Vought A-7

Vought A-7 Corsair II
An A-7E "Corsair II" of the USS Kitty Hawk , 1981
Type:	Ground attack aircraft
Design country:	United States
Manufacturer:	Ling-Temco-Vought
First flight:	September 27, 1965
Commissioning:	February 1, 1967
Production time:	1965 to 1983
Number of pieces:	1569

The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II was a single-engine fighter aircraft produced by the US manufacturer Ling-Temco-Vought , which was based on the F-8 Crusader . The A-7 was in service with the US Navy and US Air Force . She was later used by the Air National Guard until 1998. The aircraft type was also adopted by Greece (used until 2014), Portugal (used until 1999) and Thailand. In Greece, A-7s were still in service with the 336th Squadron of the 116th Combat Squadron in Araxos . The last A-7 were decommissioned in October 2014.

development

In May 1963, the US Navy began a tender for a carrier-based light attack aircraft to replace the Douglas A-4 . In order to save costs, it was determined that the new type had to be based on existing ones. Vought , Douglas Aircraft Company , Grumman, and North American Aviation submitted proposals. On February 11, 1964, Vought emerged victorious from the competition and on March 19 of that year was commissioned to manufacture a pilot series. The aircraft was called A-7 and was nicknamed Corsair II in 1965 , based on the successful Corsair from World War II . 1569 copies were built by 1984.

The first prototype (YA-7A) made its maiden flight on September 27, 1965 . 1966 the first copies of the A-7A were put into service with the training squadrons VA-174 and VA-122 of the US Navy, on February 1, 1967 the first squadron was ready for combat. In December 1967 the Corsair II began combat missions in the Vietnam War with Squadron VA-147, Carrier Wing 2 (CVW-2) , USS Ranger (CV-61) . In the autumn of 1968 the VA-146 and VA-215 squadrons first used the A-7B, which was withdrawn in 1977. Only the VA-82 and VA-86 squadrons flew the A-7C from 1968. In May 1970 the last version went of the US Navy, A-7E entered service with Squadrons VA-146 and VA-147 aboard USS America (CV-66) . After the end of the Vietnam War in 1973, the US Navy A-7s were used in the 1983 invasion of Grenada , 1983/84 over Lebanon and in 1986 in the attacks on Libya ( Operation El Dorado Canyon ). The last deployment took place in 1990/91 during Operation Desert Storm with squadrons VA-46 and VA-72, CVW-3 aboard the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) . These squadrons were decommissioned as the last active A-7 squadrons in the US Navy on May 30, 1991. As a reserve squadron, VA-204 had given up their Corsairs a month beforehand. The last EA-7L were retired in November 1994.

During the development of the Navy type, the US Air Force found this type of aircraft suitable for their demands for a close-range support aircraft. The USAF therefore ordered the A-7D with revised technology and armament. The first prototype flew on April 6, 1968 and in November 1970 the A-7D entered service with the 354th TFW at Myrtle Beach AFB of the Air Force. The 355th TFW and the 23rd TFW followed in 1971 and 1972. During the service period, three USAF squadrons and 14 US Air National Guard squadrons flew the A-7D. A-7D of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing were used in the Vietnam War in 1972/73. Furthermore, A-7Ds of the 114th and 180th Tactical Fighter Groups of the Ohio Air National Guard were used in the US invasion of Panama in 1989. The USAF retired the last A-7D in 1992.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the A-7D was withdrawn from service with the USAF and given to the Air National Guard, as well as Greece, Portugal and Thailand.

The aircraft was nicknamed "SLUFF" by the crews, which is based on BUFF ("Big Ugly Fat Fellow" or "Big Ugly Fat Fucker"), the nickname of the Boeing B-52 , for "Short Little Ugly Fat Fellow" (short, short, ugly, fat guy).

On January 11, 1981, a command of the left-wing independence movement "Los Macheteros" (PRTP) destroyed ten A-7s of the Puerto Rico National Guard at the Muñiz Air Base near San Juan, Puerto Rico .

