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I'm hoping that someone here would be kind enough to help me. I do some on/off hobby work in 3D modeling/rendering. I've mainly done sci-fi stuff, but I'd like to give aircraft a try. As the A-10 has always been a personal favorite, I'd like to make it my first full-fledged 3D model of a combat aircraft. More specifically, I'm planning a circa-1991 Desert Storm model, with an accurate "paint job," markings, loadout, etc.

What I'm trying to do is gather a large batch of color photos from Desert Storm, or of planes as they would have looked in early '91. I'm especially interested in pics that show accurate combat loadouts. I've done a bit of googling, but most of the photos I've found feature the current gray paint scheme (with the false canopy painted on the underside) and/or massive "bomb truck" loadouts. I took a bunch of photos on my last trip to the museum at WPAFB, but the camera was a POS and the pics look terrible.

I'm interested in what types of weapons were commonly carried in real missions, and what stations they were normally loaded on. Were LAU-88's, ECM pods, and/or Sidewinders commonly used?

I'm not looking to build an exact rivet-for-rivet replica, but I'd like it to be accurate enough so that if I ever post some artwork here I won't be mobbed with any "HEY! We never carried the ALQ-119 on station 4!" or "That panel's in the wrong spot!" comments.

If anyone has any photos they'd like to share, or could point me in the direction of some, I'd be eternally grateful. Thanks in advance!

First welcome aboard.

Have you checked the Photo pages here on this site? That's a great place to start. As for the paint scheme, I'm pretty sure that for the most part, all A-10's have carried the standard gray on gray, even those used in the first Gulf War. I have seen some pics of A-10's in a desert camo pattern, but those are few and far between. You might also check out the hobbie stores. I know that the better ones carry books on AC markings and paint schemes.

Most pics I've seen from then show an ECM on 1, a pair of AIM-9's on 11, and AGM-65's on 3 and 9. Most often the Mavricks were carried on single rail launchers, I forget the designation just now. When they were carried on LAU-88's it was usually just 2 per on the centerline and outboard rails. I've heard there was some problems with the missle motor being right next to the main gear pod.

You'd also see rocket pods on 2 and 10 but these can be carried on any station. The missions really varied the load though. An OA-10 would be loaded out with ECM, AIM-9's and rockets, but an A-10 would be carring the AGM-65's and bombs.

Or I could be wrong, I'm old and tend to forget alot.

"Slow is Fast - Fast is Slow"

_________________
Slow is Fast, Fast is Slow
Violence may not be the best option, but it IS an option

Hello. As a 462X0 I can tell you the single laucher on Stations 3&9 were LAU-117/A's. The part is true about the LAU-88 as the inboard rail loaded AGM-65 would do damage to the main landing gear. 2 AIM-9's were carried on either 1 or 11 on a dual rail laucher called a LAU-105. Our A-10's from RAF Woodbridge usually carried single MK-82's or MK-20's on the remaining stations or MK-82's on TER-9/A's on stations 5&7 if I recall correctly. We rarely usued the centerline station. And never used the 2.75" FFAR rockets at Woodbridge. I did load them at Eielson(1982-3) in a LAU-68 on stations 2&10. Wish I had pics, but I hope that helps from a weapons standpoint.



Edited by - 78AMU on May 10 2006 14:07

Buy Don Logan's first book on the A-10:

http://www.donloganbooks.com/A10.htm

Don will even send you a signed copy for a measly $40! Well worth the price!

Cheers! M2

78AMU,
462X0?!?!? I'm impressed! You must be old like me. When I was a loader we were still 462's as well. DM '78-'81 before I retrained to CATM.

I can just never remember all the launcher names. LAU-68's for the rockets, that does sound familiar. At DM we almost always loaded those on 2. Mk 82's and BDU-33's and BDU-50's either singles or on TER's.

Hey, do you ever hang out on the Weapons Board?
http://www.weaponz.net/wpnsboard.php?SA ... 2FP%2B3QaN

Not a bad place for old load toads.

