|
|
A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt
II
One experimental two-seat
version was built. The Night Adverse Weather
aircraft was developed by Fairchild from an
A-10 prototype for consideration by the USAF.
It included a second seat for a weapons officer
responsible for ECM, navigation, and target
acquisition. The variant was cancelled and
the only two seat A-10 built now sits at Edwards
AFB awaiting a spot in the Flight Test Historical
Foundation museum.
Four A-10 Thunderbolt
IIs fly in formation during a refueling mission.The
A-10/OA-10 has excellent maneuverability at
low speeds and altitude, thanks to wide, straight
wings. These also allow short takeoffs and
landings, permitting operations from airfields
near front lines. The plane can loiter for
extended periods of time and operate under
1,000 foot (300 m) ceilings with 1.5-mile
(2.4 km) visibility. It can fly at a relatively
slow speed of 200 mph (320 km/h), which makes
it better at ground-attack than fast fighter-bombers,
which often have difficulty targeting small
and slow-moving targets.
|
|
|