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Spangdahlem A-10A 77-0264 color questions


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During the open House at Spangdahlem on the 04-07-1992 I was able to shoot this 510th TFS A-10A in an immaculate European One color scheme.

This is the only Spangdahlem A-10 that I've ever seen in European One colors and I've never seen any other A-10's flying from Spangdahlem in these colors.

After some online searching, I found that this plane apparently was transferred from RAF Bentwaters to Spangdahlem around April 1992 and was used as a maintenance trainer.

At this moment the 77-0264 is preserved as a gate guard on a pole at one of the gates at Spangdahlem.

 

The questions that I have:

- Did this plane fly in from Bentwaters or was it transported to Spangdahlem?

- If it flew in, was it ever operational and in flying condition or if was it immediately WFU after arrival and only used as a maintenance trainer?

- Were other operational A-10's at Spangdahlem ever painted in the European One colors scheme or were they all grey and was this really the only green one?

 

Thanks for any reply.

 

image.thumb.png.d37ba15b982ac44e4a548d917f5aa668.png

 

Edited by Susaschka
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Don't know about if it flew in or not. But most like ly it was never operationally flown. The reason I say that is that no 77 models were updated with LASTE or any of the other mods that were applied to the newer jets. In our unit we did the same thing with our two 77 models, one we made BDR trainer and the other was a load crew/ICT trainer. 

 

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77-0264 was originally assigned to the 81TFW, which consisted of 6 squadrons at the most (compared to 3 normally). Despite being a UK based wing, the 81TFW had detachments all over Germany. With this in mind, it is more than likely that the A-10A flew in prior to becoming a GA-10A (Ground instructional airframe) and later being put on a pedestal. 

Being an instructional airframe, essentially everything works including the possibility to taxy, however it may not have any remaining flight hours left on the airframe. 

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Thanks all, now I know that this was a maintenance trainer and I guess that this is the reason for the European One camouflage.

Never knew that these were designated GA-10A.

Arrival date and method will most likely remain a mistery.

 

Only found one other picture from this plane taken 31-05-1997 and at that time it definitely was not in the best condition anymore:

 

image.thumb.png.d7a15fdc44327f4b27b91ab43b928306.png

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9 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said:

If they were never any Euro1 camo A-10As at Spangdahlem were there any grey camo jets at Bentwaters/Woodbridge and Alconbury?

 

There were grey examples at Bentwaters/Woodbridge, but I don't know the dates. Looking at the backgroud a very long time ago?

 

image.png.faf3a8d0b85b22b4476bd53a954fdf4f.png

 

image.png.2f6cb5af26cc5efabe0d934f790d0565.png

Edited by Susaschka
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Originally the A-10A had the grey/light grey scheme in the late 70's, which soon gave way to the EURO1 scheme which in turn was retained until early 90's. Bentwaters, with exception for a period in the late 70's, had EURO1 scheme. 

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17 minutes ago, Niels said:

Originally the A-10A had the grey/light grey scheme in the late 70's, which soon gave way to the EURO1 scheme which in turn was retained until early 90's. Bentwaters, with exception for a period in the late 70's, had EURO1 scheme. 

 

 Then I guess the A-10's that were transferred to Spangdahlem were repainted prior to being moved, as I'm unable to find any pictures from grey early 90's Bentwaters/Woodbrigde or green Spangdahlem examples.

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Looking into the history of the 81FS you also have to look at the history of the 510FS - found the following extract from Wiki from the 510FS; 
"In the middle of this last deployment, on 1 October 1992, the squadron was reassigned to the 52d Operations Group at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. In January 1993, it moved to Spangdahlem and joined its parent group.[2] During 1993 and 1994, the 510th flew more than 1,700 combat sorties from Aviano Air Base, Italy, in support of Operation Deny Flight.[1] The squadron continued its attack mission until inactivating in March 1994"

 

From the 81FS history; 
"The last F-4G left Spangdahlem Air Base 18 February 1994. The 81st then became an A/OA-10 squadron and replaced the 510th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base. During this period, the squadron continuously deployed to Aviano Air Base, Italy in support of Operation Deny Flight, enforcing a no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina."

