Everyone is fixated on VSTOL, but before that came into vogue, STOL was all the rage. The Brits popularized the concept but STOL has been around since the beginning of aviation. These are my picks for the best STOL attack aircraft since WW2. No particular order.
Sidenote: This list only includes airplanes that have demonstrated true STOL capability without assistance from ground equipment.
SAAB Viggen.
Some would classify this airplane as the best of its type during its time in service. A true multi-role airplane before it became fashionable, this fighter was used in the Maritime Attack, Close Air Support, Fighter Offense/Defense and Recon missions. Truly ahead of its time.
OV-10 Bronco.
Small field specialist, this tough airplane continues to find fans even today.
Sepecat Jaguar.
Tough, fast and a low level specialist. The Brits have yet to find a true replacement for this attacker.
IA-58 Pucara.
The Argentinians never got the best out of this airplane during the Falklands Conflict.
A-1 Sky Raider.
Nuff said.
OV-1 Mohawk.
This is an unknown to many people but I've read that the US Army used it to good effect in Vietnam. This plane is another victim of Key West. It never was developed to its full potential due to that and its another example of why that "agreement" needs to go away.
Harrier.
The Harrier in its original form. Its much different now. The original airplane in the form of the Sea Harrier approached Mach 1 in speed and if the design remained static, but improved engines installed then this well could have been the first supersonic STOVL airplane. The redesign with the Harrier II is telling and shows how different Marine Aviation is today from where it once was. During this time the Marine Corps insisted on turning the AV-8B into a bomb truck. The Brits wanted higher speed and the wing was a major source of contention.
More to come.
Maybe.
Sidenote: This list only includes airplanes that have demonstrated true STOL capability without assistance from ground equipment.
SAAB Viggen.
Some would classify this airplane as the best of its type during its time in service. A true multi-role airplane before it became fashionable, this fighter was used in the Maritime Attack, Close Air Support, Fighter Offense/Defense and Recon missions. Truly ahead of its time.
OV-10 Bronco.
Small field specialist, this tough airplane continues to find fans even today.
Sepecat Jaguar.
Tough, fast and a low level specialist. The Brits have yet to find a true replacement for this attacker.
IA-58 Pucara.
The Argentinians never got the best out of this airplane during the Falklands Conflict.
A-1 Sky Raider.
Nuff said.
OV-1 Mohawk.
This is an unknown to many people but I've read that the US Army used it to good effect in Vietnam. This plane is another victim of Key West. It never was developed to its full potential due to that and its another example of why that "agreement" needs to go away.
Harrier.
The Harrier in its original form. Its much different now. The original airplane in the form of the Sea Harrier approached Mach 1 in speed and if the design remained static, but improved engines installed then this well could have been the first supersonic STOVL airplane. The redesign with the Harrier II is telling and shows how different Marine Aviation is today from where it once was. During this time the Marine Corps insisted on turning the AV-8B into a bomb truck. The Brits wanted higher speed and the wing was a major source of contention.
More to come.
Maybe.
Viggen... I saw AJSF 37 version in Polish Aviation Museum in Cracow. Only in grey camo not in that awesome Swedish one but stil, amazing. I 100% agree with Sol, truly ahead of its time.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.muzeumlotnictwa.pl/katalog/foto_galeria/146b.jpg
I would add Martin AM Mauler, that was one amazing plane.
POG Airwinger Commandant wants shiny stealth cool plans to drool over with is pilot buddies.
ReplyDeleteInstead of Bad Ass though Bullet, rocket, napalm, spiting CAS aircraft to support the grunts.
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ReplyDeleteSAAB VIGGEN - Extraordinary design-concept.
ReplyDeleteBetween big-bore jet, canards, and manic determination, they claimed the need for just a 400m/1/4mile straight section of a country two-lane (no telephone-poles !!) to take off.
So they could be stashed, refueled, re-armed, re-crewed in all sorts of odd places. Visions of Soviets highlighting on their maps every stretch of straight rural roads to be concerned about.
NATO never took it seriously even though VIGGEN might have been amongst the very few combat-ready survivors after the AFBs and every piece of smooth 1-2mile tarmac would have been cratered first.
We were lucky then.
And forever a good argument for STOVL thinking with AV-8B and F-35B.
The best? I dont know...
ReplyDeleteThe most beautful ? YES !!
I read somewhere than in Vietnam the VC and the NVA had a 10000$ reward to anybody that shooted down an OV-1...the didnt liked the thing :)
ReplyDeleteNot to mention that the JA37 Viggen had the best sound of all the fighters I've ever heard.
