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Library > Fact Sheets > A-10A "Thunderbolt II"
A-10A "THUNDERBOLT II"
Posted 10/19/2010
Printable Fact Sheet
Fairchild A-10A "Thunderbolt II"
S/N 73-1666
Crew: One
Engines: Two General Electric TF34-GE-100A turbofans; 9,065 lbs thrust each
Wingspan: 57 ft 6 in
Length: 53 ft 4 in
Height: 14 ft 8 in
Weight: max: 50,000 lbs
Speed: max: 450 mph; cruise: 335 mph
Range: 2,900 miles
Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft
Armament: One 30mm GAU-8/A rotary cannon; up to 16,000 lbs mixed ordnance
Cost: $8,800,000
This A-10A, S/N 73-1666, was manufactured by Fairchild Republic Aviation in Hagerstown, Maryland, and delivered to the US Air Force on June 24, 1975. It was one of the first six production A-10As (S/N 73-1664 to 73-1669), which were all used for Development Test & Evaluation (DT&E). The DT&E program was designed to qualify the production aircraft for all aspects of its operational mission in preparation for initial deliveries to active duty Air Force units.
In March 1980 the aircraft was transferred to the Air Force Flight Test Center, AF Systems Command, at Edwards AFB, as a YA-10A. Five years later the AF Armament Development Test Center (AFSC) at Eglin AFB, Florida, took possession of this aircraft. It remained in Florida until September 1989, when if was sent to Sheppard Technical Training Center, Air Training Command, at Sheppard AFB, Texas. There it functioned as a GYA-10A for ground instructional airframe training.
In April 1992 the aircraft was removed from the active USAF inventory and became the property of the USAF Museum System. It was then assigned to Hill Aerospace Museum for static display. As part of the museum's continuing restoration and conservation program, the aircraft was repainted by the Hill AFB Paint Shop in February 1997. In October 1997 volunteers from the 388th Operations Group also loaded surplus AGM-65 Maverick missiles on the A-10A to illustrate some of the weapons carried by the Thunderbolt II during Operation Desert Storm.
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