[usconservative]

It was some years ago after the Chicago Air & Water Show that about 10 A-10 Warthogs flew over my far Southwest Suburban Chicago home on their way to an airport just south of me. They were maybe 1000 feet up in the air and the distinct growl of their jets was quite loud and I looked up to see them flying overhead with the nose gun turrets pointed down.

I cannot tell you how broadly I smiled as the A-10 Warthog is my favorite military plane. I've read so much about it and having friends who were in Iraq for Operation Desert Storm and their stories about it, it's just stuck with me. I can remember pointing up in the sky and telling my two sons to look up at them.

Many people have no idea how redundant that plane actually is. Half its support systems can get knocked out and that plane will still get the pilot home safely. I've read accounts of half of a wing missing from an A-10 Warthog and it still making it home. Same for electronics systems getting knocked out and still getting its pilot home.

I've no idea who designed that plane, IMO they clearly had returning the pilot home safely in mind. So much to learn from the design and engineering of the A-10 Warthog.

[DuncanWaring]

The A-10 can lose (not all at once) half a wing, an engine, or the elevator on one side, and still fly.

Also, the cockpit is surrounded by a titanium "bathtub" to protect the pilot from ground fire.

It was designed to survive these:

[DUMBGRUNT]

“Many people have no idea how redundant that plane actually is. Half its support systems can get knocked out and that plane will still get the pilot home safely. “

And do not overlook the titanium bathtub the pilot sits in, to protect from ground fire.

“It can take far more than a 0.50 cal round. A 0.50 cal round is about 12.7mm. The bathtub has been tested (and proven in combat) to withstand up to 57mm explosive rounds.”

https://www.quora.com/Does-an-A-10-really-have-a-titanium-tub-for-the-pilot-to-sit-in-What-kind-of-hit-can-it-actually-take-Can-it-take-a-50-cal-explosive-or-armor-piercing-round

A long wait in an airport, I purchased a magazine totally about the A-10.
And I learned many fun things.

[ro_dreaming]

Here’s a GREAT story of an F-15 (Israeli) pilot who somehow defied McDonnell Douglas engineers who said it was not possible for an F-15 to fly, little own LAND, with 1 wing.

That’s correct - an F-15 with ONE (port side) wing, and nothing but leaking fuel starboard side.

https://theaviationist.com/2014/09/15/f-15-lands-with-one-wing/

[Ponyexpress9790]

Had an A-10 pilot tell me this— The A-10 is a titanium bathtub cockpit with an aircraft built around it, they put the gatling gun on it to make it sexy. Ultimate tank, bunker, and vehicle killer, hands down, no contest.

[Hot Tabasco]

There’s a squadron of A-10s 7 miles from me at Selfridge ANG base that I occasionally see flying....