Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac,att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: ab3o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Allan Bourdius) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Carrier based A10s???!?! Message-ID: <1991Mar18.133958.17236@cbnews.att.com> Date: 18 Mar 91 13:39:58 GMT References: <1991Feb26.011655.5357@cbnews.att.com> <1991Feb28.050855.8085@cbnews.att.com>, Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (william.b.thacker) Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 38 Approved: military@att.att.com From: Allan Bourdius > I think that A-10's would be entirely too heavy for carrier operations. >I may be wrong about their weight but a carrier couldn't carry too many to say >the least. By their nature as close support and attack aircraft they are very >heavily armored. I have heard some refer to them as tanks with wings, but they >have to be because they come under so much fire. Compared to A-6's or A-7's I >don't know how much more they might weigh, but they are very heavy. Comparative Weights of the A-10 and USN/USMC carrier based aircraft: A-10: 50,000 lbs max A-6E: 60,400 lbs max EA-6B: 58,500 lbs max F-14A+/D: 74,348 lbs max E-2C: 51,817 lbs max S-3B: 47,000 lbs max F-18A/D: 50,064 lbs max Except for the S-3B, the A-10 would be a relative lightweight. The A-10 would take up *lots* of storage space because its wings do not fold. An A-10 on the hangar deck would use up a space about 60 feet long by 55 feet wide. For comparison, a F-14 uses a space about 64 feet long by 40 feet wide. An A-6 uses a space about 60 feet long by 25 feet wide. CAS *is not* a mission of Naval Air Forces and therefore the A-10 is an unnecessary aircraft on a CV or CVN. The USMC's F-18's and AV-8B's superbly fill the CAS role for grunts on the beach. Adding yet another aircraft would just create problems. Allan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allan Bourdius [MIDN 3/C (Marine Option)/Brother, Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity] ab3o+@andrew.cmu.edu or Box 4719, 5125 Margaret Morrison St., Pgh., PA 15213 "Give, expecting nothing thereof." "Phi Kappa Theta, just the best."