overscan said:
I was a child with an early interest in planes

There was a lot of debate about whether any subsonic plane could survive in a modern IADS environment.
My point was that you can't dismiss it because a canard delta isn't suitable for the mission.
Paul, you`re forgetting that a twenty years ago we both lived in different worlds divided by the iron curtain. In mid-eighties, aircrafts like Su-25K, Su-22M4 were brand new and kept in secrecy from insiders/outsiders. We got SU-25K in year 1984 and I still have magazines in my house from that time depicting Su-25K for the first time ever. I doubt you even knew how the Su-25 looked like in 1985, not to mention a discussion about its successor. ;D Just in comparison of children with early interest in planes. I have climbed my own Mig-29 in 1990 for the first time, whereas first pics of it(also Su-27) I got from east-german magazine "Flieger revue" in 1986(been there two weeks in a pioneer camp).

This is really strange, because I do remember a well-heated debate in mid-nineties when subsonic light-weight attack planes like ALCA, HAWK,.. etc came into fasion here and were forced instead of aging soviet built Mig-23,Su-22,Su-25 or even the Mig-29. There were plenty of discussions whether we need a supersonic aviation at all. The AERO was forcing the ALCA aircrafts, our government wanted the british HAWKs200, but Mr.Graham Wardel canceled the planned deal tragically. I have seen also YAK-130 prototype in my hometown back in 1995. Even then I do not understand the point behind replacing a subsonic plane with a supersonic one for the CAS role. In my understanding the close air support means the aircraft flying some tenths to hundreds of meters above the ground and giving the land forces fire support. Realize, you wont be able to go much more than 1300km/h(M1.1) speed at ground level anyway. I`ve never said the delta-canard patforms like Gripen,Rafale,Eurofighter,Mirage being not able to perform strike attacks. With advanced sensors, avionics and the PGM, any wing platform (swept, swing-wing, delta, etc ) performs the task with no problem at all. But still, this is different to CAS aircrafts like the Su-25, A-10. IMHO best suited for that role are still helicopters.
overscan said:
If you care to look at Sukhoi T-60 bomber projects I think you will find at least one canard delta version. Look at early (1981-83) ATS/ATF work in the USA, when many firms were looking at canard deltas for attack & interdiction misions.
IIRC the Sukhoi T-60 should be a supersonic strategic bomber with an internal bomb bay, not a CAS aircraft. Most of the time, it would fly high altitude and supersonic, so choosing delta for it makes sense.
Yes, I remember those artist impressions from Northrop, McDouglas, LM, Boeing...etc companies depicting delta-canard everywhere. Now you know how accurate they were after the real YF-22, Y-23 came out for the first time. I think none ever expected that after. They were bluffing, because everyone does. :
