The Boys in Blue Ch. 08

Let me tell you a story

If you Wikipedia the A-10, the information there is incorrect. Fairchild republic the company that built that aircraft is not far from my house. The A-10 was a Army project NOT AIR FORCE. At the end of the Vietnam war the most effective American close air support aircraft was the World War II prop driven sky raider. The Air Force moto is higher, Faster. An effective closer your support aircraft flies lower and slower. To get promoted in the Air Force you need to shoot down enemy aircraft. Killing tanks won't even get you beer

. So after the Air Force retired the Skyraider everything in the air force inventory was supersonic. Because of the deal made between the army and the Air Force after the Air Force split off from the army all the Army aircraft had to be observation. Oh they fitted unguided rockets to Cessna 172s. But none of the aircraft in the inventory or and planning we're built for close air support.

So the army went is own way to create this aircraft. It was paid for in the Army budget rather than the Air Force. What with the Wikipedia got right is the program brought in the leading tank killers. There was a German who flew Stukas. And the Russia who flew their close air support aircraft. Both were effective tank killers, these two gentlemen help set the priorities, survivability, redundant systems, loiter time, and the stable gun platform. They first designed the gun then built the aircraft around the Gatling gun. The Air Force went to Congress and forced the army to relinquish the program. Once they got a hold of the program they killed it. In doing so they killed the company who designed it. The company had going into their pocket to develop the aircraft and they canceled order effectively killed the company. They removed it from the Air Force inventory and gave it to the national guards and reserve. As 2 wars have shown the airframe is effective, but the Air Force is rather spiteful.

A sad but true storymore...