Home

American Combat Planes of the 20th Century is an incredible reference for anyone who is interested in any American Combat Plane History. There are 758 pages and 1700 b/w photos in this substantial labor of love by Ray Wagner, who has been passionately researching and writing about aircraft for over 50 years. Whether you are already familiar with his past works, or just discovering this accomplished author for the first time... This is the book that you've been waiting for!

If you'd like to see the book's Table of Contents ... Click here. You can also browse the entire Index Section to get an idea of the extensive amount of information that is covered within this book.

Search our site for other combat planes. A- 1 Eaton A- 4 Skyhawk A- 6 & A- 7 Air Weapons AV- 8 to A- 10 A- 20 Havoc A- 22 Martin Maryland A- 23 Martin Baltimore A- 24 Douglas A- 26 Douglas Invader Attack Planes B- 2A, F-111, F-117 Stealth B- 17 Flying Fortress B- 24 Liberator B- 25 North American B- 26 Marauder B- 29 Superfortress B- 32 Dominator B- 35 Flying Wing B- 36 B- 47 Stratojet B- 50 Boeing B- 52 Stratofortress B- 57 Canberra B- 58 Hustler Biplanes Biplanes, Army Pursuits Bombers, B- 70 to Stealth Bombers, First Big Curtiss Falcon CO- 1 DH- 4 De Havilland F3D- Douglas Skyknight F3H- McDonnell Demon F4D- 1 Skyray F4F Grumman Wildcats F- 4U Corsair F6F Grumman F7F Grumman F7U Vought F9F G. Cougar F9F G. Panther F- 16 Fighting Falcon F- 84 F- 86 Sabre F- 89 to F-94 F- 100 to F-108 First Fighters Flying Boats GAX Iraq to Afghanistan Martin Bombers Missile Era Fighters Navy Fighers Navy Flying Boats O- 2 Douglas P- 35 Seversky P- 36 to 42 Curtiss P- 38 Lightning P- 39 Airacobra P- 40 Line P- 47 Thunderbolt P- 51 Mustang Fighter P- 61 Black Widow P- 63 Kingcobra P- 79 to P-81 P- 82 Twin Mustang SB2C Helldiver TBF-TBM Avenger Thomas-Morse Torpedo Planes V- 11 Vultee XB -28 XP -48 / 77

Attack Planes

T-28, A-37, COIN Aircraft, & OV-10

Page 1

Attack Planes for Small Wars, 1963-1991
When war began in Vietnam, the Air Force had no ground attack planes in current production, for strategic bombing had been its first priority. The first aircraft sent to Saigon’s VNAF had been surplus Navy AD-6s (see Chapter 31), and when the Farm Gate Detachment was sent to train and support the VNAF in November 1961, the Air Force provided aging A-26 light bombers and an armed trainer type, the T-28D. NORTH AMERICAN T-28D

North American’s T-28 Trojan had been built as a two-place Air Force and Navy trainer from 1949 to 1957, when it was replaced by T-37 jets after a propeller-driven trainer was no longer useful. Responding to a French request for a low-cost light ground attack type for their war in Algeria, North American provided the T-28S Nomad, converted from a T-28A by installation of a 1,425-hp R-1820-56S and under wing racks for two 12.7-mm guns, two 500-pound bombs or two rocket pods.

The first such conversion had been sent in July 1959 to France as a prototype for 145 surplus T-28As converted to the armed configuration by Sud Aviation. Known as the Fennec (Desert Fox), they served until the Algerian war was lost, after which 25 were passed to Morocco in 1965 and 40 to Argentina in 1966.

From 1961 to 1969, North American’s Columbus factory converted 313 T-28As from the stored surplus to T-28Ds for the Mutual Aid Program. Fairchild modified another 72 T-28Ds from the trainer stockpile. In November 1961, 31 arrived in Saigon for the second VNAF “fighter” squadron, which was trained by the American Farm Gate detachment.

NORTH AMERICAN YAT-28E CESSNA YAT-37D and NAA YAT-28E

The 1st Air Commando Squadron flew the T-28D against the Viet Cong, using American pilots and Vietnamese crewmen. Its combat role terminated in April 1964, after two American pilots had been killed when their T-28D wings had failed. The Air Commandos were given A-1Es instead, although distribution of T-28Ds to allies continued. Cambodia and Laos each received 60 T-28Ds, and allocations were also made to Thailand, Bolivia, the Congo (Zaire), Ecuador, Ethiopia, Haiti, the Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan.

An improved version, the YAT-28E with a 2,445-hp Lycoming YT55-L-9 turboprop and taller tailfin, was flown on February 15, 1963. The original aircraft, with two .50-caliber guns and six pylons for stores, was destroyed in a crash. Two more built in 1964 could carry up to 4,000 pounds of stores, but no production was ordered, as the OV-10 was available.

Cessna Dragonfly
The twin-jet Cessna T-37 trainer was chosen as an interim attack type for the Air Force until the more advanced A-7D became available. Cessna first proposed an AT-37D attack version in May 1963, and two T-37Bs became YAT-37Ds, with 2,400-pounds thrust J85-GE-5 engines and weapons installations. First flown October 22, 1963, they were prototypes for the similar A-37A.

The Air Force did not order the attack Cessna into production until August 1966. Thirty-nine new A-37As were built on the T-37B production line, delivery beginning in July 1967. The 604th Special Operations Squadron received 25 and began operations in Vietnam on August 15, 1967. CESSNA A-37A

With two crewmen side-by-side, and two J85-GE-17A jets derated to 2,400-pounds, the A-37A had armor, a 7.62-mm Minigun with 6,000 rounds in the nose, 90-gallon tip tanks, and eight under-wing pylons; the four inner ones could handle 870-pound bombs or 100-gallon drop tanks, the others up to 500 pounds of bombs, bomblet dispensers, or rocket pods, or up to 4,130 pounds of stores. Reliability and weapons delivery were rated as superior during the A-37A’s combat tour at Bien Hoa.

[ B- 24 / Home ] [Continue to next page]

Want information on other Combat Planes? Search the rest of our site.