Ok, I am doing some research on the A-37, and trying tofind period pics of the plane in action over in The 'Nam. As such, I am a bit surprised that, in addition to the wingtip fule tanks (totally expected) that they seem to very often have at least 2 of the precious hardpoints dedicated to Fuel tanks as well!
http://www.farfromglory.com/a37_dragonfly.htm (Looks cool dropping 'snakes')
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:OA-37B-1.jpg
here is a GREAT little blurb about using this little jewel in CAS operations/stories about the aircraft. That includes running off of one engine when loitering to save fuel.
We’re going down now, lights out, ” he told the FAC.
“We’re gliding down from altitude completely dark with our throttles pulled all the way back to idle,” he recalled. “It’s pitch black. The VC think everybody’s gone home. They can’t see us. They can’t even hear us. I dove the last 6,000 to the deck and leveled out at 100 feet. But that’s nothing in an A-37.”
Tracers from Russian-made 12.7-mm guns swarmed him as he methodically dispersed cluster bombs from rock-throwing altitude. He laid them in a swath 300 meters long. Flying a racetrack pattern, his wingman followed, also strewing the bomb units.
The ambivalent combatant, whose one request was duty in a non-lethal aircraft, paused for an instant four decades later. “We killed them all,” he continued quietly. “We killed over 200 of them on one run.” Both A-37s climbed away, then returned to take out gun emplacements with hard bombs. “The base was saved,” Martel said, regaining his all-in-a-day’s-work tone. “And we picked up a little medal.” His Silver Star recommendation describes “Outstanding bravery…in the face of the heaviest ground fire anyone has ever received in this area of operations.”
Apparently, the Vietnamese thought alot of it too. here is a pic of a static version on display in Ho Chi Minh City:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AT-37_Dragonfly.JPG
Dude owes me money for a scope - if he ponies up like he said he would, then I am going to 'steal' a bit from it and get this puppy rolling on the way here so I can have on hand on 3/1.
