A-4 vs A7 comparison/ opinions?

[Tecumseh 0]

Looking for a cost effective attack aircraft for my next nexxt mercenary adventure. I've just come from Flying Thuds in Europe and am thinking of giving a smaller aircraft a try. Since I'm at work and can't take them up right now I thought I'd ask for y'alls thoughts on these two types, which you prefer to fly and fight in and which you feel is more survivable.

 

We're not sure where we'll be fluiong, but I'd put my money on the desert somwhere in oil country.

[DWCAce 19]

Go with the SLUFF!

[MAKO69 186]

I would go with the A-4 . The SLUFF was that, a great bomb rig not a good dueler. With the A-4 K Kahu and the A/F-4 Fightinghawk that can swing between A-A and A-G. If you want a smaller plane to drop a lot of sh_t take the A-7 (turn in a SLUFF yu go even SLUFFER) if you want to have fun take a Scooter. Scooters are always fun like fat girls just don't let your friends catch you on 1.

Go with the SLUFF!

Edited December 30, 2008 by MAKO69

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

SLUFF...

 

More bang for your buck and it is related to the Crusader, you can't go wrong there...

[+Dave 2,322]

Man the universal question. Its like asking "How do you figure out what a woman wants?" Or is there really a bigfoot? Or does life exist on other planets? This is a serious question indeed.

 

Lets looks as the evidence.

 

The A-4:

Reliable, A pretty good bomb truck. Can dogfight if needed.

 

The A-7:

Faster cruise speed (and overall speed), Hell of a bomb truck. Not much of a dogfighter.

 

Wow this is tough. the SLUFF vs Heinemann's Hot Rod. Both would be a tough campaign to fly. I am going to with the A-4. Classic aircraft.

[Viper6 3]

I think that it would depend on the missions you'll be doing A2A, A2G or both? there are pro's and con's to both. A-4 is a better turner while the A-7

can carry more weight and is faster. it comes down to you will be doing

[Airmax 0]

A-4: Sports car flying

 

A-7: Big ass Truck with payload!!

 

Tough call, guess it depends on what your planning, both should get the job done in CAS,STRIKE,ANTISHIP,RECON Missions. But in an unplanned dogfight, the A-4 has a much better chance in a turning match then the A-7.

cheers

[Tecumseh 0]

Yes it is a tough decision. But as commander of this unit I have to make it. So I have decided on.....

 

Both.

 

I'm just gonna start 2 campaigns one for the Sluff, and one for the Scooter!

 

This is so much better than real life where you actually have to decide on just one girl..per theatre of operations anyway!

[charlielima 328]

No Brainer. The 10 to 15 pound overwieght girl with the sparkling eyes that can't keep them off you.

Scooters or sluffs? Ah um, well. Scooters then. A few years ago we had Alpha 4s pounding the pattern here at Palmdale. More then I saw in the Navy in the 80s. The word at the watering hole was that they were A-4Ds hauled out of Davis Monthanan, stripped down to bare metal and totaly rebuilt with really bitchin' avionics for Argentina. Alot of the guys on the project that never seen them before were pretty stoked about the condition and construction of the scooters. Flyable, Upgradable, and Exportable.

:ph34r: CL

[Thog10 0]

If MF's A-7E is a possibility, I would have to go with it. The Echo's avionics give you excellent ground-pounding ability. If not, probably the scooter. I do like having the late model A-4s that let you know where the SAM sites are, and they make a pretty good dogfighter as long as you can keep up your energy.

[column5 63]

I'm biased but the CCIP and HUD in the A-7D/E would make the decision easy for me.

 

[Icarus999 70]

In my mind it is a contest between the A7E and the A-4M/(which we don't have yet) or the slightly less capable OA-4M. It's a hard choice for me, I love them both. For now I am going to go with the A-7E because It caries a heavier load and puts it right on target. If we had the A-4M however I would accept it's reduced load capacity with out a care do to the fact that the scooter is such pure joy to fly and it weapons system was deadly accurate. Triplethr3at's OA-4M is one of my favorite planes now and I have been bombing the crap out of everything with it . I am really looking forward to flying an A-4M in this sim in the future.

[zmatt 2]

I have to go with the A-4. I don't like relying on escorts to cover my tail. I have been able to fight off MIGs in A-4s before. But every time I have tried to go A2A in a SLUFF I get smoked.

