Convair "D/STOL IV" Army ground support fighter, 1961

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Convair design from May 1961 for a ground support fighter for the US Army. Configuration was labelled "D/STOL IV." This is one of many preliminary design drawings recently rescued from the shredder, declassified, and approved for public release. codeonemagazine.com will be featuring more of them in a special gallery in the near future.

From Code One Magazine Facebook

 

[LowObservable]

The radar is included to boost employment at Westinghouse or to heat hotdogs on the ramp, because I cannot think of anything else you would need it for.

 

[hesham]

Great find my dear Paul,


and also new,because it didn't mention in in both Tony Butler American Secret Project books.

 

[Mike Pryce]

The radar is included to boost employment at Westinghouse or to heat hotdogs on the ramp, because I cannot think of anything else you would need it for.

Ranging for the guns?

 

[GTX]

Are there any further pictures?

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Not yet, but it seems Eric Hehs has got a bunch of similar stuff declassified for posting on Code One website.

 

[GTX]

Thanks - will look forward to seeing more of this one.

 

[Madurai]

The radar is included to boost employment at Westinghouse or to heat hotdogs on the ramp, because I cannot think of anything else you would need it for.

Terrain following springs immediately to mind. All-weather operation fits in with the 1961 picture of CAS.

 

[Michel Van]

I wound be not surprised if this Jet looks like one seater Alpha Jet

 

[jsport]

The radar is included to boost employment at Westinghouse or to heat hotdogs on the ramp, because I cannot think of anything else you would need it for.

see this is what is meant by cultural bias against ground forces so prevalant in the F-35 community.

 

[Manuducati]

I wound be not surprised if this Jet looks like one seater Alpha Jet

But with straight wings and single engine. So, more like the FMA IA-63 Pucara.

 

[Scott Kenny]

The radar is included to boost employment at Westinghouse or to heat hotdogs on the ramp, because I cannot think of anything else you would need it for.

Terrain Following/terrain avoidance, weather radar, gun ranging, all sorts of things come to mind.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

do you see how a similarity of this design with Lockheed CL-1622 ?!,

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/lockheed-cl-1622-1977-v-stol-strike-fighter.18053/