The Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, needless to say, made a huge splash in the Gulf War and became a renowned attack plane. Today, I'm going to talk about the YA-9, its competitor from the same program. Its performance was not inferior to the A-10, and it was easier to control, yet it ultimately failed the competition. Why did it fail? Was there some inside story, or did the A-10 influence the US Air Force's choice in certain aspects?

Reasons for Its Creation

The YA-9 was an attack aircraft developed by Northrop in the 1960s for the US Air Force's AX (Attack Experimental) program. Its purpose was to be a dedicated attack aircraft specifically for close air support and anti-tank missions. The design background was the peak of the early Cold War era, aimed at countering the massive armored clusters deployed by the Warsaw Pact in Eastern Europe. The US Air Force's main attack aircraft at the time, the A-7 Corsair II and the A-1 Skyraider, lacked sufficient survivability or anti-tank firepower to handle this threat, which led to the birth of the Air Force's AX program.

The YA-9 adopted a conventional twin-engine aerodynamic layout. Its two engines were mounted high on the fuselage (shoulder-mounted). This placement made maintenance easier due to proximity to the fuselage and reduced the risk of engine ingestion of foreign objects from the ground. Disadvantages included the potential for exhaust to be locked onto by infrared-guided missiles and issues if one engine failed.

The cockpit was surrounded by thick titanium alloy armor, capable of withstanding hits from small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery and light weapons. Its critical systems featured multiple redundant designs; even if some systems were damaged, it could maintain control and return to base. The wide spacing between the shoulder-mounted engines reduced the risk of one damaged engine causing failure in the other, leading to loss of control. The fuel tanks were filled with fire-retardant foam to reduce the risk of fire and explosion if hit.

For armament, it was originally planned to be equipped with the 30mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon—a gun specifically designed to penetrate the top armor of armored targets. However, as it wasn't ready initially, the 20mm M-61 Vulcan cannon was used instead. It had ten weapon hardpoints capable of carrying various ordnance including bombs, rockets, and air-to-ground missiles, giving it a quite extensive firepower configuration.

Performance Parameters and Reasons for Losing the Competition

The YA-9 attack aircraft was 16.3 meters long, 5.4 meters high, with a wingspan of 17.4 meters. Its empty weight was 10.5 tons, and its maximum takeoff weight was 18.9 tons. Its maximum flight speed exceeded 800 km/h. The YA-9 was an excellent aircraft with no obvious shortcomings, and its stable and reliable capabilities met the Air Force's bidding requirements. However, the Air Force ultimately chose the A-10 attack aircraft for several reasons.
Why did the US Air Force choose the A-10 attack aircraft? Because the A-10 not only met the Air Force's bidding requirements but also exceeded the performance of the YA-9. Compared to the A-10, which was a far surpassingly innovative design exceeding expectations, the YA-9 was a conventional design that merely met expectations. The choice was also influenced by test pilot evaluations and the specific needs of the US Air Force.
Below are the in-game controls
Activate1: Open canopy
Activate2: Open speed brakes (controlled by roll input) (recommended for use with Brake during landing)
Trim: Flaps
This is my first time writing this article. There might be inaccuracies or errors. Please feel free to point them out in the comments section. Thank you all, and I wish you happy gaming!