And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
The Air Force has been trying to kill that plane for the last 10 years...even while doing all the work it was doing in Iraq and Afghanistan. it is ONLY because of Congress, that they have not been able to get rid of it. If the Marine Corps had half a brain, they would volunteer to take those aircraft off the USAF hands. Best damn close air support weapon ever designed.
coffee man, the A-10 was never qualified for deck landings, but that could be easily done. a hook is easy peasy. think what that gun can do to a surface combatant. I don't doubt that the canoe clubbers would put a stop to that. While Marine air assets are one with air to mud and supporting troops, the Navy is about fleet defense and looking good in the officers mess; Marines do what the Navy says. I think the Army would say screw the Key West accord within the DOD and pick them up for their own use. while the DOD had the jigs destroyed, the blueprints still exist to build fresh jigs. and carrying a slew of SDBs and anti vehicle munitions to support ground forces organic to Army command instead of USAF would be something supported by ARMY. In WW2, when the navy was chickenshit about the F4U corsair deck landings, they gave them to the Marines which put them to very good use and eventually Vought made it into the AU1 optimized for air to mud just in time for Korea. could the A-10 go that route? It could, but it won't.
I have seen it. At the beginning of Iraqi Freedom there was a AF Captain with the call sign "Soup" at Al JAbber AFB Kuwait. His last name was Campbell. He came back from a mission over Bagdad, The left wing was missing about 6'. The right engine and rear right wing were missing. There were holes all over his plane and the landing gear did not work. They had to cut the canopy off to get him out. Once he was out of the plane he had the biggest grin on his face and asked if he could have another A-10 to go back and finish off the bastards that had shot him up after he had run out of ammo and rockets.
I was one of the Commo guys that would hook up the A-10 pilots with Cuban cigars. They would smoke cigars with us after debrief at 3 in the morning. I was the night shift supervisor.
Have always regarded the A-10 as the perfect plane for air land combat. Should never be taken out of production as there will always be a need for such a wonderful piece of equipment.
actually, SGOTI, the spent casings go back into the magazine to assist fresh rounds forward to the feed drive and are not dumped overboard. excellent missive on wiki on the GAU-8, A/A49E-6 avenger gun system. this gun is more accurate than the M-61 20mm cannon. the A-10 pilot was hitting his targeted point of aim, you may have experienced ricochet from an armored target. the practice ammo the gun system used is a stack of steel washers encased in a plastic sabot that comes apart on impact. I personally have seen several range incidents down in florida involving this and would agree that duck and cover is a very good idea.
Interesting. You're also talking about the unit- when seeing the first actual mortars/artillery impacting 8-10 klicks away - to a man jumped to the highest vantage point and ooh'd and ahhh'd. Until our attached fire support LT casually announced those weren't ours.
USAF COL Jack Broughton recounted in Going Downtown: The War Against Hanoi and Washington a story about one of the Thud pilots in his wing who was accused of strafing a Soviet merchant vessel (no doubt carrying arms) in Haiphong harbor. As proof, the Soviets produced a few 20mm shell casings they claimed had fallen on the deck their ship. The poor sap who was targeted (I can't remember why -- maybe he was the only Thud pilot to have expended any 20mm that raid?) was totally innocent because the F-105 had the same sort of feed that the A-10 has. All fired brass feeds back into the ammo canister. None is ejected. The Air Force brass decided they had their sacrificial scalp, though, and the guy was effectively toast. I can't remember what happened to him. If he'd demanded a court martial and embarrassed the brass, he'd have been as toasted as if he were guilty. He might've simply taken his lumps and resigned, pissed off at hi"superiors". I might have that around here somewhere. Need to look that up.
I had read that the Air Force is trying to cancel it because they describe it as a 'one trick pony'. The A10 proves that a 'one trick pony' is more often than not exactly what you need. This is the one aircraft the USAF currently flies that I would dearly get to take a back seat ride in. There is a 2 seat trainer, isn't there?
A comment on the fellow that thinks that just putting a hook on the back of an A-10 will make it carrier-worthy...not so. A complete strengthening of the whole of the frame is necc. and probably not cost-effective(or possibly doable). My thought on the A-10, tho, is give as many A-10's as you can(or at least the blueprints) to the Poles. Let the Russians think about how much scrap metal they'd have on their hands(their Tank Corps.)if they decide to strong arm around their borders.
The only thing that can truly keep them from flying support for troops on the ground is the USAF (and Congress).
ReplyDeleteAmen Brother. One of the best engineered platforms ever. Shame what the cucks in congress have done... treason!
DeleteThe Air Force has been trying to kill that plane for the last 10 years...even while doing all the work it was doing in Iraq and Afghanistan. it is ONLY because of Congress, that they have not been able to get rid of it. If the Marine Corps had half a brain, they would volunteer to take those aircraft off the USAF hands. Best damn close air support weapon ever designed.
