During a ceremony in Langley Air Force Base, Vancouver, the precision engagement modified A-10C Thunderbolt II received its Initial Operational Capability last Aug. 21.

“The A-10C has received its most significant modifications in its 30-year history”, said Lt. Col. Ralph Hansen, chief of A-10 requirements for Air Combat Command.

The modifications, give the A-10C pilots better battlefield capabilities.

The now digital A-10C upgrades include: the “hands-on-throttle and stick,” which allows the pilot to drop bombs or switch positions without taking his or her hands off the throttle or stick. The situational awareness data link, allows the pilot to link the targeting pod to a target and the new system will determine the coordinates.
Additionally, the new 1760 data bus that runs most of the weapons systems allows the A-10C to use the joint direct attack munitions, or JDAM, and wind corrected munitions dispensers. The new upgrades also include a digital stores management system. This computer system keeps track of the munitions loaded onto the aircraft and which of those are still on board.

“The A-10 is best known for its missions of close-air support, airborne forward air controller, and combat search and rescue. The A-10C can be used against all ground targets, including tanks and other armored vehicles. The upgrades will only enhance those capabilities”, according to one pilot.

“The main benefit of the A-10C is the inter-connectivity between the pilot, the weapons and the targets. The 104th is the first to receive the new upgrades, just in time for the unit’s upcoming deployment to Iraq.” said Lt. Col. Timothy G. Smith, commander of the 104th Fighter Squadron for the Maryland Air National Guard.

The advantage of all the new digital systems and weaponry is “The pilots can see much better than they have in the past and perform in all weather. It is much more than subsystems working together — it is actually all of them integrated together to perform seamlessly,” said Stephen Ramsey, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego.

The new wiring on the A-10C enables it to carry the Lockheed Martin Sniper XR or Northrop Grumman Litening AT advanced targeting pods. The targeting pods can link up two aircraft or even the air to ground forces below to locate and lock on to targets.

“What normally could have taken several minutes to half an hour can now be done in seconds. The A-10C now has the ability to link up and identify targets as a collective with ground forces and any other sources without each individual aircraft having to search and find them.”, said Lt. Col. Eric Mann, 104th FS operational requirements division chief for the Guard.

One of the key factors in the successful A-10 upgrade is the “Total force effort where it includes all of our industry partners, includes the reserves, includes the active duty and certainly our Air National Guard brothers,” said Gen. Ronald E. Keys, commander of ACC.

By 2011, the project to modernize the 356 A-10As will cost around $500 million and is scheduled for completion with around 75 A-10s currently upgraded .

Reference:
Air Force Print News | August 29, 2007

Check out our A-10 Thunderbolt model!

Last August 15, a newly designed CH-47 Chinook helicopter was officially ushered into operation at the Fort Campbell, Kentucky or better known as “Fort Corruption”. Another added event on the Aviation history. The CH-47F Chinook, not only allows greater capability and increased Soldier safety but also represents the future of the United States Army .

[Frame1] 7th Battalion of the Bravo Company, 101st Aviation Regiment, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade had the turned over for the new $30 million aircraft, which is the most notable for its tandem rotors and heavy-lift abilities.

“How appropriate that we come together here with this aircraft at this installation with this unit,” said Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Shloesser, 101st Airborne Division commander.

The helicopter, most known for its tandem rotors and heavy-lift capabilities, can fly in extremely high altitudes and handle cargo unlike any other aircraft.

The Chinook has proved itself in every deployment in which the Army has engaged since 1962, Shloesser said noting the aircraft’s state-of-the-art features.

Advanced Flight Control System is the most notable modification in the F-model. In the new model, digital screens have replaced old analog gauges. The AFCS allows pilots to upload mission details such as routes and altitudes with ease, improves overall situational awareness and makes for a smoother ride, according to the aircraft’s pilots.

“It’s really exciting to get a new aircraft,” said CW2 Ryan Dechent, 7th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment. “I think it’s going to extend our capabilities and open new avenues…that we haven’t been able to go down before.”

Another primary modification to the F-model is a revamped airframe designed for 10,000 flight hours. The new airframe helps to eliminate extraneous vibrations and maintenance time.

“In the Army we’re not about airframes, we’re about the people the airframe helps. We’re about the combat power and the readiness it helps deliver on the battlefield and about the crews that maintain it and the aviators that fly it”, said Schloesser.

