Behold The Awesomeness Of This Black A-10 Warthog

By Joseph Trevithick

Published Jul 9, 2021 8:03 PM EDT

An A-10C Warthog ground-attack aircraft has emerged in a striking black and dark gray paint job. The scheme on the jet, assigned to the Indiana Air National Guard’s 122nd Fighter Wing, was created to help mark the 100th anniversary of Indiana National Guard aviation operations.

The jet, serial number 80-0244, also retains the distinctive snakehead nose art found on all A-10Cs that belong to the 122nd Fighter Wing, which is nicknamed the Blacksnakes. The complete scheme also has a number of other symbolic touches.

The A-10C Warthog assigned to the 122nd Fighter Wing in its special anniversary paint scheme., Indiana ANG

What follows is a full description of the scheme from an official news item published today:

The paint scheme on the A-10 is a mixture of black and dark grey with colors breaking along standard A-10 paint lines on the wings, engines and fuselage. The nose of the aircraft is wreathed with a distinctive 122nd FW green eyed snake, complete with fangs, surrounding the aircraft’s 30mm rotary cannon . One side of the aircraft has a 122nd FW tail flash with the text, “Fort Wayne” embossed in yellow over Indiana state-flag-blue background. The opposite tail flash shows a “Racers” checkered flag with the text “Terre Haute” of the disbanded 181st Fighter Wing, now the 181st intelligence Wing. The distinctive A-10 twin engines are embossed with an Indiana ANG centennial logo displaying the text “Indiana Air National Guard” under a large number “100,” along with the years “1921-2021.” … Editor’s note: For our readers who are aviation modelers or enthusiast, the two-tone colors on the centennial Indiana ANG A-10 are grey 118 and black 038.

The paint scheme on the A-10 is a mixture of black and dark grey with colors breaking along standard A-10 paint lines on the wings, engines and fuselage. The nose of the aircraft is wreathed with a distinctive 122nd FW green eyed snake, complete with fangs, surrounding the aircraft’s 30mm rotary cannon .

One side of the aircraft has a 122nd FW tail flash with the text, “Fort Wayne” embossed in yellow over Indiana state-flag-blue background. The opposite tail flash shows a “Racers” checkered flag with the text “Terre Haute” of the disbanded 181st Fighter Wing, now the 181st intelligence Wing.

The distinctive A-10 twin engines are embossed with an Indiana ANG centennial logo displaying the text “Indiana Air National Guard” under a large number “100,” along with the years “1921-2021.”

Editor’s note: For our readers who are aviation modelers or enthusiast, the two-tone colors on the centennial Indiana ANG A-10 are grey 118 and black 038.

Air National Guard Paint Facility technician, Paul Grigsby cleans up stenciling on the nose of a U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II while in the paint booth at the Sioux City, Iowa based Air National Guard Paint Facility on June 29, 2021. , Indiana ANG

This scheme is very different from other commemorative paint jobs that have been applied to A-10s in the past, most of which are at least based on historical camouflage schemes . For instance, earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force’s Warthog Demonstration Team received a jet sporting a version of the iconic Southeast Asia camouflage pattern that is most closely associated with the service’s operations during the Vietnam War.

The anniversary paint job on the 122nd’s A-10C is closer to a special snake-inspired scheme applied to an F-16C Viper fighter jet assigned to the Viper Demonstration Team last year.

The F-16C assigned to the Viper Demonstration Team with its snake-inspired paint scheme., USAF

The Indiana Air National Guard traces its history back to the establishment of the 137th Observation Squadron in 1921, which was equipped at the time with Curtiss JN-4 Jenny biplanes . The 122nd Fighter Wing specifically traces its roots back to the U.S. Army Air Force’s 358th Fighter Group, which stood up in January 1943. That unit trained on P-40 Warhawk piston fighters before moving to England to join the Allied air war in Europe during World War II, where it was equipped with P-47D Thunderbolts .

After World War II, various predecessor units to the current 122nd Fighter Wing operated a succession of piston and then jet-engined fighter aircraft, including the F-51D Mustang , F-84F Thunderstreak , F-4C and F-4E Phantom IIs , and F-16C Vipers . In 2009, the Wing transitioned to an A-10C unit.

