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If anyone out there knows, how many G's can the A-10 fuselage handle structurally? I know that Tomcats can handle around 6-7, and other "lawndarts" can handle 8-10. How about the Hog?

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If anyone out there knows, how many G's can the A-10 fuselage handle structurally? I know that Tomcats can handle around 6-7, and other "lawndarts" can handle 8-10. How about the Hog?
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The "book" rates it at 7.33.

7.33? Cool. My follow up questions are then, do Warthog pilots wear G-suits, and do they go through centrifuge training like the other fighter pilots? Thanks for all the info people!

thats instantanious G tho' right TG? not constant?

Lawn dart airframes are considered 12 G airframes but the the flight control computer limits pilot induced G's to 9.

"face it....perhaps your only purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others!"

Maybe I can help clarify some structural design criteria stuff. The A-10 is a 7.33 g symmetric, 5.86 g rolling pull-out design. These are instantaneous load factors. Here come the weasel words. Those are what we call limit loads at the basic design weight. A limit load is something that we think will actually occur, or is authorized. The structure is always tested to 50% higher levels (the so-called 1.5 safety factor). This is called Ultimate load. So sometimes you see that the A-10 is an 11g airframe, but it is not authorized to do it in the air. The lawndart is authorized to pull 9g (limit) symmetric at some light weight, which is 13.5g ultimate. If you keep the product of the g's (Nz) and the weight (W) below the design Nz x W you're probably OK. There are all kinds of different limits with external stores and higher weights, especially the ferry configuration. Ok, that being said, the aerodynamic lift capability is frequently higher than the strength so it is possible to pull higher g's, especially at light weights, and not break anything. Since there are no computers in the A-10 the pilots are in control. They frequently exceed the authorized limits (mostly unintentionally I guess?). I have seen counting accelerometer data showing many exceedences of 9g and even some above 10. Strength isn't a big issue but this stuff really hits the fatigue life hard. The lower wing skins at B.L. 23 are ground zero for fatigue. That area has the maximim wing bending tension stress going spanwise combined with fuselage bending compression longitudinally (the wing is the lower longeron here too) plus all the fastener load transfer, yikes.

Mc/I + P/A

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????

somebody here told me that the sustained G rate for Hog is like 3.5 with a "normal" load , whatever "normal" would be.

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

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The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

They do go through the 'fuge, and I'm pretty darn sure they wear the G-suits but I'm not positive.

TG?

- Typhoid Mary!

Thanks for all the great info people! Anyone w/ more is welcome!

"Speed puts me in the zone."

I recall an incident here near Springfield MO, an A-10 pilot was showing off for local family or freinds, he tried a loop but as he started the downside pullout, the plane straightened out and augered in,( the ensuing fire cooked off a bunch of the TP he had left on board) dont know if they ever determined weather it was failure or a "GLOC" anybody know what happened?

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

Edited by - boomer on May 07 2003 9:58 PM

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The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

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They do go through the 'fuge, and I'm pretty darn sure they wear the G-suits but I'm not positive.
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Yes, we do wear G-suits.

Boomer: somebody here told me that the sustained G rate for Hog is like 3.5 with a "normal" load , whatever "normal" would be.

Sustained 'g' is a function of airspeed, altitude, and gross weight. A sustained 'g' of 3.5 would be a clean jet at low altitude and about 250 knots. I don't have the charts in front of me, but that's my guess.

As far as the loop in the parent's back yard, he just ran out of altitude. The A-10 loses altitude with an over-the-top manuever, so when he started it at 500 feet, he was pretty much done for.

Yes, we wear g-suits and we go to the centrifuge...once.

Coach

G-suits? Fuge? Cool deal! Sounds like fun. Just have to finish college now. Thanks people!

"Speed puts me in the zone."

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G-suits? Fuge? Cool deal! Sounds like fun. Just have to finish college now. Thanks people!

"Speed puts me in the zone."
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Oh, it's all fun and games until the 'fuge. You don't come out the same way you go in. Pulling G's in the 'fuge is not like it is in the airplane...6 G's in the jet is no biggie, but in the 'fuge it's torturous. You walk into the 'fuge like a man, and they pull you out of there like an old lady. You come out of the 'fuge, and within an hour you have a case of the "G-easles". Small blood vessels burst all over your body near the top layer of skin, and it looks like you have Measles.

Coach said you only have to do it once, but now guys and gals going to the T-38 get to do it between the -37 and the -38. Then, they do it again before IFF, which is when it is traditionally done. Also, guys who have to overcome medical stuff sometimes need to spin again. Oh, what a joy.

They told us in the prebrief that hydration was key to good G-tolerance. I've never seen a bunch of guys have to piss so much in all my life. Everyone had gallon-sized Gatoraids, and they were empty by the time we were to go into the 'fuge.

I actually spun in the 'fuge, hopped in my truck, and drove back to Sheppard AFB from Holloman in NM right after I was finished. Had to fly out to water survival the next day. That ride home sucked!



ATTACK!

Don't feel bad. Astronauts do it annually, lol.

"If they mean to have a war, let it begin here." Captain John Parker, Battle of Lexington.

thanks Coach, the press never followed up on it here. (suprise!! )

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

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The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.