GREAT IMAGE!!!
Yep... They built the plane around a huge Gatling gun...
That image sure does put it in perspective... :)
When flying without a full load of 30mm ammo, we had to add weights in the nose wheel gear bay. Up to four weights depending on the ammo load.
Also, the A-10 is the only fighter aircraft that does not eject it’s spent brass, but keeps it all in the drum. The is to retain enough weight in the aircraft to keep the nose wheel on the ground when landing if most of the ammo was used.
Also, the nose wheel is offset to the right side, and the gun barrel is off set so the barrel at he 9:00 position (the firing barrel) is lined up exactly on the aircraft centerline. Were it to the side like many guns on fighters, is would cause the aircraft to yaw dramatically, and make in impossible to stay on target.
Just a few interesting thing I learned in my time in the USAF.
A-10 Crew Chief 85-88
81st TFW, 511 TFS
RAF Bentwarers, UK