A10 Thunderbolts in UK?
 

Just saw an A10 Thunderbolt over N. Cambs. Is there a sqdn. back in the UK? Last time it was due to runway resurfacing in Germany.

I remember them & Tornado's flying over our factory in UK before Gulf War I; abso-phuqin-utely incredible; we assumed they were allowed to use our factory with it's very long / broad road / clealy visibler chimney's and nearby train line / river as some sort of aiming point. Brilliant to watch,hear &...feel the noise was amazing.

There are 8 or 10 on det at Lakenheath at the moment.

View topic - Hawg Huntin' in Suffolk 9-8-11

There's been 10 of them at LN for the past 2 weeks working up for heading east. They have been working Holbeach and Donna Nook up to 2300hrs during the week. This is their last week and I hear they may go home early though they were on Aberporth this morning.

I was lucky to see 8 of them depart with 6 F-15E's and an RC-12 on a counter IED practice mission last week.

I will put some photos here when I've resized them,

BW

A mate of mine is hoping that they will be going through the Mach Loop and is up there "on holiday" with the family and his trusty camera. If they are going early he will be p****d.

At the penalty of sounding stupid and ignorant -- why was the A-10 needed as a dedicated CAS aircraft? While I understand the USAF felt that CAS was an unneeded role that tied them to the Army, a more versatile and conventional design like the A-4 would able to perform an effective CAS role too...

You might find this enlightening:

They went around the Loop today!! :ok:

BW

Some images from LN...


http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...ml#post6642277

BW

Part of a deployment east but question is how far, near east, mid east or farish east ?

Remember 86 when BBC on about a training exercise when aircraft on way to Libya.

JD...
The USAF found in Vietnam that CAS was something it couldn't avoid doing, after it kept the US Army from getting the A-4 or a similar aircraft*.



The USAF used the A-1 in the early part of the Vietnam war (along with the F-100), and replaced the F-100 with the A-7D Corsair II at the end of the 1960s. The A-37 was also used (mostly as a replacement for the A-1) from 1968, and was kept in service in the National Guard until it was replaced by the A-10.

The US Army raised a ruckus over the poor quality of CAS provided by the USAF in the early stages of Vietnam, and Congress pressured the USAF to hold a competition for a new CAS aircraft, with an emphasis on anti-armor capability, to combat the Warsaw Pact/USSR superiority in tank numbers in Europe.

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Fairchild/Republic A-10 beat out the Northrop A-9, and the USAF grudgingly accepted it, and the mission-set that came with it.

Northrop YA-9 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



* in 1961, two A4D-2 Skyhawks (BuNos 148490 and 148483) were borrowed by the U.S. Army and modified by Douglas for evaluation in competition with the Northrop N-156 (predecessor of the F-5) and an Italian Fiat G-91, for operations from unimproved airfields near front lines. Modifications of the Army Skyhawk included large dual wheels on beefed-up main landing gear mounts; a heavier wing to house the larger landing gear; and installation of an A-3 Skywarrior drag chute. Flown by Douglas test pilot Dru Wood, the modified "Army" Skyhawk won the competition, but the project was canceled when Congress ruled that the US Army couldn't operate fixed-wing combat aircraft, causing Army funds to be diverted to helicopter procurement.

Army Skyhawk | A-4 Skyhawk Association

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...rmySkyhawk.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...1/G91ARMY1.jpg

GreenKnight121,

Posts like your last one are why I love visiting PPRuNe - I learn something new every day. Had no idea that the G91 ever appeared in US colours; certainly knew nothing of the Army A4 modification.

As for the A4 vs A10 argument - I'm sure that if Douglas had produced a way of getting a GAU-gun, titanium tub and a second donk into the Skyhawk then it would've been considered. Perhaps.

Apart from airborne FAC around Wales/ Mercia during my AAC tour (they always needed less hand-holding than any other jet), my only close-hand working experience of the A10 was during the first Gulf unpleasantness when our unit lurked at a base with a wing of them (you can tell I never did ISS, can't you?). Symbiotic, with information being shared during mission debriefs of benefit to each party. Much impressed by their LTC coming back after being bracketed by 57mm; 357 holes in the airframe, which was simply speed-taped and flown back into deeper Saudi for base repair.

A pair in the circuit at Waddo, yesterday. Lovely sight and sound. I got quite excited!

FAC in the Gazelle, 1980's, pre laser, was always interesting with the A10:

" 'Crocodile*', this is 'Pork' Flight. We are a pair of A10's. We have got 30mm, Maverick, Hershey Bars and Superman comics. You got any 'trade'?"

(I know, should be a 'Spindle' callsign but that's what they liked calling me)

I was on exercise at STANTA about 2 weeks ago, going through the usual contact drills and I thought I'd be clever and call in CAS.

Get on the net and call out ECAS, and low and behold a flight of A-10s come skimming over the trees!:D

I looked the dogs danglies until they continued on to LN!

If yer want CAS get an AV 10 not an A 10.

Just had a couple fly over the house.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._VW_Type_1.jpg

Amazing gun they put in these.

Not my pics:

A10s @ Corris 15-8-11 - Talk Photography

More accurately: amazing aircraft they wrapped around that gun.

Lakenheath Hogs
 

BBC Look East did a short segment on them last night. The exercise is almost over and they go back to Spang soon. Enjoy them whilst you can, boys and girls....

Anyone else on here remember when they were at Bentwaters, Woodbridge and Alconbury. In those days they were green and grey too......happy days!
:D:O

Most of them working the U.K ranges and RTB Spang today.

BW