SEA Vietnam aircraft the USAF never had there:

[Daryl J.]

Lockheed Ventura, turrets removed, forward firing gunship with attachment points for the usual and customary SEA under wing loadout, extra fuel for loitering time.

P-59 with upgraded engines and again used for light ground attack.

Fw-189 equipped with the same turbine engines as the OV-10, requipped for COIN duties.


Daryl J.

[TsrJoe]

HS. Kestrel or AV.8A Harrier?

i think John Lacey (maverick) did some neat profiles for modelling inspiration of some 'alternate vietnam' air war some time ago, eg. Army A.4 Skyhawk, etc.

cheers, Joe

[tigercat2]

How about surplus T-33s, F2Hs, or other similar vintage aircraft flown as remote controlled drones, for recce or bombing missions.


Wes W.

[chrisonord]

How about turbo propped F7's with a nose full of guns and a load out of either cluster munitions and or Napalm.
Or fit them out with infa red sensors for night operations against the Ho Chi Min trail?
Chris. 

[van883]

How about the F-86H Sabre - there were still some in ANG service at the time. Same goes for F-84F Thunderstreaks.

Van

[Mossie]

F-107's.
A-10's available earlier, now that might have made an impact!
F-11 Tigers, either continuing in USN service, or replacing the F-104 in USAF service.

I like Joes suggestion of AV-8A's.  Harrier might actually have been used as was supposed to be.

[Weaver]

One thing on the must-do-one-of-these-years list is an F-107 with the intake put back in the ventral position and SEA cammo and markings from an F-105D.

Surplus F-94 Starfire for CAS - all those rockets.......

F-106 gunfighter program done earlier and the aircraft sent to 'nam with Vulcans and possibly normal windscreens too. Maybe put fuel in the bits of the bay not used by the gun pack, and then carry Sparrows/Sidewinders on wing and fuselage pylons.

Something I've theorised before: what if the Phantom never happened? You might get a developed F-105 with a bigger wing for more air-to-air ability.

Maybe the USAF realises it needs a dogfighter and buys F-8 Crusaders with A-7-style Vulcan installations.

[chrisonord]

Martin Mars gunship anyone?
These could have been refuelled and re loaded at sea, away from enemy fire. arm it with 40 mm cannon 105 Howitzers and Gecal gatling guns.
Chris.

[mwf4nut]

P-61 overall OD, fuel tanks or rocket pods on the wingtips.  Remove the top turret and put a bunch of guns in the nose like the B-25's had.  What the heck, throw some pylons outboard of the engines for rocket pods, gun pods, bombs, napalm, etc.  Maybe make it a turbo prop too!

Mark

[Shasper]

Maybe the USAF realises it needs a dogfighter and buys F-8 Crusaders with A-7-style Vulcan installations.

While not armed with an M61:





A "Project Gunfighter" F-8F Crusader circa '67-'68ish 

[tigercat2]

One thing on the must-do-one-of-these-years list is an F-107 with the intake put back in the ventral position and SEA cammo and markings from an F-105D.

Surplus F-94 Starfire for CAS - all those rockets.......

F-106 gunfighter program done earlier and the aircraft sent to 'nam with Vulcans and possibly normal windscreens too. Maybe put fuel in the bits of the bay not used by the gun pack, and then carry Sparrows/Sidewinders on wing and fuselage pylons.

Something I've theorised before: what if the Phantom never happened? You might get a developed F-105 with a bigger wing for more air-to-air ability.

Maybe the USAF realises it needs a dogfighter and buys F-8 Crusaders with A-7-style Vulcan installations.

If the Phantom had never happened, the Navy would have been flying the F9U Crusader III; a superb air to air machine.  The USAF would have purchased their full complement of F-105s, some 1500 aircraft, and still would have developed the F-111.  From what I have ready, the USAF came close to purchasing the A-6 to use for night/all weather attacks until the F-111 came along. 

One thing that probably would not have occured was the Tri-Service designation system that came about largely due to MacNamara's confusion over the fact that the F4H-1 and the F-110A were the same aircraft.  So we would probably still have the separate Navy and Air Force designation schemes; many what if possibilities there!!


Wes W.

[Daryl J.]

This guy suitably modified:


http://www.hlj.com/product/hsge33

[Geoff]

US Army F-5A and Fiat G-91R's.

[philp]

I will be doing a B-26 Maruader in the Nomad design.  Still trying to figure how to get those 8 x .50s in that round nose though.

[ChernayaAkula]

P-61E with some modifications. Something along the lines of the "Tropic Moon III" B-57G with Pave Gat turret.