muller@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Mark B. Muller) (01/22/90)
From: muller@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Mark B. Muller) >>From: Rob Hounsell <!hounsell%nmerh6@uunet.UU.NET> > I'd like to know what the general differences are between "interceptor", "air >superiority", "pursuit", and "intruder" aircraft. What are their various roles? >I've seen references to all these in various places, but never an explanation. >For instance, I used to have a plastic model of the deHaviland Mosquito, which >I built in the "Intruder" config. (green-grey camouflage on top, flat black >underneath, so I assume it's for use around dusk)..... >Rob I haven't seen any exact definitions of these terms, but based on how they are used in the books and magazines I have read, they are something like this: Interceptors These aircraft are meant to keep one's country from being bombed in the strategic sense. An example of the type is the F-106 Delta Dart, which was meant to shoot down Russian bombers before they get a chance to bomb the U.S. Air Superiority Aircraft The mission of these planes is to give one air superiority. In short, to shoot down whatever the enemy sends up so that other aircraft can go about bombing things in safety, and the troops on the ground don't have to worry about bombs dropping on their heads. An example here is the F-4 Phantom, as used in Vietnam, where it would deal with any airborne threat while the F-105's would bomb any available targets. Pursuit Aircraft This is a designation fromerly used in the US, hence the 'P' in P-51, for example. Losely, a pursuit aircraft is an interceptor, meant to "pursue" any aircraft trying to get through and bomb something, During WWII, when the USAAF used this designation, but our planes did many things other than this, which is why the name was changed to "Fighter". Intruder An intruder aircraft is meant to somehow fly into enemy airspace and either bomb something, or help other aicraft to bomb something. The Mosquito you mention as being an intruder was probably used to fly over Germany at night (hence the paint scheme), and either try to shoot down the German A/C who were trying to shoot down the British bombers, or just fly in and hit key targets with bombs. Overall, all of these terms are pretty nebulous. Obviosly, few aircraft fall neatly in to one of these categories. For example, the F-16 is used for air superiority, interception, and intruder type missions. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* * Mark Muller Undergarduate at Purdue University * * muller@gn.ecn.purdue.edu Aeronautics & Astronautics Engineering * *-------------------------------------------------------------------------*