ReplyDeletePowerful low frequency rumble and no high pitch sqeech typical of low bypass engines.
And it had a datalink, a powerful radar, system integration never heard of before, A very powerful 30 mm Orelikon gun with auto aim.
http://raf-fly.blogspot.se/2012/02/viggen-for-usmc.html
Stol aircraft:
ReplyDeleteTo be useful to the modern USMC, these aircraft would have to take off with 800 feet of runway.
The Jaguar (an outstanding attack jet) needs 1,607.59 feet of runway to take off and 984.24 feet to land.
The Viggen needs 1,312.32 feet to take off.
Oh, and the reason why the Viggen never got exported was the Swedes hand wringing about what a combat jet may or may not be used for, i.e. they were scared the export customers might kill people with their Viggens.
While the Bronco can takeoff from a LHD, it is rather slow and is a bit under-armored due to its weak engines.
The biggest problem of many of these airplanes is that they are propeller driven.
No politician today would understand their utility, they would just see a WW2 era airplane.
And many in the USAF wouldn't be caught dead in a non-trainer propeller plane. Only poor airforces use those.
@McS
DeleteActually, the US stopped the Viggen from being exported at least once so just don´t blame the lame swedes, "blame" the US as well.
"The United States blocked an export of Viggens to India in 1978 by not issuing an export license for the RM8/JT8D engine..." - Wikipedia
And I bet the swedes feels bad for not selling weapons to everyone... nice F-14´s flying in Iran and thanks for exporting all your surplus hardware to Egypt, that will hit us in the ass sooner or later!
And btw, who has said to use Jaguar or Viggen for the Marines? Sol just listed a couple of nice a/c and you go defensive. Fanboys are a funny breed...
Ehh, many in the USA had no idea the Islamic revolution was coming.
DeleteHell, the Shah had an order for 150 F-16s signed in 1978 if I remember correctly, and an order for hundreds of very advanced Challenger 1 tanks.
If he had held on for a few more years, the F-16 may gave gotten its' baptism of fire in the Iran-Iraq war.
I believe something needs to be added and that it's not just the aircraft that make or breaks STOL is if these types of operations are really in the DNA of those military and in my opinion, the only ones that really take it seriously and practice it are the Swedes. Everyone else talks austere operations but they would all move real quick to a regular airfield....
ReplyDeleteViggen was bad ass that's for sure.
My father once flew T-28 trojan for the Royal Laotian Air force. They were one of the best CAS/COIN aircraft prior to the A-10 and A-29 Super Tucanos. The T-28's were so rugged that they can take off and land in the worst landing strips and maintained in the worst facilities. My Father still knows how to fly them and knows how to use them in CAS/COIN ops
ReplyDeletewithout a doubt the T-28 was a beast. i guess i should do a Vietnam era CAS list but it would be filled with several different models...most propellered. consider the A-26 flew and did quite well, the Bronco, even the Cessna Piper Cub....
DeleteMy father told me the T-28 trojan was the BEST, CAS/LAS and COIN bird on the block before the A-10 and A-29 Super Tucano came to life. The T-28 trojan can do more than the A-10 and A-29 put together. Even today, if the T-28 trojan flew in Iraq or Afganistan today, they would have the loitering power to stay on station and make Life a living hell for the enemy. On top of that the T-28 trojan was so reliable and durable that no other aircraft can stand up to the punishment that the T-28 trojan took. One nice thing about a T-28 trojan was that my father was able to put a AK-47, M-16 and a machete in a bailout compartment. That was if he had to ditch the Aircraft in unfriendly turf, he at least had something defend himself and get back to friendly lines.
Deletei appreciate your dad's service and understand the love of the T-28 but lets not get carried away. the A-10 can almost double its payload (if not more) and it can withstand terrrific battle damage. the T-28 was a trainer that got plussed into a role.
Deleteit was good at its role but it wasn't anything to set the world on fire. additionally we're talking about aircraft that have demonstrated a STOL capability in real life. i looked and can't find any evidence of the T-28 actually having served from unimproved fields
Try Looking at the Lima sites in Laos. The T-28's have operated out of Lima sites that the Ravens and Air America used.
DeleteJust think if SAAB had all the money Lock Mart has been infused with in just the JSF what they could come up with.
ReplyDeleteWhy do I want to strap the biggest rotary cannon to that OV-10 that I can? Mini A-10, baby. So hot. <3
ReplyDelete