The AX Competition (rivals and development of the Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II)

On18 December 1970, Robert Channing Seamans Jr., Secretary of the Air Force, announced the selection of Fairchild Hiller Corporation and the Northrop Corporation out of six companies – Fairchild Hiller Corporation, the Boeing Company, Northrop Corporation, Cessna Aircraft Company, General Dynamics Corporation, and Lockheed Aircraft Corporation – as the contractors for the competitive prototype phrase of the A-X Program. Roughly a year-and-a-half later, two aircraft took their first flight at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, California, in competitive flight evaluation testing when Fairchild’s A-10 took its first flight on 10 May 1972 and Northrop’s A-9 took its first flight twenty days later.

In the 1970s, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command History Office wrote a three-part study on the development to production of the Fairchild-Hiller A-10 Warthog. This volume, “A Birth of a Hog,” is the compiled three studies along with the original photographs and additional historical photographs to add to the historical context of the studies.

Link to PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ryVH056qEskPkgDZmTWC4zB2FUcbtxQT/view?usp=sharing
 

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On18 December 1970, Robert Channing Seamans Jr., Secretary of the Air Force, announced the selection of Fairchild Hiller Corporation and the Northrop Corporation out of six companies – Fairchild Hiller Corporation, the Boeing Company, Northrop Corporation, Cessna Aircraft Company, General Dynamics Corporation, and Lockheed Aircraft Corporation – as the contractors for the competitive prototype phrase of the A-X Program. Roughly a year-and-a-half later, two aircraft took their first flight at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, California, in competitive flight evaluation testing when Fairchild’s A-10 took its first flight on 10 May 1972 and Northrop’s A-9 took its first flight twenty days later.

In the 1970s, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command History Office wrote a three-part study on the development to production of the Fairchild-Hiller A-10 Warthog. This volume, “A Birth of a Hog,” is the compiled three studies along with the original photographs and additional historical photographs to add to the historical context of the studies.

Link to PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ryVH056qEskPkgDZmTWC4zB2FUcbtxQT/view?usp=sharing
That's a great primary source, thanks for sharing it! I added the PDF to the original post.
 
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On18 December 1970, Robert Channing Seamans Jr., Secretary of the Air Force, announced the selection of Fairchild Hiller Corporation and the Northrop Corporation out of six companies – Fairchild Hiller Corporation, the Boeing Company, Northrop Corporation, Cessna Aircraft Company, General Dynamics Corporation, and Lockheed Aircraft Corporation – as the contractors for the competitive prototype phrase of the A-X Program. Roughly a year-and-a-half later, two aircraft took their first flight at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, California, in competitive flight evaluation testing when Fairchild’s A-10 took its first flight on 10 May 1972 and Northrop’s A-9 took its first flight twenty days later.

In the 1970s, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command History Office wrote a three-part study on the development to production of the Fairchild-Hiller A-10 Warthog. This volume, “A Birth of a Hog,” is the compiled three studies along with the original photographs and additional historical photographs to add to the historical context of the studies.

Link to PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ryVH056qEskPkgDZmTWC4zB2FUcbtxQT/view?usp=sharing
That's a great primary source, thanks for sharing it! I added the PDF to the original post.
Thanks, Paul!
 
A cleaned-up version of pictures seen earlier in this topic:

1°) The first Convair design reminds me of the much earlier OS-117 proposal for the Navy.
2°) No mention of the Vought V-502 in the report. It might have been dropped at an early stage in the competition.

Enjoy!
Just think of how complex the whole synchronization gear for the Convair A-X proposal would be!
 
These were found on the internet. No confirmation of authenticity...

During the summer of 1967, tests were conducted in the Langley 7- by 10-Foot High-Speed Tunnel on designs submitted by Grumman, Northrop, McDonnell, and General Dynamics. In 1970, the requirements for the A-X mission were changed, and the Air Force issued a new request for proposals (RFP). Six companies responded to the RFP


The Grumman design must be from the 1967 period, as they did not respond to the 1970 RFP
Was there any designation to their proposal?
 
Good Day All -

Found these two sketches in the Robert Kemp Collection on the SDASM Flickr which seem to be AX designs.

Enjoy the Day! Mark
Are we sure these two sketches are legit? In both the ejection seat triangles are drawn upside down.

robert-kemp-artwork-sdasm-1-jpg.616479


robert-kemp-artwork-sdasm-2-jpg.616480


The sketches are AX trade studies where Convair made a turboprop and turbofan design to show the Air Force a turbofan design could be competitive for the AX mission.

Convair Trade Study - Jet.jpg
Convair Trade Study - Turboprop.jpg

Source: Robert E. Bradley, Convair Advanced Designs II.
 
From Close Air Support,Hearing 1971.
 

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