Barry M. Goldwater Range Visit 02-Feb-2012

[Ned Harris]

Excellent series of images from Goldwater. Looks like the best visit ever. It was a hard call to stay the extra day at Red Flag.

[Joe Copalman]

I think I got skunked on rounds in the frame this time.   

I was the opposite this time around.  In fact, I remember telling someone how one of the good things about shooting F-16s is that it's pretty common to get one or two frames with pretty significant muzzle flash, and that you pretty much never catch in on the A-10s.  Didn't get a single F-16 muzzle flash shot, but I wound up catching a good-enough-for-1024x683 shot of the Barksdale A-10 with visible muzzle flash and a round immediately outside the barrel.  Hoping to get that up in a bit.

[Joe Copalman]

BREATH OF DEATH

(Yes, I've used that caption on a GAU-8 shot before, but in this case, the aircraft was using the callsign "DEATH," so it's even more fitting.  Round visible just in front of the muzzle).

[Jay Beckman]

Great catch Joe...

I've never managed muzzle flash off either a Hog or a Falcon.

[Scott Youmans]

Round one - barely visible plus some flash at the muzzle. Don't forget to click on the image to enlarge!

[Scott Youmans]

BREATH OF DEATH

(Yes, I've used that caption on a GAU-8 shot before, but in this case, the aircraft was using the callsign "DEATH," so it's even more fitting.  Round visible just in front of the muzzle).

That's a cool one Joe.  Interesting how the flame is well below the muzzle of the firing barrel.  It must go out the barrel and then flow down and back in the airflow around the nose.  Probably the flame from the previous round.

[Joe Copalman]

Great catch Joe...

I've never managed muzzle flash off either a Hog or a Falcon.

Actually, you have.  Fourth shot down in this post from our APA trip in Oct. '10.  Same deal - muzzle flash plus round just leaving the barrel:  http://azaerophoto.com/forum/index.php?topic=880.msg13346#msg13346

[Chris Kennedy]

Not any good for anything, but there is actually a bomb in the first picture.

[Jay Beckman]

Forgot about that series.  Thanks Joe! 

Nice catch on the bomblet Chris.

So, if the GAU-8 is right on the centerline of the A-10, which barrel fires?  Top Center or Bottom Center?

[Joe Copalman]

Looking nose-on, it'd be the one on the extreme left (pilot's right).

[Scott Youmans]

Not sure if I'm repeating what Joe said but the GAU-8 is offset toward left side of the aircraft so that the right hand barrel (from the pilot's perspective) is exactly on the centerline when it fires.

-Department of Redundancy Department-

[Joe Copalman]

Guys, might want to take closer looks at your shots from the MD Hawg's second strafe pass.  Harvey has a shot of it shooting flames out of the exhaust, most likely gun-gas ingestion.  I caught it too, but it was just as the first bit of flame was licking out of the exhaust.  Next frame (@ 6.1 fps) has nothing flame-related.

[Scott Youmans]

Here's one with ten rounds visible.  There were a couple more that I cropped.

[Joe Copalman]

Phenomenal shot, Scott.  What shutter speed was that at?

[Jay Beckman]

I didn't have any wide shots of the MD bird that showed any flames.

I got one last "in your face shot" and then, Nevermore!