Which combat aircraft never saw action?
Discussion
Wandering off topic....
Teddy Lop said:
that's a good point. Be a bold man to tell any of Rudolf Andersons family he never saw combat.
It's interesting that Anderson got an Airforce Cross for being killed in his U2, while Powers basically got shunned for surviving and not managing to self destruct his aircraft.Eric Mc said:
Precisely - although funily enough, no F-12 ever had an X prefix, which is normal for the prototype.
In theory its X for an experimental aircraft (X-1, X31, etc), while Y is intended to be a prototype for a future type or competition (YF22/YF23), but then the JSF started life a the X32/X35 which I'd expect to have been Y's. OP said:
3) My definition of "action" is combat (air-to-air or air-to-surface engagement) with a recognised and armed enemy.
It has to be, otherwise a few civilian airliners have unfortunately 'seen action' too.The thread title should perhaps have been 'Which military aircraft never saw combat?'
No, because that would include all of the non combat military aircraft as explained in the OP.
To be honest, we haven't found many so far. Apart from the Draken and Viggen, I think we can agree on Delta Dart, B36 and B47. Any more?
Even some of the others have engaged in combat somewhere or other (eg. Lightning, F5 & Sea Vixen)
To be honest, we haven't found many so far. Apart from the Draken and Viggen, I think we can agree on Delta Dart, B36 and B47. Any more?
Even some of the others have engaged in combat somewhere or other (eg. Lightning, F5 & Sea Vixen)
LotusOmega375D said:
No, because that would include all of the non combat military aircraft as explained in the OP.
To be honest, we haven't found many so far. Apart from the Draken and Viggen, I think we can agree on Delta Dart, B36 and B47. Any more?
Even some of the others have engaged in combat somewhere or other (eg. Lightning, F5 & Sea Vixen)
Supermarine Attacker - fighterTo be honest, we haven't found many so far. Apart from the Draken and Viggen, I think we can agree on Delta Dart, B36 and B47. Any more?
Even some of the others have engaged in combat somewhere or other (eg. Lightning, F5 & Sea Vixen)
Supermarine Swift - fighter (already mentioned)
Supermarine Scimitar - fighter (already mentioned)
Fairey Hendon - bomber still used during WWII but as a home based trainer
Handley Page Hinaidi - bomber
Handley Page Hyderabad - bomber
Vickers Virginia - bomber
Handley Page Heyford - bomber still used as a target tug and in-flight refuelling experiment during WWII
Fairey Fawn - light bomber
Hawker Woodcock - fighter
Avro 549 Aldershot - bomber
Blackburn Dart/Velos - bomber
Gloster Grebe - fighter
Sopwith Dragon - fighter
Ayahuasca said:
FourWheelDrift said:
The Tu-22 Blinder was used in the Iraq/Iran war and the Tu-22M Backfire was used by Russia in Chechnya and South Ossetia.
Damn. I am just left with my Yak38 then. The only time a Grumman F-11 Tiger shot anything down, with the possible exception of any target drones, was when one shot itself down!
"On 21 September 1956, during a test-firing of its 20 mm (.79 in) cannons, pilot Tom Attridge fired two bursts midway through a shallow dive. As the velocity and trajectory of the cannon rounds decayed, they ultimately crossed paths with the Tiger as it continued its descent, disabling it and forcing Attridge to crash-land the aircraft; he survived."
From Grumman_F-11_Tiger
"On 21 September 1956, during a test-firing of its 20 mm (.79 in) cannons, pilot Tom Attridge fired two bursts midway through a shallow dive. As the velocity and trajectory of the cannon rounds decayed, they ultimately crossed paths with the Tiger as it continued its descent, disabling it and forcing Attridge to crash-land the aircraft; he survived."
From Grumman_F-11_Tiger
Edited by GliderRider on Thursday 20th September 21:33
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