Most Badass Military Aircraft?

[PhilDernerJr]

When I think of the toughest military aircraft, I think of not the ones that can just drop a drop or shoot a missile, but the ones that the enemy sees coming and just knows their day is ruined.

What do you think are the most badass aircraft?

I would have to go with an MH-53 Super Stallion. From my reading (correct me, I like learning this stuff) it's about as tough as helicopters can get, and armed with 3 M134 miniguns or M2 .50s cals. Does it get much worse when extracting in a hot LZ? And look how scary they are approaching...


The other I'd pick is the A-10. I also define the "tough aircraft" role as when a helo/plane doesn't have to go Mach 2 in order to get its job done...something that can just stroll through an area and stiff-arm its opponents while delivering a few face slaps. The 30mm gatling gun plus it's other rockets, missiles and bombs would have me changing my diapers if I saw one inbound.

Apaches close in 3rd place in my mind, but I'll let someone else take that one.

What would your nominations be?

[cancidas]

nothin' says Can 'o Whoopass as an AC-130 Spectre! A-10 would be a very close second for me too... only run if you're scared! now as far as your MH-53 goes all i have to say is FAP!! but then there is also the Mi-24.

[PhilDernerJr]

I'm dumb for not putting the Spectre in there. Anything with howitzer on the side certainly gets some added asskickery points.

[gonzalu]

I see your bet and raise you :-) I love the above entries... I submit to you another can o whoop ass

[cancidas]

the ULTIMATE close air support tool...

[Derf]

Any weapon like a B-52 or AC-130 is no good if it blows up 100 miles before the target! The enemy can not even paint an F-14 on its radar when it blows up! That is kickass! It will see you at 200Miles, it will kill you at 80 Miles... End of line

[moose135]

Those are all good choices, and Fred, you've come the closest there...but like the man said:

"Not without a tanker"




Your Can of Whoopass isn't going to get close without one!

[gonzalu]

Now that's true...

[PhilDernerJr]

I don't think any fighter jet would be in this category. I LOVE fighters of course, don't get me wrong, but anything that's that fast in getting in and getting out lacks that level of toughness to me. Can it deliver SERIOUS firepower and blows to the enemy? But fighter jets are a little more "pretty" to me. My favorite military aircraft altogether is the F-16, then F-15, but I'd put niether in the Top 10 of the most badass or toughest. But that's just me.

[Speedbagel_001]

If we can include "fictional" aircraft, I would nominate "Airwolf"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airwolf

[USAF Pilot 07]

Those are all good choices, and Fred, you've come the closest there...but like the man said:

"Not without a tanker"



Your Can of Whoopass isn't going to get close without one!

Ehh, but let's be realistic and include the only jet that can actually get those fighters/bombers and all their stuff to the fight without running out of gas or having to stop and refuel... ;)



and

[Perriwen]

Any weapon like a B-52 or AC-130 is no good if it blows up 100 miles before the target! The enemy can not even paint an F-14 on its radar when it blows up! That is kickass! It will see you at 200Miles, it will kill you at 80 Miles... End of line

That's actually the flaw in the F-14, because 80 miles gives the target ample time to evade (they know they're being tracked.) Which is why every known time the AIM-54 was fired in combat, it missed.

[Derf]

That's actually the flaw in the F-14, because 80 miles gives the target ample time to evade (they know they're being tracked.) Which is why every known time the AIM-54 was fired in combat, it missed.

This is simply not true... The AIM-54 has an excellent record. Better than any other missile fired from an F-14. Too bad that all kills were from Iran! A Phoenix was never fired in an actual engagement from any U.S. Aircraft. The numbers on the Iranian side are available in books published and you can see the info on every Iranian engagement. For so few misslies, they did shoot lots of planes down with them.

The funny part is that the Iranian version was slimmed down with no countermeasures!

[gonzalu]

For fictional, if fictional is allowed, I like Blue Thunder :-) Based on a French Aérospatiale SA 341/SA 342 Gazelle

[jerslice]

Super Stallion & A10