Close-air support like the kind the A-10 was supposed to provide meant the Warthog needed to be protected while fighting close to the enemy's small arms. Meanwhile, the A-10 Warthog's top speed is just 420 mph, a fraction of those incredible speeds. Most new aircraft in the past few years have been supersonic fighters, capable of 1.6 Mach ( F-35C), 1.5 Mach ( F-22 Raptor) or Mach 2.5 ( F-15EX). Despite these considerations, firing the BRRRRRT decreases its forward thrust by half.
The A-10's engine and tail design were intended to keep the aircraft stable when firing the massive cannon in its nose. The gun sits in the middle of the plane so that the Avenger's recoil has a minimal effect on the plane's flight path. Few things are more satisfying than watching a target getting demolished to the sound of the "BRRRRRT." The sound comes from the GAU-8 Avenger, which is so powerful that the plane was actually designed around its recoil.
It's a sound that's become so iconic, it's now an internet meme. The A-10, of course, isn't designed for stealth or air superiority, so it is also more susceptible to incoming enemy aircraft. Flying an A-10 for an hour costs tax payers a mere $19,000 while the F-35 costs $44,000 per flight hour. In terms of cost per hour of flying time, the Warthog seems even cheaper. That may not sound cheap, but compared to other aircraft with close-air support capabilities, like the F-35 Lightning II ( $101 million) or F-15 EX Eagle II ( $87.7 million), it seems more like a bargain. The result of that kind of engineering made for a plane that cost $1.4 million per unit in 1970 (just under $10.1 million today). Because of this, the Air Force knew parts had to be easily obtainable. The A-10 was built to be inexpensive and take a lot of damage.
0 kommentar(er)
