After much burnout from making not-replicas, I decided to start YET ANOTHER series of aircraft, this time on fictional aircraft designed to fit in with real life history and such. This is the result of tha initia idea, the Vought A8U/A-8 Vindicatrix.

Description
In the late 1950s, the United States Navy wanted a high subsonic attack aircraft to replace its aging fleet of A-1 Skyraiders (not that it mattered since they were somewhat effective in Vietnam) and so contracted various companies to create a replacement. While Douglas submitted the rather conventional A-4 Skyhawk and Grumman had the A-6 Intruder, Vought had something else in mind. They created the A8U (later redesignated A-8 in accordance with the Tri-Service designation system) Vindicatrix which had design commonality with their F-8 Crusader fighter. Curiously, it had a variable-sweep wing not seen in any production aircraft at this era which aided in decreasing takeoff speed and increasing maximum cruising speed at the cost of cheap and quick maintenance. Despite these disadvantages, the Vindicatrix took its first flight in late 1959 with production starting in 1962. A-8s would be used by the US Navy and Marine Corps throughout the Vietnam War, and pilots found the aircraft to be incredibly maneuverable after dispensing their payload which proved handy when they found themselves being ambushed by North Vietnamese MiGs. In 1975, 500 A-8s (out of 1200 produced in total) were ordered for service in the US Air Force's Tactical Air Command and Air National Guard, while 100 more units were bought by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. After conducting further air operations in Libya and the Persian Gulf, the A-8 was finally retired from USAF and USN in mid-1999 once the F-16 and F/A-18 took over its role, with the UK following suit later that year.

Features
•Variable-geometry wing for STOL capability and increased dogfighting performance
•Four 20mm cannons, the same as with the F-8
•Custom airbrake

Gallery

An A-8 from the medium carrier USS Seattle prepares for a bombing run at the test range.

Bombs away!

A Vindicatrix of the USAF's TAC zipping across the Mediterranean coast.

Controls
VTOL- Sweep wings
Trim down- Flaps
AG1- Arresting hook