CESSNA A-37 DRAGONFLYhttp://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=326
From 1964-1966, the U.S. Air Force evaluated two modified T-37 trainers, designated YAT-37Ds, as prototypes for a counter-insurgency (COIN) attack/reconnaissance aircraft to use in Southeast Asia. Following this evaluation, the USAF contracted Cessna to modify 39 T-37Bs into A-37As in 1967. Later that year, the USAF sent 25 A-37As, nicknamed "Super Tweets," to Southeast Asia for combat evaluation under the name Combat Dragon. These aircraft primarily flew close air support, night interdiction and forward air control missions in South Vietnam and southern Laos.
Based on the successful results of Combat Dragon, the USAF order newly built A-37Bs, which had cockpit armor, more powerful engines, redundant flight controls, provision for aerial refueling and a strengthened airframe. Of the 577 A-37Bs built, the USAF provided 254 to the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) to replace their aging A-1 Skyraiders. Although the A-37B served with the USAF for only a short period, a number of A-37Bs remained in use with the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard as observation/flight attack aircraft until the last one was retired in 1992.
The aircraft on display was one of the two prototype YAT-37Ds evaluated by the USAF. It was retired to the museum in December 1964. However, it was recalled to active service in August 1966 for final design testing of the urgently needed A-37 attack aircraft. This aircraft retired to the museum for a second time in July 1970 as the YA-37A.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: One 7.62mm minigun and 3,000 lbs. maximum of bombs, rockets and/or missiles
Engines: Two 2,400-lb. thrust General Electric J85s
Maximum speed: 485 mph
Cruising speed: 425 mph
Range: 270 miles with 3,000 lb. load
Ceiling: 36,000 ft.
Span: 35 ft. 10 in.
Length: 29 ft. 4 in.
Height: 8 ft. 2 in.
Weight: 11,700 lbs. maximum
Serial number: 62-5951
Cessna A-37A (S/N 67-14513) of the 605th Special Operations Squadron,
Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam. Aircraft burned after an emergency
landing in October 1968. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Cessna A-37A in flight. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Cessna A-37A of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing over Vietnam in September 1972.
(U.S. Air Force photo)
Cessna A-37A (S/N 67-14516) firing rockets while in flight in Vietnam. (U.S. Air Force photo)
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cessna A-37A at Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, in August 1967. (U.S. Air Force photo) |
On Aug. 23, 1966, the USAF directed the establishment of a program to evaluate the A-37 in a combat environment. The project was named "Combat Dragon" and was designed to test the effectiveness of the A-37 in Close Air Support, counterinsurgency and escort missions in Vietnam. Besides testing the aircraft operationally, the project was also used to evaluate the maintenance, supply and manpower requirements. The Tactical Fighter Weapons Center directed the program and established a 350-man squadron with 25 A-37As at England Air Force Base, La. in early 1967. The unit was designated as the 604th Air Commando Squadron. Initial instructor pilot training began on March 29, 1967. Initial operations and combat orientation started on May 1. Phase I of Combat Dragon was done between June 19 and July 16, 1967 at England Air Force Base. Phase I measured data collection and analysis procedures to be used during the actual combat evaluation, train the A-37A pilots, establish a bombing and gunnery baseline and identify and fix problems with the aircraft.
The 604th ACS was moved to Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, between July 17 and Aug. 14, 1967. Phase II of Combat Dragon began on Aug. 15 and ended on Sept. 6. This phase of the project was used to familiarize the pilots was the operational areas of Vietnam and Laos. The data collection and evaluation system was also refined using forms and methods already in use in Southeast Asia. Phase III of Combat Dragon began on Sept. 7 and the first actual ground strike missions were flown. Phase III operations continued until Oct. 27. Phase IV of Combat Dragon was done between Oct. 28 and 30 and tested accelerated (maximum sortie generation) mission scheduling. Phase V began on Nov. 1 and tested the ability of the aircraft to operate from a forward operating location. Seven aircraft were deployed to Pleiku Air Base and flew combat mission through Dec. 2. The remaining 18 aircraft remained at Bien Hoa Air Base and flew normal (Phase III) combat strike missions.
