A-29 Super Tucano Wins Air Force Bid for Light Air Support Mission (Updated at 1100-31December2011)

The Brazilians got the deal. Hawker Beechcraft is going to court and all to stop this as they got left out of the process. Hard to believe since most of the IAM&AW rank and file there voted overwhelmingly for the current administration. I was working there at the time.

And Hawker Beechcraft is in some trouble, two of the small jet lines are not shut down but not building anythng. The King Air is at half the rate it was when I was there.

That being said, I think the Super Tucano is a better platform for what is needed. The AT-6 is a trainer with hard points. The Super Tucano is a derived from the original trainer but is a larger, more powerful aircraft. I am trying to be objective here, folks. Combat Airplanes have made up a significant part of my adult life. Even now, I am a crew chief on F-16's at Edwards AFB.

The final assembly for these A-29s will be in Jacksonville FL on the old NAS Cecil Field.
Now for the caveat as it were. Seems that some time back I read an article on Air Attack, I do believe that had Brazil buying a fair number of McDonnell Douglas F/A-18E & F aircraft for their Air Force. This is good for the folks in Saint Louis should it come to fruition.

But here is the article from MSN Money on it. There are all kinds of articles on the net about this and I am sure we haven't heard the last of it by any stretch.
http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=PR&Date=20111230&ID=14656335

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer_EMB_314_Super_Tucano#Specifications_.28EMB_314.29

http://www.hawkerbeechcraft.com/military_and_special_mission/light_attack.aspx This link has no specifications on the AT-6.
I also have an ex son in law at Hawker Beechcraft. He pays support for my eldest grand daughter. I understand the ramifications of the situation all to well.

AT-6 Artist's Conception

EMB-314(A-29) Super Tucano.

I think the Army would have liked to have a hand in this. I think there are infantry company commanders who would like to have such aircraft at their disposal in combat situations. The fast movers do have all that neat techno blasting stuff. I see the test munitions and the systems engineers every day. But the favorite close support aircraft of the grunts tends to be the A-10. It does it very well, kill the bad guy that is.

I hope I have maintained some objectivity on this. I always remind myself that the F4 went into service over the F8U-3 for having two guys and two engines even though the Crusader out flew it.

This link has some new info at Aero News. I saw it a while ago. Figured it was appropriate to add it in as I am trying to be objective in this fracas.

http://www.aero-news.net/subsite.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=bf570077-b074-45fb-ada7-bed1955d0747