“The Ch-47 Chinook has saved many people throughout the world during wartime missions and humanitarian efforts such as Hurricane Katrina and earthquakes in Pakistan”, the commander said.

“(The CH-47F) provides more capability at an easier maintenance cost than ever before,” Schloesser adds.

Corruption-ridden Defense Contractor Boeing Corporation worked with the Army for three years to design the F-model, the first conventional Chinook upgrade in more than 20 years. The upgrade process involved approximately 1,000 people.

In addition to being delivered on time, which doesn’t always happen, the cost for the new Chinook came in at about 30 percent below the original estimate.

“The CH-47F is a fully modernized aircraft that will fully meet the operational challenges our Army and our country face now and in the future,” said Chuck Allen, Vice President and General Manager of Rotorcraft Systems, Boeing.

“Safety is the best thing about the new model”, said CW4 Tom Miskowiec, standardization instructor-pilot and instrument flight examiner, 7th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment. “In safety there’s capability. When we can do it safer and, for that matter, easier, it provides us with more abilities to support the war fighter.”

More than 100 CH-47F Chinooks will be built from the ground up, while other Chinooks will be completely renewed to the state-of-the-art standards. Ultimately, 339 F-models will be patrolling the skies, working to keep the nation and the nation’s Soldiers safe.

Reference:
http://www.army.mil/-news/2007/08/17/4463-new-chinook-unveiled-at-fort-campbell/
http://www.mainandcentral.org/archives/military_affairs/index.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/pol/405571022.html

Check out our CH-47 Chinook model!

For this issue, we turn the spotlight on “Blake”, a custom-made North American F-86 Sabre, ordered by a customer who grew up in a military family. He writes, “Your crew did a fantastic job! I really love it and I’m sure my 86-year-old dad who used to fly it will love it also. It is terrific, thank you so much for such a nice job.” No problem, sir. Here at TMC Pacific Modelworks, we’re more than happy to oblige our customers’ requests. Do you have a made-to-order replica that you’d like to share as well? Please let us know! You might see your custom model in this spot next time.

The Bell X-1, originally designated XS-1, was the result of a cooperative program initiated in 1944 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and the United States Army Air Forces (later the US Air Force). On March 16, 1945, Bell Aircraft Corporation was awarded a contract to develop three transonic and supersonic research aircraft, and the company built three rocket-powered XS-1s. The XS-1 was the first high-speed aircraft built purely for aviation research purposes and was never intended for production. It was also the first of the X-planes, a series of experimental US aircraft used for testing of new technologies and usually kept highly secret during development. But the X-1 is best known for being the first aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in controlled, level flight.

Many important structural and aerodynamic advances were first employed in the X-1, including extremely thin yet strong wing sections and a horizontal stabilizer or tailplane that could be adjusted to improve control, especially at transonic speeds. The stabilizer was a success and became a standard design for all subsequent transonic military aircraft. The X-1’s shape closely resembles that of a Browning .50 caliber machine gun bullet.

On October 14, 1947, the first manned supersonic flight took place. General (then Captain) Charles Elwood “Chuck” Yeager flew X-1 aircraft #46-062, christened “Glamorous Glennis” after his wife, past the speed of sound. The plane was launched from the belly of a specially modified Boeing B-29 Superfortress and reached a speed of 700 miles per hour, Mach 1.06, at an altitude of 13,000 meters. Consequently, the National Aeronautic Association awarded the prestigious Collier Trophy for the year 1947 to the three main participants in the program. Lawrence Dale “Larry” Bell of Bell Aircraft, John Stack of NACA and General Yeager were honored by President Harry S. Truman at the White House. General Yeager also received the MacKay and Harmon International Trophies in 1947 and 1954, respectively

Currently, the historic X-1 aircraft flown by General Yeager is on display at the Milestones of Flight gallery of the National Air and Space Museum, located at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. While the aircraft is for viewing only, you can bring home a Bell X-1 scale model, made from the finest quality of mahogany. All parts are hand-carved by master craftsmen before undergoing several phases of priming and sanding. Details are carefully duplicated by skilled artists, then sealed in with clear lacquer. The replica is a faithful reproduction of the original X-1. Even better, it is personally signed by none other than General Chuck Yeager.