jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) (10/11/90)
From: jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher)
Fellow netters,
I've got another aircraft designation question for you. The unified designation
scheme introduced in 1962 added an A for Attack category, starting from number
one. Initially, the Air Force had no planes in this category (having
reclassified all of its attack planes as bombers in 1948), but several
Navy attack planes were redesignated and given a number on the A-list. At a
somewhat later time, the Air Force acquired aircraft in the attack category,
and they duly acquired an A-number as they were ordered into service.
By now, the list seems to have reached the number 12, with the advent of the
Avenger II flying wing carrier-based attack plane which is shortly to
make its first flight. I have recently been trying to identify all the planes
in the A series. I think I can identify them all, with one lone exception.
The exception is the eleventh entry.
The attack planes in the post-1962 A-category that I can identify are:
Douglas A-1 Skyraider Formerly designated AD. Single-engine,
carrier-based attack aircraft.
North American A-2 Savage Formerly designated AJ. Three-engined carrier-
based strategic bomber (two props, one jet).
Douglas A-3 Skywarrior Formerly designated A3D. Twin-jet, swept-wing
carrier-based heavy attack aircraft.
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Formerly designated A4D. Single-engine carrier-
based attack aircraft.
North American A-5 Vigilante Formerly designated A3J. Twin-engine carrier-
based supersonic strategic bomber and
reconnaissance aircraft.
Grumman A-6 Intruder Formerly designated A2F. Twin engine, two seat
carrier-based all-weather attack aircraft.
Link/Temco/Vought A-7 Single seat attack and close support aircraft.
Corsair II Looks much like a snub nose F-8 Crusader.
McDonnell-Douglas AV-8 Single-seat V/STOL close support and tactical
Harrier reconnaissance aircraft. License-built
British Aerospace Harrier.
(I'm not absolutely sure that this one is in
the A-series, but I think so)
Northrop A-9 Twin-engine, single-seat close air support
aircraft. Lost out to A-10 for production
orders.
Fairchild Republic A-10 Twin-engine, single-seat close air support
Thunderbolt II aircraft.
A-11 ??????????????
General Dynamics/McDonnell Two-seat low-observable carrier-based attack
Douglas A-12 aircraft. Large flying wing
Avenger II
Does anyone out there know what A-11 was? Or do we have here another mysterious
"gap" in the designation scheme akin to the much-discussed "F-19" gap?
Joe Baugher *************************************
AT&T Bell Laboratories * "Do you understand the device, *
200 Park Plaza * Robby?" *
Naperville, Illinois 60566-7050 * "Yes, Morbius. A simple *
(708) 713 4548 * blaster." *
ihlpm!jfb *************************************
jfb200@cbnewsd.att.com
Who, me? Speak for AT&T? Surely you jest! Don.Allingham@FtCollins.NCR.COM (Don Allingham) (10/15/90)
From: Don.Allingham@FtCollins.NCR.COM (Don Allingham)
>>>>> On 11 Oct 90 05:07:38 GMT, jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) said:
Joseph> Fellow netters,
Joseph> By now, the list seems to have reached the number 12, with the
Joseph> advent of the Avenger II flying wing carrier-based attack plane
Joseph> which is shortly to make its first flight. I have recently been
Joseph> trying to identify all the planes in the A series. I think I
Joseph> can identify them all, with one lone exception. The exception
Joseph> is the eleventh entry.
I don't know if this is any help, but several years ago I had a book
that had supposedly all of the military aircraft in them. (You know,
the big, glossy books that you can find at B. Daltons) In this book,
the had an artist drawing of a suppersonic, VTOL attack plane for the
navy. Supposedly a prototype was supposed to be built from parts of
existing planes (nose from one type of plane, landing gear from another,
etc.). I believe that they called it the A-11. I think the builder was
supposed to be Rockwell.
I hope someone out there can either correct me, or give more
information. It has been a long time since I've had this, and my memory
probably isn't all that good.
--
Don Allingham
NCR Microelectronics Don.Allingham@FtCollins.NCR.com
Ft. Collins, CO. uunet!ncrlnk!ncr-mpd!Don.Allingham) (10/15/90)
From: ccastjr@prism.gatech.edu (COOOooOoooooOOOOoOOoOOooKIE!!!!!) The A-11 was a CIA spy plane. It's usually called the A-12, because when President Johnson announced it, he called it the A-12. (he also called the RS-71 the SR-71... the airforce decided to change the latter, but not the former). The A-11 was the first (I"m pretty sure) of the Blackbird airframes. Instead of a two seat cockpit, it has a camera in the back position. The SR-71 and YF-12 have a under-body bay that is used for missiles in the YF-12, and electronics and recon equipment in the SR-71. I don't know of these bays were present in the A-11, or what they were used for if they were. Next came the YF-12, and last was SR-71. -- Emporers Thought for the Day: | John E. Rudd jr. Only the insane have the strength to prosper; | ccastjr@prism.gatech.edu Only those who prosper judge what is sane. | (ex- kzin@ucscb.ucsc.edu) #include<std.disclaim> Send all comments, flames, and complaints to /dev/null.
henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) (10/16/90)
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) >From: ccastjr@prism.gatech.edu (COOOooOoooooOOOOoOOoOOooKIE!!!!!) >The A-11 was a CIA spy plane... The Blackbird A-11 and A-12 proposals, the latter of which became real (despite LBJ getting confused and identifying it as the former) were Lockheed Skunk Works internal project numbers, not official USAF aircraft designations. It is just possible, though, that there was no official A-11 because of possible confusion with the well-known Lockheed number. -- "...the i860 is a wonderful source | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology of thesis topics." --Preston Briggs | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry
x9999bio@oak.circa.ufl.edu (10/24/90)
From: x9999bio@oak.circa.ufl.edu In article <1990Oct15.033518.12024@cbnews.att.com>, Don.Allingham@FtCollins.NCR.COM (. >I don't know if this is any help, but several years ago I had a book >that had supposedly all of the military aircraft in them. (You know, >the big, glossy books that you can find at B. Daltons) In this book, >the had an artist drawing of a suppersonic, VTOL attack plane for the >navy. Supposedly a prototype was supposed to be built from parts of >existing planes (nose from one type of plane, landing gear from another, >etc.). I believe that they called it the A-11. I think the builder was >supposed to be Rockwell. I have discovered that the A-11 was actually the first designation used for the SR-71 Blackbird, even before the YF-12 days. My source ( The U.S. War Machine ) tells me that although the U.S. only asked Lockheed for a recon plane, Lockheed submitted an attack aircraft design as well. The A-11 was supposed to carry a 1 megaton freefall bomb as well as extra fuel under the fuselage. I don't know why the DoD didn't accept the design or how accurate my source is.
34X3TAN%CMUVM.BITNET@VM1.gatech.edu (11/01/90)
From: <34X3TAN%CMUVM.BITNET@VM1.gatech.edu>
Conserning the A-11:
Sir you are dead on...
All of the Blackbird family had a nuclear strike capablility built into the
design. The 'article'-11 was a single-seat version of the blackbird preceding
the SR-71, with the 71' being developed because of excessive pilot workload.
Jeff Kavanaugh...
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