"Slow is Fast - Fast is Slow"

_________________
Slow is Fast, Fast is Slow
Violence may not be the best option, but it IS an option

Old yes! Started in 1978 at RAF Lakenheath, then to Cannon, Eielson, back to Hell(Ops, I mean Cannon), Hill, the twin bases and forced out for weight in 1992. Was TDY to DM in 1982 prior to going to Eielson, working out of the 333rd AMU hanger. Have in the past checked out the weapons site, a very good one, and even got in touch with some old loaders. Spent 8 total years on the A-10 most with the 78th AMU, but also as weapons NCOIC of the LASTE modification team and 81st EMS transfer team weapons NCOIC. My Laste team was to the point where we could remove/reinstall a gun in a shift. Had 20 consecutive zero defect evals to end my A-10 career.
P.S. re-registered on the weaponz site, fantastic! Between that one and this one, I'm having a blast!



Edited by - 78AMU on May 10 2006 19:42

ALL A-10'S IN DESERT STORM USED EURO-1 CAMMO,

If I'm right the USAF hadnt even changed back to Grey until 1992 or 93.
Around 1979 if I'm right the EURO CAMMO was just being painted to replace the Grey

Fender,Carl a couple more of us were there Turning and Burning

The "Peanut Cammo" never saw action and was a Barksdale's Test of differant ones.

There are alot of Books on the subject I'd look at those.There are a "Few" here in the differant topic areas but the books would be a better answer.

Goose

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin,
(1706 - 1790)





Edited by - sgtgoose1 on May 10 2006 20:13

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"

Thanks for the recommendations, especially the link to Don Logan's site.

I've been through the photo section on the site here, and there's some great stuff. I just mainly wanted to ensure the accuracy of the camo scheme. I'm familiar with the Euro 1 paint - I have a nice diagram of the pattern, as well as corresponding FS numbers for the paints used, and a method for converting the FS colors to RGB values when I make the texture maps. I was just unsure whether all of the A-10's in Desert Storm were Euro 1 or if some had been repainted in the two-tone gray back then. Thanks a million for clarifying the issue for me, sgtgoose.

One more thing... I've always found it helps to have a physical reference available when building a 3D model. I'm considering the purchase of a model kit that I can examine, take a ruler to, etc.

To those who've built A-10 models, which kit would be my best bet for a reasonable amount of detail and accuracy without being overly large and expensive (preferably 1/48 or 1/32 scale, and under $50)? It's been a while since I've built any kits, so I'm not terribly familiar with what's on the market and what the prices are like these days.

Goose

Thanks, I thought that was the case but I wasn't 100% sure so I didn't want to give the dude some bad gouge. All of the pics in Don's book from ODS were Euro-1, but I didn't know if any of the planes got a repaint during the ramp-up (DESERT SHIELD).

Don't forget, Don's follow-on book, <i>War Hawgs</i>, comes out this Fall...

http://www.donloganbooks.com/cominglo.htm

You can pre-order a copy by emailing Don. If it is half as good as the first one, it will be spectacular!

Cheers! M2

Welcome, 02130061976! Take a peek at these:

http://forum.a-10.org/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5866

http://forum.a-10.org/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3022

As for a model, this one will make you reconsider your own efforts (and it took <u>2nd place!</u>):
http://www.craigcentral.com/models/a-10a/default.asp

The Second Amendment: America's original homeland security.
Ya just can’t take life too seriously, because you aren’t going to get out of it alive anyway.

_________________
\"Those who hammer their guns into plows
will plow for those who do not.\"
- Thomas Jefferson

Only green Hogs in WWDS. New Orleans and Alconbury experimented with different paint schemes but they did not deploy.

The current paint scheme was fielded in 1992.

Coach

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

ALL A-10'S IN DESERT STORM USED EURO-1 CAMMO,

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Goose not to nit-pick but was a scattering of EURO-2 aircraft in Desert Storm mainly from the Guard and Reserve units like New Orleans. I would say %90-95% of the A-10s deployed were painted in the EURO-1 scheme but there were a few EURO-2's out there.

