Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II Cannon

Wallpaper Description:

The 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling-type cannon.

One of the most powerful aircraft cannons ever flown, it fires large depleted uranium armor-piercing shells.

In the original design, the pilot could switch between two rates of fire: 2,100 or 4,200 rounds per minute; this was changed to a fixed rate of 3,900 rounds per minute.

The cannon takes about half a second to come up to speed, so 50 rounds are fired during the first second, 65 or 70 rounds per second thereafter.

The gun is accurate enough to place 80% of its shots within a 40-foot (12.4 m) diameter circle from 4,000 feet (1,220 m) while in flight.

The GAU-8 is optimized for a slant range of 4,000 feet (1,220 m) with the A-10 in a 30 degree dive.