The primary mission of the USAF’s A-10 close air support aircraft is attacking enemy forces in support of friendly ground troops. For this purpose, it is equipped with a nose-mounted 30mm GAU-8 Gatling gun and eleven ‘hardpoint’ stations on its undersurface for deployment of various types of ordnance. The airframe is well-suited to its role, with its tough construction providing protection against ground fire and its long, straight wings providing excellent low altitude maneuverability. The A-10C (upgraded production) model, developed from the A-10A, features a new ‘glass cockpit’, a new weapons management system and other significant upgrades. In 2004 the aircraft received new Joint Tactical Radio System and data link equipment and upgrades for its Position Location Reporting System and TF34-GE-100 engine, all of which resulted in significant performance improvement. The A-10C underwent a major overall upgrade in 2006, with enhanced deployment capabilities for laser- and GPS-guided munitions that reduce the need for the risky low-altitude flying typically involved in close air support missions. Air Force units began receiving the aircraft in November 2006. In 2007 the 104th Squadron of the Maryland Air National Guard became the first to fly it in combat during the Iraq War. The nickname ‘Thunderbolt II’ has been given to the aircraft in honor of its US close air support ‘ancestor’, the venerable P-47 Thunderbolt fighter of WWII. It is also commonly referred to as the ‘Warthog’ or ‘Hog’.
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Product Details:
Scale: 1/72
Skill Level: 3
- Painting and assembly required
- 10 sprues
- Two-piece fuselage
- Clear parts
- Installation of ladder is optional
- Optional armament includes AGM-65 Maverick, AIM-9 Sidewinder, and 600gal tanks
- Molded in grey plastic
- Requires one 8g and one 10g ballast (not included)
- One decal sheet
- Detailed cockpit includes seating and instrument panel
- Canopy can be assembled open or closed
- Includes decals and paint guides for the following versions:
- 74th FS, ‘Tiger Shark’, 23rd WG, USAF, 2011
- 81st FS, ‘Panthers’, 52nd FW, USAF, 2013
- Illustrated instructions and paint guide
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Paint Guide:
Black
Silver
Steel
Flat Black
Clear Red
Clear Blue
Burnt Iron
Bright Blue
Bright Green
Semi-Gloss Black
Tire Black
Olive Drab FS 34087
Grey FS 36118
Grey FS 36320
Grey FS 36375
Grey FS 36231
White FS 17875
Radome Tan
Yellow FS 13538
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