Visit the Warthog Pen at
http://www.warthogpen.com

OK, Dice. I'll be the one to ask what the difference between EURO-1 and EURO-2 is. They were all green.

Coach

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
OK, Dice. I'll be the one to ask what the difference between EURO-1 and EURO-2 is. They were all green.

Coach


<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Yes Coach they were all green but, the EURO1 scheme was light, medium, and dark green where EURO2 was medium and dark green but, the light green was replaced with dark gray. The best way to tell a EURO1 scheme from a EURO2 is to look at the nose of the aircraft see if there is a dark gray (almost looks black) or a very light green there.

Visit the Warthog Pen at
http://www.warthogpen.com

Thanks Dice, my <img src=icon_smile_blush.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle> your right ,I never really could tell
EURO-1 FROM EURO-2 apart unless you do it that way.

I just knew for sure their wasnt any "Cement Truck Paint Jobs" Hogs flying around.


Goose



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin,
(1706 - 1790)

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Thanks Dice, my <img src=icon_smile_blush.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle> your right ,I never really could tell
EURO-1 FROM EURO-2 apart unless you do it that way.

I just knew for sure their wasnt any "Cement Truck Paint Jobs" Hogs flying around.


Goose

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

No a problem Goose, it's a small point anyway.

Visit the Warthog Pen at
http://www.warthogpen.com

But its the "RIGHT POINT" if we're going to be as accurate as possible on this site we need to dispell all these "misconceptions"
that are all over the net.
LOAD OUTS
Colors
Unit markings
the list goes on like your site they have to be the Referance libray.

I do think though, if someone wants pictures of A-10's they should have to give some sort of "Promise" that they dont show-up some place else where their used to make $$$$$ and not give the Owner
a part.

Thats what Don Logan's books are for along with Peter Smiths and a whole lot of others not including yours when you finish.

But I'm not saying "021310061976" has that in mind but we have had others that were "TROLLING" for FREE stuff to be used for $$$$

Thats all I'm saying

Goose

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin,
(1706 - 1790)

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
OK, Dice. I'll be the one to ask what the difference between EURO-1 and EURO-2 is. They were all green.

Coach

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Yes Coach they were all green but, the EURO1 scheme was light, medium, and dark green where EURO2 was medium and dark green but, the light green was replaced with dark gray. The best way to tell a EURO1 scheme from a EURO2 is to look at the nose of the aircraft see if there is a dark gray (almost looks black) or a very light green there.

Visit the Warthog Pen at
http://www.warthogpen.com
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Dice

Thanks, I dind't know that and if Coach didn't ask, I was going to!

Hope you are recovering well!

Cheers! M2

Hey Coach can you clarify something in your post...

"New Orleans and Alconbury experimented with different paint schemes but they did not deploy" - I wasnt aware Alconbury did any experimental schemes at all, and the 511th did deploy, or did you mean none of the experimental schemed ac deployed?

Any info on the Alconbury experimental schemes would be very interesting, or did you mean another unit?

Thanks
Tog

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
But its the "RIGHT POINT" if we're going to be as accurate as possible on this site we need to dispell all these "misconceptions"
that are all over the net.

LOAD OUTS
Colors
Unit markings
the list goes on like your site they have to be the Referance libray.

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

You are correct there Goose! <img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>

Visit the Warthog Pen at
http://www.warthogpen.com

Both Alconbury and AFRC (either New Orleans or Barksdale) did some desert paint schemes, but the only jets that deployed were the normal green ones.

I know the Alconbury guys coordinated with a nearby RAF unit to get some water-soluable paint the RAF uses to paint the jet. The suggestion was dissapproved by theater leadership. They did not want different looking jets in theater.

Incidently, I was at Nellis in 1990 and we were the first unit (besides 422) to have LASTE and offered to deploy, but we were told no because the AF did not want separate supply lines, and/or capabilities in theater. Sort of like today, for some who may know about SCMFD.

Coach