Awesome machine,,that super tucano. Half the range, slower by 40 mph 20% of the firepower and a third of the bombload of a Skyraider. Throw in Carrier us for a Skyraider for free.
Maximum speed: 322 mph (280 kn, 518 km/h) at 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
Cruise speed: 198 mph (172 kn, 319 km/h)
Range: 1,316 mi (1,144 nmi, 2,115 km)
Service ceiling: 28,500 ft (8,685 m)
Rate of climb: 2,850 ft/min (14.5 m/s)
Wing loading: 45 lb/ft² (220 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.15 hp/lb (250 W/kg)
Armament
Guns: 4 × 20 mm (0.79 in) M2 cannon
Other: Up to 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) of ordnance on 15 external hardpoints including bombs, torpedoes, mine dispensers, unguided rockets, or gun pods
The Skyraider was also a maintenance hog, and in an era of precision guided munitions, payload is not a big factor.
In an ideal world, a digital skyraider would have been the way to go. But in reality, would it have been developed fast enough and at an acceptable cost? That would be unlikely given the kind of expenses you see in US defense procurement. I’d guess that the Super Hornet was the last such affordable ‘maturity-based’ project.