alright so i’ve spent a few hours making a google sheet to prove that the A-10A/C is just unrealistic all info comes from public and un-classified sources The a-10’s are heavily under performing in my opinion and i just really want the A-10 to finally get its buffs
Link to google sheet:
Google docs embeds? Damn that’s cursed.
Also quite a few mentions of Wikipedia here.
note to the snail:
One way to start - those GE TF34-GE-100A engines are rated at 9,065 pounds of force apiece when standing still. Together, they add up to 18,130 lbf, which is about 80.64 kilonewtons. Yet under today’s flight setup, turning for more than a few seconds drains speed faster than expected. Given how heavy the aircraft actually is, that loss doesn’t line up with real-world performance records. Power should hold better during long maneuvers.
Starting at 24,959 pounds - around 11,321 kilograms - the basic airframe sits empty before loading up; its maximum takeoff weight reaches 51,000 pounds, which comes to about 23,133 kilograms. That total lift capacity gives a thrust-to-weight mark of just 0.36. Though the digital version shows the A-10C after its 2005 upgrades under the Precision Engagement Modification plan, some weapons usually carried back then never made it into play. Standoff systems and guided munitions common on real-world PEM birds are absent here, leaving gaps compared to actual wartime setups
Some advanced Mavericks lack the AGM-65G - it carries a 300-pound blast-penetrator warhead. The AGM-65K isn’t there either, even though it has better video guidance through improved imaging. Then there’s the AGM-65L, which uses laser targeting; that one’s missing too.
Out in the open, three cluster bombs are gone - CBU-103, then 104, after that 105 - all part of the Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispenser lineup. These ones rely on an internal navigation system plus a tail guide. Without them, something’s off. The WCMD setup usually fixes aim midflight using wind data. Gone now. Each was built to scatter smaller submunitions once released. Their absence shows up clearly when counting stock. Not just weapons missing - it’s precision capability fading too.
One type of bomb not included is the GBU-39 SDB. This one flies far after release, guided by GPS. It weighs just 250 pounds. A compact design lets planes carry more than usual. Instead of dropping close to targets, it glides from a distance. Accuracy comes from satellite signals during flight. Without this option, missions change shape. Fewer standoff attacks become possible.
Laser-guided rockets absent - APKWS system missing from arsenal. Not equipped with LAU-131 pods capable of steering 70mm munitions midflight. Without them, precision strikes fall short. Guidance tech once added accuracy now sits unused. Arsenal lacks that upgrade path entirely.
Out here, the A-10C flies without both key targeting pods. Though it carries the Litening II, it lacks the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper XR. That pod brings stronger tracking across different conditions. Without it, options shrink when locking targets. Some missions need that extra reach. One tool does not cover every scenario.
A helmet-mounted cueing setup rides inside the A-10C PEM cockpit. This system gives pilots eyes-off-target aiming, so weapons like Sidewinders or Mavericks can follow where they look. Instead of needing to point the aircraft directly at threats, the pilot simply turns their head - target lock shifts along with them. Integration means everything works together without extra steps. Off-axis engagement becomes possible because sensors link straight to helmet motion.
yeah but also wiki is most accurate tbh