The official news story about this newly painted A-10 also included the history of how the Wing gained its nickname, which is as follows:

Master Sgt. William Hopper, 122nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs Superintendent, said the 122nd adopted the Blacksnake moniker from Revolutionary War figure Anthony Wayne who is also the namesake of the city of Fort Wayne. Also known as “Mad” Anthony Wayne, Native Americans gave Wayne the title “Black Snake.” Wayne was known for a methodical fighting style where he instructed his soldiers to lie in wait for the right moment to strike, similar to the actions of a North American Black Snake. “The Blacksnakes are proud of the names historical significance and connection it gives us to our local community and home town of Fort Wayne,” said Hopper.

Master Sgt. William Hopper, 122nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs Superintendent, said the 122nd adopted the Blacksnake moniker from Revolutionary War figure Anthony Wayne who is also the namesake of the city of Fort Wayne.

Also known as “Mad” Anthony Wayne, Native Americans gave Wayne the title “Black Snake.” Wayne was known for a methodical fighting style where he instructed his soldiers to lie in wait for the right moment to strike, similar to the actions of a North American Black Snake.

“The Blacksnakes are proud of the names historical significance and connection it gives us to our local community and home town of Fort Wayne,” said Hopper.

Today, the Indiana Air National Guard consists of the 122nd Fighter Wing and the 181st Intelligence Wing, and its days of flying the A-10 may now be numbered. In its latest budget request for the 2022 Fiscal Year, the Air Force has once again proposed trimming the overall Warthog fleet , with the 122nd being one of the units that would be cut under the plan. If Congress approves the proposal, something legislators have repeatedly blocked in the past, a total of 42 A-10s would head into retirement in the coming fiscal year. The Air Force is also looking to further consolidate Warthog operations at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, which is already a major hub for the type.

If the 122nd Fighter Wing is indeed about to lose its Warthogs, it certainly couldn’t have picked a better way to go out on top than this awesome black-and-gray paint scheme—probably our favorite ever.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com

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作者：约瑟夫·特雷维西克

发布于美国东部时间2021年7月9日晚上8:03

一架A-10C“疣猪”攻击机以醒目的黑灰双色涂装亮相。这架隶属于印第安纳州空中国民警卫队第122战斗机联队的战机，其涂装是为了纪念印第安纳州国民警卫队航空作战100周年而设计的。

这架序列号为80-0244的喷气式飞机，保留了隶属于绰号“黑蛇”的第122战斗机联队所有A-10C飞机上特有的蛇头图案机头彩绘。整架飞机的涂装方案还包含许多其他象征性元素。

印第安纳州国民警卫队第122战斗机联队的A-10C“疣猪”攻击机，采用特殊的周年纪念涂装。

以下是今天发布的官方新闻稿中对该方案的完整描述：

A-10的涂装方案以黑色和深灰色为主，机翼、发动机和机身沿A-10的标准涂装线进行颜色过渡。机头环绕着一条醒目的第122战斗机联队绿眼蛇，蛇牙清晰可见，蛇身环绕着机上的30毫米旋转机炮。机身一侧的尾翼上印有第122战斗机联队的标志，以及印在印第安纳州州旗蓝色背景上的黄色“Fort Wayne”字样。另一侧的尾翼上则印有“Racers”方格旗，以及已解散的第181战斗机联队（现为第181情报联队）的“Terre Haute”字样。A-10独特的双发动机上印有印第安纳州空中国民警卫队百年纪念标志，标志下方是醒目的数字“100”，以及“1921-2021”字样。 …编者注：对于我们的航空模型爱好者或发烧友读者来说，百年纪念版印第安纳州国民警卫队 A-10 的双色涂装为灰色 118 和黑色 038。

A-10的涂装方案以黑色和深灰色为主，机翼、发动机和机身沿A-10的标准涂装线进行颜色分割。机头环绕着一条醒目的第122战斗机联队标志性绿眼蛇图案，蛇身带有獠牙，环绕着机上的30毫米旋转机炮。

飞机一侧的尾翼上印有第122战斗机联队的标志，以及印在印第安纳州州旗蓝色背景上的黄色“Fort Wayne”字样。另一侧的尾翼上则印有“Racers”方格旗，以及已解散的第181战斗机联队（现为第181情报联队）的“Terre Haute”字样。

