North American-Rockwell OV-10C Bronco - Royal Thai Air Force's mini Warthog

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North American-Rockwell OV-10C Bronco - Royal Thai Air Force’s mini Warthog

grafik

Hi and welcome to my 46th, which is about the Thai OV-10C, hope you like it. :popcorn:

First of all:

  • This is a suggestion for an aircraft we could see in game at some point in the Future , that doesn´t mean next Patch or somewhere in the near Future
  • Feel free to share more Information and / or correct me if something is wrong
  • Discuss respectfully, any aggressive kind or verbal abuse will be reported, the Forum rules also apply here

Background History

The US Department of Defense’s call for tenders in 1963 for a suitable lightly armed reconnaissance aircraft, especially for counterinsurgency operations, resulted from the experiences of the Korea War. The Cessna O-1 Bird Dog and Cessna O-2 Skymaster models were not suitable, so the LARA (Light Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft) project was launched.
The requirements for the aircraft were demanding: it had to be a twin-engine, propeller-driven aircraft that could reach high speeds while carrying a load of up to 1100 kg. The US Navy took over the management of the project and ultimately selected the North American / Rockwell NA-300 model. The first flight of the YOV-10 took place on July 16, 1965. However, testing showed that improvements were needed. It was determined that the span needed to be increased and the engine nacelles moved further out. In addition, more powerful engines were used.
The OV-10C Bronco were ordered by the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) in 1970 and delivered in 1971. They were used at Thailands borders, particularly during the fight against communist forces in the north and northeast of the country. Later on, they were moved to various bases in Thailand and had various tasks, including supporting fisheries and combating communist targets in the south.
The RTAF reorganized in 1991 and replaced majority of Bronco’s with the Northtrop F-5E. The OV-10C were likely decommissioned in 2004 and donated to the Philippines Air Force (PAF) for the most part. The 411th Squadron in Chiang Mai was the last operator of the Broncos in Thailand.

The OV-10C Bronco Overall

The OV-10C Bronco is a twin-engine, propeller aircraft with two crew members which can be rescued in an emergency with two zero-zero ejection seats. It has been developed specifically for counter-insurgency operations (COIN) and can be used by all branches of the military.
The Bronco was ordered by the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) in 1970 and used in a variety of roles including close air support, reconnaissance and transport. In 2004, the RTAF decided to retire the OV-10C Bronco fleet and deliver the majority to the Philippines. Up until this point, they have been an integral part of the Royal Thai Air Force, successfully supporting a variety of operations.

Armament of the OV-10C

The OV-10C could almost be the great-grandfather of the A-10 Warthog; Four 7.62mm M60C guns with 500 rounds each serve as internally installed armament. Gun pods are also available, including a GPU-2/A pod with M197 20mm gatling (which we also find on the AH-1 Super Cobra helis in game). Normal and napalm bombs, as well as FFAR and Zuni missiles are available against ground targets.

Dumb-Bombs / Rockets

  • 5x Mk.77 Mod.2
  • 5x Mk.77 Mod.3
  • 5x Mk.122 Mod.0

  • 5x Mk.81
  • 5x Mk.82
  • 1x Mk.83
  • 1x M117

  • 4x LAU-3/A
  • 4x LAU-10/A
  • 4x LAU-32/A

Pods / Other

  • 1x GBU-2/A
  • 1x Mk.4 Mod.0
  • 5x SUU-11A/A
  • 5x SUU-12/A

grafik

Specifications, Electronics and Internal

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 12,12 m
  • Wingspan: 12,19 m
  • Height: 4,62 m
  • Max. takeoff weight: 6552 kg
  • Engine: 2x Garrett T-76-G-10/12 w/ 715 hp
  • Maximum speed: 452 km/h
  • Service ceiling: 7.315 m
  • Rate of climb: 14,5 m/s
  • Maximum g-load: +9g / -3g

Thanks for your time, hope you liked it :salute:
[Will add more if there are some (more) important / declassified things]
[PM or comment if a Link or Picture isn´t working]

Sources:

Links

RTAF Bronco
North American OV-10 Bronco - Aufklärung und Luftnahunterstützung | FLUG REVUE

Book / Other:
Navair 01-60GCB-1 Natops Flight Manual OV-10A Aircraft (1976)
The OV-10 Bronco: Designed for Counterinsurgency and the Vietnam War - The OV-10 Bronco Association (2015)


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Good cas support if Thai comes to Japan it would bring much needed CAS at lower BRs

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