The A10 is also purely designed as a close-support, ground-attack aircraft. That big GAU is meant to strafe targets on the ground, flying at a low speed. 
It isn’t at all an air-superiority fighter like the frame it inspired.

But regardless, I didn’t realize how off-the-rails we were going with this RP. I like mechs, and they definitely require some suspension-of-disbelief to enjoy them, but I was also hoping that the semantics and combat would be more believable.