"Can The A-10 Be Made More Lethal? " Topic

"A pair of Air Force Academy cadets selected for pilot training are not only preparing for their day in the cockpit — they're also looking to boost the performance and lethality of the A-10 Warthog.

Cadets 1st Class Jon Clegg and John Potthoff have been working at the academy "to research decreasing maintenance requirements and increase munitions capability," according to a service release.

"We're working together to investigate replacing the existing leading-edge slat system with a fixed leading-edge droop to reduce complexity on this important aircraft," Potthoff said in the release…."
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Armand

Hmm, I am not sure anyone would call the A-10 "lacking" in lethality, but hey, increased ammo load is still good.

Make it a drone. It will save space, protect pilots and make any high risk CAS missions easier to fly.

Better engines would make it more lethal. There was talk of new engines way back when the A10 was first fielded and ever since they have been underpowered and no new engines in site. I had an A10 pilot tell me that the aircraft is rated for 450mph, but that was only when clean (no munitions) and crashing from the sky, and even then he joked that he'd likely have to get out and push. On a good day, 300mph is hard to reach, and worse when in the harsh hot environments of the Middle East. The A10 is slow (though it has an amazing loiter time), and that has always been a major concern.

Yes it can with Nukes and Lazers.

And an underslung chainsaw like they were showing on the AR models.

As of early 80's ( and suspect it still goes) a aircraft carrying nukes had to have 2 crew men, only a few A-10's have duel cockpit. Also one needs some speed to get away even from tactical nukes, The whole point of slower speed wax more loiter time over targets.
A-10's carry their weight already.

They changed the Gau-8 revolutions from use to be 2100 or 4200rpm to a even middle range ( that number I have to look up)

A10s need new engines. I'd plump for CFM56s like on a 737, though there is a civilian version of the TF34 that has twice the power of the A10 engines (but the engines are about twice the weight).

There are no dual position A10s. They were were on the drawing board but never built.

Not so. One two seater A-10B was built and flown

We had one at Bentwaters if I remember correctly

Yeah, the A10 was considered so easy to fly that it didn't require a dedicated 2-seat conversion trainer. Pilots could go straight from the basic Beechcraft T6 propjob.

There was only 1- 2 seater made so either getting senile ( or 40 years of cloads) or it came through the base for a showing, possibly in very beginning, whould need to know when it was built.

Also one needs some speed to get away even from tactical nukes

The AD-4B Skyraider was a nuclear bomber. It used the loft bombing technique. warbirdforum.com/toss.htm On the deck/under the radar, throttle up, climb, power dive to gain speed, pull up, at about a 45 degree climb the bomb releases and keeps going (up, over the top, and on to the target). The aircraft finishes the loop and runs for the horizon. Ha,Ha. The control surfaces of the AD are painted white to reflect the heat so that they don't burn off.

I know they built at least 1 2-seater A10, but that's it.

I'm surprised that the OA10 fast(ish) FAC bird didn't get 2-seater conversions, honestly. It helps having a second pair of eyes for that job.