avia.wikisort.org - Aeroplane

The American Electric Piranha (also named Blair-American USA[1] or American USA[2]) was a prototype American counter-insurgency aircraft. Designed by Milt Blair and Dick Ennis in the early 1960s, it was built by the American Electric Corporation.

Piranha
Role	Counter-insurgency aircraft Type of aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	American Electric Corporation
Designer	Milt Blair
First flight	1966
Developed from	LeVier Cosmic Wind

Developed for use by the United States Air Force under Project Little Brother, initial flight testing of the Piranha took place at Mojave Airport in California; following delivery for evaluation, it was tested at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The design armament of the Piranha was two pods each carrying four Zuni unguided rockets, mounted on the aircraft's wingtips, and a single 500-pound (230 kg) bomb on a belly hardpoint.[3]

Evaluation of the Piranha ceased following the death of Milt Blair in an unrelated aircraft accident.[3] The prototype, N1518, is flown by a private owner in Kansas.[4]

Specifications

Data from Sport Aviation[3]

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Wing area: 70 sq ft (6.5 m²)
• Gross weight: 3,200 lb (1,451 kg)

Armament

• Hardpoints: 1 with a capacity of 500 pounds (230 kg)
• Rockets: 2 4-round 5.0-inch (127 mm) Zuni rocket pods

See also

Related development

• LeVier Cosmic Wind

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Fletcher FD-25 Defender

References

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