The legendary aircraft of the US Air Force, the A-10 Thunderbolt, or Warthog, has remained popular until today with its features and performance. We’ve gathered 10 facts about the tank killer A-10 Thunderbolt for you.
The A-10 Thunderbolt, which has been used by the United States since 1977 and has a great name with its performance, was specially produced for the US Air Force by Fairchild-Republic. Late last year, as the United States began to retire older aircraft, it decided to keep the A-10 Thunderbolt, which has been in operation since 1977.
A-10 Thunderbolt, nicknamed “Tank killer” in the game world, has very interesting features. US experts say that this highly successful warplane can serve until almost 2039. We have brought together 10 special details of the A-10 Thunderbolt, the fearful dream of armored vehicles and tanks, or the Warthog, for you. Let’s take a look at 10 interesting facts about the A-10 Thunderbolt together.
First flight with malfunctions: first prototype flown in 1972
The first prototype of the A-10 Thunderbolt made its first test flight in 1972. Of course, it was not easy for the legend to come to this day and unexpected malfunctions were encountered in the first flight. These malfunctions were fixed and the Air Force made some improvements to make the A-10 a more equipped aircraft. As a result, all problems were eliminated and the A-10 Thunderbolt appeared.
Proved in the Vietnam War: Completely bulletproof
The Warthog proved bulletproof in the historical Vietnam war. Dozens of US planes were shot down by land shots in that war. The US Air Force instructed the development of a more powerful support aircraft following this misfortune in the Vietnam war. As a result, the A-10 Thunderbolt was developed with defense against armor-piercing shells, including high-explosive shells up to 23 mm.
Its unique design that distinguishes it from other aircraft
The A-10 Thunderbolt has a wingspan of 57 feet 6 inches and a length of 53 feet 4 inches, with a design that allows it to perform spectacular maneuvers even at low speeds. This plane is almost as long as its width; When it combines features such as wheelbase, special wing designs, and large engine, it reveals a unique performance.
There is a special vehicle for loading ammunition on the A-10
We mentioned that Warthog has quite a lot of weapons and ammunition. The only task of the vehicle named Dragon, which was produced only to complete the ammunition of the A-10 Thunderbolt, is to ensure that the Thunderbolt successfully gets the ammunition it needs.
Resistant to all natural obstacles
The A-10 Thunderbolt is designed to be all-weather resistant as it should be. That is, any natural event that occurs cannot dissuade Warthog from his mission. Moreover, the aircraft has all night vision systems.
Military personnel call him Warthog
The nickname of the A-10 Thunderbolt, the favorite of the US military, is Warthog. Along with its boar resemblance, the military aircraft is specially painted to give it a more frightening appearance, and is covered with special details to give a more fearful impression to enemies during battle.
A-10 Thunderbolt participated in a rescue operation and was successful
Warthog, who repeatedly showed his success in every field, took part in the rescue operation of an F-117 pilot who crashed in Kosovo in 1999. The aircraft, which served quite well throughout the operation, was able to provide ground support to three helicopters attempting to rescue the pilot.
The A-10 Thunderbolt received dozens of improvements after it was built
The A-10 Thunderbolt, which started its operations in 1975, of course did not remain as it was first produced. It has received quite a few updates to further enhance its unique performance and provide better flight control. Warthog, which has received new sensors, weapon distribution systems and many other developments, has subsequently acquired many technical features such as advanced display technologies, autopilot and collision warning system. Warthog, which became one of the first ground attack aircraft to use laser-guided munitions only a few years after it was produced, was further strengthened with precision bombing technology in 2005. After all the updates, the A-10 Thunderbolt has become more technological, has more powerful engines and has become more and more equipped on the ammunition side.
