Posted on 01/17/2015 5:58:44 AM PST by Zhang Fei
I can easily believe that; I've heard that the reason the F-22 was killed was because it was good in its role as an air-superiority fighter.
not heat seekers apparently, at least not the SA-7 cheapo
An organization formed around a specific function within a designated directorate of a joint force commander’s headquarters. The subordinate components of an element usually are functional cells.
I got to spend an evening sharing adult beverages with a former A-10 pilot. He allowed that pilots learned to throttle up a bit when cutting loose with that nose cannon, otherwise recoil can knock 20-30 knots off airspeed.
Awesome weapon, no high dollar missiles need apply, that 30mm cannon can take out tanks with a short burst.
Just as well ... otherwise I'm convinced it would be destined to be used against US citizens.
It also looks like a cross so in the eyes of the Islamists. They see the Crusaders seeking their vengeance. (which is just about right!) Awesome airplane.
I worked on OA-10s a bit back in the day...and to a man, not a one of us wished we were doing anything different, even the pilots.
For anyone who says that the USAF “hates” the A10, I’ll just be polite and say you don’t know wtf you’re talking about.
I guess a multi-mission designation somehow makes it easier to argue before congress...look at the F22 and it’s SDB modifications recently...
There was an A-10 squadron at Belle Chasse NAS / Joint Forces base, south of New Orleans. Once in a while I'd see them flying in pairs low over the Mississippi, below the tops of the river levees. Sometimes the ANG F-15s would follow suit. Too cool.
If the plane is low enough, it might be that the missile doesn’t have the time to lock and correct course.
If you want to know the true story behind the A-10 you need to read:
Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
http://www.amazon.com/Boyd-The-Fighter-Pilot-Changed/dp/0316796883
Great book, great story, great biographer.
Basically, the air force did not want the A-10 from the get go. Boyd knew we needed it and essentially pulled a fast one to cram it down the Air Force’s throat. Moreover, the air force, or many in the air force, do not prize the role of CAS, they’d rather dog fight or high altitude bomb. Boyd recognized the limitations in such a mindset. He was also instrumental in us getting and maintaining air superiority and why no one can really match us in air to air.
Great read.
Having seen an A-10 in action during a training exercise, I can assure everyone here that it is a great combination of scary and deadly.
The target was on a hill covered with dense pine forest. With zero warning, that aircraft just “materialized” over them, fired enough Gatling blanks so that everybody there knew they were toast. And then it was gone, faster than someone could raise their rifle.
When it flies slow, it is extremely maneuverable, yet can hang around an area for almost two hours. Then when the pilot hits the gas, zip.
He was funnin’ ya a bit.
Shooting the gun is the most fun you can have with your trousers on. That is for certain and for sure.
When you fire the gun and the 30MM round spits out at a rate of 10-rounds per barrel per second, at 128,600 RPM and 3,400-3,600 feet per second, is is an absolute rush.
The shaking and jarring of the jet when you pull the trigger (no more than a second otherwise you melt the barrels), your shoulder harnesses lock and your world goes all shaky. . .everything shakes, you, the jet, your HUD, everything.
So, throttle up is not really done because the trigger pull is so short and the gun cross is set on the HUD for a specific airspeed and range. So advancing the throttles as you line up the gun cross you are spoling your aim. Of course, you learn basic TLAR-method for shooting since it is the last of the cowboy man's jets out there with nothing magic on-board.
With a small mil dispersion you need to be accurate so you make sure you have the right airspeed. . .now, throttling up just as you squeeze the trigger sometimes is done because the engines take a moment to spool-up and by the time you shoot and release the trigger, the engines are kicking in and that few seconds can add the edge you need to jink off target.
Just me talking. . a former Hog Driver. . .
Agree. . .BTW I checked out in the jet when the fleet was being fitted with INS. . .that’s a long time ago. Best jet I ever flew.
Getting locked on the missile flies a pursuit curve, chasing the heat signature. Nothing to do with time to track/adjust. . .it comes off the rails already tracking.
Isn’t Davis-Monthan where aircraft go to die?
That was back in the day when jets were being designed without a gun on it because missiles made dogfighting obsolete. . .we saw how well that worked. . .today the F-22 has a gun and it is invisible to radar.
This was back in the day when the strategic mission (SAC, nukes) was THE primary mission for the USAF and those guys ran the USAF. . .and jets had to be able to carry nukes. . .then the ‘fighter mafia’ came along. . .
“fired enough Gatling blanks “
The Hog never fires ‘blanks.’ Seriously. Never.
TP round most likely.
And the A-10 RTU thrives. . .
“Maybe we can augment it with “puff” lighting them up at night too.”
Puff is one of my favorites. She lit up the sky one night and eliminated a bunch men named Charlie.
The question is, why did they all have the same first name?
:-)
IMHO
I fly one almost every night online DCS. No need for napalm with the awesome amount of cluster bombs it can carry:) along with half dozen Mavericks for some real fun. The cannon is amazing as well. Anyone interested in sim flying should check it out. It is as real as it gets. 700 page manual. You can run but you can’t hide...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.