[+suhsjake 11]

I love the Scooter. I would choose the Scooter over the SLUFF any day.

[Lt. James Cater 62]

If it was purely for strike missions i'd go with the A-7 with no hesitation.

[ironroad 218]

"How do you figure out what a woman wants?"

 

That's easy,

 

however the scooter vs sluff requires careful thought.

 

To add on what most of the here have already said, not sure which version of the A-4 you will be flying (sidewinders anyone?)

 

The A-7 carried Aim-9s operationally for last ditch self defense, if your goal is bomb a lot of stuff, do interdiction, and ironhand, the A-7 is your plane hands down. It can carry just about anything in the inventory and well ahead of its time in avionics.

 

Personally, I never dogfight in the A-4 or A-7. If flying either plane the most I will do is use the A-4's maneuverability to try and shake them off and head for the weeds, although it is not to hard to get your nose up on a turning enemy right before you bleed speed.

 

A-7, punch off the two winders, hope one hits, and run as low as I can. If it is a late model sidewinder, there is a good chance for a hit.

[+Jug 99]

If it was purely for strike missions i'd go with the A-7 with no hesitation.

Right on the money. Do you want to move dirt or shoot down bad guys? A-7 carries more dirt moving stuff and wins on the dirt-moving subject. A-4 is a better dogfighter?? Depends on the version. The never-built, but really hot A-7F is better at both. The Israeli version of the Scooter, probably better than the latest US version.

 

Gets back to the basic argument, what you have military aircraft for. Hate to pop the bubble, but moving dirt is the job. Painting kill marks on your jet is fun, but does not achieve any but a small part of your mission objectives. If your task is extended artillery, then get the jet with the best capability to do just that. A-7, hands down.

[zmatt 2]

My only problem with the A-7 is it does a bad job of staying alive. What is the point of moving dirt if your dirt movers die before they get there? The A-4 is able to save it's own tail most of the time. And not many targets require more than three or four bombs anyways. And if it does, that's what flights of multiple aircraft are for.

[WLJet 1]

Yes it is a tough decision. But as commander of this unit I have to make it. So I have decided on.....

 

Both.

 

I'm just gonna start 2 campaigns one for the Sluff, and one for the Scooter!

 

This is so much better than real life where you actually have to decide on just one girl..per theatre of operations anyway!

 

Actually if you're flying the Mercs using SFP1/SFG for the campaign, you can have both within the same campaign. Just start off with one type and once accumulated enough money (or perhaps make adjustment to the amount of money you have at the start) buy the other type for your Mercs Wing. That way depending on the mission profile you can fly the A-4 if some dogfighting is expected or A-7 if more intensive bombing required.

[MigBuster 2,884]

Depends what version - I guess the A-7E would be best with CCIP - however in this series with the better AI you can just swing around and shoot down any MiGs in the A-4

[HotNess 2]

Man the universal question. Its like asking "How do you figure out what a woman wants?" Or is there really a bigfoot? Or does life exist on other planets? This is a serious question indeed.

 

thats easy...as a woman..we want everything,and wont stop till we get it...

 

A-7 everytime

 

xx v xx

[+Crusader 2,101]

Eyyy... Four !!!!

 

Just feels better for a Merc.... old kites, second hand.... is smaller... cheaper to operate than that big Corsair...

Can use Walleyes for bunker busting.. or a stick of Snakeyes for almost everything else....

 

[markkyle66 0]

I'd take the A4 "Hienemans Hot-Rod" any day over the sluff. Fact is, the A-4 is a much better plane in ACM... it was chosen to be an adversary aircraft for a reason! It also moves mud with the best of 'em. Here is some food for thought. One of my teachers, former VA-146 CAG noted that it takes the A-7 a full 20 seconds for the engine to spool to mill-power. It's noted for being somewhat sluggish in performance, but there is no better plane for SEAD/STRIKE type work in the Navy's arsenal. Comes down to what trade offs you were looking for I guess. But I wouldn't want to be in the A-7 when dealing with RedAir

[macelena 1,070]

erm... f/a-18 miniphantom?

Edited December 30, 2008 by macelena

[column5 63]

My only problem with the A-7 is it does a bad job of staying alive.

 

In Vietnam the A-7 had one of the best safety records of any aircraft. I'd have to check my sources but I think on a per sortie basis fewer were lost than any other type of strike aircraft.