AC-208: America’s Cessna that shoots Hellfire missiles
Alex Hollings | June 17, 2021
The U.S. military leads the world in stealth aviation technology, but not every fight requires a fast-moving, radar defeating fighter; sometimes all it takes to win a fight is a good old-fashioned Cessna strapped to the nines with Hellfire missiles.
Cessna may be the most well-known name in civilian aviation, with the Cessna 172 widely recognized as the most successful aircraft in history. There have been more Cessna 172s built than literally any other airplane on earth, and chances are, if you ever take classes to earn your pilot’s license, a fair portion of the hours you log will be in a 172. The aircraft’s sturdy, high-wing design and reliable powertrain coupled with its low cost and availability make it a favorite for flight schools who value its ability to fly multiple times per day with inexperienced pilots.
In fact, the Cessna 172 is so user-friendly that an inexperienced German teenager managed to fly his Cessna straight through the most elaborate air defenses in the world at the time to park his 172 right in Moscow’s Red Square. The ordeal led to the firing of numerous senior Soviet defense officials and may have helped usher in the end of the Cold War. Not bad for an aircraft I’ve heard described as a “lawnmower with wings” by fighter pilots.
https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/ac-208-americas-cessna-that-shoots-hellfire-missiles/
