Reloading The A-10 Warthog's Awesome GAU-8 Gatling Gun!

[DougGuy]

Reloading An A-10 Takes WAY More Than You Think

http://worldwarwings.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/a10-reloading1-735x413.jpg Photo credit: Sploid


You Don’t Just Pop In A New Magazine. This awesome video gives us an inside look at what it takes to reload the world’s largest jet aircraft gun, the GAU-8. It’ll give you some basic facts about the gun and the plane, but you’ll actually get to SEE exactly how the gun is reloaded after a mission. Trust us, it’s not as easy as other planes.

The reason for that is the sheer size of the gatling gun that was built into the plane. Well, actually it’s the other way around as people often say. The plane was built “around” the gun, as the aviation circle always says that the GAU-8 was the first gun in history to get its own plane.

It takes a couple of Air Force guys (and gals) to reload this thing after a mission. As this behemoth of a gun weighs just under 620 lbs., you can only imagine what putting 30×173 mm armor piercing rounds into it entails. With the ammunition, feed system and drum the gun weighs 4,029 lbs.!

What they won’t tell you in the video is that the loading cart you’ll see is quite unique. Built by Syn-Tech, the linked tube carrier GFU-8/E Ammunition Loading Assembly cart is made specifically for the GAU-8 and of course the A-10, since no other plane is equipped with it.


http://www.youtu.be/watch?v=yd2QyIEdDGc

[Walla2]

That is amazing!!! :2_high5:

[M-Tecs]

Very cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jeffrey]

Up until 2005, I lived south east of New Orleans, Chalmette. We were below the flight path of A-10s flying out of Belle Chasse air base. I always thought it would be terrifying to have an A-10 approaching one with hostile intent. Looks like that terror would not last very long. Aren't these bullets depleted uranium? Wouldn't want to be around a vehicle shot by one. The DU dust could be a lung hazard.

[CastingFool]

While in the Air National Guard, I was the crewchief on a load crew loading the A-10s. 3 person crews. My crew was not certified to load the gun, we only loaded bombs, rockets, and missiles. We did that for about a year, while the other crews went through the load barn and got certified to load the gun. Our crew only did two or three gun loads, just to familiarize doing gun loads. All I can say is that I'm glad we didn't have to do it on a regular basis. Still, the A-10 is an awesome piece of equipment. BTW, I was told that if the gun fired one round while on the ground, the recoil was enough to raise the nose of the plane 6"-8".

[Virginian]

Holy cow that's awesome.

[472x1B/A]

I think the A-10 is one of the top 3 deadliest aircraft in the Air Force to day. Was fortunate enough to see this done on 2 occasions.

[tygar]

Every once in a while I think about what it would have meant to have some of the goodies they have now in VN; especially modern night vision googles & scopes. This would be awesome but a little much on a cong in a straw hat.

[beagle]

Takes a lot of manpower to load an A-10. Has to operate out of a fixed base with all kinds of ground support equipment. I've loaded bunches of Cobras with 20mm by hand (mainstrength and awkwardness. That ain't anything but lots of work.

I've been within 100 yards of an A-10 firing before. Lots of noise and corruption going on and the other end is awesome.

Too bad our congress wants to scrap something that works so that they can buy something else that doesn't./beagle

[Kevinakaq]

Have hunted most of my life around the Ocala National Forest. There is the Pinecastle range in the middle of it and it is incredible to hear the Warthogs cut loose while sitting in the stand.

[Frank46]

I really like it when someone posts a video of a A10 working out. Many moons ago had the pleasure of watching Puff the Magic Dragon working out at night. Looked like a laser beam. Frank

[MtGun44]

Saw the reloader displayed beside an A-10 at an air show in the 90s, spent a bit of time looking it over \
and talking to the loader crew. Very neat machine, but by far the best way to do it - basically using the
gun's feed mechanism to pump out the empties and "suck in" the new ammo.

Very impressive gun and aircraft.

Bill

[flint45]

A-10 Warthog is awsome plane.

[popper]

Worked with a gal who ws on the reloader crew a few years ago. Yea, they got something up their shorts to kill that program. One mean machine.

[leeggen]

Wouldn't you just love to pull the trigger on that one time!!!!! WOW awsome.
CD