Greatest Gun Platform EVER Built!!! A Small tribute to the A-10 Warthog.

[Guest Letereat!]

Strafing Run from the vid just watched with live sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z9CyVoTZ7E&feature=relatedn

Static Test of A-10s Antitank Gun

[Guest mustangdave]

Couldn't agree more...that's a plane i want in the fight...when you gotta get UP CLOSE and personal. A-10's are BAD ASS

[Guest db99wj]

When I was at Ft. Knox in Basic/AIT for tanks, I remember talking about those, the instructors saying that we should be glad that this plane is on our side, as good as our tanks are, this thing would smoke us!

[vontar]

I remember watching a show about the design of the A10, they started with the main gun and said build me an Airplane around it.

[monkeylizard]

vontar, that's pretty close to the truth. The USAF started looking for a better cloase air support platform in the late 1960's. I think it was 1970 or 71 when they released detailed RFPs for a 30mm anti-armor gun and an airplane to put it in. The GAU-8 30mm Avenger system was developed (by General Electric) and competed against a proposal from someone else that I can't recall right now. At the same time, the YA-10 (by Fairchild Republic) and YA-9 (by Northrup) were being built for the second RFP. The early prototypes of the YA-9 and YA-10 didn't have the GAU-8 in it, because it wasn't ready yet. Certainly there was some general specification sharing between the gun designers and the aircraft designers for dimensional and weight constraints. I don't know that I've ever heard which one forced more changes on the other, but it probably went both ways.

[Guest Letereat!]

When I was at Ft. Knox in Basic/AIT for tanks, I remember talking about those, the instructors saying that we should be glad that this plane is on our side, as good as our tanks are, this thing would smoke us!

That Is For Sure. I dont think there is much besides several feet of earth and reinforced concrete that could withstand a pounding with depleted uranium shells from that piece. When you add the multiple redundant flight controll system, including ability to still fly inspite of total loss of hydraulic pressure. Plus the fact that it is still airworthy with almost half a wing missing can fly on one engine etc, etc it is one BAD ASS piece of American Inginuity!!

[vontar]

I was watching a show on History CH I think boneyards or a show like it where they where scarping some A10s, ones that where beyond use.

They where carefully pulling out some parts to be recycled for other aircraft.

They where pulling the Engines for other fighters.

I believe it was being done in Israel

However the Disturbing thing was they showed a young guy (American) whose job was to dismantle the main gun and make certain it could not be reassembled.

[sigrug17]

What an amazing aircraft. I remember an A-10 operator say these aircraft "don't get shot down, they just get shot up." And after some damage rpts. & pics I've seen of them coming back with battle damage that would make me 'bail'...I believe it.

[vontar]

Plus, here is the story of this A10 returning from battle around Baghdad. Felmale pilot as well.

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Stories1/001-100/0016_A-10-battle-damage/story0016.htm

Found another story on it, with more details on how it was damaged. a SAM got it.

http://northshorejournal.org/call-sign-killer-chick-update

Dur­ing her recov­ery from the weapons deliv­ery pass, a surface-to-air mis­sile impacted the tail of Cap­tain Campbell's air­craft. Imme­di­ately tak­ing cor­rec­tive action, she iso­lated the hydraulic sys­tems and placed the A-10 into the man­ual rever­sion flight con­trol mode of flight and pre­pared for the long and ten­u­ous return flight to Kuwait.

Edited October 3, 2010 by vontar

[Guest Letereat!]

Good Story Vontar. I did not know that they were sending female pilots into combat. Thought they were still relegated to non-combat flight roles. Heres another story of a Pilot who was glad to make it home in his Hog.

A-10 Warthog Aircraft Battle Damage Repair - Pats World

[vontar]

Letereat!, that is a good one too. I really liked this bit,

Wheels up, hard stick landing. Everyone said it couldn't be done, including the Flight Manual's and Tech Orders... pilot Capt Rich Biley proved'm wrong on 22 Feb 1991!

[Guest Letereat!]

Yea no doubt I thought the same thing. DEAD/Hard STICK, WAIT.... that means NOOOO POWER, Wheels up Dead Stick....IN A WARTHOG.....True Balls of Steel; or He was just to paralized with the thought of ejection.....or mabey he just siezed the opportunity to say "Manual Smyanual, I've got an addition to make to your MANUAL Chubs!!!!!!!" He Was a country lookin lanky guy too, I liked that a lot.