6, if I remember correctly, is limited to improved hard surface runways, which doesn’t lend itself to COIN and forward deployed operations with foreign nations. Does the AT-6 have different runway limitations?

[Riebs]

https://www.hawkerbeechcraft.com/military/at-6_ab/R0816AT-6_LithoUpdate.pdf

Check her out.