Piper PA-48 Enforcer

I didn't know that this fascinating airplane ever existed until recently. In the late 60s, Cavalier Aircraft heavily modified the P-51 airframe and substituted a turboprop engine to fulfill a ground attack role. Lacking the finances to bring the project to fruition, they sold it to Piper Aircraft, who completed the development and delivered a prototype to the USAF for testing in 1970 or '71. It's said that the final design had fewer than 10% of its components in common with its illustrious predecessor, but the resemblance is unmistakable. Ultimately, the Air Force declined to purchase the plane, though it's said to have performed quite well. The A-10 was under development by that time, of course. It's certainly a beautiful machine and an interesting footnote to the Mustang story.
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