A-37 Dragonfly
In the skies over Vietnam, heavy fighter-bombers were being used as attack aircraft, despite their extreme upkeep and training costs. The USAF sought a light, cheap attack aircraft that could still carry a signiifcant payload.
An unlikely solution came from Cessna, who proposed a modification of their T-37 Tweet Trainer. The light twinjet tandem-cockpit trainer proved an effective bomb and rocket truck in its service through the 60’s and 70’s over Vietnam, and as a COIN aircraft in other forces around the world.