# A-10 Warthog



## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

My 13 year old son has been working on an A-10 he got a while ago. He's always been a bit shy and never wanted me to post his stuff (unlike his siblings that have their stuff posted in the cars and sci fi sections). He finally relented and let me post some pics of his progress. Bear in mind, that I don't help my kids with their kits unless they ask me to help - all of my kids do things on their own. That said, I'm rather proud of all of them. 

Stephen's finished putting the fuselage together:










He's also completed the interior:



















Here he is snipping the pieces off to build the wings:










And here is tonight's completed wing:










His plan is to get the major parts together then do the painting. He will be masking off the cockpit when he does this.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Very nice looking indeed. I love the A-10, it's my favorite aircraft. Looks like Stephen is doing a great job so far! From what I have read the Monogram kit has the best shaped fuselage of all the A-10 kits.

Look forward to you completing it young man.


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## Schwinnster (Sep 5, 2011)

*Looking good Stephen! *:thumbsup: From the looks of that _'sprue tree'_ that you're snipping parts off, your A10 is going to be very well armed 

BTW Scott, that top pic, of the fuselage without the wings, has inspired me to do a very wild _'car'_ build


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## walsing (Aug 22, 2010)

Love the plane and I'm glad to see another young builder joining the ranks!


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Good start! Keep going!


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## iamweasel (Aug 14, 2000)

Very nice start, this is my sons favorite plane and one of mine. Hope he lets you post more as it goes.


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## Disco58 (Apr 10, 2011)

It would appear you have the right mix of help/leave 'em be for your kids in their modeling projects. Hopefully this step out of the 'my stuff isn't good enough to show people' mindset will continue. That's an affliction that even many of us adults have to deal with. While my work is far better now than it was at his age, it still lacks due to a very long hiatus from modeling. It's very easy to fall into the trap of comparing your work to others of your age, even though they have been been doing it continuously throughout those years. Just encourage him to continue learning, and it's all good.


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## aurora fan (Jan 18, 1999)

GREAT JOB STEPHEN! Keep up the good work!This was my sons first kit at age 12. He chose it because I worked on the A10A out of Myrtle Beach and he built it as a present to me!


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## s.moe (Jul 18, 2011)

Hey Stephen......What you've got completed so far is looking great.....Really like the paint work you did on the cockpit...and am looking forward to seeing more pic's of it as it progresses......To some people it's an ugly aircraft,,,, To me ,,,It is a Beautiful and marvelous aircraft....I live close to the Myrtle Beach area and before the Air Force Base here Closed in 1993,, I use to have them fly over my house all the time.....Sometimes they would be flying so slow it looked like they would fall out of the sky...Other times they would be flying wide open at treetop level....Both were impressive sight's to see.....:woohoo:....Sadly Due to the military down sizing in the early '90's, the 354 th Tactical Fighter Wing,"which from 1977 till 1992 flew the A-10's", Left our area and was re-established at the A.F.B. in Eieleson, Alaska......I sure have missed seeing them flying over and the last one that did was rocking it's wings, As if to say... Good-bye.......
Please post some finished pic's of it when you've finished it.....It would make this old "Hog" lover's day......

MOE.


Stephen....A quick bit of info for you.....The 354 th TFW was sent to Dammam, Saudi Arabia in Aug. 1990 For Operation Desert Shield And when the war started,"Opreation Deasert Storm" they flew mission's taking out Radar and Scud missle sites, as well as Ground Support Missions against Iraqi armor and artillery....They were a great asset to our troop's on the Ground....


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## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

Thanks, everyone, for your comments. Stephen came over and read them all with me and had a smile on his face - all your comments made him feel pretty good, I think. So good that he came back and read them again after dinner. He has been on the fence about filling the seams and sanding (he really hates sanding) but tonight he said he wants to do it to make it look as good as he can. Woo hoo!! 

Anyway, thanks everyone!!


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## CorvairJim (Dec 16, 2011)

I had to come over here to the Military Aircraft forum to check out Stephen's Warthog. Young man, you're doing a great job on this plane! It's been a long time since I've built an airplane model, but looking at yours, I might just have to do another one some time soon. I'm basically a car guy, I have major aviation history in my background: My Great Uncle Eugene Ely was the first man to successfully land on, and then take off from, the deck of a ship. He's called "The Father Of Naval Aviation" and has a display at the Smithsonian Air And Space Museum. My middle name is Eugene in his memory. My granddaughter, Ameilia, is named for Amelia Earhart.

We had a local squadron of A10's in my area too, based out of the now-closed Willow Grove Naval Air Station/Joint Military Reserve Base. Even where we live, over 10 miles away "as the Warthog flies", we'd still have the occasional flyover. The squadron also handled flyover duties at several NASCAR tracks. They did it at the race at Pocono that my wife and I went to three years ago, and as I reall, also on TV doing flyovers at Watkins Glen and New Hampshire. 

