You would guess correctly.
This aircraft has no defensive weapons, so those two can’t be it & neither are large enough to carry the type of weapons that the aircraft in question does - only a few are?
Tu-160 Blackjack bomber…
Too fast for a Crusader, with a top speed of Mach 2.05. Crusader top speed was around Mach 1.86
No defensive weapons
Two “six shooters”–two rotary launchers in bomb bay capable of carrying 6 Kh-55 cruise missiles each
Entered service in 1987, after the US Crusader fighter versions were retired, but the French F-8s were still flying.
Flown by two countries–Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine stood theirs down due to maintenance and cost of operation.
Yes F-8 - the Blackjack, referred to by it’s operators as the “Cowboy” as it packed a mighty big pair of six shooter which were for a very short time ultimately destined for the “Wild West”.
Well done F-8!
Yes. Well done. I was starting to think along the lines of a Bomber. I know the B-52’s had started carrying a rotary launcher for cruise missiles in the 90’s about the same time they retired the Gunners, but it holds eight, and the B-2 holds twice that with two side by side bomb bays. But we never referred to either one as “Cowboy”, so I knew it wasn’t those.
I knew it had to be a russian aircraft though I was looking through Mig and Suhkoi and did not think to look at Tupolev. Good job F-8. This one had me thinking I was getting close at times.
There have been some interesting questions recently!
Definitely, I did start to think bomber, but well done F-8!
Alright…
I am looking for an aircraft. This was basically “the plane without a home”. This plane was built in small numbers. It was built by one country, but not for that country’s air force–rather, the entire production total was ordered by another country. Current events at that time saw this order halted, though the planes were built anyway. A second country stepped in and wanted the planes. Most of them were instead shipped off to a THIRD country. Its armament was basically similar to that of the early P-39 Airacobra. It shared something up front with the F4F Wildcat. The prototype had a critical problem in common with the FW-190.
Vultee P-66 Vanguard?
Originally ordered by Sweden, order transfered to GB over fears of the Swedish aircraft being captured, ultimately going to China.
Powered by the P&W R-1830 like the F4F.
Suffered engine overheating / heat problems like some of the FW-190’s.
wow that didnt take long…yep, the P-66 alright. over to you…
Just sheer luck on that one, especially considering the usual “resource” wasn’t available.
I’m out of time & questions at the moment, so first come, first served for the next one…
This aircraft was one of the best of it’s era, certainly one of the fastest. The aircraft grew out of an earlier one that had first taken to the air almost exactly a year before the war ended. A small order was placed for this, but, due to the engine supply being mostly for another aircraft, there were production problems. Instead, it was re-engineered for another engine, and in this guise was most successful, sort of.
Some of this new aircraft made it into service before the end of the war, but, none were operational by war’s end. Huge orders had been placed, for the French, British, and American air forces, with plans for production in America.
However, with war’s end, so came the end of the orders. Sadly, the company folded too. Interestingly though, many ex-military machines were bought back, and converted, whilst others had long careers with many airforces, across many continents. As a coda, after the original company folded, the company that bought them up re-engineered the aircraft again for different engines, selling them under it’s own name.
Hawker Sea Fury?
From Wiki
The first Fury to fly, on 1 September 1944, was NX798 with a Centaurus XII with rigid engine mounts, powering a Rotol four-blade propeller. (Nearly 1 yr before end of war)
Second on 27 November 1944 was LA610, which had a Griffon 85 and Rotol six-blade contra-rotating propeller. By now development of the Fury and Sea Fury was closely interlinked so that the next prototype to fly was a Sea Fury, SR661, described under “Naval Conversion.” NX802 (25 July 1945) was the last Fury prototype, powered by a Centaurus XV.
With the ending of the Second World War in Europe, the RAF Fury contract was cancelled and development centred on the Sea Fury. LA610 was eventually fitted with a Napier Sabre VII, which was capable of developing 3,400-4,000 hp (2,535-2,983 kW). (New engine as a result of end of WW2)
As a result it became the fastest piston-engined Hawker aircraft, reaching a speed of around 485 mph (780 km/h).[6] (although a de-militarised Sea Fury holds the unofficial speed-record for a piston-engined aircraft in level flight at 547 mph).
I dont think thats it, there is no American connection to that plane. The question states that the design was supposed to be built in America, and that there were large American and French orders placed for the plane. As far as I can recall, there were no such American orders for this plane, nor was it ever to be built in America.
Indeed, and Hawker’s are still (sort of) around today. Speaking of naval version, there was a floatplane version of this aircraft.
Total production was under 400 aircraft.
The aircraft company originally built motorcycles. The company’s name was changed at one point to being a shortened form of the original name, which was the name of the owner and chief designer.
In some ways, you might think of a later company, which had in some respects a similar experience, and half the same name. That later company also built things other than aicraft, for which is it also famous.
XA-38
No, this aircraft actually made production.
Here’s another clue:
It had a single engine, originally a Rolls-Royce engine. No one is sure how many of the original design, with the RR engine were produced, but between 360 and 380 were produced of the second engine (ironically, some of the re-engineered version later had the original engine!).
Well that cancels out the Dh.103 
Proving a toughie Centhot
OK, this aircraft was a fighter, but was often used for other purposes. It was both single and twin seat, and it changed engines several times. It was also a floatplane, and a civilian tourer.
For it’s time it was one of the best, but the original production version was produced in small numbers, due to engine supply problems from RR. A new engine was sourced, and the airframe slightly altered. This was so successful that the American, British, and French wanted it, and the American to build it, along with the British original company. This wasn’t surprising, as it was one of the best of it’s day, certainly one of the fastest, if not the fastest.
Huge numbers were ordered, too much for this company, so sub-contractors were brought in - and then the war stopped, after just a few were delivered. Sadly the company folded a few years later. Interestingly, it had a new life, as the people who bought the assets saw the potential, and it carried on for a while, under a new name.
Countries that used it include:
Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Finland, Ireland (including one for a very special personal purpose), Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Spain, USSR (100 copies), UK