The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly is a development of the T-37 training aircraft first flown in 1954. In the early 1960s it was found there was a need for a light, counter insurgency aircraft. The T-37 proved very adaptable to the role.
The A-37 featured stronger wings with three hard points on each wing. It carried a General Electric GAU-2B/A 7.62 mm (0.300 in) "Minigun" and was fitted with more powerful jet engines.
Twenty-five aircraft were deployed to Vietnam under the "Combat Dragon" evaluation program. The aircraft proved very successful. As a result, an improved A-37B model was developed and deployed.
The A-37 became known as the "Tweet" because of the high-pitched sound of its jet engines. The "B" model became known as the "Super Tweet". It excelled at close air support. It was able to attack at much lower speeds than swept-wing fighters which resulted in improved bombing accuracy. The airplane was easy t0 maintain and flew many sorties, racking up over 10,000 sorties in its first nine months.
Overshadowed by the larger, more glamourous fighters the Super Tweet did not gain notoriety. This artwork is my tribute to this remarkable airplane and the people who maintained and flew it.