Top 5 US Attackers of all time

All of the aircraft you mentioned are good attack planes. It's good that the A-5 was mentioned. That was a good aircraft that had the wrong role at the wrong time. NAA should have dumped the linear bomb bay and stuck a conventional bay in it and would have been a much better choice than the F-111 for the Air Force. The Vigilante should still be in service. It was tha good of an attack plane. It the closest the US got to the TSR.2 in the UK, and predates it. It remarkable how similar they are, really.
Speaking of attack/light bombers, one should wonder what it would have been like had Lockheed got the go ahead for the RB-12, the bomber version of the Blackbird. There's a Mach 3 bomober that could've seen service. But the XB-70 got it the way.

The tube loaded bomb bay was the main cause of the A-5 Vigilante's failiour. If you could go back to the Rockwell/NAA aircraft factory and force the designer to fit a rotating bomb bay instead and maybe a faster engine, this would kill off the F-111 Aardvark!. Boss if it had an Avenger gun system fitted in it, that would SHRED enemy planes to bits!.

The Tube loaded bomb bay had a fuel tank behind the weapon, the A-5 had to lose the fuel out of it first and then drop it out of its tail. Some A-5s accidentaly dropped a Nuclear bomb unexploded at the end of the flight deck just after take off!.

Didnt its design lead to features on the Grumman F-14 Tomcat? It says that in one of my books.

Dont you think the A-4 Skyhawk resembles the AV-8 Harrier a bit?, They actually said in the Falklands war its abilities did compare to the Harrier.

AND about the A-1 Skyraider, Did the A-1 have a special compartment at the back? becouse there is a small side door with a round window.

[edit on 5-12-2005 by Browno]

Originally posted by Browno
Dont you think the A-4 Skyhawk resembles the AV-8 Harrier a bit?, They actually said in the Falklands war its abilities did compare to the Harrier.

AND about the A-1 Skyraider, Did the A-1 have a special compartment at the back? becouse there is a small side door with a round window.

[edit on 5-12-2005 by Browno]

Well, it carries a similar bombload at a similar speed but I wouldn't like the job of landing an A-4 on the Ark Royal

On the A-1 Skyraider I think its a cabin of some sort, on the Royal Navy's Skyraider AEW.1 it housed the radar operator, but I don't know if this 'cabin' is present on other versions.

If the A-1 Skyraider had some more room at the back, it would come useful as an ambulance or a small transport plane for SF units so it would have two uses, to transport/evade commandos out the battlezone and to support them as a ground attacker. Could have been a good floatplane if there was one needed.

Nice plane even if it is a piston engine thing. Even the French used them too!



[edit on 6-12-2005 by Browno]

Subsonic & transonic jet attack aircraft


1) maximum speed

YA-7F Strikefighter 1699 km/h
Yak-38M "Forger-A" 1280 km/h
Q-5 "Fantan" 1190 km/h
Sea Harrier FA Mk2 1182 km/h
Super Etendard 1180 km/h
AMX 1160 km/h
HAL Ajeet 1152 km/h
J-22 Orao 1130 km/h
A-4SU Super Skyhawk 1128 km/h
A-7E Corsair II 1123 km/h
HF-24 Marut 1112 km/h
FIAT G91Y 1111 km/h
VAK191B 1108 km/h
Etendard IVM 1099 km/h
IAR-93 Vultur 1089 km/h
A-4M Skyhawk 1078 km/h
A-4F Skyhawk 1077 km/h
Buccaneer S Mk2 1074 km/h
AV-8B Plus Harrier II 1070 km/h
Harrier GR MK7 1065 km/h
A-6E Intruder 1040 km/h
BAe Hawk Mk200 1037 km/h
F-117 Nighthawk 993 km/h
Il-40 "Brawny" 993 km/h
Su-25 "Frogfoot" 950 km/h
Il-102 950 km/h
Northrop YA-9 837 km/h
Aero L-159A ALCA 936 km/h
BAC Strikemaster 834 km/h
J-21 Jastreb 820 km/h
A-37 Dragonfly 816 km/h
A-10A Thunderbolt II 805 km/h


