Rotary cannon fire echoing through the Ozarks

[Rgoodwin]

Nothing better than our Ozark rivers, streams and smallmouth.

 

[A10]

Wait a minute......they named a plane after me??????







Truth is, every time the Air Force has tried to retire them, the Hog jockeys come up with a new use. They were originally designed as cold war tank killers, and their job was to patrol the East German border in case of attack. Don't know if anyone mentioned it, but the pilot sits inside a thick titanium bathtub designed to protect him from heavy ground fire.

They were pressed into ground support service, I think in the first Gulf war, and needless to say proved invaluable. They have since been equipped with night vision devices and terrain following radar. And the GAU 8 is not it's only trick, they are equipped with hard points allowing them to launch any of our smart or not so smart bombs as well as air to ground or even air to air missiles if the occasion arose. I have spoken with many hog pilots and each has said they are truly a pilots aircraft, a hoot to fly. I could go on, just suffice it to say they are the best aircraft in the sky.....

Best aircraft in the skies....

 

[BigBill]

Before the wars they would fly the missing man formation over the parade on the 4th. Then they would do a bank turn right over my house. They are awesome slow ground attack aircraft. The warthog and the apache took out all the armor. The sound of that rotary cannon is the sound of freedom.

I never got to go to war but I served at home in way. I built cnc
machines to manufacture jet engines for Pratt & Whitney and GE. I also built cnc machines to manufacture the m1 abrams main engine rotor and the upper and lower turret bearings. Then I got the job of building the 155mm Howitzer there still using today. I'm retired now but I had quite a life building machines. There isn't anyone on any day who doesn't touch
Something that I had something to do with. I built machines to manufacture disc brake discs for every car manufacturer around the world.
I built machines to manufacture trailer truck brake drums, for NASA, gears
For differentials, pistons for cars and trains. It was fun. The biggest lathes I built had 144" chucks and weighted in at 200,000lbs. It took 5
Trailer trucks to move it to ship it.

 

[george minze]

Mike, it's my understanding that G.E. developed the rotary cannon then the USAF had a plane developed to put the cannon in???

Now and then the governmernt gets something right....The A10 and the rotery cannon were some of their better ideas......Which means they will probably get rid of them.......

 

[shouldazagged]

Best aircraft in the skies....

I'll agree they're right up the scale with the incredibly versatile C-130, the worthy successor of the C-47/DC-3.

 

[Hobie1]

way back in the mid 80s I deployed to Morocco with an A-10 unit. I took the radio jeep out to the range every morning and helped run the cattle off so they could shoot. they were a good half mile in front of us when they fired and it literally rattled your teeth. very short bursts. they were shooting at older soviet armored vehicles of various design. the target practice rounds went thru both sides of the armored personnel carriers. here is a picture of a couple of rounds. one I dug up an hour after it was fired and it was still warm. the other is one the loaders gave me. lee

Was there any concern over the fact that they use depleted uranium? I looked it up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium and it seems there is a difference of opinions whether or not DU is a health risk.

That being said, the A-10 is a treat to watch fly. I'd love to experience a live fire exercise. Engines sound like giant vacuum cleaners.

Regards,

Hobie