On October 17, 2014, the last A-7 Corsair II, which was still in service with the Greek Air Force , was decommissioned.

description

The Corsair II is very reminiscent of the F-8 Crusader , from which it distinguishes its somewhat wider but shorter fuselage and the slightly enlarged wingspan. In addition, the A-7 did not have the ability to change the wing pitch angle during flight .

Since no supersonic speed was required, the machine received a Pratt & Whitney TF30 engine without an afterburner in the first versions . Later versions, A-7D and E, received an Allison TF41 instead of the TF30 , a license production of the Rolls-Royce Spey 201 that delivered higher thrust with lower fuel consumption.

The main armament consists of two 20 mm Colt Mk 12 automatic cannons , each with 250 rounds. Theoretically, it could still carry a load of up to 6,800 kg at wing stations, but only with a reduced fuel supply, as otherwise the total take-off mass would be exceeded. In the D and E versions, the two 20 mm cannons were replaced by an M61 Vulcan gattling cannon.

The TA-7C for the Navy and the TA-7K for the Air National Guard were produced as two-seat trainer versions.

• 

  A-7A of the VA-147 squadron over Vietnam

• 

  A-7B of the Navy Reserve in the hangar of the USS Carl Vinson

• 

  A-7D of the US Air Force

• 

  Two-seat TA-7C of the VA-174 training squadron

Versions

Three-sided view of the A-7E

A-7A

Built in 199 for the US Navy; TF30-P-6 engine, two 20 mm Colt Mk 12 cannons with 250 rounds each. 6804 kg weapon load

A-7B

196 built for the US Navy; A-7A with TF30-P-8 engine with 54.2 kN thrust. From 1971 onwards, most of the A-7B were equipped with the TF30-P-408 with 59.6 kN thrust.

A-7C

67 built for the US Navy; A-7A with a TF30-P-8 engine and Gatling cannon M61

TA-7C

Conversion of 24 A-7B and 36 A-7C to two-seat trainers. They were upgraded to the A-7E standard in 1984.

YA-7D

Prototype of a version of the US Air Force with Allison TF41-A-1 engine (Rolls-Royce Spey) with 64.5 kN thrust. Improved avionics equipment, 20mm Gatling M61 Vulcan cannon, and USAF air refueling facility. 5 were built.

A-7D

Production version of the YA-7D, 454 were built.

A-7E

A-7C with Allison TF41-A-1 engines, 529 were built for the US Navy.

YA-7F

2 converted A-7Ds as prototypes of the Super Corsair II ; Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 engine with 116 kN thrust (the hull had to be lengthened by 1.22 m and the tail fin increased by 25 cm). First flight on November 29, 1989, reached supersonic speed on the second flight. The second prototype flew on April 3, 1990. The aircraft was intended as a faster addition to the Fairchild-Republic A-10 , but was canceled in favor of the acquisition of additional General Dynamics F-16s .

A-7G

1972 planned version for the Swiss Air Force , was not built.

A-7H

60 built from 1975; A-7D without air refueling facility for Greece.

TA-7H

A-7K for Greece .

A-7K

two-seat A-7D, 30 built for the US Air Force.

EA-7L

8 TA-7C equipped with ECM devices in 1984 for displaying enemies.

A-7P

44 A-7A equipped with a TF30-P-408 engine for Portugal (and 23 for the supply of spare parts), delivered from 1981 to 1983.

TA-7P

6 TA-7C for Portugal, delivered in 1985.

A-7T

14 A-7E delivered to the Thai Navy in 1995 (plus 2 as a spare part carrier).

TA-7T

4 TA-7C for Thailand.

Users

A Portuguese A-7P 1984

 Greece

Air Force , 60 A-7H / TA-7H, in service through October 2014.