2) rate of climb

Sea Harrier FA Mk2 15000 m/min
Q-5 "Fantan" 6180 m/min
HAL Ajeet 6096 m/min
Super Etendard 6000 m/min
Etendard IVM 6000 m/min
J-22 Orao 5340 m/min
FIAT G91Y 5157 m/min
A-7E Corsair II 4560 m/min
Yak-38M "Forger-A" 4500 m/min
Harrier GR Mk7 4488 m/min
AV-8B Plus Harrier II 4485 m/min
IAR-93 Vultur 3900 m/min
Aero L-159A ALCA 3720 m/min
BAe Hawk MK200 3480 m/min
Su-25 "Frogfoot" 3480 m/min
A-4SU Super Skyhawk 3300 m/min
A-4M Skyhawk 3139 m/min
AMX 3120 m/min
A-4F Skyhawk 2580 m/min
A-6E Intruder 2322 m/min
A-37 Dragonfly 2130 m/min
A-10A Thunderbolt II 1800 m/min
BAC Strikemaster 1602 m/min
HF-24 Marut 1355 m/min
J-21 Jastreb 1260 m/min


3) ceiling

YA-7F Strikefighter 16764 m
Q-5 "Fantan" 16500 m
Sea Harrier FA Mk2 16000 m
Etendard IVM 15500 m
BAe Hawk Mk200 15240 m
AV-8B Plus Harrier II 15000 m
Harrier GR MK7 15000 m
J-22 Orao 15000 m
VAK191B 15000 m
HAL Ajeet 14630 m
F-117 Nighthawk 13716 m
Super Etendard 13700 m
A-10A Thunderbolt II 13700 m
IAR-93 Vultur 13600 m
Aero L-159A ALCA 13200 m
AMX 13000 m
A-4F Skyhawk 12880 m
A-7E Corasir II 12800 m
A-37 Dragonfly 12730 m
A-6E Intruder 12400 m
Buccaneer S MK2 12200 m
FIAT G91Y 12200 m
BAC Strikemaster 12200 m
A-4SU Super Skyhawk 12192 m
HF-24 Marut 12192 m
J-21 Jastreb 12000 m
Il-40 "Brawny" 11600 m
Yak-38M "Forger-A" 11000 m
Su-25 "Frogfoot" 10000 m
Il-102 10000 m


4) engine thrust

YA-7F Strikefighter 120 kN
AV-8B Plus Harrier II 105 kN
Il-102 102 kN
Buccaneer S MK2 98 kN
Harrier GR Mk7 96.7 kN
F-117 Nighthawk 96 kN
Sea Harrier FA MK2 95.64 kN
HF-24 Marut 94.4 kN
Su-25 "Frogfoot" 88.36 kN
A-6E Intruder 82.8 kN
A-10A Thunderbolt II 80.64 kN
Northrop YA-9 66.8 kN
Yak-38M "Forger-A" 66.7 kN
A-7E Corsair II 64.5 kN
Il-40 "Brawny" 63.8 kN
Q-5 "Fantan" 58.84 kN
A-4M Skyhawk 49.82 kN
Super Etendard 49 kN
AMX 49 kN
A-4SU Super Skyhawk 48.4 kN
VAK191B 45.2 kN
J-22 Orao 44.48 kN
IAR-93 Vultur 44.48 kN
Etendard IVM 43.16 kN
A-4F Skyhawk 41 kN
FIAT G91Y 36.2 kN
Aero L-159A ALCA 28.2 kN
BAe Hawk Mk200 25.5 kN
A-37 Dragonfly 25.4 kN
HAL Ajeet 20 kN
BAC Strikemaster 15.2 kN
J-21 Jastreb 13.32 kN


