British Army Close Air Support Aircraft

[Devilfish]

Having gained experience in places like Malaya, and having watched the US forces in Vietnam, the British Army hierarchy made the decision that their current crop of slow, unarmed Auster and Beaver AOP aircraft wouldn't "cut it" in a modern European battlefield.
They started looking at modern alternatives, with the Strikemaster variant of the JP being considered, but rejected as it only had a single engine, small payload and loiter, and bad rough field capability.
In the end, the American Cessna A-37 Dragonfly was chosen, and entered service as the Dragonfly AOPA.1 (Airborne Observation Post and Attack)

Amongst its roles, later on, it carried the Pave Spike pod, to designate for RAF aircraft, but also carried a formidable weapons load for more immediate use

DSC_0935 by Paul Carter, on Flickr
DSC_0943 by Paul Carter, on Flickr
DSC_0936 by Paul Carter, on Flickr
DSC_0939 by Paul Carter, on Flickr
DSC_0940 by Paul Carter, on Flickr
20190325_201241 by Paul Carter, on Flickr
DSC_0942 by Paul Carter, on Flickr
DSC_0941 by Paul Carter, on Flickr

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice. But why not a Strikemaster? 

[zenrat]

 

[Devilfish]

Nice. But why not a Strikemaster? 

Single engine, less payload, less loiter capability, poorer rough field capability

[Weaver]

Nicely done, and reasonably credible, since A-37Bs did end up as FACs.

I've looked several times at 'Dragonflying' the Strikemaster. You need a substantial increase in thrust (T-37 to A-37B = 100% thrust increase  ). These are some possibilities since the Strikemaster engine bay is much wider than the Viper that lives there, but none of them are easy, which means that, in a fairly realistic scenario, none of them are likely either.

One possibility is to get the UK involved in Vietnam, so spending goes up and priorities change. The Jaguar program runs faster, the Hawk is put on the back burner, and that means dry Adour in time for an early-70s debut in the Strikemaster and Gnat. Hawk intakes are almost exactly the same shape as Strikemaster ones but a bit larger, which gives you an easy mod, after which you'd need to build up the rear fuselage to fit a wider jetpipe and blend it all in.

Anotehr option is to fit twin J-85s. Do the same intake mod as above, but then use the twin jetpipe fairing from a Revellobox G-91Y and again, blend it all in with mucho PSR.

[zenrat]

Or, use centre of a Dragonfly fuselage with Strikemaster or JP cockpit &nose, tail and wings.

Note: I have no idea how practical this would be, it just popped into my head (and we all know what a strange place that can be).

[Captain Canada]

Great idea. Tough little bird, that. Love those colours.

[Old Wombat]

 

[TallEng]

Nice. But why not a Strikemaster? 

Single engine, less payload, less loiter capability, poorer rough field capability

Which would make the Strikemaster the normal uniquely British way of doing things
How ever even more British would be to Anglicize the Tweety Bird? Twin Vipers* instead of the GE J85s. A-37K?
*I have no idea if they would even fit....
probably need to enlarge the intakes, reprofile the underside to fit the Vipers, and it would be faster/slower down low or up high, Ring a bell any where?

Regards
Keith

[chrisonord]

Marvelous
Chris

[Devilfish]

Nice. But why not a Strikemaster? 

Single engine, less payload, less loiter capability, poorer rough field capability

Which would make the Strikemaster the normal uniquely British way of doing things
How ever even more British would be to Anglicize the Tweety Bird? Twin Vipers* instead of the GE J85s. A-37K?
*I have no idea if they would even fit....
probably need to enlarge the intakes, reprofile the underside to fit the Vipers, and it would be faster/slower down low or up high, Ring a bell any where?

Regards
Keith

I did look into Vipers, but as you say, they wouldn't fit without major changes.

[NARSES2]

That's neat 

[comrade harps]

I especially like the addition of the Pave Spike