Little known, affordable proposed (but not bought) replacement for the A-10, Ares, designed by Burt Rutan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG9LlHcX8lg
Many unusual features.
Don’t jump on me, like you I am nuts about the A-10 and want them to live forever....
For one Lightning II, we could buy at least a squadron of these bad boys. And get far more value out of them.
Seems like it those front canards are a weak point in the video. Also, one engine only.
I am also a big A-10 fan. But I am also a big Burt Rutan
fan. Besides being a human caused global warming
doubter Rutan is a fellow graduate of Cal Poly SLO.
IIRC, one of the big problem with Ares was that it wasn’t big or powerful enough to carry sufficient armor aloft. As I recall, the only armor was rated against just rifle and GPNG fire and was around the fuel tanks, not the pilot. Tends to be a bit hard on the pilot getting low and slow
In the dirt.
One engine? No thanks.