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1980-01-03
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A-10A THUNDERBOLT II
Wingspan: 57 ft., 6 in.
Length: 53 ft., 4 in.
Height: 14 ft., 8 in.
Weight: 50,000 lbs.
Engines: Two General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofans
Engine thrust: 9,065 lbs.
Operating altitude: 37,800 ft.
Top speed: 439 mph
Maximum range: 2,454 miles
Date of service: 1975
The Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt began flight test in 1972. The first produc-
tion A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft was delivered in 1976 and a total of 713 were
built through 1984. And nobody calls the A-10 "Thunderbolt". Being the
ugliest aircraft ever built, the A-10 is affectionately called "Warthog".
Designed specifically for the close air support mission, the A-10's ability
to combine large military load, long loiter, and wide combat radius proved a
vital asset in Operation Desert Storm. The A-10s flew 8,100 sorties, with a
mission capable rate of 95.7 percent. They launched 90 percent of the
Maverick missiles used and achieved the only two air-to-air gun kills in
the war. Five aircraft were lost.
The Warthog is one of the hardest aircraft flying. The pilot sits in a
titanium-armor cockpit that can withstand incoming rounds from 23 millimeter
cannons. The pilot sits in a raised zero-zero ejection seat under a clear
bubble canopy, providing excellent all-around visibility. The heavily
armored engines are located high and to the rear of the fuselage for maximum
shielding from ground-launched, heat-seeking missiles. The A-10 can fly on
one of its engines or with half of its tail shot away.
The offensive characteristics of the Warthog are impressive and have earned
it the additional nickname of "tank-buster." The centerpiece of the A-10s
armament is the huge Avenger 30mm rotary cannon. This cannon is the largest
forward-firing aerial cannon in the Air Force and can pack nearly 1,200
rounds of extra-long, extra-potent, high-velocity slugs with depleted uranium
tips. Depleted uranium is no longer radioactive and is heavier than lead or
steel. The Avenger is, by itself, capable of taking out an enemy battle
tank. In addition to the Avenger, the A-10 can carry eight tons of air-to-
ground munitions.