North American AF-82/A-11 --- Finished (now with pics)

[kitnut617]

OK, I'm going to throw my hat in the ring here, even though my record for completing GB's hasn't been that great lately.

My plan is to have an F-82 brought out of retirement to be used as CAS in Vietnam, middle 60's or so.

Some time ago I had cobbled together a F-82 with different cowlings to what the Monogram/Revell/Modelcraft kit has, which are Allison engines. My story is it was powered by RR Griffons.

The F-82 was ear-marked as a ground attack aircraft very early in it's development, there's numerous photos on the internet showing intended ordnance, gun pods, RPs and bombs. This project will be in typical USAF SEA camo of the period.

Here's a pic of the idea, it's still in this state today and I'll post up-to-date pics soon..

[kitnut617]

If anyone is wondering where the name came from, there was a North American A-36 Apache. This was a Mustang specifically for ground attack. I'm continuing with the native naming theme and the A-46 designation comes from the next number unused for an attack aircraft, which seems to be about this time period ---

[jcf]

The numbering reset to zero in 1962 with the standardization across services, which is why
the Skyraider became the A-1, Savage A-2, Skywarrior A-3, Skyhawk A-4, Vigilante A-5 etc.

The old numbering system was defunct.

[zenrat]

The numbering reset to zero in 1962 with the standardization across services, which is why
the Skyraider became the A-1, Savage A-2, Skywarrior A-3, Skyhawk A-4, Vigilante A-5 etc.

The old numbering system was defunct.

Only in OTL.   

Did they ever use Crow as name?

[rickshaw]

The numbering reset to zero in 1962 with the standardization across services, which is why
the Skyraider became the A-1, Savage A-2, Skywarrior A-3, Skyhawk A-4, Vigilante A-5 etc.

The old numbering system was defunct.

Only in OTL.   

Did they ever use Crow as name?

Big Crow

Big Crow is the designation of the two NKC-135 test-bed aircraft (55-3132 and 63-8050) heavily modified for electronic warfare testing. These planes were also used as a target simulator for flight testing the Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser.[5] On March 15, 2007, the YAL-1 successfully fired this laser in flight, hitting its target. The target was the NKC-135E Big Crow 1 test aircraft that had been specially modified with a "signboard" target on its fuselage. The test validated the system's ability to track an airborne target and measure and compensate for atmospheric distortion.[6]

Big Crow aircraft are also used as downrange telemetry assets in conjunction with Western Launch and Test Range launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.[7]

Since 2008, 55-3132 and 63-8050 have been retired, and relegated to the AMARG (Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ).[8][9]

[Source]

[zenrat]

Sorry, didn't make myself clear.
I meant did they ever name an aircraft after the Crow tribe in the same way they have the Apache, Mojave, Sioux, Cayuse, Mohawk...
Nothing comes up in a web search.

[kitnut617]

Fred, I'm fairly sure the answer is no to that.

Thanks Jon for the clarification, so this is either pre-'62 or they haven't got around to re-numbering it   

[kerick]

The US Army uses the Native American naming theme so you could make this a US Army aircraft that was "stolen" from the Air Force from the boneyard. Plus all the political rivalry hoopla that would stir up!

Then there is the whole A-26 renamed to B-26 then renamed back to A-26 Invader story.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-26_Invader

Long story short, just name it whatever you like and blame it on the CIA!

[kitnut617]

OK, now I'm going to come up with something different to call it. Think on it I will ----

[kitnut617]

Just realign the F number.

I thought about that but ------

[kitnut617]

So I've come up with a designation. I looked at the new designation list Jon had referred to, there's a number which was skipped which appears to be in the right time line, which is A-8. There is a note saying that McDonnell picked it up for their AV-8 which is not the same is it ---
Now what name to call it ---- hmm, thinking hard here ----- I know, something novel ---- how about Twin Mustang   

[jcf]

Or keep CIA type obfuscation and use A-11, which was an internal Lockheed designation,
not a DoD designation. 

[kitnut617]

I thought about that one too Jon, but it comes after A-10 which of course was designated to the -- err -- A-10     which came quite a bit later timewise

[jcf]

I thought about that one too Jon, but it comes after A-10 which of course was designated to the -- err -- A-10     which came quite a bit later timewise

Thus the CIA obfuscation. 

[kitnut617]

I thought about that one too Jon, but it comes after A-10 which of course was designated to the -- err -- A-10     which came quite a bit later timewise

Thus the CIA obfuscation. 

Now what would the CIA be doing with a CAS aircraft