NA-R OV-10D+ Bronco

[Zyranovos]

Overview

Type: Strike Aircraft

Propulsion: Turbo-prop/Propeller

Design: Twin-boom, over-slung wings

Designer: North American Rockwell

Perks: STOL, Good flight characteristics,
bubble canopy, great defensive systems,
and multirole design

Drawbacks: Slow speed for modern aircraft,
semi-light design for COIN ops,
and “just okay” Air to air capability

HISTORY

The OV-10D was originally a low flying, slow, and rugged Close-Air-Support aircraft designed by NA-Rockwell in the 1960’s for Counter-insurgency-warfare, designed with the USMC in mind, first ordered in 1966, and first delivered in 1967. Notably, NA-Rockwell were the minds behind the B-25J Mitchell and P-51 Mustang of WWII, as well as americas first Supersonic jet, the F-100D Super-Sabre.

The OV-10D was equipped with an advanced laser targeting system, AIM-9 sidewinders for self defence, 5 belly hardpoints for Air-to-ground munitions, and two 1000+ Shaft-horsepower Turbo-prop engines, that packed a punch in a small, and mighty package.

Designed with the it’s pilots and purpose in mind, it was reliable, maneuverable, had a short take off, and mass communications systems to respond and inform ground forces of enemy positions, to allow a counterstrike, or an artillery strike. It also has these capabilities listed; observation/scouting, forward air control, helicopter escort, armed recon, gunfire spotting, utility, and ground attack.

The Take off and landing process is so short that it could even take off and land on a Gerald R Ford class Aircraft carrier without the need of Arrestor Gear and even take off with a comfortable 270 ft of the flight deck left.

With a top speed clocking in at 291 m/hr (468 k/hr) it was no AV-8, but perfectly suited for its roles. Having helicopters be able to keep up with it, and to keep them protected was very helpful to the contributions in the Vietnam war.

The early models of the USAF’s OV-10, the OV-10A, seeing combat in Vietnam in 1968, excelled at their tasks, in their first operation, “operation combat bronco,” which was a testing and evaluation operation. While its primary combat objectives were scouting, reporting, and Air forward control, its attack, or counter-attack, capabilities made it a ferocious force to be reckoned with.

Video:

North American OV-10 BRONCO Weaponry

Survival, Countermeasures, and Defensive equipment

(Survival Features of OV-10 Bronco from manual/brochure)

Chaff/Flares:

AN/ALE-39 dispenser

ECM:

AN/ALQ-144 IRCM system

RWR:

AN/APR-39 RWR system

Ect:

IR exhaust suppression

IR Paint

Weaponry

(OV-10D+ cross section and weapons)

Pylon mount points:

5 on fuselage, 2 under wing

Gun:

4x 7.62x51 M60C hard mounted machine-gun

Gun pods:

1x SUU-11/A 7.62x51 (GAU-2) machine gun pod

1x Mk.4 Mod 0 20mm cannon pod

1x GPU-2/A 20mm (M197) automatic cannon pod
(Questionable on if it was mounted to the D-D+ model bronco)

Bombs:

1x 250lbs Mk.81 (Per hardpoint)

1x 500lbs Mk.82 (Per hardpoint, reg and LD)

1x 250lbs Mk.81 Snake-eye (Per hardpoint)

1x 500lbs Mk.82 Snake-eye (Per hardpoint)

1x 500lbs Mk.77 Incendiary bomb (Per hardpoint)

1x 750lbs CBU-55 A-F Cluster Munition (Per hardpoint)

1x 750lbs BLU-27/B (Mk.27B) Incendiary bomb (Central hardpoint only)

(Fuselage only)

Rockets:

Small 2.75in FFAR Mighty Mouse pod (7x rockets)

Large 2.75in FFAR Mighty Mouse pod (19x rockets)

Small 5in FFAR Zuni pod (4x rockets)

Small 5in FFAR Zuni mount (2x rockets)

Missiles:

2x AIM-9B (Undermounted to wings)

External fuel supply (drop tanks):

