The Need For Speed

[YerK]

I think the A10 is likely the more fun plane to fly. Speed is nice. Speed is fun. Speed can save your life. However, there comes a point where you're too fast to enjoy the scenery. There's something to be said for "fly slowly and carry a big gun"

Not to mention they are silent and built like a brick shithouse.

Speaking of how it's built, I remember reading about A10's flying back with unbelievable damage. (Kinda like the P47's did in WWII) If you can take a plane out, get the hell shot out of it, and still use it to get home, that is seriously comforting.

[water_bug_62208]

I'm behind on this thread and have some catching up to do.

In the meanwhile, here's an A-10 video. It's old and of the Cold War Era...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md6heX6Yplk

Holy cats, that brings back memories. That video was ancient when they showed it to us at UPT back in the day.

I first saw this video back in my SOS days... it's still fun to watch today. We had an A-10 pilot/A-10 instructor pilot in my flight. Back in those days, firing a Maverick missile during live practice was a luxury, and he was one of the few that got to do it.

[kham]

Lex visits Echo Range



Like the '3 seconds from dying' part -- not the bang your dead kind either

[schlamm]

*

[water_bug_62208]

Speaking of how it's built, I remember reading about A10's flying back with unbelievable damage. (Kinda like the P47's did in WWII) If you can take a plane out, get the hell shot out of it, and still use it to get home, that is seriously comforting.

Ironically The P47 and A-10 share a similar name the Thunderbolt. Both were well suited to ground attack and well built. I think they had similar manufacturers too. The P47 was built by Republic and the A-10 was Fairchild Republic. I've always wandered if I can purchase an A-10 without mil-spec avionics for civilian use.

No irony at all... it's intentional. The A-10 does indeed gets its name from the P-47. The A-10 is know as the Thunderbolt II. The A-10 also carries on the reputation of the P-47... a plane that can take a licking, keep on ticking, and deal the punishment right back with interest.

[water_bug_62208]

Furthermore, and I hate to rain on your parade completely...but realistically without the weight of the gun and ammunition drum/feed trays and the like in the nose, you are going to be far too tail heavy to have any hope of controlled flight.

In fact, according to the A-10 pilot who was in my SOS class, the spent casings from the 30mm rounds are dumped into an internal drum to help maintain that balance versus being ejected from the plane. If the spent casings were ejected out of the plane, the aircraft would indeed become too light in the nose and throw off the balance.

The A-10 pilot also noted that the barrels of the 30mm cannon on the A-10 are not loaded until the trigger is pulled, the barrels spin, and rounds are loaded. When the pilot releases the trigger, the barrels spin in reverse to: 1) Cool the barrels, and; 2) Eject the unfired rounds out of the barrels and into the internal drum.

[YerK]

Wow. Now I feel ignorant. I always thought "A10 Warthog". I did not know it was called "Thunderbolt", though I did know the P47 was. (Ya learn something new every day...)

[DangerGirl]

Wow. Now I feel ignorant. I always thought "A10 Warthog". I did not know it was called "Thunderbolt", though I did know the P47 was. (Ya learn something new every day...)

The official name is "Thunderbolt II," but was unofficially changed to "Warthog" because none of the pilots thought it looked even remotely like a "Thunderbolt."

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is, to my knowledge, the only US fighter to be named as the result of a contest. F-16 pilots almost universally refer to it as the "Viper," however, after the fighters from Battlestar Galactica. Non-F-16 pilots like to call it the "Lawn Dart."

[PM2K]

Here's a question for you air buffs...

The F-105 Thunderchief was nicknamed the THUD... I heard somewhere that was because of the sound it made when it fell from the sky... I believe it was due to its lack of gliding ability if its engine cut out... now, is that true? Or has anyone else heard different? Curious minds and all that...

[Duncan Edwards]

Here's a question for you air buffs...

The F-105 Thunderchief was nicknamed the THUD... I heard somewhere that was because of the sound it made when it fell from the sky... I believe it was due to its lack of gliding ability if its engine cut out... now, is that true? Or has anyone else heard different? Curious minds and all that...

According to legend, yes, "thud" was an appellation pertaining to the sound of the aircraft smacking the ground. I don't think it had anything to do with a unique sound but more to do with the high loss rate. Approximately half of the F-105 force was lost in Viet Nam. I don't recall the specific numbers but it was hundreds of aircraft.

I was fortunate to see a group of them at Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia before the type was retired. While it was no F-16 it was no less impressive to see in flight. Maybe it was dirty and loud by current standards but that's kind of cool when you're a teenager.