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Mechanic ‘Accidentally’ Fires Vulcan Cannon & Obliterates F-16 Sitting on the Runway
War history online ^ | Mar 19, 2020 | George Winston

Posted on 03/20/2020 7:08:53 AM PDT by Lazamataz

The F-16, hit by the cannon fire, caught fire and exploded having recently been refuelled and made ready for a training sortie due to take place later that day. Another aircraft received minor damage.

If anyone ever needed a reminder of the lethal dangers of working with live munitions, then a recent incident at Florennes Air Base in Belgium is the ultimate wake-up call.

It is thought a maintenance worker accidentally activated the six-barrel 20mm Vulcan M61A-1 cannon hitting another plane parked on the runway.

No-one was in the line of fire, but two technicians were taken to the medical centre on the base suffering from noise related effects

(Excerpt) Read more at warhistoryonline.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: a10; f16; sabotage; security; vulcancannon
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To: SunkenCiv
I think we're doomed.....


121 posted on 03/20/2020 8:56:09 AM PDT by bert ( (KE. NP. N.C. +12) Progressives are existential American enemies)
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To: Lazamataz

Spray and pray...I’d rather have the Russian 30.mm.


122 posted on 03/20/2020 8:56:39 AM PDT by Mashood
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To: DivineMomentsOfTruth
That should come out of his paycheck.

For 15 million years.


123 posted on 03/20/2020 9:07:12 AM PDT by Right Wing Assault (Kill-googl,TWTR,FCBK,NYT,WaPo,Hwd,CNN,NFL,BLM,CAIR,Antfa,SPLC,ESPN,NPR,NBA,ARP)
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To: Right Wing Assault

Heh.


124 posted on 03/20/2020 9:09:28 AM PDT by DivineMomentsOfTruth ("There is but one straight course, ad that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily." -GW)
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To: null and void
Why? Did they not have their sheaths?

Which "they?"

125 posted on 03/20/2020 9:18:52 AM PDT by niteowl77
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To: libertylover

I worked in the Autopilot Shop. I can’t imagine that any shop with training and QA would let someone like you describe near an aircraft.


126 posted on 03/20/2020 9:19:45 AM PDT by Arones (When Leftists are in a minority, then they look for other ways to win.)
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To: Lazamataz

That’s going to come up in his annual performance review.


127 posted on 03/20/2020 9:20:10 AM PDT by pepsi_junkie (Often wrong, but never in doubt!)
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To: niteowl77

No Papua New Guinea man would ever consider leaving his hut without his penis sheath. That and a few feathers is about all they wore back then, and for all I know it’s still that way...


128 posted on 03/20/2020 9:24:31 AM PDT by null and void (By the pricking of my lungs, Something wicked this way comes ...)
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To: pepsi_junkie

This year.

Next year it will say Cpl Micheal’s performance has improved, he didn’t destroy any aircraft!


129 posted on 03/20/2020 9:26:40 AM PDT by null and void (By the pricking of my lungs, Something wicked this way comes ...)
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To: Vermont Lt

“What’s this button do?”


130 posted on 03/20/2020 9:48:20 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: bert

Pucked!


131 posted on 03/20/2020 9:58:44 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Spruce; Lazamataz
"That must be one LOUD SOB!:

It is.

While I was on the .45 familiarization range at Lowry AFB, the instructor had to pause several times because of an extremely loud "foghorn-like" noise emanating from a bunker a couple of hundred yards away.

He explained that the sound was was "only the armorers remotely firing test bursts while they are 'tuning up' 20mm Vulcan cannon".

Firing at 6,000 rounds per minute, (100 rounds per second) it was producing a continuous 100 Hz tone -- composed of very loud individual explosions...

Even at that distance -- wearing hearing protection and and shielded by the bunker, I could feel the vibrations through my entire body. No wonder that maintenance troop -- only feet from that cacophony -- was, “...suffering from noise related effects”!

I don't know about the F-16, but the A-10's 30mm GAU-8 is equipped with a safety switch on the nose gear strut -- so that the gun is "safed" while the weight of the A/C is resting on the ground.

Obviously, that Vulcan wasn't "safed"...

TXnMA
  

132 posted on 03/20/2020 10:09:00 AM PDT by TXnMA (Anagram: "PANDEMIC --> DEM PANIC")
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To: Lazamataz
I think Vulcans are exclusively A-10 Warthog ordnance.

Negative. The M61 Vulcan is the 20mm Gatling-style cannon. The M134 Minigun is the 7.62mm version.

The A-10 uses the GAU-8/A Avenger 30mm Gatline-style cannon.

133 posted on 03/20/2020 10:15:32 AM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard., -- Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4)
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To: Lazamataz

I’m guessing that guy won’t have weekend leave.


134 posted on 03/20/2020 10:17:01 AM PDT by IamConservative (I was nervous like the third chimp in line for the Ark after the rain started.)
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To: Hulka
Yeah, the 20mm pop-gun is cute (said the former A-10 fighter pilot).

I guess this means you wouldn't mind getting shot in the foot with a 20mm 'pop-gun,' eh?

135 posted on 03/20/2020 10:17:32 AM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard., -- Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4)
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To: Ol' Dan Tucker

Nope. . .don’t you know, we Hog Pilots are invincible.


136 posted on 03/20/2020 10:58:49 AM PDT by Hulka
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To: markomalley; DYngbld; TADSLOS; xsrdx; big'ol_freeper; Mark17; mikefive; JDoutrider; ...

Ping.


137 posted on 03/20/2020 11:17:14 AM PDT by Jet Jaguar
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To: Lazamataz

Wanna get away?


138 posted on 03/20/2020 11:17:41 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Lazamataz

John McCain doesn’t have a grandson in the military, does he?


139 posted on 03/20/2020 11:18:23 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: NonValueAdded
A lick of paint, a lick of paint Love, O’Riley

"If the God Lord"
"Is mentioned once more, I shall send you closer to him."

140 posted on 03/20/2020 11:18:35 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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