Belly; 1x 150 or 250gal tank

Wings; 2x 100gal tank (The wing mounted Drop tanks would rarely be favored over the AIM-9, but are available)

Ballistics computers:

Gun; CCIP

Rockets; CCIP

Bombs; CCIP

General Characteristics

Crew: 2

Length: 44 ft 0 in (13.41 m)

Wingspan: 40 ft 0 in (12.19 m)

Height: 15 ft 2 in (4.62 m)

Wing area: 291.0 sq ft (27.03 m2)

Airfoil: NACA 64A315

Empty weight: 6,893 lb (3,127 kg)

Gross weight: 9,908 lb (4,494 kg)

Max takeoff weight: 14,444 lb (6,552 kg) (overload)

Fuel capacity: 252 US gal (210 imp gal; 950 L) internal,

Power-plant(s): 2 × Garrett T76-G-420/421 turboprop engines, 1,040 Shaft-Horsepower (780 kW) each equivalent

Sources

Flight Manual:

Aviation Archives: North American Rockwell OV-10D Bronco Flight Manual

Weaponry & Defensive equipment:

North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco | Secret Projects Forum

Other:

https://www.ov10squadron.com/

Photos

(Weaponry of OV-10A showing off the SUU-11/A, FFAR MM, FFAR Zuni, Hydra 70, possibly a GPU-2/A, and what looks like a Mk.77)

(OV-10A showing off 7x MM pod, and two 250lb Mk.81, as well as an unidentified Gun pod, looks to be of 30mm range)

(YOV-10D; upgrade program “OV-10X” mounted prototype hellfire missiles, as well as extra AIM-9’s, and the standard 20mm gun turret the YOV sports)

(OV-10D+’s IRCM system)

(OV-10D+ of the “OV-10 Squadron” show group)

So, at a low sub-300mph top speed, it isn’t going to “perform” well with jets, but might be okay to try it at 8.3, if it’s too much, 7.0 is another Viable BR, it would be hard to balance a strike based aircraft for GRB and ARB.

Conclusion:
Good Manuverability, Very slow, Amazing CAS capabilities, and Above average performance for a strike aircraft in the air. Suggested BR: 5.7-7.7

[Would you like to see this in-game?]

• Yes

• No

This will be regularly edited and updated with any new info or content. If you would like to do a bit of your own research, and find something useful to the eventual suggestion, I will list you as a helper to the project!

[Zyranovos]

This was originally made to be a Suggestion, but in the case it gets denied it will still be here for discussion.

[Mitchverr]

IIRC the upgraded ones used in the Middle East a few years back had laser guided rockets akin to those found on some Helis. Deffo would be a fun additional weapon for the plane though might be a tad hard to balance with those ha.

Honestly surprised we havent seen it yet given its pretty iconic, hopefully we do 1 day.

[Zyranovos]

Yes, I’m feeling it’s worth 8.3-9.3 area

[Exocetta]

Ah no. It was a COIN aircraft as in low intensity. 3.0 planes and SPAA could chew it up.

[mamona_verde]

8.3 8.7

[Zyranovos]

Issue is, it has an IRCM system, and lots of flares. Only two AIM-9B’s though.

[Apollo_1641]

This thing should not be higher than 7.0 BR.

Before ya’ll crucify me, let me explain.

Exhibit A: The A1H - it is faster, has more than 3x the payload, double the hardpoints, is built like a tank, 4x 20mm, 60x countermeasures - all this at 6.3 BR.

Exhibit B: The Strikemaster Mk.88 - it has comparable payload (70kg less), similar number of hardpoints, also carries bombs of up to 500lb, only has 7.7mgs but get this - it is a jet

So ya’ll are saying that a prop aircraft that is worse than these two in almost every metric should be 8.3 just because it has 2x AIM-9B?

Let me remind you that it’s the worst IR missile in the game, and is easily dodged by even the slightest of turns. Another detrimental factor is the speed of the parent aircraft at launch. This is a slow prop, and as such any missile launched from it will also be slow.

Besides, the main use case of the AIM-9B is to shoot down fleeing aircraft in a chase situation. This aircraft certainly won’t do that.