The 604th ACS flew about 5,000 training and combat sorties during the five phases of the Combat Dragon project. During Phase III each aircraft averaged between three and four missions every two days. During Phase IV, the maximum sortie rate reached 6.3 missions per day per aircraft. During Phase V, three new missions were flown: Forward Air Control, armed reconnaissance and night interdiction. In addition to missions with South Vietnam, Phase V missions were flown in southeast Laos in the Tigerhound areas.
The operational test phases of the Combat Dragon project were concluded in early December 1967, and the evaluation team returned to the United States to finish data analysis and make recommendations. During combat operations, Combat Dragon A-37As flew 4,463 sorties and dropped over 19,000 pieces of ordnance during the 107 day evaluation period. The team found the maintenance requirements of the A-37A to be lower than expected. The size of the squadron was acceptable for Phase III sortie rates, but would have to be increased for higher rates (i.e. there weren't enough pilots, crew chiefs and maintenance personnel to support high sortie generation rates). The A-37A was dependable and easy to maintain, so logistics and supply issues were not a major concern. The A-37A was judged to be an effective ground attack aircraft in the South Vietnam and Tigerhound areas (combat radius to 240 nm maximum). The A-37A was also an adequate Close Air Support aircraft; however, the low wing and limited right aft quadrant visibility when an observer wasn't flying (normally only a pilot flew) in the cockpit's right seat. One major problem identified involved the lack of fuel quantity gauges for the wingtip tanks and external drop tanks carried. For long duration missions, the pilot ran a significant risk of running out of fuel. Overall, the A-37A was judged an effective weapons system and full scale production of the A-37B proceeded based in part on the recommendations of the Combat Dragon team.
The YA-37A was permanently retired to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in July 1970 and remains on display in the Modern Flight Gallery.
Type Number built/converted Remarks
YA-38A 2 COIN Prototype
A-37A 39 Attack conversion of T-37B
A-37B 577 Improved A-37A
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: One GAU-2/A 7.62mm Gatling gun, plus 6,000 lbs. (800 lbs. on each of the inboard pylons, 600 lbs. on the middle two pylons and 500 lbs. on the outboard pylon) of mixed ordnance on eight hardpoints, including additional gun pods, high-explosive bombs, fire bombs, rockets, grenades and/or missiles
Engines: Two General Electric J85-GE-17/A axial flow turbojets of 2,400 lbs. thrust each (engines had 2850 lbs. maximum thrust but were derated to 2,400 lbs. thrust for the A-37A)
Maximum speed: 407 knots at 17,000 ft., maximum power
Cruising speed: Approx. 300 knots
Range: 1,180 nautical miles with 846.7 gallons of fuel at 301 knots average in 3.96 hours at 12,130 lbs. takeoff weight
Combat radius: 129 nautical miles with 3,646 lb. payload at 258 knots avg. in 1.3 hours
Service ceiling: 43,980 ft., 500 fpm, combat weight, maximum thrust
Span: 38 ft. 5 in.
Length: 29 ft. 4 in.
Height: 9 ft. 6 in.
