Forum: Military Aircraft of the Cold War

Roscoe, if we are talking about a two seater A-10 then I am not mistaken. I helped change a motor on a two seater back in 79 (but that tail number fails me). I am not sure what you are referring too but I know where I was and what I worked on, it was a two seater, my buddy got to ride it back to the UK too, he crewed that one. Sorry, but I am not mistaken, it was assigned to the 78th FS (Snakepit) as we called it. There was only two and we had one at Bentwaters, I know I was there.........(not to argue with you but I know what I did and what we had in out squadron)...sorry buddy, you made a mistake on that one.

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thomas.wharton wrote:

Roscoe, if we are talking about a two seater A-10 then I am not mistaken. I helped change a motor on a two seater back in 79 (but that tail number fails me). I am not sure what you are referring too but I know where I was and what I worked on, it was a two seater, my buddy got to ride it back to the UK too, he crewed that one. Sorry, but I am not mistaken, it was assigned to the 78th FS (Snakepit) as we called it. There was only two and we had one at Bentwaters, I know I was there.........(not to argue with you but I know what I did and what we had in out squadron)...sorry buddy, you made a mistake on that one.

I have since researched this a bit more and have learned that only ONE Night Hog was built (http://www.warthogpen.com/twoseat.html). Now, it may be possible that it deployed for some suitability evaluations, but you said, and I quote:

thomas.wharton wrote:

...we had the first USAFE squadron of them sent to us back in 1978.

Your statement implies that there was an entire squadron of Night Hogs in USAFE. One airplane does not make a squadron. THAT was why I assumed you had been mistaken.

Oh...no, I did not mean we had a whole squadron of two seater A-10's...sorry. I meant we had a squadron of A-10's and we did have (1) two seater assigned. But I have no idea how long it was assigned to our squadron, maybe it was there for a year or less, I dont know.

I did help R2 an engine, but six months later I was assigned to another position in (old) Job Control (changed jobs) and got some of my Command and Control experiance time out of the way early.
I just know we had (1) two seater but have no idea how long we had it.... Smile

Thanks.....

Very cool articles, still the tail number does not ring a bell but the aircraft surely does.

Good stuff, it was not long before we set up FOL's throughout Europe (forward operating locations for the Hog). If memory serves me right, three were in Germany, I went to two of them TDY, Semback and Alhorn, Leiphyme (spelling is wrong) ...it was fun duty in the later part of the seventies and they were still operating in the eighties when I was assigned to Germany (PCSed to Hahn with Vipers).
Good stuff - thanks

Meathook,
I read that the two-seater first flew in 1979. Plus, I can find nothing about it ever leaving the test world, especially to go overseas. And as a one-of-a-kind jet, that would seem pretty tough to get an orientation ride in.
The 78th Fighter Squadron had F-4's in 1978 (a two-seater), and the 78th didn't get their first A-10 until June 1979. I'm sure it was a while before they got to "full strength" WRT number of jets on station.

Then the article was misprinted, I was in that damn squadron, I know the jets we (I) crewed and when they (we)got there and I have copies of my TDY orders to the Azores as well.

No sale with me, been there and done that, the article was either mis quoted or dates inaccurate.

Huggy - It is like telling a person. no...you were not there or your dreamed it, your information is flat wrong, we did have a two seater. I changed an engine on it in the Azores with my buddy Roger Tingley. Our Commander of the 78th (at that time) was Lt Col Billy - G - McCoy, and we did convert from F4's to A-10's but it was NOT in 1979 but in late 1978 at I stated.

It was not an orientation ride either (not the terms used), it was a "thank you" ride since the back seater had already flown back to the UK on a transport, the seat was open, it was offered by the pilot, it was taken by the crew chief. One of a time shot, you bet it was but it happened none the less...I was there, saw it for myself so please stop trying to tell me it did not happen when I saw it myself.

I have read many stories printed about aircraft, dates and deployments, many, many times the information was inaccurate, this is one of those times but if you choose to believe it...go for it, those of us there know better.

Meathook Out

Roscoe - the memory might be an issue in the future but right now, it is still sharp, we did have an A-10 two seater on station at Bentwaters for awhile (I dont remember how long) but here is further prove of my 1978 claims, one the A-10s was a two seater...I was there damn it.

The 81st TFW was about to convert to the A-10A “Warthog” tankbusting aircraft, and three arrived on the 24th August 1978, to allow maintenance training to begin. The first deliveries for the active Squadrons started on the 8th December 1978. At approximately 14:00 hours on 25th January 1979 the first main batch of fourteen A-10s arrived at a snow-covered Bentwaters after a five-and-a-half hour flight from the Azores. The lead aircraft was flown by the 81st TFW's commander, Col Rudolph F. Wacker, and after their arrival the aircraft were handed over to Commander Allied Forces in Central Europe, Col John Pauly. This event marked the activation of the 92nd TFS as the first operational A-10 squadron in Europe.

Site address is below...I am looking for a photo, not sure if I still have one or not.

http://www.bentwaters-as.org.uk/html/be ... story.html

Following conversion to the A-10 the base gained three more squadrons, the 509th, 510th and 511th Tactical Fighter Squadrons but lost the 91st TFS when it moved to Woodbridge to operate the new type alongside the already-resident 78th TFS.

I believe Fairchild used it's own funds and built the 2 seater, Shopped it pretty hard at many places but couldn't sell it. Is Fairchild even around anymore?

No..their not, Lockheed owns what was left of them, many nations supply structural components and work (wings fabrication and such now).

Most American companies don't want to retool to supply wings and fuselage parts for it...sorry state of affairs if you ask me....Korean companies do much of the fabrication work on it now supplying for the USAF. Crazy huh

Just found another pic of the N/AW bird. Apart from not flying, she looks a lot better now.

http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/databa ... m?id=11147

I swear, I'm such an internet dork! Here's the fact sheet from Wright Pat:

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsh ... sp?id=3206

According to them, it was advances in what became LANTIRN which ultimately killed the program. I'm not sure about that. I'd be willing to bet money that the proven bombing accuracy of the Viper was what helped kill the program. We also had a new ongoing project at Tonopah, which might have also led to the N/AW's cancellation. Who's to say? I've heard much disinformation on the N/AW bird. For example, I had long heard a story of a supposed second B model, which had gone down at Edwards, and the crew punched out. Turns out, that wasn't true. I'm very envious of the Edwards guys. They get to see a lot of cool Sierra that your average Joe Six Pack doesn't often get the opportunity to be around. A two hole Hog. Whodathunkit?

Beers and MiGs were made to be pounded!

I agree, my time at Edwards AFB (75 and 76) sure had me walking around with my eyes "wide open" too. Amazing place, cool aircraft...fun times for sure.

Tom are you sure you were in england? Maybe you were stateside and just didnt know it? The pen is blue...........

I kid i kid Smile

I know...amazing huh..maybe I saw it in a movie or made it all up..wait, I heard it in a bar...that was it

See ya in Feb, I am still visiting the UK, hope to see the old squadron too.

Here's a schematic of the A-10B cockpit (courtesy of flightglobal.com)

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsh ... sp?id=3206

Has anyone else ever been able to verify that the two-seater went to Europe?

Forum: Military Aircraft of the Cold War

2 Seat A-10