Fairchild-Republic Thunderbolt 2 (79-0154)

As a former Tactical Air Controller in Vietnam, I wish we had this aircraft in Vietnam. If we had, the outcome of that war may have been different in spite of the ROE (Rules of Engagement) given to us by our government in Washington. The A-10 is the very best close-air-support aircraft ever designed and built and frankly I can not envision one that could ever replace it. It is the ultimate!

Beautiful photo!

Spot on Harry. An amazing bird.

I don't know why this aircraft is called ugly, to me it is one of the more good looking aircraft.

Just imagine how much safer an LZ would have been with a squadron of A-10s riding shotgun? Better yet, include a squadron of A-10s in a gaggle of F-4 Wild Weasels with CAP overhead and you could have mopped up every SAM site from the beach to Hanoi. It would have been a Yellow Brick Road for the B-52s. However, Washington D.C. at that time was fighting the war like Saddam Hussein and would have never given permission for this type of thinking. Just think, with all the money wasted on the F-35, they could have built another squadron of A-10s and it wouldn't have put a dent in the budget. The A-10 destroyed more Scud missile sites doing the Gulf War then any other aircraft.

Roy, I will bet A-10's overhead look beautiful to our troops on the ground when they are taking enemy fire! It is not fast or sexy but it gets the job done.

I'd give my left one to fly this machine!

I remember these "ugly" beauties holding up vehicular traffic at the factory at Republic Airport while being pulled across Conklin Ave. (SR-24) in Farmingdale, NY from the assembly/completion areas on the south side to the paint shop on the north! Love it, thank you.

It is an amazing aircraft! There are some YouTube videos of troops taking enemy fire in Afghanistan from the mountains and they put the spot on the target for the A-10's and they swoop in at about a 45 degree angle and give a couple burst of that gatling gun and poof. And they can take enemy fire well also. Seen photos with 3 feet of a wing shot off bullet holes and the pilot had not problem putting it back down without a crash landing!