Deletecoffee man, the A-10 was never qualified for deck landings, but that could be easily done. a hook is easy peasy. think what that gun can do to a surface combatant. I don't doubt that the canoe clubbers would put a stop to that. While Marine air assets are one with air to mud and supporting troops, the Navy is about fleet defense and looking good in the officers mess; Marines do what the Navy says.
DeleteI think the Army would say screw the Key West accord within the DOD and pick them up for their own use. while the DOD had the jigs destroyed, the blueprints still exist to build fresh jigs. and carrying a slew of SDBs and anti vehicle munitions to support ground forces organic to Army command instead of USAF would be something supported by ARMY.
In WW2, when the navy was chickenshit about the F4U corsair deck landings, they gave them to the Marines which put them to very good use and eventually Vought made it into the AU1 optimized for air to mud just in time for Korea. could the
A-10 go that route? It could, but it won't.
Last 10 years? The USAF brass have been trying to kill it for over 30 years!
DeleteI have seen it. At the beginning of Iraqi Freedom there was a AF Captain with the call sign "Soup" at Al JAbber AFB Kuwait. His last name was Campbell. He came back from a mission over Bagdad, The left wing was missing about 6'. The right engine and rear right wing were missing. There were holes all over his plane and the landing gear did not work. They had to cut the canopy off to get him out. Once he was out of the plane he had the biggest grin on his face and asked if he could have another A-10 to go back and finish off the bastards that had shot him up after he had run out of ammo and rockets.
ReplyDeleteI was one of the Commo guys that would hook up the A-10 pilots with Cuban cigars. They would smoke cigars with us after debrief at 3 in the morning. I was the night shift supervisor.
Have always regarded the A-10 as the perfect plane for air land combat.
ReplyDeleteShould never be taken out of production as there will always be a need
for such a wonderful piece of equipment.
Thanks for the post. I always thought they were badass, but had no idea the specifics.
ReplyDeleteLargely overcome by modern warfare, but man they were great to have overhead.
ReplyDeleteHad them make oblique runs one day a few thousand meters out. BBBRRRRRTTTTTT.
Wingman yelled INCOMING! and ducked into his turret, as sand and dirt kicked up all around us. "Uhh, where do you think spent casings go 12? Over."
actually, SGOTI, the spent casings go back into the magazine to assist fresh rounds forward to the feed drive and are not dumped overboard. excellent missive on wiki on the GAU-8, A/A49E-6 avenger gun system. this gun is more accurate than the M-61 20mm cannon. the A-10 pilot was hitting his targeted point of aim, you may have experienced ricochet from an armored target. the practice ammo the gun system used is a stack of steel washers encased in a plastic sabot that comes apart on impact. I personally have seen several range incidents down in florida involving this and would agree that duck and cover is a very good idea.
DeleteInteresting. You're also talking about the unit- when seeing the first actual mortars/artillery impacting 8-10 klicks away - to a man jumped to the highest vantage point and ooh'd and ahhh'd. Until our attached fire support LT casually announced those weren't ours.
DeleteLOL. Young and dumb.
USAF COL Jack Broughton recounted in Going Downtown: The War Against Hanoi and Washington a story about one of the Thud pilots in his wing who was accused of strafing a Soviet merchant vessel (no doubt carrying arms) in Haiphong harbor. As proof, the Soviets produced a few 20mm shell casings they claimed had fallen on the deck their ship. The poor sap who was targeted (I can't remember why -- maybe he was the only Thud pilot to have expended any 20mm that raid?) was totally innocent because the F-105 had the same sort of feed that the A-10 has. All fired brass feeds back into the ammo canister. None is ejected. The Air Force brass decided they had their sacrificial scalp, though, and the guy was effectively toast. I can't remember what happened to him. If he'd demanded a court martial and embarrassed the brass, he'd have been as toasted as if he were guilty. He might've simply taken his lumps and resigned, pissed off at hi"superiors". I might have that around here somewhere. Need to look that up.
DeleteSpent casings go back in the plane's magazine.
ReplyDeleteBut rocks and sand can get kicked up a lot.
I had read that the Air Force is trying to cancel it because they describe it as a 'one trick pony'. The A10 proves that a 'one trick pony' is more often than not exactly what you need. This is the one aircraft the USAF currently flies that I would dearly get to take a back seat ride in. There is a 2 seat trainer, isn't there?
ReplyDeleteA comment on the fellow that thinks that just putting a hook on the back of an A-10 will make it carrier-worthy...not so. A complete strengthening of the whole of the frame is necc. and probably not cost-effective(or possibly doable). My thought on the A-10, tho, is give as many A-10's as you can(or at least the blueprints) to the Poles. Let the Russians think about how much scrap metal they'd have on their hands(their Tank Corps.)if they decide to strong arm around their borders.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessment on the Poles industriness. I also consider the Poles for the A-10 tailhook upgrade.
DeleteNever forget that Obama's administration tried to cancel the aircraft that the Islamic State feared the most, the A-10 Thunderbolt.
ReplyDelete