Mike Marron wrote:
(Kirk Stant) wrote:


Just for fun, off the top of your heads, which post-WW2 combat
aircraft (any country) have NOT been used in their intended roles in
an actual shooting war (or police action, or soccer riot, or whatever
it's called these days)?


And why?


Some ROE:


1. Combat aircraft means it was designed or modified to employ
air-to-air or air-to-ground/ship/boat weapons.


2. Combat means someone was activily shooting back (or really wanted
to) while the aircraft was performing it's mission.


3. Let's leave out recce, that just gets too complicated!
Could be wrong, but here goes:

B-36, B-47, F-84F, F-89, F-106, F-101, F-86D, F-94C, Saab Draken, Saab
29, F-4D Skyray, F7U Cutlass, F9F (swept-wing) Cougar, Gloster
Javelin, Avro Vulcan, Handley Page Victor, Supermarine Scimitar, Fiat
G.91, English Electric Lightning, Dassault Mirage IV, Saab Viggen,
Sukhoi Su-15, Shin Meiwa, Alpha Jet, Folland Gnat, BAe Hawk, Fuji
T1F2, Supermarine Swift, Tupolov Tu-22, Tupulov Tu-26, B-58 Hustler,
Tupolov Tu-16, North American B-45, Hawker Firebrand, Tupolov Tu-20,
Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer, Hawker Sea Vixen, deHavilland Venom,
McDonnell F2H-4 Banshee, North American FJ-4B Fury, deHavilland
Vampire, Yakolev Yak-25A, Dassault Ouragen, McDonnell FH-1
Phantom, Hawker Sea Fury, Grumman F7F Tigercat, McDonnell
F3H Demon, Supermarine Attacker...


Yep.

OK RAF V Bombers
Vulcan dropped bombs on the Airfield at Port Stanley (Falklands '82).
Valiant dropped bombs during the Suez Crisis in '56. Both involved
AA so both are out. Canberra also bombed during Suez.

The Victor was used as a Tanker in Falkland's and Gulf War I but I
don't think it ever actually dropped bombs on anyone.
Tanker Missions not Combat missions so....

Attacker - Korea.
Sea Fury Korea, Malaya Suez.
Gnat Indian/Pakistan wars. (Local Licensed version but...)
Vampire / Venom used in different colonial wars in late 40's and 50's.
Venom at least stood Cap during Suez.
Buccaneer Lased and Dropped during Desert Storm.



I will stick with Javelin and Sea Vixen as being in.

Swift / Scimitar. Not sure about.
Firebrand - was this operational ?
Lightning - I think the Saudi's still had some on strength during Desert
Storm but operational ? Not sure if these got a shot in during the
"tanker War's". UK Lightning's did not get a combat shot.

Ouragen Used by Isreal in Combat. Not sure if the French used them
during Suez.
Hawk - Trainer not a combat jet so should not be here.
Alpha Jet - Deployed by the French over Bosnia etc. Not sure if they
actually dropped ordinance or not.

Need a list of what was used in "The Malay crisis", (dh Hornet Avro
Lincoln scored there for a start) Korea, (Sea Fury, Meteor, Vampire &
others)Suez, (Valiant, Canberra, Sperrin (? V-Bomber predesesor anyway)
+ a good mix of post war French kit.

Congo ? Some weird stuff was used on both sides during those battles.
I think the Portuguese G.91's may have been used in anger somewhere but
recall is hazy.