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Do you guys (all units) still have the SUU-20 on your TA and does your base have these?

Ugly But Well Hung

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Do you guys (all units) still have the SUU-20 on your TA and does your base have these?

Ugly But Well Hung
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We carry the SUU-20s on the 117 for BDU-33 dropping, though the four 2.75" rocket tubes aren't operational (not that we have any anyways). I never saw SUU-20s on A-10s the whole time I was on them, though it'd be interesing to carry 6 of them with 36 BDUs on a ripple delivery.....lol.

Shaw uses them a lot and I mean a lot. By the way the rocket tubes have been out of use for many a year.

Fender
"A woman drove me to drink
and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her".
W.C. Fields

Does anyone know when the rocket tubes were taken out of commission? I've seen the step switches in, out, whatever.

"Some pup"
Nickname by Fenderstrat72

_________________
Evil is evil, no matter how small.

Type 7 the only time I ever put SUU-20's on an A-10 is when I was on the 93 Gun Smoke team at Shaw AFB. Picture 2 SUU-20's and 2 TERS at the same time. 18 BDU's each sortie. Man I hated doing BPO's on those jokers.

Dice as a matter of fact Shaw is in the middle of a PACER program for SUU-20's. Total rewiring of the things. Trying to increase reliablility and decrease code 3's all on something that is for practice only. Piece of 1960's technology on a modern fighter makes no sense to me. Let the pilots drop bombs off of TER's (real warfighting suspension equipment) instead.

Fender
"A woman drove me to drink
and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her".
W.C. Fields

Edited by - Fenderstrat72 on Jun 24 2005 03:22 AM

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Type 7 the only time I ever put SUU-20's on an A-10 is when I was on the 93 Gun Smoke team at Shaw AFB. Picture 2 SUU-20's and 2 TERS at the same time. 18 BDU's each sortie. Man I hated doing BPO's on those jokers.

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Thanks for the info. Not to change the subject here, but are LAU-88s still used for the Mavericks? I've seen them around in storage, but never used...just the LAU-117 single rails is all I've ever flown with. Word was there was some problem with them in the 3-missile config with burning the flap on launch, and if I remember correctly, the G-model Mav couldn't be carried more than two at a time on these.

Type 7, I have been off of the A-10 for a long, long time. I am not sure what configs they use now days. All I can say is in my time we mostly used LAU-117's. During DS-1 both LAU-88' and LAU-117's were used. All model mavericks were loaded on the LAU-117. The "G" model was not used on LAU-88' where I was at, only on the LAU-117. I am not sure why, I seem to remember it being a weight issue. Also we did not load the inboard station on the LAU-88's. Once again I am not sure why however I have heard several theories why. Now I believe they do load inboard. What has changed to make them safe now and not then? I think the POD now carried on 3 or 9 drove the decision to carry three mavs on the opposite paired station reguardless of past configs. This of course is just my guess, I cant say that what ever used to prohibit three mavs on an 88 has been addressed or just deemed not a safety of flight issue afterall?

Fender
"A woman drove me to drink
and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her".
W.C. Fields

The thing I hear all the time, Fender, is the tire. The fire from the rocket motor will blast the tire, and it sometimes catches fire. Unless they did something to the motors, I'd imagine that's still in affect.

The LAU-88 in load barn at Spang just had two on it. When we got the ones from depot(can't remember why they went back) they were taken out, accepted, and sealed back up in the crates. I guess it's mostly that they don't really have a use for more than two missiles, and there's something that outweighs whatever benefits you'd get.

"Some pup"
Nickname by Fenderstrat72

_________________
Evil is evil, no matter how small.

Thanks for the replys guys. The SUU-20 stil shows as a TA item and I was wondering if the units (A-10) still have them and maintain them.

As far as the LAU-88 I belive the bugs have been working out of that launcher following DS and that includes the rocket moter plume issue. I know they were used (Hawg166 can help me out here) during OIF at the very least to ferry mavs to the FOL.

Ugly But Well Hung

I think we've discussed this before here.

Two models of LAU-88s. LAU-88A is the old one, it can carry and shoot three A or B models, but only two D-models because of voltage problems. Also can do G-models, but only one due to weight.

LAU-88A/A is the newer version. It can carry and shoot all models. Only one G-model on either model because of weight. It has the rapid-fire capability and boresight memory, also.

We do not normally (peacetime) shoot off the inboard rail because of paint damage to wheel pods and flaps. It can be done, and has been done in testing, but only in combat now.

LAU-88s are a huge increase in drag, so not usually carried. With the targeting pod, the value added is not always worth it.

Coach

Coach