autoevolution
 

A-10 Thunderbolts Take Off With Unmistakable Howl, Weather Is a Bit Confusing

There are many types of military planes currently in use, and many of them are easily recognizable by anyone gifted with just a touch of knowledge in this field. But if there is one that needs little to none presentation, that’s the A-10 Thunderbolt.
A-10 Thunderbolt taking off 8 photos
Photo: SrA Brandon Gifford, TSgt Rachel Barton/Military in Action
A-10 ThunderboltA-10 ThunderboltA-10 ThunderboltA-10 ThunderboltA-10 ThunderboltA-10 ThunderboltA-10 Thunderbolt
In service since the late 1970s, like most of the military machines now in operation, the Thunderbolt, also known as the Warthog on account of how ugly it is (among other things), is currently deployed by the United States alone, with a little under twenty squadrons fielding some of the over 700 units of the breed ever made.

The ones you can see in the video at the bottom of this text are deployed with the 107th Fighter Squadron, operating out of the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, Michigan. The images show the Warthogs being prepared for take-off and then actually taking to the sky, howling past the onlookers with the unmistakable sound generated by the pair of General Electric turbofan engines.

Now, while there is no mistaking the planes taking off, it’s very hard to determine when the video was shot, as some of the scenes in there come with significant amounts of snow falling from the sky – the clip was published by Military in Action earlier in August.

But even if we don’t really know when these planes were captured on film, that doesn’t make them any less impressive.

The Thunderbolts were designed decades ago as ground support platforms, and the main weapon that helps the airplane perform its duties is the deadly Avenger. That would be a a seven-barrel Gatling gun that can rapidly spit slugs from 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) in the air right into an area just 40 feet (12 meters) in diameter on the ground.

Sadly, we don' get to see that in action in the video below.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)

Editor's note: Gallery shows other a-10 thunderbolts.

About the author: Daniel Patrascu
Daniel Patrascu profile photo

Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories