U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, A-10 Thunderbolt II Demo Headline Cocoa Beach Air Show This Weekend
By Space Coast Daily // April 16, 2023
A-10 Thunderbolt II nickname is the “Tank killer”
ABOVE VIDEO: After an unprecedented 2020 season — and with the success of America Strong, The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron “Thunderbirds” look to kick off the 2021 show season.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The A-10 Thunderbolt II Demo Team will join the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds to double headline the Cocoa Beach Air Show on April 15-16 on Florida’s Space Coast.
The A-10 Thunderbolt II better known as the “Warthog” is a single-pilot attack aircraft designed for short takeoffs and landings from primitive airfields.
The A-10 can operate nearly anywhere and provide ground troops with close air support.
The entire aircraft was largely designed around its nose gun, a 30 mm Avenger cannon. The seven-barrel rotary cannon measures nine feet long and fires 30mm armor-piercing shells at a rate of nearly 4,000 rounds per minute.
As a result it has been given the nickname “Tank killer”. The Avenger cannon also represents over 15 percent of the aircraft’s weight. When the gun is removed for maintenance, the A-10’s tail must be supported to keep the nose from tipping up.
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The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon and perform a combination of formation and solo maneuvers in an inspiring, patriotic, high energy demonstration.
The four-jet diamond performs precision formation flight with the aircraft wingtips as close as 4 feet apart while performing loops, inverted rolls and even high performance turns!
The two solo jets perform high energy maneuvers together and from opposite directions closing in on each other as fast as 1,000 mph.
The six jets come together in the delta formation as the finale for the show, flying difficult formations and signature breaks that fill the sky with speed, sound and smoke trails!
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