Boeing proposal for an upgraded Bronco from a few years ago
Posted on 03/09/2016 5:15:11 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Boeing proposal for an upgraded Bronco from a few years ago
Because they still work?
Because we actually have them?
Because they are good enough for the job at hand?
Because a replacement would be 10x the cost, and take 10 years to for the first to be delivered?
McCain is an idiot, and a traitorous one at that.
L
All of the above.
Expand it's mission to patrolling the southern border. 1K per hour? Bargain.
I agree with your rhetorical questions.
Given the terrain, cost, and specific mission, an older turboprop will work just fine. Probably better given certain conditions.
OV-10s are great little birds an excelled in every mission (CAS, airborne FAC, recon, even medevacs) but they have a really large heat signature. The NVA starting using SA-7 Strelas and the OV-10s were withdrawn soon after.
Maybe we’ve figured a way to defend them from MANPADs.
‘Cuz they are operating in an environment of air dominance, are short/rough field capable. And they are flexible, they can deliver supplies and people as well as ordinance.
Frankly, all the service arms need more planes like the OV-10 Bronco.
There was a Navy A-7 guy a long time ago (30 years) who was promoting the same idea as these Broncos. Low cost, low maintenance, low footprint, aircraft for deploying to hotspots around the globe. I wonder if he is getting a chuckle out of this. Personally I think the OV-10 would be great with some upgraded props, a targeting ball and an upgraded cannon. Hellfire gives it a nice punch.
I have always wanted to fly one of these. I suspect that they are sweet to fly, but are much more “truck-like” than they appear. Former pilots seemed to like them and, just importantly, trusted them.
Thanks for posting this thread.
Oldplayer
There are some pretty cool gizmos for that, but MANPADS are still a concern.
I love your tag line!
6.2 hours time in the air without need for mid-air refueling? An aircraft for ground support ain’t much good if it can’t be around because it can’t keep enough fuel to stick around an area for a few hours.
Watched a SPIE demonstration at Camp Lejeune about 30 years ago using the Bronco. Bird came in at treetop, pulled straight up at full throttle. Four recon with chutes slid out the back as it climbed. Plane stalls, does a 180 slip turn on the drop, still at full throttle...all by design, of course. What wasn’t part of the planned show was the Bronco clipping several tree tops as it leveled back out at the end of the drop. After replaying it in my head to make sure I had really seen what I had just seen, I saw a couple of generals exchanging “oh shit, that was close” glances. Funny as hell, given that no one was hurt. Thank God the plan didn’t drop a few inches more.
“Because a replacement would be 10x the cost, and take 10 years to for the first to be delivered?”
You are being way too generous.
Seems like an A-10 in a turboprop configuration.
The Widow Maker. Lose an engine on takeoff and buy the farm. The last of these in the Army were used by MI units.
Spads were GREAT for CAS!
OV-10s can loiter for ages, giving 'eyes in the sky' as Arty and Fixed wing observers.
Turn the entire CAS mission over to the Army/Navy/Marines. Pay them 10-20% of the Air Force budget to cover the costs. Buy 100's of Rutan's Ares.
Turbofan Killer Bee: Rutan ARES "Mudfighter" for U.S. Army Close Air Support
There are MANPAD’s running around but my understanding is that we are dealing with really stupid people who are baffled by even bolt action rifles.
They usually have only one ATGM operator in the crowd.
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