2023 Australian International Airshow Cessna A-37B Dragonfly

During the 2023 Australian International Airshow, there was one aircraft that many people didn&pay too much attention to, or know very little about it. Am referring to the Cessna A-37B Dragonfly, as operated by the Temora Aviation Museum and now part of 100 Squadron. The Cessna A-37B Dragonfly is a development of an aircraft originally designed in 1952 as a trainer for the US Air Force. The A-37B in its current configuration is designed as a ground attack aircraft and was developed to meet the COIN (counter insurgency) role. The US Government supplied 254 Cessna A-37B Dragonfly’s to the Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) during the Vietnam War. Throughout the war, A-37s were used extensively in support of Australian ground forces with many missions being directed by Australian Forward Air Controllers (FAC’s). After the fall of South Vietnam in 1975, ninety-five VNAF Cessna A-37B aircraft were captured and incorporated into the Vietnamese People’s Air Force, the aircraft was among those captured. They were used in active service by their new “owners” and played a part in several regional conflicts involving Vietnam. In 1989, Colin Pay (who rebuilt the Museum’s Spitfire) and Noel Vinson found several Dragonflys in Vietnam. Subsequently, ten were purchased from the Government of Vietnam and brought to Australia. These aircraft were fully restored to flying condition, and then two were acquired by David Lowy. These two A-37B Dragonflies have since been donated to the Temora Aviation...