A-10 Thunderbolt II

[Mossie]

If your taking about a naval variant, how about modding some up to be tankers?  Okay, the A-10 may not have the legs, but it could carry a huge amount of fuel in external tanks & it's wing span may allow it to re-fuel two aircraft in reasonable comfort.

[Burncycle]

I remember reading a review on GAU-8 effectiveness that caught my attention....

Stolfi, Dr. R., Dr. J. Clemens, and R. McEachin, Combat Damage Assessment Team A-10/GAU-8 Low Angle Firings Versus Individual Soviet Tanks, February-March 1978, Volume 1, Air Force/56780/February 2, 1979.

In this test an A-10 aircraft attacked two combat-loaded individual Soviet T-62 tanks in five missions totaling seven passes; technicians rehabilitated the two vehicles after each pass. The aircraft were seldom higher than 200 feet in altitude; firings were initiated between 2768 and 4402 feet and terminated at ranges of 1587 to 3055 feet at dive angles of 1.8 to 4.4°. The bursts ranged from 120 to 165 rounds.

Altogether 93 DU rounds struck the tanks during the seven passes, including no impacts on one pass. The ratio of impacts to rounds fired was 0.10. Of the 93 impacts, 17 penetrated the armored envelopes for a ratio of perforations to impacts of 0.18. The report noted many of the side or rear impacts that did not penetrate the armor nonetheless extensively damaged the tanks' exterior suspension components, whereas all the rounds that hit the tanks' front caused minimal damage. These results reinforced the strategy of attacking tanks from the side or rear to optimize damage potential.

It was more detailed than this, but I can't find the full version... regardless, I was suprised at the results. While the GAU-8 will certainly screw up a tank, I have to admit it wasn't as devistating as I had imagined.

I wonder about alternate armaments though. Would a long recoil or low pressure 76mm with guided DART rounds be feasible? It would potentially increase the effective range at which the A-10 could engage and might be more effective against bunker and structure type targets.

[ysi_maniac]

This was Northrop entry for the A-X (which was won by the Republic whartog).
More precisely, Northrop finally selected what become the A-9 (very similar to the Su-25)


Look at that : it really look like a Whartog with a propeller!

So Rafa and Arch decided to start a group build around his beauty!
The aim : slaughtering an A-10 and change it into this Northrop design...

This drawing at the start of this thread is the only graphic info I got on the devepment of AX project. Does any one have more drawings?

Thanks in advance,
Carlos.

[dy031101]

Given the extra kit that ASW birds carry beyond a MAD stinger, it's use would to my mind be quite limited, add to that the workload for the GIB not in front of a nice big console, but cramped into a cockpit and I think it makes for an unworkable situation.

Now that I think about it, does anyone have pictures for the ASW officer's console in either Short Seamew or MD-500ASW?  They'd be the bare minimum IMHO.

The original Northrop A-X entry looks a very slight bit like...... the offspring of A-10 and MQ-9 Reaper......although time period doesn't quite match, I wonder if GAU-13 would have been better for the prop-driven aircraft?

[jcf]

This was Northrop entry for the A-X (which was won by the Republic whartog).
More precisely, Northrop finally selected what become the A-9 (very similar to the Su-25)


Look at that : it really look like a Whartog with a propeller!

So Rafa and Arch decided to start a group build around his beauty!
The aim : slaughtering an A-10 and change it into this Northrop design...

This drawing at the start of this thread is the only graphic info I got on the devepment of AX project. Does any one have more drawings?

Thanks in advance,
Carlos.

Hi Carlos,
there is more in the AX Contenders thread on Secret Projects:
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,2615.0/highlight,ax.html

Cheers

[SebastianP]

The right gun for the A-10 in the naval role is clearly not the GAU-8 - and since we can't take a smaller gun (heresy!)... How about that 105 mm howitzer from the AC-130? In the same size installation as the GAU-8, I'm pretty sure you could fit at least a six-shot revolver cylinder for 105 mm ammo. That'd give it some humongous punch...

SP

[Weaver]

My scheme for RAF A-10s went something like this:

The principle problem the RAF would perceive with the A-10 would be the lack of all-weather capability, so they'd add considerable avionics to the aircraft and make a proportion of the buy two-seaters the latter providing a  combination of FAC/SEAD support.

