Next test question: What was the last piston-engined aircraft to be used in combat?

On 19 Oct 2003 10:20:38 -0700, (robert arndt) wrote:

(Kirk Stant) wrote in message . com...
What was the last piston-engined airplane (not aircraft - lets keep
the helo's out of this one) to employ weapons in A/A or A/G combat
(guns, bombs, rockets, nukes, whatever). Where and when?

Just being there doesn't count.

Oh, and it does have to have a pilot on board - so Predators don't
count either!

I'll open with T-28D's in the Phillippines - late 80's.

Kirk

Kirk,

This is an idiotic question since the inventories of many of the
world's poorest Air Forces still use piton-engined aircraft in a
combat role as of 2003. These Air Forces are largely African, South
American, and Asian.
For example you have the Brazilian Tucano/Super Tucano/ALX which still
flies drug interdiction and has fired on Columbian drug runners both
in the air and ground in recent years. The aircraft carry gun pods,
rockets, and home-made Piranha aams.
Second, helos are not aircraft... they are rotorcraft! Sheesh...

Rob

Turboprops do not have pistons.

Helicopters are definitely aircraft, according to every dictionary
that I have.

Al Minyard

On Sun, 19 Oct 2003, Keith Willshaw wrote:


"Garrison Hilliard" wrote in message
...


That's hard to say... most nations have armed, prop-driven border patrol
aircraft that are regularly used. How about those AC-130's used by Colombia
to fight the drug cartels? Or those
things the Peruvians use to fight the Sgining Path?

The OP specified piston engined not propellor driven.
AC-130's are turboprops.

How about those armed Cessna Skymasters they use?

Alan Minyard wrote in message . ..
On 19 Oct 2003 10:20:38 -0700, (robert arndt) wrote:

(Kirk Stant) wrote in message . com...
What was the last piston-engined airplane (not aircraft - lets keep
the helo's out of this one) to employ weapons in A/A or A/G combat
(guns, bombs, rockets, nukes, whatever). Where and when?

Just being there doesn't count.

Oh, and it does have to have a pilot on board - so Predators don't
count either!

I'll open with T-28D's in the Phillippines - late 80's.

Kirk

Kirk,

This is an idiotic question since the inventories of many of the
world's poorest Air Forces still use piton-engined aircraft in a
combat role as of 2003. These Air Forces are largely African, South
American, and Asian.
For example you have the Brazilian Tucano/Super Tucano/ALX which still
flies drug interdiction and has fired on Columbian drug runners both
in the air and ground in recent years. The aircraft carry gun pods,
rockets, and home-made Piranha aams.
Second, helos are not aircraft... they are rotorcraft! Sheesh...

Rob

Turboprops do not have pistons.

Helicopters are definitely aircraft, according to every dictionary
that I have.

Al Minyard

My bad, Al. However, for the reason stated in the first paragraph of
my post I still think it is an idiotic question. There are plenty of
true piston-engined a/c in the inventories of the world's AFs that are
still used in the strike mission primarily.
Second, the helicopter is an aircraft by basic definition; however,
most of the military encyclopedias I have been accustomed to further
classify these aircraft as rotorcraft. I think it's pretty common
sense to make a distinction between a helicopter and other "aircraft".
BTW, rotorcraft include: helicopters, gyrocopters, coleopters, etc...
My apologies to the original poster.

Alan Minyard wrote in message . ..
On 19 Oct 2003 10:20:38 -0700, (robert arndt) wrote:

(Kirk Stant) wrote in message . com...
What was the last piston-engined airplane (not aircraft - lets keep
the helo's out of this one) to employ weapons in A/A or A/G combat
(guns, bombs, rockets, nukes, whatever). Where and when?

Just being there doesn't count.

Oh, and it does have to have a pilot on board - so Predators don't
count either!

I'll open with T-28D's in the Phillippines - late 80's.

Kirk

Kirk,

This is an idiotic question since the inventories of many of the
world's poorest Air Forces still use piton-engined aircraft in a
combat role as of 2003. These Air Forces are largely African, South
American, and Asian.
For example you have the Brazilian Tucano/Super Tucano/ALX which still
flies drug interdiction and has fired on Columbian drug runners both
in the air and ground in recent years. The aircraft carry gun pods,
rockets, and home-made Piranha aams.
Second, helos are not aircraft... they are rotorcraft! Sheesh...

Rob

Turboprops do not have pistons.

Helicopters are definitely aircraft, according to every dictionary
that I have.

