The A-10 has proven to be a great aircraft – but there is a lot of hype about its abilities. A common myth is that it destroyed more than 900 Iraqi tanks during the 1991 Gulf War.
The A-1 Skyraider was a relatively simple machine. Designed to satisfy U.S. Navy requirements for a carrier-based, single-seat, long-range dive/torpedo bomber, the A-1 was meant to replace World War II airframes, including the Douglas SBD Dauntless, the Grumman TBF Avenger, and the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver.