OA-1K Skyraider II at SOF week tampa
Posted by Late-Scarcity-6916@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 59 comments
The OA-1K Skyraider was on static display at SOF week tampa. This aircraft is being considered as a replacement to the A-10 I believe. Anyway, what do you guys think of it?
Adjutant_Reflex_@reddit
What do I think? Mind-boggling waste of $3bn.
streetlegalb17@reddit
I would love to hear your explanation
Adjutant_Reflex_@reddit
The originating program grew out of requirements from COIN operations in Iraq and Afghanistan so it has limited/no relevancy in a near-peer fight. It’s entirely reliant on C-5/C-17s operating in a fully permissive environment to get even remotely close to the theater.
Its ceiling is well within the range of basic MANPADs, it’s slow, and it’s got very limited range when fully kitted out.
The program of record has already been slashed by some 30% which will do wonders for the already absurd per unit cost at the full order amount.
If they were going to force this thing through it should’ve pivoted to be a primarily anti-drone loiterer, akin to what we’ve seen in Ukraine, with SOCOM specific needs added later.
OrangeCrusher22@reddit
Appalling might be more appropriate.
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
[removed]
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streetlegalb17@reddit
Weird lookin skyraider— oh it’s a new— uh, wait— no it’s— wtf is that a cropduster
TheModernCurmudgeon@reddit
What is the starboard side control stick for? I see throttle in the usual spot in the pilots left.
TheHamFalls@reddit
That looks like the rear seat, so I'd bet that its used to control thr myriad of sensors this thing has like targeting pods, FLIR, etc. And then there's also a redundant set of flight controls that mirror the front seat.
circleoflight@reddit
Imagine joining the air force as a pilot hoping to fly an F-22 or something but instead you get this.
warm_winds_whisper_@reddit
Getting the Stuka experience in modern day sounds like a hell of a time
malcifer11@reddit
The consensus is that you basically always end up loving what you fly
devildog2067@reddit
Flying this looks like it’d be a ton of fun.
abscissa081@reddit
Hey not everyone can be top of the class
throwsFatalException@reddit
And get the chance to support operators on the ground? Sign me up. That is an awesome mission.
AverageAircraftFan@reddit
Seem good to me
astral1289@reddit
I saw it today after the live demo in the bay. Pretty cool and one of a bunch of cool vehicle concepts.
En4cr@reddit
Super Tucano can do the same thing while looking and performing infinitely better.
This thing will always be a souped up crop duster.
flounderflound@reddit
It's like seeing a "Dodge Charger" with four doors.
DifferentEvent2998@reddit
Sky tractor
Impressive-Yak-7449@reddit
What's "SOF" week in Tampa?
Late-Scarcity-6916@reddit (OP)
A demonstration by u.s. and partner special forces. It happens every year and basically shows off all the new weapons and stuff and a demo by spec ops to save the mayor
Impressive-Yak-7449@reddit
How long they been doing that? I lived there from '97-'12 never heard of it!
Real4WD@reddit
2023
OrangeCrusher22@reddit
How did you get that so wrong?
Late-Scarcity-6916@reddit (OP)
Well I wasn't sure. Hence the "I believe"
OrangeCrusher22@reddit
If you know what it is, then you know that it's a small SOCOM project and not an A-10 replacement.
healablebag@reddit
Who pissed in ur apple juice
OrangeCrusher22@reddit
There's nothing wrong with thinking that people shouldn't deliberately spread bullshit.
Late-Scarcity-6916@reddit (OP)
Dude I wasn't deliberately spreading it and I never said I was right
OrangeCrusher22@reddit
If you know what it is, you know that it isn't (and couldn't be) an A-10 replacement. Despite this, you put still chose to put it out there.
An yet you're
1) Arguing with me instead of just admitting you were wrong
2) Hiding behind semantics to claim that you didn't mean what you said
healablebag@reddit
Could've just corrected him respectfully when you wrote the first comment instead of acting like an asshole. You are right but dudes like you are what give reddit such a bad wrap everywhere else.
SlowDuc@reddit
It’s a replacement for the U-28, not the A-10
Late-Scarcity-6916@reddit (OP)
The draco doesn't carry any weapons though. Right?
ps2sunvalley@reddit
Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t.
SaltyCAPtain1933@reddit
🫣🫣
davidspdmstr@reddit
It is not replacing the A-10. The Skyraider is for low intensity zones were $80 million dollar jet are not needed.
healablebag@reddit
Coin planes like this and the super tucano are just neat.
OrangeCrusher22@reddit
Super Tucano would've been a much better choice; adapting a cropduster for this instead of buying purpose-built is really limiting.
skid_turning_final@reddit
Looks like it might have the same PFD, GTC's, and GFC 500 autopilot the Cirrus I fly has, super neat to see how they incorporated off the shelf avionics into this plane!
JodieFostersFist@reddit
“Per my previous email” mini rocket noises
theireverywhere@reddit
TEMU Archangel
skid_turning_final@reddit
The cockpit looks like it might have the same PFD, GTC’s, and GFC 500 autopilot that the Cirrus I fly in has, neat to see how they took some off the shelf stuff and incorporated it into the plane!
skid_turning_final@reddit
This thing appears to have the same PFD, GTC’s, and GFC 500 in the cockpit as the Cirrus that I fly lol
LockPickingPilot@reddit
takes drag of a cigarette now hear me out. We put rockets on a air tractor
DashTrash21@reddit
Huge rip how about we put in two seats, but the backseat has 3 sticks and a keyboard. Going to corner the farm kid cropduster flight sim nerd market.
clancycoop@reddit
I was gonna say I swear I do small water drops on fires with that thing in MSFS2024.
GTOdriver04@reddit
This thing goes so unbelievably hard. I don’t understand it.
Deer-in-Motion@reddit
Dusty Crophopper Joins the Air Force.
NuclearPopTarts@reddit
For when you positively, absolutely, need to take out those pesky rabbits eating your corn crop.
Blue_Etalon@reddit
I'm a pilot. I can Fly!
star744jets@reddit
Replacing the A10 ??? gimme a break !!! Thia aircraft couldn’t kill a limping Dodo..
powerpuffpepper@reddit
Do you really think the A-10 kills things with its gun still?
Late-Scarcity-6916@reddit (OP)
Well I'm pretty sure 30mm Armor-Piercing Incendiary rounds being fired at ~mach 3 are killing things
MarshallKrivatach@reddit
Did so during the Sandy flight to extract that F-15 pilot and is currently doing so in both Iraq and Iran, so yes.
SlowDuc@reddit
It’s not an A-10 replacement. It’s a U-28 replacement.
AverageAircraftFan@reddit
Missiles kill tanks, not guns. As proven time and time again
airport-codes@reddit
I am a bot.
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Late-Scarcity-6916@reddit (OP)
bad bot