Originally Posted by
sandiego89
I would call the A-6 "similar" to the Buccaneer in several aspects, and actually quite close in size, performance, weights... . As going down the "best" debate always seems to go in circles, I think it best to say both were successful and capable.
Well I should have been a bit more concise - I was not talking about size/weights - more about the fairly uniquely high wing-loading (for high speed low level performance) and BLC control (landing take-performance). Most contemporary BLC designs with high wing loading were interceptors (eg Starfighter). I would say the A-5 was probably closest in that it was as it was a carrier-based nuclear strike aircraft with blown flaps - but a totally different delta wing. Sovbloc experimented with BLC but only for interceptors. The A-6 was similar size and layout as the Bucc but not a particularly adventurous design. Anyway, the Bucc was brilliant and I am not having anything else compared to it:-)