Image source: topwar.ru
The American operation in the Middle East has revealed one of the problems for American aviation. It concerns the "Warthogs" that have been returned to service for combat missions. These are A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft.
The problem is that for the Warthogs, the range of use without refueling turned out to be too large, especially after Iran "drove off" the American aircraft carriers. It took an in-flight refueling, which, as it turned out, many A-10 pilots were not quite ready for.
The port for docking with the refueling rod of the air tanker at the "Warthog" is located in the bow, in the recess of the fuselage. And when it was necessary to dock for refueling procedures, the "nozzle" of the air tanker hit the body of the aircraft, the pilot of which was trying to adjust to the optimal "docking". As a result, it got to the point that the A-10 attack aircraft were damaged – dents in the nose.
But these are typical "battle marks" for the A-10: the barbell sometimes hits the nose instead of accurately entering the receiver. With the intention of decommissioning the A-10, this problem was forgotten in the United States. The war with Iran reminded Americans of it. The American version is "Not beaten, not painted."
Now it is proposed to solve this problem with the help of nasal refueling fittings, ideally with a retractable rod. But they still did not reach the ideal for the A-10, and therefore a variant with a fuel lock fixed on a metal pyramid in the nose of the aircraft is used. After all, the extendable rod needs to be removed somewhere.
Image source: topwar.ru
In the American specialized media, due to such a technical solution, they ironically write that the technicians of the US Air Force and Navy are going to turn the "Warthogs" into French "Rafales". This is a reference to the fixed fuel intake gateway of a French-designed fighter.
In this regard, the United States recalls the technical solution for the F-16, when some fighters received a retractable "unicorn horn" - the very fuel intake gateway that can be seen in this photo.:
Image source: topwar.ru