 

You will never find a drop-dead date for when the transition form EURO1 to the grey scheme happened for the A-10's. As for Have Glas V on the F-16, this is normally done during regular maintenance and/or major overhauls, hence one airframe at a time.  
It is a certainty however that the 81FS has flown in grey scheme just about all the time it has had the A-10. 

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There is indeed a lot of info to be found, but unfortunately almost none of them are about the color schemes.

I will have to rely on the available pictures online + those in my own collection and conclude that (unless proven otherwise) all Spang A-10's had the grey/grey color scheme.

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1 minute ago, ElectroSoldier said:

Thats not the grey scheme Im talking about.

 

You are right, this is the very early grey/grey scheme.

I wasn't able to find any pictures from the the current grey/grey scheme on any Bentwaters/Woodbridge A-10's.

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4 hours ago, Susaschka said:

 

 Then I guess the A-10's that were transferred to Spangdahlem were repainted prior to being moved, as I'm unable to find any pictures from grey early 90's Bentwaters/Woodbrigde or green Spangdahlem examples.

 

3 hours ago, Susaschka said:

There is indeed a lot of info to be found, but unfortunately almost none of them are about the color schemes.

I will have to rely on the available pictures online + those in my own collection and conclude that (unless proven otherwise) all Spang A-10's had the grey/grey color scheme.

If thats the case then I can only conclude either

 

They went to a depot inbetween bentwaters and Spangdahlem and were painted there so never saw either their old base in their new colours or new base in their old colours 

Or

They were painted grey just as they were leaving Bentwaters

Or they went to another place to be painted, en route to Spangdahlem.

 

 

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3 hours ago, Susaschka said:

 

You are right, this is the very early grey/grey scheme.

I wasn't able to find any pictures from the the current grey/grey scheme on any Bentwaters/Woodbridge A-10's.

 

There were one or two A-10s at Bentwaters, carrying the WR code,  painted in the modern gray scheme just before the base closed down.

I have some Kodachrome slides of them somewhere..

 

K

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As I understand it, the A-10s started transferring from the UK in May 1992 with aircraft flying to Spangdahlem every two weeks; the last leaving for Germany in March 1993 after which RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge closed. This would be consistent with a rolling repaint schedule prior to delivery so it's highly probable none were in European 1 when operating with the 52nd FW. If 77-0264 was transferred in April it would give base personnel continuity training before the first squadron arrived . Since it was the first jet to transfer and was probably not intended to fly again, there was no necessity to go to the expense of re-painting it. I very much doubt it ever flew operationally with the 52nd FW - even thirty years ago it's unlikely that USAFE would want Joe Public wandering around a fully serviceable aircraft with full hands-on access as seen in your photo!

 

10 hours ago, Susaschka said:

There were grey examples at Bentwaters/Woodbridge, but I don't know the dates. Looking at the backgroud a very long time ago?

 

Those photos would be from about 1978 to 1979 when the original aircraft arrived in the UK. This is known as the Mask 10A or 'False Canopy' Scheme. The 81st TFW started receiving European 1 painted aircraft in 1979 and earlier jets were repainted in 1980. The Detail and Scale Colors & Markings Vol 24 also states that all Spangdahlem aircraft were in the  'Ghost Gray' scheme painted whilst at RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge. This was different to the original camouflage as the fuselage demarcation was a wavy line approximately along the level of the wing as seen in the photos below.

 

From the Aviation Photo Company database, both dated 1992:

 

81-0951:

 p535669974-3.jpg

 

82-0650:

p278916870-3.jpg

 

 

They also have a picture of 77-0264 at Spangdahlem in 1992, probably about the same time as your picture:

 

p366595823-4.jpg

 

You can also just see two grey A-10s at Bentwaters in the background of this photo taken in September 1992; one I think is 81-0952: https://www.airliners.net/photo/USA-Air-Force/Fairchild-A-10A-Thunderbolt-II/5862715

 

If you're set on the European 1 camouflage and SP codes you could still build 77-0264 and load it with a typical weapons configuration as part of a training exercise, just not 'live' ordnance; otherwise you'll have to build an all grey jet for an actual operational aircraft.

 

HTH,

 

Jonathan

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15 hours ago, Wild Weasel V said:

 - even thirty years ago it's unlikely that USAFE would want Joe Public wandering around a fully serviceable aircraft with full hands-on access as seen in your photo!

