What this needs is for Luna to be actively piloting the warthog, and for Celestia to be crewing the turret.

a-10 is not a pony machine .

@connerjmf  
Try using Wolfram Alpha instead of your calculator.

@ichingdivine  
I’ve tried doing the conversion with my calculator but I keep getting the same error that shows up when I exceed the number size limit. I think it’s safe to assume they’re safe.

@ichingdivine  
Yeah. My calculations assumed certain things (such as spherical horses)…
 
Damned if I know. Someone find some feats of magical strength or something.

@ze  
Let’s not assume ideal conditions. Combat isn’t ideal.
 
10.9 MW of power would not be delivered to the shield, unless you assume that all bullets hit the shield perpendicularly. This is not an assumption that is realistic at all, given the range, accuracy, and the constant evasion of the targets, but one that you make implicitly.
 
If they are even slightly off, the bullets will glance off, thus transferring little of their kinetic energy to the shield.
 
You also assume that all bullets hit the shield. Again, this is not realistic, for the same reasons above.
 
 
Luna and Celestia are two alicorns. What’s the conversion factor from horsepower to alicornpower?

@ze  
Yea, pretty much this.  

So this is what they do for fun…

@Dangerous Amoeba  
@ichingdivine  
Kinetic energy formula is:  
E=1/2mv², where E is kinetic energy, m is mass and v is velocity. Notice that energy goes up faster per unit of velocity than per unit of mass (in other words: a 1Kg projectile going 2m/s has more energy than a 2Kg projectile going 1m/s)
 
The GAU-8 Avenger in the A-10 fires 30 mm caliber bullets with a muzzle velocity of 1,070 m/s. Each slug has a mass of 272 grams with a maximum firing range of 3,660 m.
 
For the sake of argument, let’s assume ideal conditions. This means 155.7 kJ of energy per round. The GAU can fire 4,200 rpm. This means the GAU is capable of creating 10.899 MW of energy in the form of bullet rain.
 
This equals 14616 horsepower.
 
Celestia + Luna = 2 horses.
 
A-10 wins.

@Dangerous Amoeba  
The changelings weigh a couple orders of magnitude more than a bullet, and the surface area at contact (assuming they bash with their horns) is around the same.
 
Armor piercing rounds are designed to punch right through armor by having the hard outer coat slice through the metal. However, with a magical shield, we don’t know what it’s properties are. It may behave just like regular plating, or it may behave completely differently.
 
SA’s shield may not have regenerated because SA himself was so weak at that point, as well as being mindfucked by Chrysalis. Also consider that we’ve only seen that one shield. Unicorns may well be capable of casting shields of different properties.
 
Anyways, these shields are being cast by god-tier alicorns, and they’re much smaller than the Canterlot shield, so probably much more concentrated anyways.
 
There is no real life knowledge to draw upon for how a metal bullet reacts with a magical shield.

@ichingdivine  
>Consider the mass of the changelings, the speed at impact, and the surface area of the horn.  
Considering that, even though the changeling weighs more, 30mm rounds are traveling MUCH faster and are more aerodynamic and concentrate more pressure on a smaller area. So judging by that, the bullets should remove shield.
 
>Also consider that magical shields probably don’t have the same characteristics as armor that AP rounds are designed to defeat.  
I don’t think that matters, anything that is effected by a fast moving thing hitting it will have a problem when a round hits it, be it soft flesh that bends thus causing the bullet to tumble, or hard metal that the round must pierce.
 
>Properties of the shield.  
The shield at the Canterlot invasion didn’t regenerate at all, they cracked like glass. This shield seems to not hold true at all to canon, the cannon shield was solid and breakable, while this is rippling judging by the hits. Maybe its just a different kind of shield, but that kinda further ruins it for me cuz it feels too Dues ex god powers.
 
I guess we should just agree to disagree, cos really art all depends on the artist even if the artist has no idea how real life works, and arguing will get us nowhere.

@Dangerous Amoeba  
Consider the mass of the changelings, the speed at impact, and the surface area of the horn.
 
Also consider that magical shields probably don’t have the same characteristics as armor that AP rounds are designed to defeat.
 
Next consider alicorn level shielding spells, as well as the fact that the surface are of the shield is much smaller than that of the Canterlot shield.
 
As well as the fact that the plane isn’t going to just sit there taking hits but will be weaving and dodging.
 
Factor in shield regeneration.
 
I don’t find it that hard to think that the shield could stand up to the barrage. It’s not so unlikely that it robs me of the suspension of disbelief.

@WinterCutieMark  
Even if he was strained, you can extrapolate if it took a changelings bashing their head not very hard by calculating the time it took to hit the shield from there height and you get V then find acceleration then turn that to force.
 
I need to do the math but i have not done so yet, anyway. If it took X force we can still just by looking at it, without math, say that a: depleted uranium round traveling at 1000 m/s weighing 400 grams, is generating a ton of force to shatter that sheild, and that ignores the armor piercing properties of DU.
 
Now have 4200 rounds per minute and a 120 seconds of sustained fire, controlled electronically for max accuracy.  

@Dangerous Amoeba  
I’m not sure if we can take the Canterlot shield as a good measurement of how strong shield spells are considering Shining Armor was pretty drained at that point.

@ze  
Magic would make sense for the princesses, but not for the A-10s pursuing them. Sure the princesses can steal an A-10 and carry a tank behind it cos magic, but why are the people following them using attack aircraft as an interceptor?
 
Also even for magic: The shields around canterlot where broken becuase changelings smashed their heads into them, i really doubt they would fair at all against 30mm of LIBERTY.  

@Dangerous Amoeba  
I agree fully, and I’m probably the worst person to be doing this, but let me present the opposing argument for why this works:
 
1: MAGIC.
 
That’s basically it.

Whoever made this doesn’t understand things.  
1: You couldn’t pull a tank with a plane. Aerodynamics is a harsh mistress.  
2: Those are 30mm rounds, if changeling bumping their heads can break shields, then 30mm would go through like a red hot knife through butter.  
3: A-10s are attack aircraft, using a Gau-9 air to air combat would be very stupid, and impractical.
 
Those are just the big things, this is just dumb, even if it’s good art.

let’s fly to the castle!