Quoted:
Can the Super Tucano do anything better than some of the single engine airplane of the WWII era or later?
A P40 for example has some similar size and performance characteristics. Yes this a rough comparison.
Could these old airplanes do the mission? Would it cost more or less? What if avionics and engines were upgraded to more modern standards in these old airplanes, then how might they compare?
View Quote
Than some, certainly. It depends on what missions we are comparing.
Can it compete with P51 Mustangs, Focke-Wulf Fw 190's, P38 Lightnings and Supermarine Spitfires? No, it's not an air superiority fighter.
Can it compete with ground attack aircraft such as the North American A-36 Apache, Douglas Dauntless and Helldiver, Junkers JU 87? Probably, and easily.
P40
6 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns with 235 rounds per gun in the wings
Bombs: 250 to 1,000 lb (110 to 450 kg) bombs to a total of 2,000 lb (907 kg) on three hardpoints (one under the fuselage and two underwing)
A26 Apache (ground attack Mustang)
6 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns
Up to 1,000 lb (454 kg) of bombs on two underwing hardpoints
Junkers JU87
2× 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine gun forward, 1× 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine gun to rear
Bombs: Normal load = 1× 250 kg (550 lb) bomb beneath the fuselage and 4× 50 kg (110 lb), two bombs underneath each wing.
Douglas Dauntless
2 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) forward-firing synchronized Browning M2 machine guns in engine cowling
2 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) flexible-mounted Browning machine gun in rear
Bombs: 2,250 lb (1,020 kg) of bombs
Curtiss Helldiver
2 × 20 mm (.79 in) Mk.2 cannon in the wings
2 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns in the rear cockpit
Bombs: in internal bay: 2,000 lb (900 kg) of bombs or 1 × Mark 13-2 torpedo[45]
on underwing hardpoints: 500 lb (225 kg) of bombs each
P47 Thunderbolt
8 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns (3400 rounds)
Up to 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) of bombs or 10 × 5 in (127 mm) unguided rockets
Douglas A-20 ((Twin engined bomber))
4× fixed 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns in the nose, (defensive guns redacted)
Bombs: 2,000 lb (910 kg)
Versus
Super Tucano
Guns:
Internal: 1 12.7 mm (0.50 in) 950 rounds per minute FN Herstal M3P machine gun in each wing.
pod: 1 20 mm (0.79 in) 650 rounds per minute GIAT M20A1 cannon below the fuselage.
pod: 1 12.7 mm (0.50 in) FN Herstal HMP for M3P machine gun under each wing
pod: up to 4 7.62 mm (0.30 in) 3,000 rounds per minute Dillon Aero M134 Minigun (under development) under wings
.
Hardpoints:
5 (two under each wing and one under fuselage centreline) with a capacity of 1,550 kg (3,300 lb) total.
Rockets:
(4x) pods 70 mm (2.75 in) LM-70/19 (SBAT-70)
(4x) pods 70 mm (2.75 in) LAU-68A/G
Missiles:
Air-to-air:
AIM-9L Sidewinder
MAA-1A Piranha
MAA-1B Piranha (under development)
Python 3
Python 4
Air-to-ground:
AGM-65 Maverick
Delilah AL
Bombs:
General-purpose bombs: (2,500 lb payload)
(10x) Mk 81 (250lbs ea.)
(5x) Mk 82 (500lbs ea.)
M-117 (750lbs ea.)
Incendiary bombs:
BINC-300
Cluster bombs:
BLG-252
Precision-guided bombs:
FPG-82 (under development) Friuli Aeroespacial INS/GPS guidance kit for Mk 82.
SMKB-82 – INS/GPS guidance kit for Mk 82.
GBU-54 (under development)
GBU-38 (under development)
GBU-39 (under development)
Paveway II
Lizard – Elbit laser guidance kit.
Griffin – IAI laser guidance kit.
Of the WWII vets, only the P47 would give the Tucano a run for its money, and that's with an airframe that weighs 10,000lbs v the Tucano's 7,000, and a max weight of 17,500 v 11,900.
((All figures courtesy of Wikipedia for the sake of comparison))