From Crop Duster to Attack Aircraft

[Ben]

I thought this was pretty interesting. A new CAS (or CAS-like) aircraft for SOCOM. An L3 Harris / Air Tractor joint effort to create the Skyraider II. SOCOM tried to do something similar with Lake Seawolf Amphibians years ago, but this looks like a much better effort.

https://youtu.be/QluMl9gI0WM

EDIT: Reading more about it, these are some really cool multi-mission aircraft. A civilian version costs $2 million new, and these are $40 million a pop. If I SWAG that a militarized airframe, hardpoints, etc. would run maybe $10 million, they have put a ton of money into bleeding edge ISTAR stuff.

[BobR]

Air Tractor also makes a Fire Boss version that we would see on fires anywhere in the NW there was a lake they could pull water from. They use a float system and scoop out of the lakes, drop on the fire and keep doing that circle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWp8CQdWVDU

On another note, if I were an investing person I would take a very hard look at L3 Harris. because the amount of military stuff they do is pretty large. Back in the day they were the ones refitting P3s for specialized missions. I am pretty sure they are still doing things like that.

bob

[Kingcreek]

That makes a lot of sense. Short take off and landing and they can carry a lot of weight. And they can radius turn almost on a wingtip.

[Hawkmoon]

Seeing that dude bouncing around while talking drove me nuts. It was a struggle to watch to the end of the video.

[Ben]

On another note, if I were an investing person I would take a very hard look at L3 Harris. because the amount of military stuff they do is pretty large. Back in the day they were the ones refitting P3s for specialized missions. I am pretty sure they are still doing things like that.

bob

They are definitely the king in that space. I have to say that I kinda laughed when I saw the Skyball on an Air Tractor. It's kinda like if you put a laser aiming module on a lever action. 

On a total tangent, I recently read that L3 is pulling all their filmless gen3 NOD modules from the civilian market and making them only for the military now. I guess due to high demand in that space.

[dogmush]

Yep, they are. 

Honestly,  having used both Elbit is 95% as good, cheaper, and will actually deal with you as a customer.

L3Harris warranty support makes HK seem like concierge service.

[Boomhauer]

This kind of idea has been kicked around for fifty years at this point. First there was the Cavalier Turbo Mustang III/later Piper PA-48 Enforcer, then later the idea was revived using crop duster airframes and that’s been kicked around for a while too. It’s about time it finally comes to fruition

[230RN]

I seem to recall from a couple of years ago that the Norks were buying every AN-2 they could find and refitting them for battle.  Easy pilot training, for one thing, low radar image, and other reasons as cited above.

[WLJ]

AN-2 is one of those aircraft that refuses to die.