The A10 was never intended to be pretty, just deadly. It is incredibly powerful, and incredibly manoueverable. It might not look as cool as the swept-wing F-14/15/16-type fighters, but with it's larger engines and wing area it can carry more ordnance further and manouever in tighter confines than those more glamorous birds. The "A" (attack)-type A10, as with the A6 "Intruder" before it, is a better all-around warplane then the more specialized "F" (fighter)-type planes in my opinion. It may not be able to go supersonic, but it can "Turn 'n' Burn" with the best of 'em!


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## SJF (Dec 3, 1999)

I have an air base nearby, and every now and then an A-10 will fly really low over the area. 

Looking good so far, Stephen. Keep up the great work. :thumbsup:

Sean


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## Maritain (Jan 16, 2008)

Very nice, I luv that plane, it's basicly a gun with a plane built around it. It's one mean machine. Keep up the good work!


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## Full Flaps! (Sep 26, 2010)

Wow, that _is_ a nice A-10, looks very accurate. It even has the open decelerons. I Love the Hog myself, and a pretty good looking plane in my opinion. It's built old school, and tough as nails - like the bombers of WWII. Everything is either heavily armored or double/triple redundant - I dig that. It's looking really good so far!

My own hometown of Fort Wayne Indiana is home to the Air National Guard's 122nd. Fighter Wing, the "Black Snakes". They used to fly F-16's until transitioning to the A-10 in 2010.

Now if only there were an equally exceptional B-52 kit.


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## Disco58 (Apr 10, 2011)

CorvairJim said:


> I have major aviation history in my background: My Great Uncle Eugene Ely was the first man to successfully land on, and then take off from, the deck of a ship. He's called "The Father Of Naval Aviation" and has a display at the Smithsonian Air And Space Museum. My middle name is Eugene in his memory. My granddaughter, Amelia, is named for Amelia Earhart.


Wow, how cool is that?! I was in F-14 squadrons on the left coast, and reading stories of the Wright Brothers, Amelia Earhart, Glen Curtiss and your Great Uncle Eugene as a child are what helped get me there. I can't tell you how much I wish I could travel in time to witness their monumental events. These pioneers of aviation had the stones to tell the naysayers where to stick it; "Yes, it can be done, and I'm here to prove it". Oh, the stories he could have told you....
In a weird connection between your son and uncle... One of the 'What-if' ideas I've had floating around in the gray matter for a long time was a Navy A-10. It's big, it's bad, has the attack capabilities of anything we've ever put on a flight deck, it's structurally sound with more than adequate landing gear, and kind of the 'icing on the cake' is the engine location. They're not the vacuum cleaner that most Navy planes are, and FOD would be far less a threat. All it needs are folding wings and a tailhook.


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## Jafo (Apr 22, 2005)

looks good. tell him to keep goin!:thumbsup:


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## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

Well, there's a little update from Stephen. He has spread some putty along the seams and will be sanding tomorrow. 










He is also starting on the main wings now. We're waiting to post pics of those until they are more complete. 

By the way, he wants me to let everyone know that he's building it with the landing gear up and wants to hang it in his room from the ceiling.


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## butch101 (Jun 27, 2006)

very good work !!! keep posting pics. I think it'll give my son some motivations to do his models too !!!


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## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

I do have an update for everyone. Stephen spent the evening working on his plane and sanding down all the seams. He says it's now good enough for paint and he's happy with that. Here he is having fun in the bathroom sink:


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## surfsup (Apr 19, 2009)

It is great to see the Younger Generation having fun with this wonderful Hobby and he is doing a great Job. Keep it up Young Grasshopper...You are doing a wonderful Job.......Cheers Mark


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## s.moe (Jul 18, 2011)

Hey,, Stephen.....The A-10's really starting to take shape there,,,Your're doing some great work on it.....Keep it up and I'll be checking back in on it to see more of your progress....Can't wait to see the finished build, My new Friend......:thumbsup:

MOE.


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## Schwinnster (Sep 5, 2011)

scottnkat said:


> ...
> By the way, he wants me to let everyone know that he's building it with the landing gear up and wants to hang it in his room from the ceiling.


:thumbsup: Best way to display model aircraft, IMHO. Keep up the _great _work Stephen!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Have fun with the sanding, that's my favorite part of model building, not! I like that you are doing an in flight mode for this. It will really set off your display. That's what I did with mine, it just looks too cool that way. Keep up the great work!


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## iamweasel (Aug 14, 2000)

Again nice job so far, its cool he's hanging it from his ceiling, my son has his on his ceiling as well. Seems more fitting that way.