I’m not saying that AIM-9B is useless. It is a useful asset, but mainly for jets. Giving 9Bs to a prop won’t be nearly as impactful as you think.

The real selling point of this thing will be the CCIP for guns, rockets and bombs. For that reason I think BRs should be something like:

No missile - 6.7

AIM-9B - 7.3

AIM-9E - 7.7

Edit: I have thought about this some more, and realize that CCIP is a real boon. I bumped all the BRs up by 0.3. AIM-9E is basically an AIM9-B you can lead somewhat. It’s still not a stellar missile.

[Exocetta]

The equivalent of giving the Swordfish Sidewinders. lol.

[tripod2008]

The GPU-2/A (uses a M197 20mm w/ 300rnds) was also used by the OV-10.

GPU 2A

[pyroraptor841]

Why can’t we have stuff like these old informational videos and the old flight manuals nowadays? It’s so much better

[PercussionCap]

@Apollo_1641

Let me remind you that it’s the worst IR missile in the game, and is easily dodged by even the slightest of turns. Another detrimental factor is the speed of the parent aircraft at launch. This is a slow prop, and as such any missile launched from it will also be slow.

Used properly at those BRs, even 9Bs are two free kills.

[Mitchverr]

Firstly, not just coin but forward observation too, even in the Gulf War there was a small group of them coordinating forward operations for the US IIRC and were potentially more successful then the A10s in not being shot down ha.

Not just 2 sidewinders, it also could (imo should for balancing) be setup in 2 forms. Same for strikemaster.

1 form without sidewinders and just the good old dumb bombs and the interesting gunpods it tried out for a lower BR.

1 form with sidewinders (strikemaster could carry aim9G iirc in kiwi use, or was trialled lol) and for the OV10, the COIN version from the 2010s with laser guided rockets for longer range strike capability, this would mean more of a 9.3 BR however and very niche for those of us who would want it. The sidewinder is a last chance self defence. Sure slow, but it also is very nimble and has to be balanced vs ground forces so that it doesnt just dunk on them from 4-5km away.

Aim9E at 7.3 is trollbait commentary lol.

Also imo the strikemaster is lower in BR then it should be, imo should be a like, 7.3 minimum, 7.7 more likely for GRB.

[Zyranovos]

I am back from a cruise with no internet connection, so I’ll finally be replying.

[Zyranovos]

While I agree, it’s invulnerable to missiles, and almost completely to MANPAD and R-SPAAG. It only had 2 missiles, which if we are fighting prop aircraft, are completely useless.

[Zyranovos]

@Mitchverr

for the OV10, the COIN version from the 2010s with laser guided rockets for longer range strike capability, this would mean more of a 9.3 BR however and very niche for those of us who would want it.

[Apollo_1641]

@Zyranovos

R-SPAAG

Speed is definitely an issue. Being a slower aircraft means radar SPAA don’t have to lead their guns as much, meaning they’re more likely to hit you. For 35mm armed SPAA like Gepard this would be trivial.

@Zyranovos

It only had 2 missiles, which if we are fighting prop aircraft, are completely useless.

What do you mean by this?

It shouldn’t get the missiles at all? Or that they shouldn’t impact the BR as much?

At any rate, I think 6.7 BR would be fine without missiles, and with AIM-9B it should be 7.0. At those BRs you will be uptiered to meet jets quite often.

[Zyranovos]

Yes, main part is, it’s super good at Lower BR CAS, and if keeping its distance (as it has ballistic computers) and played smartly, it’s going to be a very potent strike aircraft.

[Zyranovos]

Yeah, love the old S-tank training videos.

[Zyranovos]

@Apollo_1641

What do you mean by this?

It shouldn’t get the missiles at all? Or that they shouldn’t impact the BR as much?

Not much impact…

1. Not a good seeker heat (Caged Generation 1)

2. Not a good speed or manuverability, which when fighting prop aircraft would be important

3. EXTREMELY short lock range on Prop aircraft because of the low heat produced by conventional combustion engines.