Can we discuss how cool A10's are?

[octane2079]

Technically they are not airline engines they are high bypass turbofans designed for use in the Lockheed S3 viking ASW aircraft that the were modified for use in the A10. Also the A10 has a better chance of survivng in a high threat environment than most would think. During in service tests they Air force realized that flying at low altitude and using terrain masking the A10 could avoid the majority of soviet sams by using terrain to avoid their engagement zones.

[Blennidae]

Technically they are not airline engines they are high bypass turbofans designed for use in the Lockheed S3 viking ASW aircraft that the were modified for use in the A10.

You are both right and wrong, and so was I when I stated they are airliner engines. For some reason I had it in my head the A-10s engines were a civillian engine modified for military use. I had it backwards. It was the other way around. The TF-34 is the military version, used on the S-3 and A-10. The CF-34 is the civillian varient.

http://www.geae.com/engines/commercial/cf34/

http://www.shanaberger.com/engines/TF34.htm

[steveo356]

ooo f 15 flying w/o wings like skipping stone on the water.

b52s still being used whihc is amazing but now id doesnt have a 10 man crew mostly maning machine guns its jus a bomber

[Restola]

does anyone knoe why it was designed to use turbofans rather than an actual jet? Was it the low speed, high manueverability?

I don't know why they chose a turbofan for the A-10, but some beneficial aspects of a turbofan are:

Noise goes up with the 7th power of velocity, in a turbofan the bypassed air "cushions" the fast air existing the engine. Thrust is a product of how much air you move, and how much accelerate it (remember equal and opposite reaction). Since the fan moves so much air it doesn't need to accelerate it as much, meaning slower exhaust speeds, and less noise. Most of a turbofan's thrust is produced by the fan, the actual jet exists basically to turn it.

efficiency at slower airspeeds. a pure jet becomes more efficient at speeds beyond mach 1, a high bypass turbo fan is more efficient at slower sub-mach speeds

And that's about all I can remember.

An A-10 demo is still one of the most impressive things I've seen at any air show. I had a flight instructor who was supposed to go fly them. Not sure where he is now though.

[Steelrat]

Once again, ALL modern jetfighters use turbofans. Turbofans are more efficient than turbojets, and replaced them in jets dating back to the F-14 and F-15, which are actually pretty damn old.

And I still think the A-10 would have had a rough time in a threat-heavy environment. Tree hugging is fine, but you can't tree-hug the whole way and still play CAS. The Soviet Su-25s had a bad time of it with Mujahadeen Stingers, so think of what the A-10 would have been facing vs. the VERY SAM heavy soviet army. In the end, the kind of war the A-16 was designed for really went away, and the A-10 came back into its own.

[Carbon]

This thread rulezorz! thnx yall!

[Destructo6]

It's not just the Pentagon that wants multi-mission aircraft, the pilots often do too.

During the first Gulf War, F14 pilots had little to do as their planes were strictly air superiority and the Iraqi Air Force was decimated early on. In the intervening years, they developed, largely at Pt Mugu/NAWC, the capability to also deliver bombs, hence the "Bombcat." In the recent activity in Iraq and Afghanistan, they were working close in and far away and loving it.

While an A10 is tough, it's not going to stand a chance against a fighter. It really needs air superiority to survive on the battlefield.

[SpecialBlend2786]

Yeah, I love A10's; but I'd still take a F-14

[Steelrat]

Won't be able to much longer. Phoenix just got phased out, and F-14 is due to follow in 2010. No real shocker there, the mission it was built for no longer exists. It seems so strange, but there will really be only one attack/fighter aircraft on the carriers, the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet.

[Restola]

Once again, ALL modern jetfighters use turbofans.

Yeah you're right. For some reason whenever I think "fighter jet engine" I picture the two turbojets we have at school.

[Phobos]

The heating effect of alot of DU rounds hitting a tank can accult cook of the rounds in the tank to get a kill even if the rounds themselves don't penetrate.

It was an Isralie flown F-15 that flew back with a wing missing.

[Blennidae]

It's not just the Pentagon that wants multi-mission aircraft, the pilots often do too.

I think it depends on who you ask. There are a couple of current and former F-15C Eagle pilots on one of the other message boards I frequent. They feel its not in "Fighter" pilots best interest to spend time training as a "Strike" pilot. That is why there is a distinct separation between F-15Cs and F-15Es. The C's don't worry about dropping bombs, and the E's dont worry about shooting down other fighters. There is a reason the F-15C has the best A2A record of any modern fighter. The saying "Jack of all trades, master of none" does apply to most multirole aircraft.

I think the decision to go with a high bypass turbofan on the A-10 was covered in what Restola posted. For a subsonic CAS aircraft, fuel effiency, low noise and low heat are desirable, and those are attributes of a high bypass turbofan.

And for those interested in the one winged F-15, here is a link to the story with a couple pics.

http://www.f-16.net/varia_article8.html

[Steelrat]

Absolutely incredible. It'll be a sad day when the Eagle is retired.

On a side note, while I am all for dedicated A2A planes, they are a tough sell right now, considering the most likely threats to the US. Heck, they even turned the F-22 into a strike aricraft.

[Destructo6]

I think it depends on who you ask.

True. My bro flies fighters (F14, primarily) for the Navy and said that the community as a whole was not too happy about sitting out past conflicts due to the other side not having a game. While they still consider their primary role to be air superiority, they're happy to conduct ground strikes when it's the only game in town.

And my brother hates the F22, having worked in its development. He often says, "While stealth might be nifty, speed never goes out of style."

[Steelrat]

True. My bro flies fighters (F14, primarily) for the Navy and said that the community as a whole was not too happy about sitting out past conflicts due to the other side not having a game. While they still consider their primary role to be air superiority, they're happy to conduct ground strikes when it's the only game in town.

And my brother hates the F22, having worked in its development. He often says, "While stealth might be nifty, speed never goes out of style."

Speed never goes out of style? The F-22 is the ONLY US plane that can supercruise, and it can exceed Mach 2.0 in level flight. How in the heck is that slow? I mean, as good as the 14 and 15 are, they were designed in the 1960s. The F-22 is light years ahead of them in terms of performance, lethality, and electronics. Every time I read about its capabilities I am amazed.