GTP Alternative Cool Wall: 1972-1984 Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II

972-1984 Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II

  • Total voters
    91
  • Poll closed .
Roger the Horse

Roger the Horse

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Nominated by @CallmeDan

1977-Present Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II

image-jpg.200668


Manufacturer: Fairchild Republic
Primary Function: Close air support, Airborne Forward Air Control, Combat Search and Rescue, Ground attack
Power Plant: Two General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofans
Thrust: 9,065 pounds each engine
Wingspan: 57 feet, 6 inches (17.42 meters)
Length: 53 feet, 4 inches (16.16 meters)
Height: 14 feet, 8 inches (4.42 meters)
Weight: 29,000 pounds (13,154 kilograms)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 51,000 pounds (22,950 kilograms)
Fuel Capacity: 11,000 pounds (7,257 kilograms)
Payload: 16,000 pounds (7,257 kilograms)
Speed: 450 nautical miles per hour (Mach 0.75)
Range: 2580 miles (2240 nautical miles)
Ceiling: 45,000 feet (13,636 meters)
Armament: One 30 mm GAU-8/A seven-barrel Gatling gun*; up to 16,000 pounds (7,200 kilograms) of mixed ordnance on eight under-wing and three under-fuselage pylon stations, including 500 pound (225 kilograms) Mk-82 and 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) Mk-84 series low/high drag bombs, incendiary cluster bombs, combined effects munitions, mine dispensing munitions, AGM-65 Maverick missiles and laser-guided/electro-optically guided bombs; infrared countermeasure flares; electronic countermeasure chaff; jammer pods; 2.75-inch (6.99 centimeters) rockets; illumination flares and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.
Crew: One
Unit Cost: $18.8 million
Initial operating capability: A-10A, 1977; A-10C, 2007

*A big freakin' gun that makes a mean sound and dispenses 30mm of tank-killing FREEDOM at up to 4,200 rounds per minute. 'MERICA!!!!​
 
Cool. Great for its intended role.

Misses out on SZ because it is horribly slow for this day and age.
 
HALY CARP ANODER JYET FYTA.

SERISLY UNKOL.

But, this is one not residing in the "SomePlayaDude SUs military planes" category. I have a sweet spot to this turbine plane, the F-22 Raptor and the F-4 Phantom II.

Boxed.
 
Over-thinking a bit, bear with me.

It seems that the more a machine goes to extremes, the more recognition and respect it gets, no matter what the machine is. I can think of five extremes: Size (either way), Agility, Speed, Power, and Durability. Military equipment usually gets boosted somewhat, probably because there's always that chance it could kill you. The SR-71 and Concorde represent speed, the USAF C5 Galaxy and the Airbus A380 are massive, and the Eurofighter Typhoon and F/A-22 take agility. This great beast checks both power and durability.

Firstly is that Gatling gun in the nose, alone enough power to deter many, but under those straight wings are enough hard points to either take runs at multiple targets or make sure that a single target and anything within 20 feet cease to exist with the only sign anything was there being the smoking crater in the earth. Last I heard, it was even capable of using the rocket pods they used on attack choppers. It is as close to a flying tank as you will probably ever get.

Power is great, but only if you can live to use it. Many planes can only take very light damage, maybe a few normal rounds spread out, but that's it. This plane, if my memory serves correctly, has flown back to base missing entire SECTIONS of itself. IIRC, the legend on this thing is that missing 1/2 of it's tail structure, 1/3 of it's main wings, and down an engine, it can stay in the air and return to base. True? Dunno, but considering that I've never heard any other plane be anywhere nearly as strong, including the Russians who emphasized toughness, I'm inclined to at least consider it.

It isn't a technical marvel. Avionics are said to be basic, and while supposedly incredibly easy to fly, isn't very nimble. It doesn't need to be, though. The Blackbird looks like it would kill you, this beast would kill you and you'd probably know it. There's a slogan I heard of not too long ago that I can apply to the Warthog, "Arrive, Raise Hell, Leave."

SZ, parked next to the Blackbird. Where it may be soon. I've heard the airframes are reaching a point that metal fatigue and age may ground the remaining A-10s.
 
SomePlayaDude
HALY CARP ANODER JYET FYTA.
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Durr, it's not a jet fighter. It's only the baddest-ass attack plane there ever was. Including the IL-2.

As for "horribly slow for this day and age", it's plenty fast enough to do what it does. Being supersonic would only get in the way of its mission.

So yeah. Sub-zero. @Bopop4's pic has it exactly right. Language and all.
 
Absolutely ******* sub zero.

So much awesomeness. So much destruction coming out of those barrels.
And that sound. Goosebumps.
 
Not sure how accurate this is, but I remember reading that if one was to mount the 30mm cannon on the back of a car and start firing it, the recoil alone could propel it from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds.
 
AnthonyD1993
Nope.
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Ok.

NotThePrez
Not sure how accurate this is, but I remember reading that if one was to mount the 30mm cannon on the back of a car and start firing it, the recoil alone could propel it from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds.
Click to expand...

I don't know if this would be realistic either, but in one DCS World video by Ralfidude, he went off the runway while landing and couldn't stop his A10, so he fired the gun until the plane stopped rolling.
 
When I was a kid, and seriously in to military aircraft and model making, this was by far my favorite of the modern (at the time) era.

The A10 Thunderbolt, AKA, Warthog, AKA Tank Buster... built to do one thing only, destroy anything on the ground... completely and utterly sub zero for that 30mm gatling gun (the noise it makes and the destruction it does) alone.

Amazing these are still in service almost 40 years on.
 
NotThePrez
Not sure how accurate this is, but I remember reading that if one was to mount the 30mm cannon on the back of a car and start firing it, the recoil alone could propel it from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds.
Click to expand...
The reason the gun is offset to the left side is so the firing barrel is dead center in the 9 o' clock position. Otherwise when it fired it would pull the plain to the side.
 

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