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From: jabusch@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (John Jabusch)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Persian Gulf Combat Aircraft--The A-4 Skyhawk
Message-ID: <1990Oct11.050750.29021@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 11 Oct 90 05:07:50 GMT
References: <1990Oct8.030359.11680@cbnews.att.com> <1990Oct8.220810.7180@cbnews.att.com> <1990Oct10.000352.29743@cbnews.att.com>
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From: jabusch@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (John Jabusch)
>From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
>>From: dlbres10@pc.usl.edu (Fraering Philip)
>>Wow. It sounds like an improved version would be a candidate for the
>>close air support mission they keep trying to use the F-16 for. Their
>>top speeds ought to be closer at sea level than at high altitudes...

>The Skyhawk, unfortunately, is out of production.  However, a comparable
>aircraft is still in production:  current Harrier capabilities are roughly
>equivalent to the later Skyhawks, quite aside from the Harrier's more
>unusual abilities.
>-- 
>Imagine life with OS/360 the standard  | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
>operating system.  Now think about X.  |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu   utzoo!henry

Beg to differ... the A-4 Skyhawk is still produced in Singapore, with
new avionics and engines, and some underlying airframe mods, and will
continue to be produced for quite some time.  This is not sufficient
for DoD procurement criteria, so it won't be found in the US inventory.
Ces't la Vie!

Any pilot who's flown both the A-4 and the Harrier will argue with your
second point.  The Harrier is far from being as agile at the Skyhawk,
and has a smaller payload.

John W. Jabusch
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--
John W. Jabusch
INTERNET: jabusch@cerl.cecer.army.mil    MILNET: jabusch@osiris.arpa        
US Mail: USA CERL, PO Box 4005 Newmark Drive, Champaign, Il 61824-4005
Voice/Phone: Commercial (217) 352-6511