Outstanding aircraft types that didn't see combat

[sycamore]

Ast56,please refer to my #11 ref the F4D Skyray....

[Asturias56]

Originally Posted by sycamore;11561 958

Ast56,please refer to my #11 ref the F4D Skyray....

If we're talking first USN supersonic aircraft it seems to be somewhat uncertain - Googling it gets claims for the F4D, the F7U, the F8U & the F11

Seems to depend on how you define it - level flight/dive/first flight/ first supersonic flight/first in service

I quoted Bill Gunston who's normally quite reliable.

Not a big worry 80 years on TBH

[BEagle]

Perhaps the rather astonishing Westland Welkin?

I'm told that there was one at the Westland facility at RAF Merryfield after the war....along with a Hamilcar X.

[Self loading bear]

Bolkow Bo-105 was an outstanding helicopter but not used in combat?

[Quemerford]

Originally Posted by Self loading bear

Bolkow Bo-105 was an outstanding helicopter but not used in combat?

Given that there is/was one in use by the Ukraine military, I think it has been, if not elsewhere.

[MAC 40612]

Originally Posted by Quemerford

Given that there is/was one in use by the Ukraine military, I think it has been, if not elsewhere.

Originally Posted by Self loading bear

Bolkow Bo-105 was an outstanding helicopter but not used in combat?

Iraqi Air Force had a number delivered in the late 1970s that were used in combat.

[Deaf]

Originally Posted by CoodaShooda

The CAC “Avon” Sabre and the Mirage III O would fit the bill, I think.

CAC Sabre - One RAAF mission (Firedog?) in Malaya during Emergency

[pr00ne]

Originally Posted by radar101

The Supermarine Swift F1

Very strange application of the term outstanding...

[Asturias56]

as in "Infamous"

[Quemerford]

So we've had B-36, B-47, B-58, Skyray but (IIRC) nothing else that fully fits the bill. Did I miss any?

And is it a coincidence that they are all US designs?

[Quemerford]

Oh how about FJ-3 or FJ-4/4B? The latter was the final and best evolution of the F-86 design philosophy. FJ-3Ms were on standby during the Lebanon Crisis and FJ-4/4Bs deployed to Taiwan but I can't recall any action for either.

[Allan Lupton]

How about the de Havilland Sea Vixen?

[kenparry]

Outstanding mainly for the duration of its development period

[Doctor Cruces]

Originally Posted by Quemerford

So we've had B-36, B-47, B-58, Skyray but (IIRC) nothing else that fully fits the bill. Did I miss any?

And is it a coincidence that they are all US designs?

Not really. We Brits were involved in various hostilities from the end of WW2 until today so most of our our combat types saw service worldwide.

[Quemerford]

Originally Posted by Doctor Cruces

Not really. We Brits were involved in various hostilities from the end of WW2 until today so most of our our combat types saw service worldwide.

I'm sure many from across the pond would see Korea and Vietnam in a different light without the Berlin, Cuba (missile and Bay of Pigs), Pueblo, Grenada, Libya and goodness knows how many other Crises even being considered. Plus the many PQ4M, U-2, RB-29 (and other) shootdowns whilst "not being at war".

[Muddy Paws]

F104? Certainly would count as outstanding!

[treadigraph]

USAF F-104s saw limited combat in Vietnam and the Pakistan AF certainly used theirs against the Indian AF.

[Asturias56]

several Russian types never saw war service IIRC

[Brewster Buffalo]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

USAF F-104s saw limited combat in Vietnam .....

In Vietnam there were 8 combat losses - 7 to AA or SAMs and 1 to a MiG19 - but no kills. Surprisingly it was used for close air support sometimes...

[Muddy Paws]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

USAF F-104s saw limited combat in Vietnam and the Pakistan AF certainly used theirs against the Indian AF.

Vietnam, of course. Didn't realise Pakistan had them.