WICKED WARTHOGS: A-10
Thunderbolt II Page
Aug.-2011
Thunderbolt II Page
Aug.-2011
The Fairchild A-10 was designed in
the early 1970's to replace the USAF
A-7 Corsair II and A-37 Dragonfly. The
USAF wanted a tough, long loitering
and heavily armed close support
aircraft. The plane was actually
designed around its very impressive
GAU-8 30mm gatling gun. With its twin
high mount engines and double boom
twin tails the Warthog has a unique
shape. The long wings make it very
maneuverable. The 11 weapons
pylons under the wings and fuselage
are capable of carrying almost every
kind of air-to-ground weapon in the
USAF inventory. The first flight of the
YA-10 was on Apr.5, 1972. The A-10
was selected as the winner of a fly-off
competition over the Northrop A-9 in
late 1972.
One of the first units to fly the A-10
was the 355th TFW at Davis-Monthan
AFB, AZ. It still serves as the major
pilot and maintenance training wing for
the Warthog. Many active, Air National
Guard and Reserves squadrons have
flown the A-10 since the mid 1970's. In
the late 80's the USAF considered
retiring the Warthogs with the Warsaw
Pact and Soviet tank threat all but
gone. When Saddam Hussain's Iraqi
forces invaded Kuwait that all
changed. The Warthogs excellent
performance in Desert Storm insured it
would have a long future in the Air
Combat Command.
Today A-10As are being upgraded to
A-10Cs. Ugly is Only Skin Deep. Go
Warthogs. Enjoy the photos...
Note: Some of the early A-10 photos
here date back to 1978 . Copyright
2011
the early 1970's to replace the USAF
A-7 Corsair II and A-37 Dragonfly. The
USAF wanted a tough, long loitering
and heavily armed close support
aircraft. The plane was actually
designed around its very impressive
GAU-8 30mm gatling gun. With its twin
high mount engines and double boom
twin tails the Warthog has a unique
shape. The long wings make it very
maneuverable. The 11 weapons
pylons under the wings and fuselage
are capable of carrying almost every
kind of air-to-ground weapon in the
USAF inventory. The first flight of the
YA-10 was on Apr.5, 1972. The A-10
was selected as the winner of a fly-off
competition over the Northrop A-9 in
late 1972.
One of the first units to fly the A-10
was the 355th TFW at Davis-Monthan
AFB, AZ. It still serves as the major
pilot and maintenance training wing for
the Warthog. Many active, Air National
Guard and Reserves squadrons have
flown the A-10 since the mid 1970's. In
the late 80's the USAF considered
retiring the Warthogs with the Warsaw
Pact and Soviet tank threat all but
gone. When Saddam Hussain's Iraqi
forces invaded Kuwait that all
changed. The Warthogs excellent
performance in Desert Storm insured it
would have a long future in the Air
Combat Command.
Today A-10As are being upgraded to
A-10Cs. Ugly is Only Skin Deep. Go
Warthogs. Enjoy the photos...
Note: Some of the early A-10 photos
here date back to 1978 . Copyright
2011
