Fairchild Republic A 10 Thunderbolt Ii

A comprehensive account of the origins, design, and history of the A-10A Warthog: “Highly recommended.” —AMPS Indianapolis Includes photos The Fairchild-Republic A-10A Close Support aircraft has become a legend over its long front line life. Known as the Warthog due to her unusual appearance, this little aircraft has built up an awesome reputation in the specialized ground-attack role, where her accuracy and deadliness are widely recognized as the best of their kind. Hard lessons from World War II, which were reinforced by the bitter experience of the Vietnam War two decades later, showed it was both impracticable and cost-inefficient to use supersonic fighter jets in the close air support mission. A requirement was therefore drawn up for a plane capable of carrying a heavy and varied load of ordnance, which had good endurance and unprecedented maneuverability and could survive heavy ground fire—thus the A-10 was born. But by the time it came into service its role had changed to that of a tank-buster in the defense of Western Europe in the face of the overwhelming numbers of Soviet battle armor. With her straight wing, twin tails, and turbine engines mounted high on her rear fuselage, this single-seat aircraft certainly presented a unique appearance. But all these features served a vital role, as Peter C. Smith explains in this highly detailed study. Although the Warthog’s expected missions on the plains of Germany did not materialize, she did destroy hundreds of Soviet-built tanks during the Gulf wars. The A-10 has also flown almost continuous missions over the Balkans, against the Taliban in Afghanistan, and ISIS in Iraq and Syria. This beautifully illustrated and comprehensive volume brings the A-10’s incredible story right up to date.

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, commonly nicknamed the "Warthog" due to its unusual and ungainly appearance, became the most effective close-air-support aircraft that has ever served for the US Air Force and Air National Guard. Designed around the GAU-8/A Avenger autocannon, the aircraft was a highly effective tank killer during Operation Desert Storm. The Warthog continues to serve, from its first appearance in 1976 through subsequent wars up to the present time, and well into the future. This concise, illustrated book covers the construction, development, and combat history of this unusual aircraft and features superb detail and combat photography. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

Dubbed 'Warthog' - or just 'Hog' - by those who fly and maintain it, the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is the world's undisputed close air support attack jet. As tough as it is ugly, it has built a fearsome reputation as a tank buster and infantry killer in conflicts around the globe, and its GAU-8 Avenger 30mm cannon strikes fear into the hearts of all unlucky enough to be on the wrong side of it.he A-10 was clutched from the jaws of retirement by the 1991 Gulf War. At the time of the conflict, the United States Air Force was making plans to shed it's A-10 fleet, citing obsolescence and redundancy. As the ensuing conflict showed, nothing could have been further from the truth, and no other airframe could have provided the US and Coalition commanders with the sort of forward air control, close air support, combat search and rescue, and tank busting capabilities that the Hog did. Since then the A-10 has delivered capabilities to battlefield commanders in the Balkans (1990s), Afghanistan (2001 onwards) and the second Gulf War (2003 onwards), and Libya (2011). A-10s have flown around 11 per cent of Operation Inherent Resolve sorties (striking IS targets in Iraq) since combat operations began in August 2014.

This behind-the-scenes account of a USAF career is “an absorbing read, written with the classic humor fighter pilots seem to have” (Flight Line Book Review). From Baron von Richthofen to Robin Olds, the mystique of the fighter pilot endures. The skill, cunning, and bravery that characterizes this distinctive band of brothers is well known, but there are other dimensions to those who take to the skies to do battle that have not been given the emphasis they deserve—until now. You don’t have to be an aviation aficionado to enjoy Colonel Steve Ladd’s fascinating personal tale, woven around his twenty-eight-year career as a fighter pilot. This extremely engaging account follows a young man from basic pilot training to senior command through narratives that define a unique ethos. From the United States to Southeast Asia, Europe to the Middle East, the amusing and tongue-in-cheek to the deadly serious and poignant, this is the lifelong journey of a fighter pilot. The anecdotes are absorbing, providing an insight into life as an Air Force pilot, but, in this book, as Colonel Ladd stresses, the focus is not on fireworks or stirring tales of derring-do. Instead, this is an articulate and absorbing account of what life is really like among a rare breed of arrogant, cocky, boisterous, and fun-loving young men who readily transform into steely professionals at the controls of a fighter aircraft. “This book will appeal to a variety of readers with its Vietnam War combat stories and accounts of flying the Warthog in Cold War Europe. Fun, flying, international experiences—you won’t want to put it down.” —Aviation News

This book chronicles the story of the A-10, including program history, aircraft paint schemes, all units operating the aircraft and their markings, and selected nose art and ladder door art. Over 100 colorful official and unofficial patches of the units and combat operations involving the A-10 are included. The book also includes a description of the aircraft, its systems, and weapons.