This A-10 Had No Flaps Or Speed Brakes But Still Made It Home With 378 Holes

Even if the A-10 Thunderbolt II was introduced in 1977 this machine is still a beast that USAF has. This single-seat, straight wing jet aircraft has a top speed of 706 km/h. This aircraft was most feared by the ground enemy troops since it is designed for close air support for ground friendly troops. This aircraft sometimes take a lot of damage from enemies and most of the time makes it back home. If you read the following story you will be amazed by the damage it took and still made it back to the base.

In 1991 Col Bobby Efferson’s Thunderbolt was heavily damaged by anti-aircraft artilery from a mission in northwestern Iraq. The pilot landed the aircraft with no flaps or speed brakes. The pilot says in the video that “Everything was fine until he landed and then the left tire blew.” Altogether there were 378 holes in the aircraft and most of the damage was done to the right side of the aircraft.

Also Watch: How A-10 Thunderbolt II Use A Highway As A Runway

Most aviation enthusiasts love the Warthog because of the service it provides in battle lines and because of the ability to take huge damages and still finds the way back home safely. In this case, even the pilot didn’t believe that he could land the aircraft because of the number of damages it took. This footage is the best example of how successful is the A-10 Warthog’s design.