Check this thing out. Not quite a brrrrrtt, but still pretty neat.

metrag06 said:

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Love the Mosquito but for an A-10 comparison I think the Il-2 Shturmovik wins the prize.

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Agree, the Typhoon belongs in that conversation, too. As for modern comparisons to the Mosquito, perhaps the F-15E as a long-range, high-speed, maneuverable, versatile fighter-bomber?

The best modern comparison to a Mosquito is the F-15E.

The WWII versions of the A-10 were the IL-2s, Typhoons and Tempests.

The P-47 was more like an F-15, another jack of all trades.

Little known fact . the F-111 killed more tanks in the '91 Gulf War that any other aircraft.

I would like to add two aircraft not mentioned; the Ju-88 and the FW 190.

Both had a considerable number of variants to address specific needs.

b-25 with eight .50 cal in the nose

CanyonAg77 said:

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b-25 with eight .50 cal in the nose

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H model had a 75mm canon in the nose plus copious number of 50 calls. Used exclusively in the PTO against Japanese shipping.

Another famous ground attack aircraft was the Hawker Hurricane. Like the Mosquito, much of the aircraft was wood, which proved very flexible and able to absorb a lot of damage. It accounted for the most German aircraft losses during the Battle of Britain and was fitted as a tank buster in North Africa with 4 x 20 mm cannon. And the Mosquito itself was fitted with a 57 mm gun for anti ship work in the North Sea. Say what one will about the Brits, but their aircraft were great equalizers in strike operations. Bombers? Meh.

Edit to correct armament: it was 2 x 40 mm cannon on the tank buster version of the Hurricane. During the Battle of Britain they would go head on against a German bomber formation knowing that each Hurricane would fire its 8 machine guns at undergunned bombers, almost guaranteeing a kill with the goal of splitting the formation. One Hurricane actually was out of ammo when tailing a bomber, so he clipped the enemy's tail with his wing, shearing off the entire tail section in the process. The Hurricane then flew home.

Rabid Cougar said:

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CanyonAg77 said:

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b-25 with eight .50 cal in the nose

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H model had a 75mm canon in the nose plus copious number of 50 calls. Used exclusively in the PTO against Japanese shipping.

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The original strafer mods were exclusive to the Southwest Pacific and the 5th Air Force, commanded by Gen. George Kenney. They were done in theater, and were the brainchild(ren) of an officer by the name of Major "Pappy" Gunn.

There's a book about Major Gunn for sale on Amazon - written by none other than Gen. Kenney.

My dad was one of the squadron commanders of the 501st and flew the B-25. He loved that plane. In the 8th grade I went to the USAFA with Mom and Dad for a reunion of the 345 Bomb Group - The Air Apaches. That was an experience I've never forgotten.

Love this scene. Don't really know if the P-51 was a tank buster - but I know it was a game changer in the bomber war when they were going into Germany.

Hey Nav said:

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Love this scene. Don't really know if the P-51 was a tank buster - but I know it was a game changer in the bomber war when they were going into Germany.

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They weren't. They were very vulnerable to ground fire due to their liquid cooled engine. Not to say that P-51's on bomber escort duty did not hunt for targets of opportunity on their way home, which they did quiet frequently.
They were used extensively in the Jabo (fighter bomber) role in Korea, which still has me scratching my head.