nt (Krztalizer) wrote in message ...
Few people know this, but the A-10 is actually a stolen WWII German design.
Sabotage at the factory and defeatist whiners kept the project from flying
before VE Day, but in 20 years the original plans will be released by the
military, clearly showing the RLM stamp in the upper left corner.

I know its true because I read it on Venik's website.

Gordon

It IS actually a stolen German design- a nameless Junkers Attack
Project which started in 1941.
From "Luftwaffe Secret Projects, Ground Attack & Special-Purpose
Aircraft" page 36:
" In mid-1941 the Development Department of the Junkerswerke in Dessau
commenced work on a project for a low-level and ground attack aircraft
as a replacement for the Hs 129. The project study involved a rather
plump-looking mid-wing aircraft with two wingroot-mounted turbojets.
According to works documentation, the turbojets were to have been two
Daimler-Benz 109-007 ZTL units which allowed a considerable increase
in performance at a reduced fuel consumption. Designed by Prof Dr-Ing
Karl Leist, head of the Abteilung Sondertriedwerk (Special Engines
Department) at the Daimler-Benz AG, the two-circuit or bypass
turbojets had a larger air intake and overall diameter than the
single-circuit BMW 003 and Jumo 004 turbojets.
Besides this new type of turbojet, strong armor plating was to have
been provided for the fuselage and powerplants. As a ground attack
aircraft, it was to have been equipped with four 30mm MK 103 and and
four 20mm MG 151/20 cannon. The undercarriage main wheels were to
retract forwards into the fuselage sides as shown in the three-view
drawing. As litle experience had been gathered with nosewheels which
for a long time had been rejected by the RLM as too " American", a
retractable pneumatically-sprung skid replaced the nosewheel.
The long gestation period of turbojet development at Daimler-Benz that
resulted in the first turbojet test-bed runs only in March 1943, led
to termination of the project. Several decades later, this project
served as the forerunner for the US Fairchild A-10A Thunderbolt (also
known as the Warthog) ground attack and low-level combat aircraft
which cannot deny its resemblence to the nameless Junkers ground
attack aircraft."

On the next page is pictured the A-10, a three-view of the Junkers
project, and both a schematic drawing and actual photo of the DB
109-007 turbojet on its engine test-bed. Accompanying note on the
A-10:

" A Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt prototype. Its similarity to the
Junkers design scheme is UNMISTAKEABLE. The propulsion units, mounted
in lateral fuselage nacelles were two General Electric TF 34-GE 100
bypass turbojets..."

As for the A-10s revolver cannon- so what? The Germans had a range of
heavy Bordwaffe in development including the Duka 88. Even the A-10 in
WW2 would have been downed if hit in the engines with that baby!

Rob