5A) weapons payload

Northrop YA-9 8350 kg
A-6E Intruder 8170 kg
YA-7F Strikefighter 7700 kg
A-10A Thunderbolt II 7260 kg
Il-102 7200 kg
A-7E Corsair II 6800 kg
AV-8B Plus Harrier II 5988 kg
Buccaneer S Mk2 5400 kg
A-4SU Super Skyhawk 4500 kg
A-4F Skyhawk 4490 kg
Su-25 "Frogfoot" 4400 kg
AMX 3800 kg
Harrier GR Mk7 3650 kg
Sea Harrier FA Mk2 3630 kg
BAe Hawk Mk200 3491 kg
J-22 Orao 2800 kg
IAR-93 Vultur 2500 kg
Aero L-159A ALCA 2340 kg
F-117 Nighthawk 2268 kg
Super Etendard 2100 kg
Q-5 "Fantan" 2000 kg
FIAT G91Y 1815 kg
HF-24 Marut 1800 kg
Il-40 "Brawny" 1400 kg
BAC Strikemaster 1364 kg
Yak-38M "Forger-A" 1362 kg
Etendard IVM 1360 kg
A-37 Dragonfly 1230 kg
HAL Ajeet 900 kg
J-21 Jastreb 800 kg


5B) cannon / machine gun rounds

A-37 Dragonfly 1500 (7.62 mm)
A-10A Thunderbolt II 1350 (30 mm)
BAC Strikemaster 1100 (7.62 mm)
YA-7F Strikefighter 1030 (20 mm)
A-7E Corsair II 1030 (20 mm)
Il-40 "Brawny" 900 (23 mm)
J-22 Orao 400 (23 mm)
IAR-93 Vultur 400 (23 mm)
AMX 350 (20 mm)
A-4SU Super Skyhawk 300 (30 mm)
Etendard IVM 300 (30 mm)
AV-8B Plus Harrier II 300 (25 mm)
Sea Harrier FA Mk2 260 (30 mm)
Super Etendard 250 (30 mm)
Su-25 "Frogfoot" 250 (30 mm)
FIAT G91Y 250 (30 mm)
Yak-38M "Forger-A" 250 (23 mm)
Q-5 "Fantan" 200 (23 mm)
A-4F Skyhawk 200 (20 mm)
HAL Ajeet 180 (30 mm)


6) maximum range

A-6E Intruder 5222 km
A-7E Corsair II 4600 km
F-117 Nighthawk 4583 km
A-10A Thunderbolt II 4150 km
YA-7F Strikefighter 3705 km
Buccaneer S Mk2 3700 km
Harrier GR Mk7 3694 km
Sea Harrier FA Mk2 3600 km
AMX 3330 km
AV-8B Plus Harrier II 3300 km
Etendard IVM 3300 km
A-4SU Super Skyhawk 3220 km
A-4F Skyhawk 3220 km
Il-102 3000 km
Su-25 "Frogfoot" 2500 km
BAC Strikemaster 2224 km
Q-5 "Fantan" 2000 km
Super Etendard 1820 km
Aero L-159A ALCA 1570 km
J-21 Jastreb 1520 km
A-37 Dragonfly 1480 km
J-22 Orao 1320 km
IAR-93 Vultur 1320 km
Il-40 "Brawny" 1320 km
Yak-38M "Forger-A" 1300 km
FIAT G91Y 1200 km
BAe Hawk Mk200 1073 km
HF-24 Marut 997 km
HAL Ajeet 805 km
VAK191B 400 km


7) production

A-4 Skyhawk 2960
Harrier / Sea Harrier / AV-8 2894
A-7 Corsair II 1569
Su-25 "Frogfoot" 1024
Q-5 "Fantan" 1000
FIAT G91 770
A-10 Thuderbolt II 716
A-6 Intruder 693
A-37 Dragonfly 577
Yak-38 "Forger" 231
Buccaneer 209
J-22 Orao / IAR-93 Vultur 201
AMX 200
J-21 Jastreb 198
HF-24 Marut 147
BAC Strikemaster 146
Etendard IV 90
HAL Ajeet 89
Super Etendard 85
F-117 Nighthawk 64
BAe Hawk Mk20 62
Aero L-159A ALCA 24
Il-40 "Brawny" 7
VAK191B 3
YA-7F Strikefighter 2
Northrop YA-9 2
Il-102 2