I thought the A-10 was retired?

[Dave]

They were fun to watch, the NY Air Guard had some at our airfield so we'd get to watch them. Saw some do their gunneries when I was in Hawaii out on the big island, that cannon is impressive. Most CAS for infantry is getting replaced by attack helos, Super Cobras from USMC and Army's Apache Longbows. As a former Army helo crew chief I'm glad this platform is getting a better look. Yeah, the gun isn't the same, but they can do a lot that a fixed wing plane can't.

[<MADDOG>]

Saw four go overhead today, beautiful machines...

[spqrzilla]

Natural Uranium is 99.3% U238 and 0.7% U235. Depleted uranium is what is left over when you "enrich" uranium to pull out the small amount of U235 for use in reactors (less than 20% enriched) or nuclear weapons (all U235). U238 has a half life of approx 4.5 billion years. That means that if you wait for 4.5 billion years, half of the U238 will decay. And its mostly an alpha emitter. Alpha radiation can be blocked by a piece of paper. Your nut sack will suffice.

While that is "radioactive", it is barely so. Rather, describing depleted uranium / U238 as "radioactive" is like calling me handsome.

Depleted uranium projectiles scare me a bit more than pure lead ones would, given uranium's heavy metal toxicity. But that's about it.

Oh, I would not be happy breathing the fumes after a DU warhead penetrating armor.

[BushMasterBoy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium

All the transuranics are bad for your health. The projectiles were provided by the lowest bidder. Gulf War vets have a far greater chance of having genetically defective children.

[stevelkinevil]

My favorite plane BAR NONE (not just because I'm a former 11B) HUGE mistake if its retired without a "substitute" (because there can be no replacement). And yup I think its sexy as hell.

[<MADDOG>]

My favorite plane BAR NONE (not just because I'm a former 11B) HUGE mistake if its retired without a "substitute" (because there can be no replacement). And yup I think its sexy as hell.

Myself: I prefered a Spectre, but I'm old, and times have changed...

However, if the commies came rolling down the Fulda as some had planned, Hog's all the way!

[Gman]

If you're inside the armor penetrated by one of these DU rounds, you won't live long enough for the fumes or any residual radiation to matter.

I'm a huge fan of the Warthog and hope they stay around as long as the B-52s.

[john145]

I was a crew chief on the A-10. Served in the Air Force from 74 to 78 Nellis AFB in nevada. When i first got there i was on the F-111 but they were moving them out.


So they sent me to school on the A-10 at Davis Monthan AFB in Tuson, when they first came out in 76. AWESOME AIRCRAFT!!!

[Colorado Osprey]

So they sent me to school on the A-10 at Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson, when they first came out in 76. AWESOME AIRCRAFT!!!

I remember that transition in Tucson. Had both A-7's and A-10's flying out of Davis Monthan and F-4's from Luke out of Phoenix. They were trying to phase out the A-7 as a ground attack plane and replacing it with the A-10. The A-10 flying all over in southern Arizona was a common sight in the late '70's along with the O-2's. Another cool airplane. Remember when the Thunderbirds used to have an airshow which seemed like every year at Davis Monthan too? T-38's back then ('73-'82).

[Ronin13]

So they sent me to school on the A-10 at Davis Monthan AFB in Tuson, when they first came out in 76. AWESOME AIRCRAFT!!!

I went to the Army intel school at Huachuca, spent a lot of time around Davis Montham... I love the AF chicks there! And watching the A-10s take off and land was sweet!