A-10 Video

[Jafar]

I'm betting the Serbian cows were inflatable. Just like their tanks.

Inflatable Cow spotted on the same continent. I think shooting that would be rather anti-climactic.

Although not aviation related, I just have to mention this incident that happened a few years back since exploding cows is such a hot topic today.

We were doing a night live fire, doing what's called a Tank Table. (I was a Marine tanker before joining the AF reserve.) it was zero dark thirty and everyone was tired as hell. Well the targets used a thermal heating element and just showed up as a green blob through the crappy thermal sights on the M1A1. A certain crew was doing an engagement and thought they were on target. The gunner, a good friend of mine calls "on the way" and fires. He then sees the green blob explode into many smaller green blobs. This is not how large wooden tank targets respond when hit.

It was a danm cow out on the range. The cow took a 120mm practice HEAT round to the center of mass. Despite what many may be thinking, this truly was a mistake. The rancher who owned the beast was compensated, which I thought a mistake. He's the one who let his damn livestock graze on a tank range.

That's my cow story. Unfortunately no known video exists. Interestingly enough livestock was not to be seen out on that range again.

 

[Lear Wanna Be]

Hamburger

 

[Gorilla]

HAHA! The main gun, what is it, a 120mm Depleted Uranium dart at 4,000 fps? Mooooooo.... <boink>! It sounds like a far side cartoon, with coyotes watching and waiting, knowing the big, stupid cow was asking for grief on a tank range. "My friends, we will feast on burger tonite!"

 

[Pantherjon]

I remember that when I was in the Army stationed in Germany, that many times a German farmer would 'accidentally' allow his livestock(cow/chicken/pig) roam into the tank range where it became hamburger/bacon/chicken nuggets..They would file a claim and would get a ridiculus compensation for the animal, it's offspring/etc down to like 3 generations!

'Let the old cow loose on the range..We be gettin our new Mercedes soon!'

Inflatable Cow spotted on the same continent. I think shooting that would be rather anti-climactic.

Although not aviation related, I just have to mention this incident that happened a few years back since exploding cows is such a hot topic today.

We were doing a night live fire, doing what's called a Tank Table. (I was a Marine tanker before joining the AF reserve.) it was zero dark thirty and everyone was tired as hell. Well the targets used a thermal heating element and just showed up as a green blob through the crappy thermal sights on the M1A1. A certain crew was doing an engagement and thought they were on target. The gunner, a good friend of mine calls "on the way" and fires. He then sees the green blob explode into many smaller green blobs. This is not how large wooden tank targets respond when hit.

It was a danm cow out on the range. The cow took a 120mm practice HEAT round to the center of mass. Despite what many may be thinking, this truly was a mistake. The rancher who owned the beast was compensated, which I thought a mistake. He's the one who let his dang livestock graze on a tank range.

That's my cow story. Unfortunately no known video exists. Interestingly enough livestock was not to be seen out on that range again.

 

[AIR2MUD]

Interesting reading on the gun...As to a speed reduction, yes it does occur and it is noticable, and true the gun is USUALLY fired in short bursts, a longer 5-8 second burst will slow the plane at full throttle by almost 15knots..Had a friend who was a 'Hog Pilot' and he loved it when gunnery came up..He said when the gun fires it feels like your sitting on the worlds largest vibrator:laugh:

Little clarification here..

No, speed reduction usually DOES NOT occur when employing the gun, because you are ALWAYS in some sort of dive with the throttles parked in max. The Hog only has three throttle positions - Off, taxi, and fly (max) because we're so underpowered (sarcasm off).

Even in a low angle strafe or two target strafe with a dive angle of 15 degrees or less, the aircraft usually speeds up during a strafe pass. And from a weapons employment perspective, there isn't anything that you'd use the gun against the would require a 5 to 8 second burst. An improved main battle tank is swiss cheese in a less than 2 second burst at proper slant range, and if you're supressing you'd still never fire more than 5 seconds. That would seem like an impossibly LONG time to be holding the trigger down when you train for a 75-100 round combat burst, which is approximately two seconds.

As far as what it's like, the first time I fired it it felt like a vibrating matress gone haywire, an elephant farting, and an orgasm all rolled into one. And you can smell the burnt gunpowder in the cockpit afterwards...it is awesome!

It is an impressive system that has very high reliability when you think of the engineering behind it, and it does what it was built for very efficiently.

I also have to agree with the individual who says that the human element behind what we do during wartime is too oft forgotten...however, in peacetime, it sure is hard to go shoot the AR-15 at the range and compare it to killing tanks on the big range with the big gun!

ATTACK!

 

[AIR2MUD]

Question for Hawg drivers (or any other fighter guys out there). In the beginning of the video there's a guy low-level with the mask on, visor up, and sunglasses on. How often does one wear sunglasses with the helmet and mask?

In my limited time wearing that gear it seems like it would be more of a pain in the arse to put glasses on when you could just put the visor down.

Just wondering if that's common practice or just your average fighter jock trying to look as cool as he thinks he is. (Dont' take it personally, it's just a joke from a future heavy guy.)

I always use the visor, but I had a FAIP in UPT who always wore sunglasses.

I think the visor has the perfect amount of tint for a variety of lighting conditions - just make sure it's up when you're trying to hit the tanker after a day sortie runs long.

I will say in the civilian side of the house, the Serengetis I wore increased the contrast immensely and allowed me to pick up traffic way before the other guy. Wonder if they could do the same thing with our visors and keep the gray color. Would help to pick up those Vipers who are about to skull f@#$ you when you're doing DACT.

ATTACK!

 

[Pantherjon]

I stand corrected on the speed issue on the long burst from the gun on a diving strafing run..Was only going on what my 'Hog' pilot friend told me..I had the pleasure once to see a full combat simulation with A-10's making their runs followed closely by a B52 doing carpet bombing on an excercise in Kuwait..When the gun on the A-10 let loose it sure did sound like a giant Elephant fart, drowning out the high pitch whine of their engines..To an infantryman in the mud that would be one sweet sounding fart!:nuts:

 

[Boris_159]

Cool video, aside from all the retarded pointless arguing. Although the soundtrack could have been better, I think Olivia Newton John could have done a better job than whatever that crap was.