独特的 A-10 双引擎上印有印第安纳州国民警卫队百年纪念标志，标志上印有“印第安纳州空军国民警卫队”字样，下方是一个大数字“100”，以及年份“1921-2021”。

编者注：对于我们的航空模型爱好者或发烧友读者来说，百年纪念版印第安纳州国民警卫队 A-10 的双色涂装为灰色 118 和黑色 038。

2021年6月29日，在位于爱荷华州苏城（Sioux City）的美国空军国民警卫队涂装设施内，空军国民警卫队涂装设施技术员保罗·格里格斯比（Paul Grigsby）正在喷漆房内清理一架美国空军A-10“雷电II”攻击机机头上的喷涂标记。（印第安纳州国民警卫队）

这种涂装方案与以往A-10战机上使用的其他纪念涂装截然不同，后者大多至少基于历史上的迷彩图案。例如，今年早些时候，美国空军“疣猪”演示队接收了一架涂装东南亚迷彩图案的战机，这种迷彩图案与美国空军在越南战争期间的行动密切相关。

第 122 飞行表演队的 A-10C 的周年纪念涂装与去年分配给“蝰蛇”演示队的 F-16C“蝰蛇”战斗机的特殊蛇形涂装方案更为接近。

隶属于“蝰蛇”飞行表演队的F-16C战斗机，涂装灵感源自蛇形图案。（美国空军）

印第安纳州空中国民警卫队的历史可以追溯到1921年成立的第137侦察中队，该中队当时装备的是寇蒂斯JN-4“珍妮”双翼飞机。第122战斗机联队的历史则更可追溯到1943年1月成立的美国陆军航空兵第358战斗机大队。该部队在二战期间前往英国加入欧洲盟军空战之前，曾使用P-40“战鹰”活塞式战斗机进行训练，并装备了P-47D“雷电”战斗机。

二战后，现第122战斗机联队的前身部队先后装备过活塞式和喷气式战斗机，包括F-51D野马、F-84F雷霆、F-4C和F-4E鬼怪II以及F-16C蝰蛇。2009年，该联队换装为A-10C攻击机部队。

关于这架新涂装的A-10的官方新闻报道还包括了该联队绰号的由来，内容如下：

第122战斗机联队公共事务主管威廉·霍珀中士表示，第122联队之所以采用“黑蛇”这个绰号，是因为它源自美国独立战争时期的人物安东尼·韦恩，韦恩也是韦恩堡市的命名者。韦恩也被称为“疯子”安东尼·韦恩，美洲原住民称他为“黑蛇”。韦恩以其有条不紊的战斗风格而闻名，他指示士兵们像北美黑蛇一样，潜伏等待最佳时机发动攻击。“黑蛇联队为这个名字的历史意义以及它赋予我们与当地社区和家乡韦恩堡的联系而感到自豪，”霍珀说道。

第 122 战斗机联队公共事务主管威廉·霍珀中士表示，第 122 联队采用“黑蛇”这个绰号，是为了纪念美国独立战争人物安东尼·韦恩，韦恩堡市也是以他的名字命名的。

安东尼·韦恩，又名“疯子”安东尼·韦恩，被美洲原住民称为“黑蛇”。韦恩以其有条不紊的战斗风格而闻名，他指示士兵们潜伏等待最佳时机发动攻击，这与北美黑蛇的行动方式相似。

“黑蛇队为这个名字的历史意义以及它赋予我们与当地社区和家乡韦恩堡的联系而感到自豪，”霍珀说。

如今，印第安纳州空中国民警卫队由第122战斗机联队和第181情报联队组成，其驾驶A-10攻击机的日子可能屈指可数了。在最新的2022财年预算申请中，空军再次提议削减A-10“疣猪”攻击机的整体规模，第122联队是计划中将被裁撤的单位之一。如果国会批准这项提案（议员们过去曾多次否决该提案），那么在即将到来的财年，将有42架A-10攻击机退役。空军还计划进一步将A-10的作战行动集中到位于亚利桑那州的戴维斯-蒙森空军基地，该基地已经是A-10的主要枢纽之一。

如果第 122 战斗机联队真的要失去它的疣猪战机，那么它绝对不可能选择比这套超棒的黑灰色涂装方案更好的告别方式了——这可能是我们最喜欢的涂装方案。

联系作者：joe@thedrive.com

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