A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthog 'Desert Storm' Model Plane Display

    A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthog 'Desert Storm' Model Plane Display

    Code: NC10229

    Regular Price: $199.95

    Our Price: $159.95

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    Scale: 1/57
    Length: 11"
    Wingspan: 12"

    The A-10 resulted from a US Air Force requirement for a rugged attack plane to provide close-in support of ground troops using guided munitions. Carrying one of the most powerful guns ever placed on an aircraft, the 30-mm cannon fires "milk-bottle-size rounds" at rates of 2,100 or 4,200 shots per minute. The Warthog, or simply "Hog"as the A-10 is frequently called, is also fitted with a high aspect ratio wing well suited to low speed flight that provides hardpoints for a variety of bombs and missiles used for the close air support mission. Though able to operate guided missiles and bombs using a laser-designator pod under the nose, the avionics have remained simple for greater dependability and maintainability.

    Northrop and Fairchild Republic were selected to build prototypes: the YA-9A and YA-10A, respectively. The YA-10A first flew on 10 May 1972. After trials and a fly-off against the YA-9A, the Air Force announced its selection of Fairchild-Republic's YA-10A on 18 January 1973 for production. The aircraft can loiter for extended periods of time and operate under 1,000 ft (300 m) ceilings with 1.5 mi (2.4 km) visibility. It typically flies at a relatively slow speed of 300 knots (560 km/h; 350 mph), which makes it a much better platform for the ground-attack role than fast fighter-bombers, which often have difficulty targeting small and slow-moving targets.

    The A-10 was used in combat for the first time during the Gulf War in 1991, destroying more than 900 Iraqi tanks, 2,000 military vehicles, and 1,200 artillery pieces. A-10s shot down two Iraqi helicopters with the GAU-8 cannon. The first of these was an Iraqi helicopter shot down by Captain Robert Swain over Kuwait on 6 February 1991, marking the A-10's first air-to-air victory. The A-10 had a mission capable rate of 95.7%, flew 8,100 sorties, and launched 90% of the AGM-65 Maverick missiles fired in the conflict. Shortly after the Gulf War, the Air Force gave up on the idea of replacing the A-10 with a close air support version of the F-16. Sixty OA-10/A-10 aircraft took part in early combat in Operation Iraqi Freedom which began on 20 March 2003. The A-10 also flew 32 missions in which the aircraft dropped propaganda leaflets over Iraq. he A-10 is scheduled to be in service with the USAF until 2028 and possibly later, when it may be replaced by the F-35 Lightning II.