And as a warbird. Aviation Week has photos of a Caravan outfitted with Hellfire missiles, flying out of Meacham Airport near Fort Worth. The aircraft are being modified by ATK Integrated Systems, who has a major facility at Meacham.
The article says they're slated for the Iraqi Air Force. Ain't that interesting? I've always thought that if I ever win the Powerball, the Caravan would fit nicely into my millionaire portfolio. Who knew you could get them with missiles?
I might have pictured popping the window panels and having guys back there throwing Molotov cocktails out, or even grenades, but armed with missiles?!!!
ReplyDeleteThe NVA attack on Skyspot site Lima-85 in the Central Highlands of Laos during the Vietnam war proved that you can make an attack aircraft out of anything.
ReplyDeleteThe North Vietnamese Air Force used AN-2 biplanes! They fitted them out with simple bomb racks which were loaded with 120mm mortar rounds.
BTW, that attack missed the main target, and the retreating slow AN-2s suffered 66% casualties, with a Hmong defender shooting one down at the site with his M16, and the CIA getting another by chasing it in a Huey, overtaking it, and killing the pilots with bursts from their M16s. That was the only air-to-air victory of a Huey in the whole war! The third AN-2 only got away because it was the command bird, and stood off, giving it a headstart to flee when the attack failed.
That attack, being unsuccessful against the high-priority target, was followed up with a ground assault some time later, in which it is rumored that Speznaz troops were used. Those troops enveloped the site and overran it.
I flew a lot of B52 missions with the aid of Lima-85, but only learned their story in the past few years.