Fairchild Republic A10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" attack aircraft: the untold story, the history, and things you might not know about one of the most loved and most hated aircraft in history.
PART 2:    • A10 THUNDERBOLT II "Warthog" | The U...  

The Fairchild Republic A10 Thunderbolt II is a singleseat, twinturbofan, straightwing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republic P47 Thunderbolt, a World War IIera fighter bomber effective at attacking ground targets, but commonly referred to as the "Warthog" or "Hog". The A10 was designed to provide close air support (CAS) to friendly ground troops by attacking armored vehicles, tanks, and other enemy ground forces; it is the only productionbuilt aircraft designed solely for CAS to have served with the U.S. Air Force. Its secondary mission is to direct other aircraft in attacks on ground targets, a role called forward air controllerairborne; aircraft used primarily in this role are designated OA10.

The A10 was intended to improve the performance and firepower of the Douglas A1 Skyraider. Its airframe was designed for durability, with measures such as 1,200 pounds (540 kg) of titanium armor to protect the cockpit and aircraft systems, enabling it to absorb damage and continue flying. Its ability to take off and land from relatively short runways permits operation from airstrips close to the front lines, and its simple design enables maintenance with minimal facilities.

The A10A singleseat variant was the only version produced, though one preproduction airframe was modified into the YA10B twinseat prototype to test an allweather nightcapable version. In 2005, a program was started to upgrade the remaining A10A aircraft to the A10C configuration, with modern avionics for use with precision weaponry. The U.S. Air Force had stated the Lockheed Martin F35 Lightning II would replace the A10 as it entered service, but this remains highly contentious within the USAF and in political circles. With various upgrades and wing replacements, the A10's service life can be extended to 2040; the service has no planned retirement date as of June 2017.

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m)
Wingspan: 57 ft 6 in (17.53 m)
Height: 14 ft 8 in (4.47 m)
Wing area: 506 sq ft (47.0 m2)
Airfoil: NACA 6716 root, NACA 6713 tip
Empty weight: 24,959 lb (11,321 kg)
Gross weight: 30,384 lb (13,782 kg)
CAS mission: 47,094 lb (21,361 kg)
Antiarmor mission: 42,071 lb (19,083 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 50,000 lb (22,700 kg)
Fuel capacity: 11,000 lb (4,990 kg) internal
Powerplant: 2 × General Electric TF34GE100A turbofans, 9,065 lbf (40.32 kN) thrust each
Performance

Maximum speed: 381 kn (439 mph, 706 km/h) at sea level, clean
Cruise speed: 300 kn (340 mph, 560 km/h)
Stall speed: 120 kn (138 mph, 220 km/h) at 30,000 lb (14,000 kg)
Never exceed speed: 450 kn (518 mph, 833 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) with 18 Mark 82 bombs
Combat range: 220 nmi (250 mi, 400 km) CAS mission, 1.88 hour loiter at 5,000 ft (1,500 m), 10 min combat
Ferry range: 2,240 nmi (2,580 mi, 4,150 km) with 50 knots (58 mph; 26 m/s) headwinds, 20 minutes reserve
Service ceiling: 45,000 ft (13,700 m)
Rate of climb: 6,000 ft/min (30 m/s)
Wing loading: 99 lb/sq ft (482 kg/m2)
Thrust/weight: 0.36
Armament
Guns: 1× 30 mm (1.18 in) GAU8/A Avenger rotary cannon with 1,174 rounds
Hardpoints: 11 (8× underwing and 3× underfuselage pylon stations) with a capacity of 16,000 lb (7,260 kg), with provisions to carry combinations of:
Rockets:
4× LAU61/LAU68 rocket pods (each with 19×/7× Hydra 70 mm/APKWS rockets, respectively)
6× LAU131 rocket pods (each with 7× Hydra 70 rockets)
Missiles:
2× AIM9 Sidewinder airtoair missiles for selfdefense
6× AGM65 Maverick airtosurface missiles
Bombs:
Mark 80 series of unguided 'iron' bombs or
Mk 77 incendiary bombs or
BLU1, BLU27/B, CBU20 Rockeye II, BL755 and CBU52/58/71/87/89/97 cluster bombs or
Paveway series of Laserguided bombs or
Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) (A10C) or
Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser
Other:
SUU42A/A Flares/infrared decoys and chaff dispenser pod or
AN/ALQ131 or AN/ALQ184 ECM pods or
Lockheed Martin Sniper XR or Litening targeting pods or
2× 600 US gal (2,300 L) Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for increased range/loiter time.
Avionics
AN/AAS35(V) Pave Penny laser tracker pod (mounted beneath right side of cockpit) for use with Paveway LGBs (currently the Pave Penny is no longer in use
Headup display (HUD)
Antiarmor mission: 252 nmi (290 mi; 467 km) with sealevel penetration and exit, 30 min combat.

#a10 #warthog #a10warthog