Why this 50 year old aircraft is still so popular

The A-10 Thunderbolt II is best known for two things: the GAU-8 30 mm rotary cannon in its nose, and its ability to destroy tanks. But its development came about for a different reason. The A-10 Warthog was designed specifically to provide close air support to ground forces. In this video, curator Emily Charles explains why the A-10 has been in service for 50 years and is still popular with pilots. We hear from one of the developers of the A-10 and pilot Kim Campbell, famous for landing her A-10 in manual mode after taking anti-aircraft fire in Iraq.

Plan your visit to IWM Duxford: https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford

ASSETS
YA-10 photo credit: U.S. Air Force
Night/Adverse Weather press releases from Fairchild via secretprojects.co.uk
‘Say Hello to the Warthog’ article by Jack Stitzel via https://www.acc.af.mil/Portals/92/Docs/ACC%20SAFETY/COMBAT%20EDGE/TAC76_04.pdf
A-10A - Photo © Karsten Palt and National Museum of USAF
A-10 77-0259 on the runway at Duxford © David Whitworth on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitworth/21256290138/
Warthogs at Moody Air Force Base: U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Ryan Callaghan