"BRRRT" is the onomatopoeic word gamers and military fans use for the distinctive buzz-saw noise made by the A-10 Thunderbolt II's 30mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon. The sound became an internet catchphrase in the late 2000s and early 2010s through 4chan threads, Yahoo Answers questions, and viral combat footage.
Origin
The earliest widely cited online discussion of the noise dates to September 25th, 2007, when a Yahoo Answers user named Jay asked "Why does the A-10 Thunderbolt (Fighter Plane) make that strange buzzing noise from the front?"[6]. A responder attributed it to the aircraft's turbofans, though most fans credit the sound to the 30mm shells breaking the sound barrier as they leave the barrel[6].
The A-10's cultural pull online was built on decades of gaming exposure. The plane appeared in the 1989 PC simulator A-10 Tank Killer and later in franchises like Ace Combat, Battlefield, Digital Combat Simulator, and Call of Duty, giving a generation of players a strong association between the aircraft and its unmistakable firing sound[4].
- Platform: Yahoo Answers / 4chan (viral spread)
- Creator: Unknown
- Date: 2007
Overview
"BRRRT" is the onomatopoeic spelling of the buzz-saw noise produced by the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II when it fires its 30mm GAU-8/A Avenger rotary cannon[1]. The seven-barrel Gatling gun spits out roughly 30 rounds per second of high-explosive incendiary and armor-piercing incendiary ammunition, and the entire aircraft was actually designed around the gun rather than the other way around[2].
Military fans and video gamers use the phrase in celebration of the A-10, nicknamed the "Warthog," whenever footage of the plane in action shows up online[3]. Ground troops have described the noise variously as a "zipper," a "belch," or a "banshee scream," and enemy forces reportedly gave the aircraft the nickname "The Monster" after Desert Storm[2].
How It Spread
On March 8th, 2009, a 4chan /b/ thread titled "Bush War Art" featured one of the earliest known board discussions of the A-10[1]. Two years later, on March 13th, 2011, YouTuber Swampfoot uploaded a clip from the 2010 documentary Restrepo showing an A-10 gun run over Afghanistan; the video pulled in over a million views in under five years and became a common reference point for the sound[1].
Gaming forums helped fuel the catchphrase next. On February 7th, 2012, a GameFAQs user started a Battlefield 3 thread called "The A-10 farting noise," calling the buzz "one of the greatest sounds any machine makes"[7]. Gizmodo picked up the topic in November 2013 and December 2014, describing the GAU-8's scream as "one of the most terrifying human-produced sounds you can hear in the planet"[5].
By 2015 the meme was in full swing. On March 19th, satirical outlet DuffelBlog ran the op-ed "I Sexually Identify As An A-10 Thunderbolt," riffing on the older attack helicopter copypasta[8]. On May 4th, an anonymous /k/ user posted a similar confession that was screenshotted to r/4chan and pulled more than 4,200 upvotes[9]. The Warthog was, by that point, firmly the internet's favorite warplane[3].
How to Use
People typically deploy "BRRRT" (with a variable number of R's) as a caption or comment underneath any A-10 footage, tank-destruction clip, or close-air-support meme. A common convention is to stretch the spelling for emphasis, so "BRRRRRRRRT" reads as a longer burst. The phrase often shows up in image macros pairing the aircraft with whatever the poster wants "solved," from ISIS technicals in the /pol/ macros of April 2015[1] to modern political jokes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Brrrt A 10 Thunderbolt Ii Firing Sound?
It is the onomatopoeic catchphrase for the buzz-saw noise made by the A-10 Warthog's 30mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon, used online by military fans and gamers[3].
Where did Brrrt A 10 Thunderbolt Ii Firing Sound come from?
The earliest cited online discussion is a September 25th, 2007 Yahoo Answers question about the plane's strange buzzing noise, followed by 4chan threads starting in 2009[6][1].
What does Brrrt A 10 Thunderbolt Ii Firing Sound mean?
It represents the sound of the GAU-8 firing at roughly 30 rounds per second, a noise ground troops have called a "zipper" and a "banshee scream"[2][5].
How do you use Brrrt A 10 Thunderbolt Ii Firing Sound?
It is typically posted as a caption or comment on A-10 footage or tank-destruction clips, often stretched as "BRRRRRT" to mimic a longer cannon burst[1].
Is Brrrt A 10 Thunderbolt Ii Firing Sound still popular?
The A-10 is still the internet's favorite warplane thanks in large part to its signature BRRRT, and the aircraft has kept flying well past its planned retirement[3].
