Ground attack aircraft
A ground attack aircraft is an aircraft that is designed to operate very close to the ground, supporting infantry and tanks directly in battle. They are used essentially as mobile machine guns and anti-tank[?] guns against single targets, as opposed to bombers which typically attack more "strategic" targets. This classification goes by a number of names, including attack aircraft, tactical fighter and even includes the dive bomber.Very few aircraft have been dedicated to the ground attack role, most that are used in this role are actually fighters or light bombers. Most of the dedicated designs came from early World War II when the available power from aircraft engines was so limited that every plane had to be dedicated to a single task. The most successful ground attack aircraft would generally be credited to the Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik, which was credited by Stalin for winning the war. The Luftwaffe fielded a very similar plane, the Henschel Hs 129, but produced very few of them and they had no effect on the war effort.
By the end of that war the average day fighter had more than enough capability, and some of the most successful designs were slight modifications of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and unmodified Hawker Typhoons.
In the post-war era, relatively few aircraft have been dedicated to ground attack; examples include the A-6 Intruder[?], A-7 Corsair II[?], and Sukhoi Su-17[?]. In the late 1960s the US Air Force designed the Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II in order to have a rapid and long-range way to disable enemy tanks. However this role is generally filled by US Army helicopters. The Soviets built the seemingly similar Su-25[?] Frogfoot, but this plane is used more as flying artillery than in the dedicated anti-tank role.
Nevertheless, the role remains well-defined and in use, resulting in dual designations like F/A-18 Hornet. More recently, the term strike fighter has been gaining currency as the way to refer to these dual-role aircraft.
me. I helped him; he was happy.html">happy. Why, I--" She stopped suddenly, putting
understand once for all," she added with a sudden sharpness.
Abel Baragar drew himself up. "well.html">well.html">Well, I say this. I'll give you three
boy here. That's what I've/ve.html">ve fixed in my mind to do. You can go, and the
then stood still, staring in front of her without a word. Black Andy
as good.html">good as any, and better than any, if it comes to that." He turned to
of your eye. He had a soft tongue, and most people liked him; but George
He gambled, he bet at races, he speculated--wild. You didn't know it.
sold for you. He--"
Cassy Mavor started forwards with a cry, but Black Andy waved her down.
"No, I'm going to tell it. George lost your ten.html">ten thousand dollars, dad.html">dad,
was married, and she took the money.html">money she earned on the stage, and give it
but that's the kind of boy your son George was, and that's the kind of
wife," he said, taking her hand.html">hand, while she shut her eyes in her misery--
by her. If it hadn't been for that ten thousand dollars she paid back
and we wouldn't have had Lumley's place, nor.html">nor this, nor anything. I guess
stole money from me!" he whispered. His face was white. His pride and
righteousness was levelled in the dust.
With sudden impulse, Cassy stole over to him, and took his hand and held
But he was all right afterwards. He was happy with me."
"I've owed Cassy this for a good many years, dad," said Black Andy, "and
got to stay here and git well. It's yours, the same as the rest of us
not. Do you think she'll git well?"
.
On
wordlookup.net
All is still licensed under the GNU FDL.
It uses material from the wikipedia.
|
|