"Warthog" comes from A-10 "Warthog"...my favorite airplane ;)

[Warthog]

Howdy All,

I've got a few posts under my belt so I figure it's time to introduce myself.

I'm a computer programmer (mostly Microsoft technologies...so don't hurt me) from the eastern panhandle of West Virgina. I grew up in Nebraska, thus I can't stand the east coast, but alas, I married a Mountaneer. Her family is from this area...so the rest, as they say, is history.

I've known about this forum for sometime. I just never got around to posting until recently. I found it via the REHP via Intercest and the TMF forums (c.2001). I found the TMF forums thanks to a PBS special they did around that same time.

I've read the “Millionaire Next Door” and a couple other, lesser known, books. Right now I'm neck deep in some technical reading (due to a new project I just got assigned to ‘fix’), but I think “Your Money Or Your Life” is next on my list.

My wife and I save about 30% (and accelerating due to LBYM) of our income in various retirement vehicles and plan to "Semi-ER" when we hit 1M, when I turn 50, or when I just can't stand working anymore.

By "Semi-ER" I mean going in to business for myself. Right now, I work part-time as a technical trainer teaching Microsoft technologies (I'm a Microsoft Certified Trainer), and occationally doing some consulting work. I can make pretty close to the same kind of money as my 'day job' as a contract trainer/consultant but then I have to pay for my own insurance and have to continually seek new 'gigs'. A cliff I'm not quite ready to jump off of right now.

That's where the 1M goal comes from. I figure with roughly 40k (assuming SWR on 1M) coming in, I can afford to work when I want to. I realize with inflation 40k is 'not what it used to be', and we'll have to re-evaluate when we get there, it's just a goal for now. BTW, at 8% ROI, we'll hit 1M right around my 45th birthday 8)

Our savings rate is about to jump up pretty significantly as we will probably be able to pay off our mortgage this year by selling my wife’s parents house…who now live with us. They're getting 'up there' and that may have some affect on the decision for my wife to ER in a couple years. However, the main reason they moved in was because we live in a rancher (one floor) and they lived in a victorian (100 years old, and three floors). They are in relatively good health, but those stairs are rough at any age and they just didn't need a huge house anymore. I just wish they would have made the decision a couple years ago when we could have made more money

-Warthog

[martyb]

I maintain the weapons systems on A-10's for the Air Force. Until last week I was working on B-52 weapons systems, but my boss decided to transfer me to the A-10 shop to, in his words "be the shop chief's right hand man". : Not exactly sure what that means, & I don't know if I really want to find out, but that's where I am for now. I worked on the A-10's for about 6 years before I went to the B-52 side of the house. Prior to that, I worked on F-4's & F-16's. So if you wanna talk A-10's I'm here. As long as it ain't too complicated lol! I have pics! Welcome to the board.

[W2R]

Welcome, Warthog! Believe me, you're going to really enjoy having that mortgage paid off. I just got mine paid off, which is how I know. Ever since, I have had a huge smile on my face on the first of each month.

Sounds like you are well on your way to ER!

[Khan]

Is it true that the A-10 gets bird strikes from the rear?

[martyb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khan Is it true that the A-10 gets bird strikes from the rear?

LOL! Yeah, I've heard that one before. They definitely don't get anywhere fast. But, when they do finally show up......look out!

[samclem]

Welcome to the board, Warthog. I'm retired from the USAF.

Have you ever seen the A-10 simulator? The pilot hops inside a dumpster and the rest of the squadron throws rocks at it. Seriously, it is a great airplane for its mission. I've heard the in-progress radio upgrade is helping a lot.

[Texas Proud]

Just a curiosity question... if you can answer....

I have seen video of the plane... and it seems that it was designed for killing tanks in Germany (or Europe if it be)....

My questions.. how much ammo does it carry?? It looks like it spits it out quickly... so I would wonder how long it can 'spit'...

