Hobby Master HA1304 USAF Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II Ground Attack Aircraft - 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Hoosier Hogs", Grissom AFB, May 1994, "50th Anniversary of D-Day" [Heritage Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
"Obsolete weapons do not deter."
- British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
The A-10 and OA-10 Thunderbolt IIs are the first Air Force aircraft designed specifically for close air support of ground forces. They are simple, effective, and highly survivable twin-engine jet aircraft that can be used against all ground targets, especially tanks and other armored vehicles. The first production A-10A was delivered to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, AZ., in October 1975.
The aircraft can carry a wide variety of ordnance under its wings and nose, loiter on-station for long periods of time, and fly over a wide combat radius, making it an ideal warrior on today's battlefield. In the Gulf War, A-10s, with a mission capable rate of 95.7 percent, flew 8,100 sorties and launched 90 percent of the AGM-65 Maverick missiles used in-country.
This particular 1:72 scale A-10A Warthog ground attack aircraft was attached to the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the Indiana Air National Guard, then deployed to Grissom AFB, May 1994, and flown to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of D-Day.
Sold Out!
Dimensions:
Wingspan: 8-3/4-inches
Length: 9-3/4-inches
Release Date: July 2007
Historical Account: "Air Force Reserve" - On October 1st, 1973, the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reactivated and assigned to the Air Force Reserve's (AFRES) 434th Tactical Fighter Wing at Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana. For the next eight years they would fly the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, an upgraded version of the Cessna T-37 Tweet jet trainer with more performance and armament capabilities.
In 1981, the squadron transitioned to the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, affectionately called the "Warthog" by those who flew it. On July 1st, 1987, the squadron was reassigned to the 930th Tactical Fighter Group at Grissom, which became the 930th Operations Group. As an Air Force Reserve unit, the 940 TFG still flew the A-10. On 1 February 1992, the squadron was redesignated 45th Fighter Squadron. Known as the "Hoosier Hogs," the pilots of the 45th flew their missions up until September 1994. The squadron was inactivated on 1 October 1994.
On November 1st, 2009, the unit was reactivated as an Air Force Reserve Command A-10 unit at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The 45th is an associate of the regular 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan, where it trains A-10 pilots.