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## CorvairJim (Dec 16, 2011)

Disco58 said:


> Wow, how cool is that?! I was in F-14 squadrons on the left coast, and reading stories of the Wright Brothers, Amelia Earhart, Glen Curtiss and your Great Uncle Eugene as a child are what helped get me there. I can't tell you how much I wish I could travel in time to witness their monumental events. These pioneers of aviation had the stones to tell the naysayers where to stick it; "Yes, it can be done, and I'm here to prove it". Oh, the stories he could have told you....
> In a weird connection between your son and uncle... One of the 'What-if' ideas I've had floating around in the gray matter for a long time was a Navy A-10. It's big, it's bad, has the attack capabilities of anything we've ever put on a flight deck, it's structurally sound with more than adequate landing gear, and kind of the 'icing on the cake' is the engine location. They're not the vacuum cleaner that most Navy planes are, and FOD would be far less a threat. All it needs are folding wings and a tailhook.


Curtiss was one of the most overlooked of the early aviation pioneers. Thanks for bringing up his name. "Uncle Eugene", as we refer to him in the family, was in his employ when he did the development work on Naval Aviation. The concept was worked out between the two men, and they sold it to the Department of the Navy together. Uncly Eugene had the idea of stretching ropes attached at each end to sand bags across the deck and mounting a hook to the plane to snag them to slow the plane after landing. This basic concept is still in use today, although they haven't used ropes and sandbags since the 1930's!

As far as the Naval A-10 goes, above you comment "Yes, it can be done, and I'm here to prove it". Pay heed to your own words! Find the kit and modify it to show your concept! Look to the carrier-based straight-wing fighters of WW II for ideas as to how to hinge the wings. Basic Naval decals are out there; You'd only have to come up with a few dedicated markings for the plane. Of course, you'll want to come up with your own designation for it, since many Naval planes differ in name from their land-based counterparts. After all, it's YOUR idea, so YOU should have naming rights!


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

The A-10N SeaHog!


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## Disco58 (Apr 10, 2011)

I think I might have this one figured out. I can call it the A-11 Thunderstrike. Since it has Republic Aircraft roots, it needs a 'Thunder***" moniker to go along with Thunderbolt, Thunderchief, Thunderstreak, etc. The A-11 because we don't have one, and because of a football offense designation, the A-11 offense. I don't know squat about sports, particularly football, but I found it looking up A-11 to see if there were any aircraft designated as such. Like I said, there aren't, so.... As I understand it, the A-11 is/was based on a loophole in high school rules that allowed multiple receivers regardless of their actual designation/position. Also, it somehow allowed for essentially two quarterbacks hanging out behind the center, and either one could receive the snap. Since the defense didn't know who was going to get the ball, they had no idea which way to run, and the QB could blast through just about anywhere, because you can't cover everything all at once. He could also pass from an unpredictable spot, to an unpredictable spot, so again, they couldn't cover. The A-10 Thunderbolt/A-11 Thunderstrike has that capability of being low and somewhat slow (relative to fighters), and can come in out of nowhere, wreak havoc and beat feet. Ok, it's thin, but it's an idea.


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## Full Flaps! (Sep 26, 2010)

Great correlations with the name Disco! Are you going to build it? An "A-11 Thunderstrike" would be an intriguing sight, especially in some colorful NAVY livery.

Congrats on "Elder Statesman" status btw. :thumbsup:


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## CorvairJim (Dec 16, 2011)

Disco58 said:


> I think I might have this one figured out. I can call it the A-11 Thunderstrike...


There you go: You've got a name, now let's see the plane! Make my Uncle Eugene proud.


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## Disco58 (Apr 10, 2011)

I have the Revell 1/48 kit, and while I've read it's not the greatest, I think it would serve the purpose. I'm an OOB builder anyway, so dead on accuracy has never been a concern. My scratch-building skills have never been put to the test, and I haven't built a plane in years, so this could be a rather long road to travel. I can't tell by the box what kit Stephen is working on. If it's the same one I may need some pointers from him about what issues he encountered. 'Elder Statesman', hmm...definitely has its 'cool factor', but I am truly baffled at how that happened.


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## Full Flaps! (Sep 26, 2010)

Disco58 said:


> 'Elder Statesman', hmm...definitely has its 'cool factor', but I am truly baffled at how that happened.


It's automatic after your 500th post. :thumbsup:

Yeah, you have quite an ambitious project ahead of you. Aside from paint, it sounds like your basic A-10 build, with the addition of a tailhook. The biggest modification would be the folding wings, but you could easily fake that for mock up purposes. Very small hinges fixed inside the wings near the top could work and would be simple for a simple up/down fold... I don't picture a navalized A-10 as having very complex wing articulation anyway.


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## starlord (Mar 30, 2011)

Did you read the news about the A-10 that crashed in Fla?


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## Full Flaps! (Sep 26, 2010)

starlord said:


> Did you read the news about the A-10 that crashed in Fla?


I live in Florida, and haven't heard anything about a crash. Where did you hear it?


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## starlord (Mar 30, 2011)

It was in the Aerotech News and Review which is a paper that covers the aerospace & defense industry.


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## starlord (Mar 30, 2011)

the news was in the 1/20/12 copy of that paper it happen sep.26/11 and the news was just released by the air force. it happen 20 miles northwest of Mody air force base and the crash was on private property.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Hey Scott, any updates on Stephen's build?


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