Weight: 13,500 lbs. gross weight
Crew: Two
Serial numbers: (YA-37A) 62-5950 and 62-5951; (A-37A) 67-14503 to 67-14541; (A-37B) 67-14776 to 67-14823; 67-22483 to 67-22491; 68-7911 to 68-7980; 68-10777 to 68-10827; 69-6334 to 69-6446; 70-1277 to 70-1312; 71-790 to 71-854; 71-858 to 71-873; 71-1409 to 71-1416; 73-1056 to 73-1115; 73-1654 to 73-1658; 74-998 to 74-1013; 74-1694 to 74-1723; 75-374 to 75-385; 75-410 to 75-417; 75-424 to 75-441; 75-669 to 75-680
CESSNA A-37B
The A-37B was an improved version of the A-37A. One improvement was the installation of fully rated J85 jet engines capable of producing 2,850 pounds of thrust at maximum power. The J85 engines fitted to the A model Dragonfly were derated to 2,400 pounds thrust maximum. Another major difference was the inclusion of an in flight refueling (IFR) system with the refueling probe fitted to the nose of the aircraft. The A-37B used the probe and drogue method of IFR rather than the boom and receptacle method normally used on USAF fixed wing aircraft. The increased thrust of the engines gave the aircraft a maximum gross takeoff weight of 14,000 pounds. The use of the IFR system allowed the aircraft to fly with a maximum gross weight of 15,000 pounds -- the aircraft would takeoff with a heavy load of ordnance and limited fuel, conduct an IFR, then proceed on its mission. Other changes included improvements in the gun system: a selectable firing rate of 3,000 or 6,000 rounds per minute; an upgraded optical gun site; a nose mounted gun camera; and a strike camera mounted in the lower center fuselage. The control system also had some improvements: redundant control cables to the rudder and elevators and aileron boost tabs.
Cessna built a total of 577 A-37Bs. The aircraft was used for a relatively short period by the USAF; however, many aircraft had long service lives flying for the Air Force Reserves and Air National Guard. The United States also supplied many aircraft to foreign countries including South Vietnam during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The 4532nd Combat Crew Training Squadron at England Air Force Base in Louisiana initially trained over 100 South Vietnamese Air Force pilots. Each VNAF student received 112 hours of ground instruction and 85 hours of flight training. After training was completed, the VNAF pilots returned to Vietnam to fly A-37s supplied under the U.S. Military Assistance Program. South Vietnam had 10 squadrons of A-37s at peak strength during the early 1970s.
Type Number built/
converted Remarks
YA-38A 2 COIN Prototype
A-37A 39 Attack conversion of T-37B
A-37B 577 Improved A-37A
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: One GAU-2/A 7.62mm Gatling gun with 1,500 rounds of ammunition, plus 6,000 lbs. (800 lbs. on each of the inboard pylons, 600 lbs. on the middle two pylons and 500 lbs. on the outboard pylon) of mixed ordnance on eight hardpoints, including additional gun pods, high-explosive bombs, fire bombs, rockets, grenades and/or missiles (note that the aircraft rarely flew with more than 4,000 lbs. of ordnance)
Engines: Two General Electric J85-GE-17/A axial flow turbojets of 2,850 lbs. thrust each
Maximum speed: 416 knots at 15,500 ft., maximum power
Cruising speed: Approx. 260 knots
Range: 808 nautical miles with 847 gallons of fuel at 257 knots average in 3.14 hours at 12,736 lbs. takeoff weight
Combat radius: 140 nautical miles with 3,152 lbs. payload at 259 knots avg. in 1.38 hours
Service ceiling: 25,000 ft. operational limit (cockpit not pressurized)
Span: 38 ft. 5 in.
Length: 29 ft. 4 in. (31 ft. 10 in. including refueling boom)
Height: 9 ft. 6 in.
Weight: 14,000 lbs. gross weight (15,024 lbs. after in flight refueling)
Crew: Two (usually flown with just a pilot in the left seat)
Serial numbers: (YA-37A) 62-5950 and 62-5951; (A-37A) 67-14503 to 67-14541; (A-37B) 67-14776 to 67-14823; 67-22483 to 67-22491; 68-7911 to 68-7980; 68-10777 to 68-10827; 69-6334 to 69-6446; 70-1277 to 70-1312; 71-790 to 71-854; 71-858 to 71-873; 71-1409 to 71-1416; 73-1056 to 73-1115; 73-1654 to 73-1658; 74-998 to 74-1013; 74-1694 to 74-1723; 75-374 to 75-385; 75-410 to 75-417; 75-424 to 75-441; 75-669 to 75-680
No comments:
Post a Comment