Books, discussion (Choppers & A10)

[achoice]

Hi all.

 

I gave up BS a few months back. Several reasons;

- had hard time finding nice coop casual on-line coop servers in EU

- got frustrated when dying... ;)

- the game requires allot of concentration - and rewards are far between. Can be tough after a hard day at work.

- Call of duty modern warfare 2 was released. Offered instant feedback and gratification, fast action etc.

 

But I've not lost interest completely - and I've reached top level in CoD and got bored of the mindless run-n-gun.

I've also ordered some military aviation books and feel too share my experiences.

 

First I read Ed Macys book Apache. That book got my flying-instincts back up - I wanted to be back in the saddle.

Fast paced, action, but feels real too.

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Apache-Inside-Cockpit-Fighting-Machine/dp/0802118941/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263204010&sr=1-1

 

I have his latest waiting by my bedside; http://www.amazon.com/Hellfire-ebook/dp/B002TU1QI4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263203785&sr=1-3

 

I have recently finished an even better book - in my opinion, Chickehawk by Robert Mason.

This is not only a helicopter book but also a truly personal war story about Vietnam. I've also understood that this book

is some what of a classic in the helicopter genre. I truly appreciated it and recommend it to anyone interested in choppers or/and Vietnam war.

Even though "our" BS is a much different aircraft - a chopper is always a chopper! :)

http://www.amazon.com/Chickenhawk-Robert-Mason/dp/0143035711/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263204137&sr=1-1-spell

 

Finally, I'm now reading about "the Hog" - I've yust a couple of chapters left and it sure has me drooling for the DCS-version.

http://www.amazon.com/Warthog-Flying-10-Potomac-Warriors/dp/1574888862/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263203571&sr=1-2

 

For more "Hog-books"; http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a10+warthog&x=0&y=0

 

I've looked at this one - is it good? http://www.amazon.com/Low-Level-Hell-Hugh-Mills/dp/0891417192/ref=pd_sim_b_2

 

I also have this one sitting on my bedside; http://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Feet-Over-Hell-1968-1969/dp/0760336334/ref=pd_sim_b_4

 

Do you out there have any favorites to share?

 

 

Finally some thoughts from me after reading these three military-aviation books;

 

DCS BS missions feels a bit static. Many challenges in chickenhawk are perhaps not viable in BS, I think of; Auto rotation, landing in confined areas etc.?

 

After reading A10 book - it seems like A10 was designed to operate in Europe - smashing soviet tanks at very low altitude.

 

BUT in Iraq A10 had several other assignments - in a totally different landscape and flight rules. I.e. A10's in Iraq flew at high altitude, looking with

binoculars for targets, diving down through holes in the cloud to engage targets at range.

 

I also noted the strict rules of wingmen cooperation - i.e. 1 attacks while the other covers the attackers 6 o clock.

 

I'm also fascinated by how the payload of heavy bombs affect flight characteristics.

 

Another cool thing is the "manual over ride" of the flight controls - if the normal controls fail. I hope that feature is modeled by DCS.

 

Another observation - as BS - A10 hardly seems to engage in air to air fights, except some odd chopper kill.

 

I do fear the modeling of the A10 stick - and the A10 lack of auto pilot features... It also seems to lack modern night combat features.

But perhaps this has changed and evolved since desert storm?

 

This raises the question of what kind of A10 is DCS modeling? A 1990 or 2010 version?

 

For more free A10 info; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-10_Thunderbolt_II

 

Regards, AChoice - David

[159th_Viper]

This raises the question of what kind of A10 is DCS modeling? A 1990 or 2010 version?

 

A-10C ;)

[Griffin]

Our book discussion is in another area:

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=44435

 

About Low Level Hell; it's a good book if you liked Chickenhawk. It's full of action from the beginning until the end. But I liked Chickenhawk more because it had much more than just the combat. I got immersed into it much better. Nevertheless I recommend that book, amazing stories!

[Focha]

I am reading the "Low Level Hell" and it's really great so far. A different era from the "Apache" one. If you read the "Apache" before you read "Low Level Hell" it makes you think how far we came in helicopter technology. Read "Chickenhawk" too.

 

About A-10 ones I don't really know.

 

Regards.

[Chibawang]

There aren't many A-10 books, because it really didn't get to prove itself until Desert Storm. The one you're reading is an excellent book, but it isn't representative of current Hogs. All of the (minor) shortcomings with the A model have been fixed and then some. The A-10C is truly a harbinger of doom. :)

[EagleEye]

Yes "Flying the Warthog" is a great book. I´m eager to try the virtual Hog.

 

Another book I like is from the Vietnam era: "Snake Pilot". He wanted to fly the Cobra and he got it!

Edited January 12, 2010 by EagleEye

[achoice]

Our book discussion is in another area:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=44435

 

Ah, oh, sorry, a simple search for Chickenhawk would have pointed me there I guess. :)

[StrongHarm]

We almost decomed the A10 before Desert Storm. Then we found out about the sheer terror it caused our enemies. Iraqis called it the black buzzard or whispering death. I can tell you that I was intimidated by the sound even though I knew they were on my side. When you hear those turbo fans whining and that chainsaw start revving, there's no doubt that death is being dealt in big USAF spoonfuls. I spoke with an enemy combatant that was very clear about how much they hate the A10. There are some interesting non-fiction books about the A10's performance during Desert Storm, but I expect the best stories won't be declassified for some time. Nothing flies lower and slower, with such maneuverability, firepower, and ability to induce the pissing of enemy pants. This has been my favorite bird since the first time I saw it in action. Can't wait to get behind the stick.

 

Concerning pilots using binocs, don't forget that they had some nice electronics pods that could be added for recon and sar. There are some good links on the a10 wikipedia page that lead to more declassified information on that topic.

[blaster454]

I, too, can recommend the Flying the Warthogs book. I am just finishing the last chapter and it has been both an exciting and insightful read.

 

From the long flight over the Atlantic with descriptions of close formation flying on their tanker through a thunderstorm to the surprise at finding nothing in the way of support at King Fahd airport when they first arrived, the book leads you through the development of the A-10 Warthog tactics in a mission environment requiring very different oilot skills than what they trained for in a central European conflict. From NOE ingress to pop-up and delivery and then more NOE egress that was the requirement for the traditional mission profile, these young (and some not-so-young) pilots developed combat tactics that put them at Angels 15 and diving attacks through the clouds with their minimum floor at Angels 5. They developed tactics for (then) non-traditional A-10 roles including interdiction and night missions and even low-level combat recce.

 

IMHO, it's an excellent read!