Originally Posted by
jungle
Jungle:
Nice shots---you in any of them?
AZFlyer:
2.75-inch rockets are commonly called "Willy-Pete" for "White Phosphorous." So-called because phosphorous burns people in a very non-camera-friendly way; political caution was in vogue even during Vietnam.
Having shot probably 2-300 hundred of these things (from the OV-10; mostly at Superior Valley range in the Mojave Desert), I can tell you they actually
do go
"PPFFFeeeeewwwwwsssssshhhhh!!!"when you shoot. Sounds (and smells) like a glorified bottle-rocket (if you kids even know what bottle-rockets are). The rockets made a bright white smoke cloud about 100 ft in diameter and 200 ft tall. FACs used them to mark a target to guide the fighters to the bad guys, while avoiding bombing the good guys.
Having also played Ground-FAC at Leech Lake tactical bomb range (north side of Fort Irwin; same desert) I can tell you the WP warhead makes a muffled "pop" or "thump" when it blows up. (Admittedly, I was about 2 km away). Not nearly as impressive as the sound (or sight) of 500, 1000, or 2000 lb bombs, nor the 30mm of the A-10 (which makes two sounds; the sound of the bullets and their shock wave, and then you hear the sound of the gun-gasses escaping the barrel). When you've heard it, you'll never forget it---unless you're on the receiving end.
FYI: The gun Jungle is talking about is under the intake, on the belly; a single barrel. (I'm guessing one on each side). NOT the refueling probe!!