The need to be Fulfilled.
With the capture of much Axis powers hardware this former German design was now updated met a new era of work in the rushed Vietnam war scenario. The aircraft proved to be an invaluable tool against both Soviet Russian and Chinese aircraft and other roles were found for it in search and rescue by both the U.S. Marine corps and USAAF/Navy.
West-Germany, Thailand and several other countries bought into the type from the 1960's to the mid 1980's, but since then this role has been replaced by unmanned drones which are cheaper and safer to use? In fact this has become the fate of the many Nazi-German aircraft, clever and advanced in 1944/45 but they have now seen their days over the last fifty years.
Origins of!
The appearance of the A-10 Bronco of the Vietnam war 1967-74 was an amazing site at this years Wales National Air show in Swansea (WNAS16), but I knew that I had seen something similar in aviation books about World-War-II (1939-45).
The A-10 Bronco is one of those types that seem to come out of the blue and the United States don't normally do that type of design idealism, but rather improve and expand on what they already have.
This aircraft was used in the role of reconnaissance during the Vietnam war, but it had several other roles in transport and light or counter insurgency (COIN). West-Germany was one of its first to receive the export versions, apart from Thailand.
But this aircraft looks very similar to Nazi-German Focke-Woulf Fw-189 deigned in 1937 as a short range tactical reconnaissance aircraft. It entered service with the Luftwaffe in 1938 and into serious production in 1940, by the end of World War-II 864 had been built by Aero in Czechoslovakia 17 by Sud-Quest in France. Fourteen of the type was supplied to Slovakia and 30 to Hungary.
After the second world war many German aircraft and other military equipment became as always the spoils of war and were returned for storage in Britain, Russia and the United States, who got what is still not known today, but it can be easily guessed upon?
Wales National Air Show 2016.
Thousands came out for this two day event on the Swansea Bay seafront to enjoy a mixture of aircraft types.
New to the show were the North American-Rockwell OV-10 Bronco, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MIG-15UTI, HM Coast Guard Augusta-Westland AW-139 SAR Helicopter G-CILP and G-CILN, Jet Provost Mk5 and the World War-II (1939-45) American USAAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, restored and based at Duxford.
Apart from that everything was about the same, The Red Arrows BAE Hawks T.1, Boeing Vertol Chinook CH-47H, RAF Eurofighter Typhoon, Battle of Britain Hawker Hurricane and Super marine Spitfire, Team Raven (formerly Ospreys), with there Vans RV-4/8's, two Augusta-Westland AW-159 Wildcats of the Black cats Royal Navy display team. The Auto-Gyro, Gerald Cooper completion flyer in his Xtreme Air Sbach 300 G-IIRI, racing aeroplane, Team Yakovlev with two Yakovlev YAK-18 aircraft and the DHFS AS-350BB ZJ-260 Squirrel from RAF Shawbury.
The HM Coast Guard Augusta-Westland AW-139 SAR helicopters and interacted with the local Mumbles RNLI Lifeboat 16-27 Roy Harvey.
Was it worth it? Yes it was free and good entertainment for two sunny days, after a winter of Bristol Channel murk.
Ground displays were limited, I did not get the chance to film more than a few Army/RAF MAN trucks. There was a funfair and loads of other, with stalls and food.
The Rockwell OV-10 Bronco proved to put on an impressive display, showing off its STOL (Short Take-Off Landing) capabilities and manoeuvrability for its service in the Vietnam war in 1968. This was the first YOV-10A that first flew on 16th July 1965 version, on display of the US Marine Corps and US Navy, but was painted in the colours of the German Air Force.
