Using the cannon, the A-10 is capable of disabling a main battle tank from a range of over 6,500m. The cannon can fire a range of ammunition, including armour-piercing incendiary rounds (API) weighing up to 0.75kg, or uranium-depleted 0.43kg API rounds. The magazine can hold 1,350 rounds of ammunition.

How many rounds does an A-10 shoot per second?

The cannon’s original design could be switched by the pilot to 2,100 or 4,200 rounds per minute; this was later changed to a fixed rate of 3,900 rounds per minute. The cannon takes about half a second to reach top speed, so 50 rounds are fired during the first second, 65 or 70 rounds per second thereafter.

How long can an A-10 stay in the air?

The re-winging of the venerable attack aircraft, popularly known as the Warthog, is expected to allow it to keep flying until the late 2030s, Air Force Materiel Command said in a release. The upgraded wings should last for up to 10,000 flight hours without requiring a depot inspection, AFMC said.

How long can an A-10 shoot?

An A-10 carries 1,350 rounds of 30mm ammo for its GAU-8 Avenger cannon. The cyclical rate of fire for the GAU-8 as installed in the A-10 is 3,900 rounds/minute, which works out to 65 rounds/second. That means the A-10 could (theoretically) fire continuously for 20.769 seconds.

How much do A-10 rounds cost?

perhaps the most iconic aircraft cannon in aviation history as well as its carrier, the A 10 Warthog uses 30x173mm Armor Piercing Depleted Uranium Rounds. Regular rounds fired by the GAU 8 also known as PGU-14/B Armour Piercing Incendiary Depleted Uranium Rounds comes at a hefty price of 136.70 dollars a pop.

How many a 10s were shot down?

(Many returned to base almost unflyable, but only seven Warthogs have ever been shot down or crashed due to combat.) Production had been shut down since 1984, and zero effort had been put into coming up with a direct replacement.

How big is an A-10 round?

The A-10 is perhaps best known for its fearsome GAU-8 Avenger 30mm gatling gun mounted on the nose. The GAU-8 is designed to fire armor-piercing depleted uranium and high explosive incendiary rounds.

Can the A-10 dogfight?

Can Warthogs dogfight? Conventional wisdom says slow attack jets like the A-10 can’t dogfight. … The Thunderbolt II’s 30mm GAU-8/A Gatling gun can fire 3,900 rounds a minute and can defeat an array of ground targets to include tanks.

What caliber is A-10 gun?

GAU-8/A AvengerMass619.5 lb (281 kg)Barrel length90.5 in (2.30 m)Cartridge30×173 mmCaliber30 mm

How big are the A-10 Warthog bullets?

General Electric’s 30-millimeter GAU-8 Avenger cannon has been the primary weapon of the U.S. Air Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack plane for more than 40 years. It also arms the Goalkeeper naval close-in weapon system. It’s a huge and awesome gun.

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Where are a 10s stationed in the US?

The sound of freedom continues over the skies of MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and the surrounding Tampa Bay area, as A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft from the 163rd Fighter Squadron, Indiana Air National Guard, are flown during the Guardian Blitz II exercise Dec.

Is the A-10 considered a fighter jet?

The A-10C Thunderbolt II is the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close air support of ground forces.

Where is a ten stationed?

The Air Combat Command A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team, stationed out of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, brings the aircraft to air shows around the country to showcase the unique combat capabilities of the A-10 “Warthog.” They perform precision aerial maneuvers while highlighting the mission and …

How many bullets can an A-10 shoot?

The cannon can fire a range of ammunition, including armour-piercing incendiary rounds (API) weighing up to 0.75kg, or uranium-depleted 0.43kg API rounds. The magazine can hold 1,350 rounds of ammunition. The pilot can select a firing rate of 2,100 or 4,200 rounds a minute.

Does the A-10 Gun slow it down?

There is a popular myth that the A-10 can “almost come to a complete stop” from firing a long cannon burst. While the 30mm cannon in the A-10 is large and impressive, this story is false. Even when firing long bursts, there is no measurable reduction of air-speed.

How much does an A-10 slow down when firing?

