Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II / Warthog
by: RLindsey
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Word Count: 138
The A-10 was christened the Thunderbolt II, but the troops called it Warthog. One look at the ungainly appearance and there is no doubt as to why. The idea behind the A-10 was as ground support which puts it in harm’s way. Therefore, the Thunderbolt II was not built streamlined for speed, but bulky for abuse. During the Gulf War I only 5 planes were shot down out of over 8,000 missions. Another main use of the A-10 was as a tank-buster. The 30mm Gatling gun shot 4,000 rounds-per-minute. The amazing Warthog was used from 1975 to 1995.
Length: 53 feet 4 inches
Wingspan: 57 feet 6 inches
Speed: 423 mph
Ceiling: 45,000 feet
Range: 620 miles
Engines: 2 General Electric TF34 Turbofans, 9,065 pounds thrust each
Crew: 1
Armament: 1x 30mm GAU cannon, 16,000 pounds of bombs and rockets
About the Author
Robert M. Lindsey -- http://www.geocities.com/rlindsey58/
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