1/48 US Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II

1/48 US Air Force A-10C Thnuderbolt II - Great Wall Hobby L4829 / ASK cat. no. 140-GWHL4829

2024 new form! Plastic kit, includes plastic mouldings, photo-etched parts, decals and building instructions.

High precision model from the new 2024 molds.

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a U.S. military single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft designed to provideClose Air Support (CAS) to ground forces (destroying tanks, armored vehicles and other ground targets). It can also act as a forward air guide and guide other aircraft to ground targets.

It is the first type of US Air Force aircraft designed from the outset to perform direct fire support missions. The official combat name is derived from the World War II P-47 Thunderbolt, which was very effective in the same tasks. In the Air Force, however, it is more often unofficially referred to as the Warthog or simply as the Hog. A-10s serving in the U.S. Air Force as forward air controllers carry the official designation OA-10.

The A-10 was intended to improve the performance and firepower of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider. Its airframe was designed to be durable; for example, with 1,200 pounds (540 kg) of titanium armor to protect the cockpit and aircraft systems, allowing it to absorb damage and continue flying. Its ability to take off and land from relatively short runways allows it to operate from runways near the front lines, and its simple design allows for maintenance with minimal equipment.

The A-10 saw deployment in the first Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm), the U.S. intervention against the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, where the aircraft distinguished itself. The A-10 also participated in other conflicts, including Grenada, the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, and against the Islamic State in the Middle East.

The single-seat variant of the A-10A was the only version produced, although one pre-production airframe was converted to the two-seat prototype YA-10B to test a night version suitable for all weather. In 2005, a program was initiated to upgrade the remaining A-10A aircraft to the A-10C configuration with modern avionics for use with precision weapons.