The acceleration is force divided by mass, and the A-10 has an empty mass of 11000 kg, and a MTOW of 23000 kg. This gives an acceleration between 4.545 m/s2 and 2.174 m/s2. While this recoil force is significant, in practice a cannon fire burst slows the aircraft only a few miles per hour in level flight.

How much does an a-10 round weigh?

DU PGU-14 bullets are tested every two years on the base’s northern range in a controlled fire exercise, something required by the Pentagon for the ammo to be recertified for use in combat. When the A-10’s GAU-8/A Gatling-style autocannon is fully loaded, it weighs roughly 4,000 pounds, DuPont said.

Why is the a-10 gun off center?

The nose landing gear is slightly offset to ensure the proper alignment of the firing barrel. The gun itself is mounted off-center, with the firing barrel positioned deliberately to control for a recoil force so strong that it can potentially cause the A-10 to veer off target.

What are a-10 bullets made of?

This behemoth fires armor-piercing bullets made of depleted uranium. The first generation of A-10 Thunderbolts allowed the pilot to switch between 2,100 or 4,200 rounds per minute, although this was upgraded later to a fixed rate of 3,900 rounds per minute, which translates into about 65-70 rounds per second.

Has an F 22 ever been shot down?

“However, this was proven to be untrue as the video showed that a Rafale moved into a good position to lock the F-22 in its range to launch the infrared-guided Mica missile. In actual combat, the advanced U.S. fighter would have indeed been ‘shot down,’” the Times expert concludes. F-22.

Are a 10s still in service?

In its proposal for the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, the bill which will set the funding levels for the U.S. military next year, the Senate Armed Services Committee prohibited the Air Force from retiring any A-10 aircraft in fiscal year 2022.

When was the last A-10 shot down?

2003–2011 (Operation Iraqi Freedom) April 8, 2003 – An A-10A Thunderbolt II (Serial Number : 78-0691) was shot down over downtown Baghdad by an Iraqi Roland surface-to-air missile.

Do the Marines use the a10?

Here’s why the Air Force’s A-10 Warthog is now the Marines Corps’ ‘preferred escort‘

How many rounds per minute does the A-10 Warthog shoot?

Dubbed Warthog, Hog or just Hawg, the A-10 Thunderbolt II is, basically, an airplane built around the GAU-8 Avenger 30-mm hydraulically driven seven-barrel Gatling-type cannon. The Avenger cannon is the Hog primary weapon and is able to fire 3,900 bullets per minute.

Was the A-10 used in Vietnam?

The A-10 was designed for close support in low intensity conflicts during the Vietnam War, yet it came to be seen as a dedicated anti-armor platform by the early 1970s. … The A-10 was chosen and 707 A-10A’s went into production.

How tough is A-10?

Over seven hundred A-10’s have been built, of which roughly three hundred are currently in service with the Air Force and Air National Guard. The A-10 has proven as durable on the battlefield as it has in the ledger books, so far surviving the Air Force’s ongoing attempts to retire it.

Can a civilian buy an A-10 Warthog?

The US does not sell military aircraft to civilians and no other country has A-10s, so no, you cannot purchase one.

What are A-10 pilots called?

His action in combat during the Gulf War in 1991 is one of the reasons why the A-10, also called the Warthog, is the most beloved close air support platform in the U.S. arsenal. On February 25th, 1991, the second day of the ground war, he and his wingman Capt.

Are A-10 bullets explosive?

The special operations wing put a camera on a training ground before the A-10 performed a strafing run on it. The A-10’s GAU-8/A Avenger rotary canon fires 3,900 armor-piercing depleted uranium and high explosive incendiary rounds per minute — and you can almost feel it in the video.

How many rounds can a warthog carry?

The magazine can hold 1,174 rounds, although 1,150 is the typical load-out. The Avenger’s rate of fire was originally selectable, 2,100 rounds per minute (rpm) in the low setting, or 4,200 rpm in the high setting.

How big is a 30mm bullet?

Shell measures 10 1/2′ tall from base to tip. Base diameter is just under 1 3/4″. Rounds could be stamped HEI (High Explosive Incendiary) or TP (Training Projectile).