1/72 A-10C USAF 75th Anniversary Idaho Air National Guard 2021

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is one of the most distinctive American combat aircraft of the second half of the 20th century and today. It was developed as a specialized machine for direct air support, armor destruction, and operating at low altitudes over the battlefield. It entered USAF service in the 1970s and its design was from the outset subordinated to survivability and survivability of engagements: the aircraft has an armoured cockpit, twin systems and engines mounted high on the rear fuselage. The most famous feature of the A-10 is the 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger seven-barrel rotary cannon, around which the aircraft was effectively designed.

The A-10C version is an upgraded variant of the Thunderbolt II, which was created by an extensive avionic modification of the older A-10A. The modernization brought, among other things, new imaging and navigation systems, improved capability to use precision-guided munitions, and overall adaptation of the aircraft to the requirements of the current battlefield. Yet the A-10C retained the basic character of the original machine: a relatively slow, extremely durable combat aircraft capable of remaining in the area of operations for long periods of time and supporting troops on the ground.

This 1:72 scale Great Wall Hobby kit depicts the A-10C in a special USAF/Idaho Air National Guard livery to celebrate the unit's 75th anniversary in 2021. The Idaho Air National Guard is primarily associated with the 124th Fighter Wing operating out of Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho. The anniversary livery gives the model an attractive appearance while setting it in a specific period of A-10C service with Air National Guard units. What makes this version interesting to modelers is not only the type of aircraft itself, but also the combination of a modern American battle machine and the ceremonial unit markings.

The scale of 1:72 is very appropriate for the A-10C: the finished model is distinctive enough to show off the typical proportions of the aircraft - straight wing, high-mounted engines, massive nose gun and sturdy landing gear - while not taking up as much space as larger scales. The decals allow you to depict a specific 2021 Idaho Air National Guard anniversary machine. The package does not include the paint or adhesives needed for assembly.