Cessna A-37 Dragonfly

The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly was a light attack jet developed from the company's T-37 "Tweet" trainer to meet the need for a counter-insurgency aircraft during the Vietnam War. By strengthening the airframe, fitting more powerful General Electric J85 turbojets, adding wingtip fuel tanks, armor and a battery of hardpoints, Cessna turned the gentle two-seat trainer into a rugged ground-attack machine. First flown in its attack configuration in 1964, the A-37 saw extensive combat in Southeast Asia, where its small size, accuracy and ability to carry bombs, rockets and a built-in minigun made it effective for close air support and forward air control.

Flown by both U.S. and South Vietnamese pilots, it proved cheap, simple and durable. After the war the type continued to serve numerous Latin American and other allied air forces in attack and reconnaissance roles. Several hundred were built, and the related OA-37B remained in U.S. service into the late 1980s.