Quote Originally Posted by Phillbo View Post
The A6. I think i have a thing for the functional ugly aircraft. The A10 as well.
For those wondering, the "A" stands for "Attack" as in "attack in support of ground operations"...Most of these are utilitarian aircraft, purposely designed to stay airborne for extended periods at slower speed, and without the sexy appeal of the sleek fighters...For that reason they are generally very well armored and carry enough firepower to loiter a battleground...Exemplary of this design was the A1-E Skyraider...It was capable of carrying more than its own weight (some accounts say twice its weight) in ordnance, and could circle a battlefield for hours providing support...In the below pic, check the number of hardpoints under the wing for mounting needed weaponry......The driver wears that big grin because the thoughtful folks at Douglas designed his ride with an enormous engine out front, plus five inches of armor to protect his butt and other valuables and another three inches at his back.........Ben