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas Proud Just a curiosity question... if you can answer.... I have seen video of the plane... and it seems that it was designed for killing tanks in Germany (or Europe if it be).... My questions.. how much ammo does it carry?? It looks like it spits it out quickly... so I would wonder how long it can 'spit'...

IIRC, it was originally designed to kill Soviet tanks (t-72?) and the cockpit is based around an armored chamber designed to withstand a shot from the tanks it was designed to kill. I imagine the weaponry the thing carries has evolved over the years, but I seem to recall that it carried thousands of rounds and a fair number of air to ground missiles. Anyone know if the whole HVM thing is common on t hese planes these days?

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 IIRC, it was originally designed to kill Soviet tanks (t-72?) and the cockpit is based around an armored chamber designed to withstand a shot from the tanks it was designed to kill. I imagine the weaponry the thing carries has evolved over the years, but I seem to recall that it carried thousands of rounds and a fair number of air to ground missiles. Anyone know if the whole HVM thing is common on t hese planes these days?

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/a-10.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-10_Thunderbolt_II
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/a-10/

[FinanceDude]

OUCH!!!!

The Thunderbolt II's 30mm GAU-8/A Gatling gun can fire 3,900 rounds a minute and can defeat an array of ground targets to include tanks. Some of their other equipment includes an inertial navigation system, electronic countermeasures, target penetration aids, self-protection systems, and AGM-65 Maverick and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

Let me guess, those are hardened shells to punch through armor? I remember reading about A-10's that were 25% shot away landing just fine.........

That's MY DEFINITION of a "world of hurt coming your way"..............

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude That's MY DEFINITION of a "world of hurt coming your way"..............

Slowly.

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 Slowly.

Would you want to be sitting in a lightly armored Soviet-made tank when one of those lumbers into view??

[Nords]

Welcome to the board, Warthog.

Thank goodness you're here to deflect the teasing from the submariners. Don't worry about all that A-10 teasing... they're just jealous!

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords Welcome to the board, Warthog. Thank goodness you're here to deflect the teasing from the submariners. Don't worry about all that A-10 teasing... they're just jealous!

Much like "Puff the Magic Dragon", the A-10 is WAY underappreciated..........

[Leonidas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude Much like "Puff the Magic Dragon", the A-10 is WAY underappreciated..........

As a former grunt I can say that anything that flew that wasn't shooting at me was a fine aircraft. But, I saw enough of the A-10's and AH-1's working out that I was reeaaally glad they were on my side. Go Team!

[Lazarus]

420 miles per hour (Mach 0.56)

Doesn't seem that slow to me.

[AV8]

1150 rounds of ammo...the plane is virtually built around the GAU-8 cannon. Numerous redundant systems that allow the pilots to bring them home even when seriously battle damaged.

Slow by fighter aircraft standards (typically a planned 300 KTAS - Knots True Airspeed - cruise. , but it also allows increased time to loiter the target area to visually aquire the target while deconflicting fires from the friendlies. Note: Knots are based on nautical miles so 1 Kph is approximately 1.15 mph.

AV8

[Lazarus]

I guess speed is relative. The A 10 is more than twice as fast as anything I have flown. If I could fly anything the A F has it would be the A 10. A real stick and rudder airplane. No computer assisted flight controls. Probably the closest thing now flying to a WWII fighter.

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AV8 Note: Knots are based on nautical miles so 1 Kph is approximately 1.15 mph. AV8

Thanks for the info.

Okay a small nit (offered in the spirit of increasing trivial knowledge):
-- "Normal" "miles per hour" (say, as measured on your car's speeedometer) are statute miles per hour.
-- a knot is one nautical mile per hour. There is no such thing as "knots per hour" (unless you are actualy trying to denote acceleration, and the knot would be a highly unusual unit for this).

A statute mile = 5280 feet. A nautical mile = 6076 feet.

And, don't get me started on True Airspeed vs Indicated Airspeed vs Ground speed vs Calibrated airspeed

[AV8]

samclem,

Quote:

There is no such thing as "knots per hour"

Very good correction.

AV8