Designing the Red River Hawg: Ryan Dorling

On the 26th February 2021, Air Combat Command's A-10 Demonstration Team took to social media to share the first images of their latest specially painted aircraft.

The design honors all the "Vietnam War Prisoners of War, Missing in Action and Veterans". Tail number 81-0962 could be seen out in the Arizona sunshine, resplendent in her new South East Asia (SEA) camouflage scheme, representative of what was worn by many types during the Vietnam War and beyond. 

We caught up with digital aviation artist Ryan Dorling to discuss his involvement in the project to create the flying memorial, a process that began in November 2019 when he was contacted "out of the blue". 

Designing a paint scheme for a military aircraft is a unique process and requires great attention to detail. Ryan, the owner of Ryan Dorling Military Litho Prints, had his name was put forward by a member of the Demo Team. He told Square D Aviation that he thought that it would be a design for the tails of the aircraft, however, "the mind kicked in" when "Shiv said that they would like a full paint scheme." 

This is when work on the design commenced. 

The A-10 Demo Team belongs to the 355th Wing, based at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ - a unit that is shrouded in a rich history. Remembering the past is vital for civilians and military units alike. 

It is in this spirit that Ryan tells us "they wanted to celebrate and commemorate the unit's Vietnam Heritage." 

This included remembering the 355th Wing's 354th and 357th Fighter Squadrons, who "both flew F-105 Thunderchiefs out of Thailand during the Vietnam Conflict". 

Starting life as the 355th Fighter Group on the 12th November 1942 at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida, the unit went on to move to Steeple Morden, England just under a year later in September 1943. Here it became fully operational comprising of three Squadrons - including the two we see today. 

After logging over 17,000 sorties and destroying more than 860 enemy aircraft, the Group was deactivated in November 1946. Following a short operational period in 1955 for three years, the unit was reinstated as the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) on the 1st April 1962. After a brief period at George AFB, California, they began operating the Republic F-105 Thunderchief from McConnell AFB, Kansas. 

By 1965, the 355th had moved to Takhli Royal Thai Air Base, where they would remain for five years. In this time they flew more than 101,000 combat hours, operating over Laos and North Vietnam. The unit was involved in air-to-air combat, strike missions and armed reconnaissance - delivering in excess of 200,000 tons of munitions in pursuit of over 12,500 targets. They became highly decorated as a result and received three Presidential Citations plus the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.

Roland Heatly was an Aircraft Electrical Repairman Technician on F-105s whilst the 355th were assigned to Takhli from December 1969 until the wing's deactivation in 1970. 

"After launching the B-66 aircraft to Korat RTAFB in August 1970, we launched the last F-105 squadrons to various bases within SEA and stateside". 

"When the Wing colors were retired, a 12 unit flight performed a flyover".

The 355th reactivated in 1971 but were now assigned to Tactical Air Command, operating the A-7D Corsair from Korat RTAFB. In 1974 they withdrew, offering up their Corsairs to the Air National Guard and equipping with the A-10 Thunderbolt II. Having redesignated as the 355th Tactical Training Wing in 1979, they trained pilots for USAF A-10 squadrons around the world. 

By 1992 the unit had returned to Fighter Wing status, becoming the 355th Wing in January 2019 as a result of realignment. The 354th and 357th Fighter Squadrons still operate the A-10, the latter continuing the training role. 

So, as an aviation enthusiast, what did Ryan want to see? 

"It needed to look authentic to an F-105" which he said, "lends itself to my job as an aviation artist".

This meant that whilst focussing on the F-105 type design, it was key to remember that "the aircraft is still an A-10" and thus subtle details, such as the 'Star and Bar' were kept in place. This ensured it remained "pleasing to the eye and not strange or out of place". 

Ryan points out that he used the team's previous demo jet (80-0275), which depicts a USAAF P-51 Mustang, as a reference when designing the SEA livery. 

He identified that "USAAF P-51s had large insignias on the fuselage. Therefore, #275's design, "with the star and bar depicted large on the engine", fits well "with the representation of the Mustang". So for Ryan, keeping the insignia where it is worn by standard A-10s matches that of the SEA painted F-105s, something he feels "fits perfectly". 

So speaking of the other jet, how did tail #962 become chosen as this year's display aircraft? 

"The jet is chosen based on the hours the jet has left to fly prior to heading for depot maintenance". 

Despite there being over a year from the beginning of the project to its unveiling, Ryan tells us that he "finished the scheme very quickly in one evening". Feeling lucky that the team loved the design, he admits that "only one sample was produced, with the MIA/KIA/POW names and squadron badges added by the team as a finishing touch". 

All projects come with their own quirks and challenges. For Ryan, the biggest was when he "had to produce the top view, as the scheme needed to match up with the side profiles". This was essential to ensure that nothing was out of place for the team responsible for painting the aircraft.

We asked Ryan for a final reflection on the project. He said: 

"It was a huge privilege and great experience to design this paint scheme, but on reflection, I feel the most important thing is what [the jet] means to not only the Demo Team but to the Vietnam Veterans. I hope that everyone enjoys the paint scheme and the great demonstration that “Gator” will perform in the jet".

Despite not having any plans at present, Ryan states that he has "really enjoyed this process and would definitely do it again" - and we agree he would be a fantastic choice for anyone looking to design a special paint scheme.