All Aircraft:

1. Fixed refuelling probe next to cockpit
2. Naigational FLIR in place of refuelling receptacle ahead of windscreen
3. Terrain-following radar in fromt of one u/c fairing
4. LRMTS in front of other u/c fairing

Two-seaters:

1. GAU-8 removed
2. Ventral FLIR/Laser-designator in place of gun, mounted as far forward as possible to clear underwing stores
3. ESM/ECM system in place of ammo tank/breach, providing both threat ID/classification and jamming
4. Pods on wingtips, fintips and nose for ESM/ECM aerials
5. Normal load would be two AIM-9L/AIM-137 on one outboard pylon, BOZ pod on other outboard pylon, 4 x ALARM on mid-wing pylons, drop tanks on inboard pylons, either drop tank or gunpod on centreline.

[Stitch_83]

NO backstory so far but here's the plan: -





Mods as you can see are rough and sketchy at the moment, but the main ones are: -

- Drop engines to mid-fuselage
- Add anhedral winglets
- Tilt vertical stabs
- Remove gun (I know it's a travesty!!!)
- Add radome
- Add overwing AIM-9 pylons

The wingtips are cut back but I've decided not to do this and add winglets instead

From a physics and practicality point of view I know it probly makes much sense as a fart in a space suit but I have the 1:72 Heller partly built and thought I'd do something manic with it.

Opinions on a forum post!! lol

Stu
Over & out

[Mossie]

What about potential operators?  The USMC & USN have been mentioned, but what about other countries?  Those countries either bordering or having frontline bases on the Iron Curtain are possibilities, West Germany, Austria, UK, possibly Greece & Turkey.  Outside NATO, how about Israel, possibly Australia & New Zealand?

[MAD]

What about potential operators?  The USMC & USN have been mentioned, but what about other countries?  Those countries either bordering or having frontline bases on the Iron Curtain are possibilities, West Germany, Austria, UK, possibly Greece & Turkey.  Outside NATO, how about Israel, possibly Australia & New Zealand?

A few years ago, I remember reading that Turkey was offered/looking at 50 A-10's

M.A.D

[GTX]

What about potential operators?  The USMC & USN have been mentioned, but what about other countries?  Those countries either bordering or having frontline bases on the Iron Curtain are possibilities, West Germany, Austria, UK, possibly Greece & Turkey.  Outside NATO, how about Israel, possibly Australia & New Zealand?

Well they were on the list of candidates when the F/A-18A/Bs were selected by the RAAF.

Regards,

Gref

[nev]

Mike Wren did a very nice Luftwaffe A-10 many years ago 

How about the Nordic countries?  Someone like Norway - simple aircraft to be operated by reservists, can be flown from roads.  Would look great swooping over snowy forests and fjords 

[GTX]

I wouldn't mind doing a PNGAF or even a South Vietnamese one someday.

Regards,

Greg

[Mossie]

Mike Wren did a very nice Luftwaffe A-10 many years ago 

How about the Nordic countries?  Someone like Norway - simple aircraft to be operated by reservists, can be flown from roads.  Would look great swooping over snowy forests and fjords 

Switzerland too for similar reasons.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

As for B-35 Whiffs, I'll be doing one in an "operational" WWII configuration, OD over gray, framed pilot's canopy, gun turrets slewed and elevated, and other little bits.

I like that olive drab over gray scheme idea.  I was proposing something similar in a recent chat session with Brian da Basher but it involved an A-10 in US Army markings with the idea that the USAF finally admitted that they were not interested in the close air support mission and gave it back to the Army (we can dream).

Ya mean sorta like this?

Model by Lynnwood modeler Tim Lawson.

Hi Jon,

That Army A-10 is impressive.  Love the use of the 4.5"/115mm FFAR "Bazooka" rockets as the load out.  Definitely one way to use up all of those things that get dumped in the spare parts box.  Any chance that you could ask Tim to share additional images of his A-10 and a description of what was done to make that model with the WHIF forums?

Wonder how the A-10 would look with those "Upside Down Christmas Tree"  launchers for the 5.0"/127mm HVAR that were used on the P-38 and F-82?  That might be going a bit too far but it never hurts to ask the question.