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Feature Article by James Vaitkevicius
I remember being a kid growing up in South Lincolnshire and the “drone” in the skies whenever an A-10A Thunderbolt II was in the air. The unmistakable noise and the shape of the plane made it a childhood favourite of mine – I remember having an “Ugly but Well Hung” badge on my cap at the Air Fetes of old. Even being so close to the Air Weapons Ranges here in Lincolnshire, I never got to seen the awesome firepower of the GAU-8 cannon until a recent deployment by the Spangdahlem 81st TFG to RAF Lakenheath in 2007 – It is certainly a sight to behold even from their 5000ft “hot” firing restriction!
The A-10A itself has an amazing proven track record in combat; from scoring a record number of Tank Kills in the first Gulf War (25??) to providing Combat Air Support (CAS) in Afghanistan, this awesome beast of a plane will hopefully be in service for a number of years top come. The aircraft has had a number of upgrades including Low-Altitude Safety and Targeting Enhancement (LASTE) upgrade provided computerized weapon-aiming equipment, an autopilot, and a ground-collision warning system are currently being upgraded to A-10 “C” standard which comprises of:
- Improved Fire Control Systems (FCS)
- Improved Electronic Counter Measures (ECM)
- New wings & Glass Cockpit
- Introduction of the Helmet Mounted Integrated Targeting System (HMIT)
These changes have meant that the A-10 now can carry a number of smart weapons which without these systems, it would not be possible to operate.
Pre Construction…
I have built a few A-10A’s in the past from the Monogram offering a long time ago and the Italeri moulding in 2008, Both kits were quite nice to build, but I have heard the best offering is the 1/48th Scale Hobbyboss version of the A-10A Thunderbolt II; The kit has a huge box with a shed load of ordinance and a total of 298 parts including three rubber tyres. The kit also includes for a fully built up GAU-8 Cannon and shows basic engine detail which can be posed open. It is claimed that out of all the 48th Scale kits around this A-10A is the most accurate in shape; but we shall see!
The aim is to have this model sitting on the deck, the avionics bay opened up, and the Airies resin cockpit added. I aim to finish the airframe in the newer 2 tone Grey Camouflage scheme with a Sharks Mouth on the nose from the Fighting Tigers Squadron. It is worth noting that the Hobbyboss kit only includes the 3 Tone Euro 1 camouflage scheme and that Aftermarket decals and reference photos will be required if you chose to go down this route.
So on with the pics...
