A-10 wind tunnel models

In 2003 I received an email asking if I would I be interested in some A-10 models found in a warehouse in Florida. At the time the individual who had the models wasn't sure just what they were because, he was not associated with any A-10 program and had never work the Hog, he only knew the aircraft by looks. He also knew a couple of the pieces he had were models of an A-10 but what their purpose was he didn' t know.

The individual worked at a USAF warehouse in Florida, which collects, stores, and tries to find uses for outdated, or no longer needed, AF equipment. He had at least ten boxes and large crates filled with what looked to be some type of A-10 models. I asked if he could send me some pictures so I could try to determine what kind of models they were, and if the A-10 community or System Program Office, might be able to use what he had.

Well to my surprise I received the pictures below (only a few posted) and knew I had stumbled upon (or had been handed) a great find! I knew from looking at the items they were (most likely) some of the original wind tunnel models used to design and build the A-10 Thunderbolt II. I confirmed by theory later that day (90% chance anyway) when I went on the net and found the pictures below which showed A-10 wind tunnel models being prepped for testing.

The last photo (B&W) is of the same model in the second pic above.

I asked what they would cost, and again to my surprise, was told I would only have to pay shipping cost of around $700... I just had to have them!

I talked to the A-10 System Program Director (Col. Lyon) and told him what I believed I had found and Col. Lyon was as excited as I was about the find, and told me the A-10 SPO would pay for shipping. The models were coming back into the hands of the A-10 community after decades in a warehouse!

I have to say at this point the people who found the models to begin with were, MR. McCornick director of the warehouse in Florida, and Mr. Thatcher of the A-10 SPO who sent me the email from MR. McCornick. If it had not been for these two guys (and the A-10 SPD) the models would have ended-up at the USAF\rquote s DRMO and sold for pennies, or even worst cut-up for scrap metal!

About a month later I received five LARGE crates containing literally hundreds of individual boxes, models, and pieces. It was like Christmas for me going through each crate and trying to figure-out just what we had. One thing I was not expecting was the size and weight of some of the models! Three of them were cased in solid aluminum weighting hundreds of pounds each. I figure the largest model will weight-in well over 600 pounds including the "spike" which attached it to the wind tunnel so many years ago!

When all is said and done here's what we ended-up with....

One 1/10-scale cast aluminum wind tunnel model including control box, wiring, and flight controls to build a complete model with moveable flight controls. This model also includes a separate nose and vertical tail section allowing it to be built as the two-seat Night Attack, Adverse Weather or NAWs A-10.

Production wing, parts, production nose, and different "stake" designs. Note-the NAWS canopy is not shown.

Other items included for the 1/10-scale are, a wing with 600-gallon external wingtip fuel tanks, three different nose sections, alternate engines, and numerous parts like wing fences, strakes, and slates. You could literally build this model in a hundred different configurations!

This model has been donated to the Hill AFB Aerospace Museum and is in storage waiting for a new "Resource Center" to be built within the next few years. Plans, at this time, are to construct a cut-away of a wind tunnel and place the model in it fully assembled as if it was in testing. If I'm still in the area (I retire this year 2003) I hope to be involved with this project.

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