Al Minyard

Just out of curiosity which piston fighters still DO survive in
Africa, South America, or Asia?

Are they just armed trainers? If not, name any of them.

I remember in the late '80s the talk of some African countries using
old WW2 piston fighters like the P-51 and Spitfire.

Do any survive today?

Kenneth Williams

(Kirk Stant) wrote:

What was the last piston-engined airplane (not aircraft - lets keep
the helo's out of this one) to employ weapons in A/A or A/G combat
(guns, bombs, rockets, nukes, whatever). Where and when?

Just being there doesn't count.

Oh, and it does have to have a pilot on board - so Predators don't
count either!

I'll open with T-28D's in the Phillippines - late 80's.

2 Killed in Va. Ultralight Crash After Fall Color Outing


By Jay Mathews
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 20, 2003; Page B04


[snipped for brevity]


Ultralights have been adapted to several uses, including aiding the
relocation of endangered birds and for warfare. During the Iraq war
in March, at least two Iraqi ultralights were spotted over U.S. Army
positions, the Army Times has reported.

(robert arndt) wrote in message om...
Kirk,

This is an idiotic question since the inventories of many of the
world's poorest Air Forces still use piton-engined aircraft in a
combat role as of 2003. These Air Forces are largely African, South
American, and Asian.
For example you have the Brazilian Tucano/Super Tucano/ALX which still
flies drug interdiction and has fired on Columbian drug runners both
in the air and ground in recent years. The aircraft carry gun pods,
rockets, and home-made Piranha aams.
Second, helos are not aircraft... they are rotorcraft! Sheesh...

Rob

First, Tucanos are turboprops - or maybe you didn't know that.
Second, Helos are AIRCRAFT, not AIRPLANES. Third, the fact that a lot
of countries are still using piston (not piton - mountain climbers use
those) powered combat airplanes is interesting, and knowing what kind
are still being used is intersting to me. If it isn't to you, then
you are free to ignore this thread. Just like I ignore your rants
about impossible supersonic Me-262s.

I could have narrowed the field down to piston powered airplanes that
were desingned for combat, but with all the combat versions of
trainers, that would be useless. SF-260W's come to mind - I forgot
about those. But even then, I think you will find that relatively few
piston engined airplanes are used by third world countries for combat
because AVGAS is getting hard to get and is relatively expensive,
while AVTUR (jetfuel, whatever) is relatively cheap and available.

So Rob, bone up a little on aviation, learn to spell, and quit being
an idiot yourself.

Kirk

On 19 Oct 2003 15:27:03 -0700, (robert arndt) wrote:

Alan Minyard wrote in message . ..
On 19 Oct 2003 10:20:38 -0700, (robert arndt) wrote:

(Kirk Stant) wrote in message . com...
What was the last piston-engined airplane (not aircraft - lets keep
the helo's out of this one) to employ weapons in A/A or A/G combat
(guns, bombs, rockets, nukes, whatever). Where and when?

Just being there doesn't count.

Oh, and it does have to have a pilot on board - so Predators don't
count either!

I'll open with T-28D's in the Phillippines - late 80's.

Kirk

Kirk,

This is an idiotic question since the inventories of many of the
world's poorest Air Forces still use piton-engined aircraft in a
combat role as of 2003. These Air Forces are largely African, South
American, and Asian.
For example you have the Brazilian Tucano/Super Tucano/ALX which still
flies drug interdiction and has fired on Columbian drug runners both
in the air and ground in recent years. The aircraft carry gun pods,
rockets, and home-made Piranha aams.
Second, helos are not aircraft... they are rotorcraft! Sheesh...

Rob

Turboprops do not have pistons.

Helicopters are definitely aircraft, according to every dictionary
that I have.

Al Minyard

My bad, Al. However, for the reason stated in the first paragraph of
my post I still think it is an idiotic question. There are plenty of
true piston-engined a/c in the inventories of the world's AFs that are
still used in the strike mission primarily.
Second, the helicopter is an aircraft by basic definition; however,
most of the military encyclopedias I have been accustomed to further
classify these aircraft as rotorcraft. I think it's pretty common
sense to make a distinction between a helicopter and other "aircraft".
BTW, rotorcraft include: helicopters, gyrocopters, coleopters, etc...
My apologies to the original poster.

No problem, we all make misstakes :-)

Al Minyard

Alan Minyard wrote:

No problem, we all make misstakes :-)

Al Minyard



(Perhaps a better distinction might be 'Fixed wing' or 'Rotary
wing'?).

We'd likely make lest mistakes that way?.
--

-Gord.