The Machete: The Super Plane That Could Replace the A-10 Warthog, Or Not?
Stavatti, the mercurial, Minnesota-based aerospace startup, has dusted off its old proposal for a new attack plane to partially replace the U.S. Air Force’s venerable A-10 Warthog.
The Machete, which is still just a concept, would come in two variants optimized for close air support — the propeller-driven SM-27 and the jet-propelled SM-28. Stavatti has proposed other variants of the Machete for air-to-air combat and advanced training.
The SM-27 and SM-28 are both single-engine, single-seat planes. They’re both armed with the same GAU-8 30-millimeter cannon that the A-10 also carries.