 

The 77-0264 A-10 picture was indeed taken during the same 4th of July 1992 Open House that I made my picture and during that day there where almost no fences placed at all.

Just the F-16 had some pylons with a rope around it as can be seen below: (Apologies for the quality, but these are raw and unedited scans from my slide scanner)

 

image.png.952897943c4ec9b9f7cae97d2c355198.png     image.png.ddff34f123f671d686d2aa75d0560663.png

 

image.png.a3f4ec07894a89af2e84d4892775f264.png     image.png.8f0f22ff67b09114aeaf19984e5f5943.png

 

image.png.99ffff7e8e7aa9c6b10d88f8a5b78d70.png     image.png.b6f57195e4b9fd098aa2c7c8e0360294.png

 

image.png.1ada75e445037d3c33f026bc4304568a.png     image.png.6a0d8152b0ba25646130df96e8b240e4.png

 

image.png.3ae74e9e98e59df6db81f39e00ee34df.png

 

Edited by Susaschka
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14 hours ago, Wild Weasel V said:

As I understand it, the A-10s started transferring from the UK in May 1992 with aircraft flying to Spangdahlem every two weeks; the last leaving for Germany in March 1993 after which RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge closed. This would be consistent with a rolling repaint schedule prior to delivery so it's highly probable none were in European 1 when operating with the 52nd FW. If 77-0264 was transferred in April it would give base personnel continuity training before the first squadron arrived . Since it was the first jet to transfer and was probably not intended to fly again, there was no necessity to go to the expense of re-painting it. 

 

You can also just see two grey A-10s at Bentwaters in the background of this photo taken in September 1992; one I think is 81-0952: https://www.airliners.net/photo/USA-Air-Force/Fairchild-A-10A-Thunderbolt-II/5862715

 

If you're set on the European 1 camouflage and SP codes you could still build 77-0264 and load it with a typical weapons configuration as part of a training exercise, just not 'live' ordnance; otherwise you'll have to build an all grey jet for an actual operational aircraft.

 

HTH,

 

Jonathan

 

Thanks for the pictures and info, another mistery solved with photoproof!

 

I do want to build this A-10 in flight (like all my models) even if it would be a "what if" (like the F-105G at the gate), but do you have any idea what is considered a "typical weapons configuration as part of a training exercise"?

Edited by Susaschka
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1 hour ago, Niels said:

Captive AGM-65, likely dummy MK82's on TER

 

Thanks, however I don't really like dummy ordnance...

Guess I will be building a (What-If) European One and not-updated Spang A-10A with an early nineties loadout of four AGM-65's, an AN/ALQ-131, two AIM-9's, six Mk.82's on two TER's and 4 Mk.20's to fill the gaps. 

My other A-10A will be the updated Ghost Grey version and will get the more sophisticated ordnance used around 2000 like the LANTIRN pod, JDAM's and LGB's.

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  • 1 month later...

While browsing through my scanned slide images this weekend, I found this picture taken by me september 1992 at Ramstein AB. Turned out I shot a grey Woodbrigge A-10 myself after all!  🙂

Four landed that day, from which three were grey and one was green.

 

image.thumb.png.fb2265555377abf4c78a204124c82445.png

Edited by Susaschka
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On 12/27/2021 at 7:23 AM, ElectroSoldier said:

What colours would they be? I think they are the same colours the EF-111A wore.

 

According to http://www.theworldwars.net/resources/resources.php?r=camo_usaf the A-10 Hill Gray colors should be Light Ghost Gray FS 36375 for the underside color and with Medium Gray FS 36270 for the upper forward fuselage and fins.

 

On 12/27/2021 at 7:23 AM, ElectroSoldier said:

That is the colour scheme they wore when they went to Spangdahelm?

 

Yes it was. The picture below was taken by me 04-03-1994 at Spangdahlem. 

image.thumb.png.e1260c32f59cd27cf074899fc719083a.png

 

When time passed by, the scheme was slightly altered as can be seen in the picture below taken by me 08-09-1996 at the Brustum Open Day.

image.thumb.png.94fed184c4bf8cc217477d7d347fd81e.png

 

And the final scheme in which I shot my last SP A-10's at the Radom Airshow on 27-08-2009 with again some small alterations:

image.thumb.png.0937df718715f6508eeb2b72f22320ae.png

Edited by Susaschka
typo
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