 Portugal

Força Aérea Portuguesa , 50 A-7P / TA-7P, in service until 1999

 Thailand

Royal Thai Air Force , officially in service until 2012, but no longer operational

 United States

United States Air Force , A-7D, in service until 1989

United States Navy , A-7A / B / C / E / TA-7C, in service until 1991

Air National Guard , A-7D / K, in service through 1993

Technical specifications

Parameter	A-7A data	A-7D data	A-7E data
crew	1
length	14.06 m
span	11.81 m
height	4.90 m
Wing area	34.84 m²
Empty mass	6,739 kg	7,968 kg	8,669 kg
Max. Takeoff mass	15,649 kg	19,051 kg
Fuel capacity	internal: 5678 l external: 4 fuel tanks of 1135 l each
Top speed	1094 km / h (at sea level)	1052 km / h (at sea level)	1110 km / h (at sea level)
Marching speed	933 km / h (at sea level)	816 km / h (at sea level)	933 km / h (at sea level)
Rate of climb	25.4 m / s	40.2 m / s	55.37 m / s
Service ceiling	13,381 m	11,826 m
Use radius	unknown	1127 km
Range	6598 km	approx. 5000 km	4828 km
Takeoff route	1265 m	1189 m	1219 m
Engine	1 × Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-6	1 × Allison TF41-A-1	1 × Allison TF41-A-2
Thrust	50.50 kN (without afterburner)	63.41 kN (without afterburner)	66.75 kN (without afterburner)
Rescue system	Douglas ESCAPAC IC-2 ejection seat	Douglas ESCAPAC IG-2	Douglas ESCAPAC IG-4 / IG-5

Armament

Internal guns

• 1 × 20 mm Gatling cannon M61A1 Vulcan with 1030 rounds of ammunition (A-7C to A-7T)
• 2 × 20 mm automatic cannons Colt-Browning Mk.12 with 250 rounds each (only A-7A / B)

Explosive ordnance up to 6800 kg at eight external load stations

Air-to-air guided missile

• 2 × LAU-7 / A start rails for 1 × Ford AIM-9B / E / J "Sidewinder" each - infrared-controlled, self-targeting for short distances

Air-to-ground guided missiles

• 2 × LAU-117 / A launch rails for 1 × Raytheon AGM-65A / B / D / F / G "Maverick" - guided missiles against ships or tanks
• 2 × LAU-88 / A triple launch racks for 3 × Raytheon AGM-65A / B / D / F / G "Maverick" guided missiles against ships or tanks
• 2 × LAU-118 launch rails for 1 × Texas Instruments AGM-45A / B "Shrike" each - self-targeting anti-radar missile
• 2 × LAU-118 launch rails for 1 × Texas Instruments AGM-88A / B "HARM" - self-targeting anti-radar missile each

Unguided air-to-surface missiles

• 4 × LAU-10D / A rocket tube launch containers for 4 × unguided Zuni air-to-ground rockets, caliber 127 mm / 5 inch
• 4 × SUU-25C / A flare tube launchers for 8 × unguided LUU-2 flare flare rockets each (11 kg)

Guided bombs

• 4 × Rockwell GBU-8 "HOBO" (TV-guided glide bomb with Mk.84 explosive device)
• 4 × Martin Marietta AGM-62 "Walleye II" (TV-guided glide bomb with Mk.84 explosive device)
• 4 × BRU-42 TER (Triple Ejection Rack) with 1–2 × GBU-12 / B "Paveway I" each (laser-guided glide bomb 227 kg / 500 lb)
• 4 × GBU-10 / B "Paveway I" (laser-guided glide bomb 907 kg / 2055 lb)

Unguided bombs (on up to six BRU-41 MER or BRU-42 TER bomb carrier racks)

• 24 × Mark 82 LDGP (241 kg / 500 lb free fall bomb)
• 20 × Mark 82 "Snake Eye" (227 kg / 500 lb, with four air brake flaps)
• 24 × Mark 20 "Rockeye II" (222 kg / 490 lb anti-tank cluster bomb with 247 Mk.118 bomblets)
• 12 × M117 (372 kg / 820 lb free fall bomb )
• 20 × Mk.36 "Destructor" (250 kg / 560 lb sea mine based on the Mk.82 Snakeye)
• 6 × Mark 83 LDGP (454 kg / 1000 lb free fall bomb)
• 6 × Mark 84 Mk.84 LDGP (907 kg / 2000 lb free-fall bomb)
• 10 × BLU-27A (340 kg / 750 lb napalm incendiary bomb )
• 6 × BLU-52 (170 kg / 375 lb incendiary bomb )
• 2 × B28 (nuclear free-fall bomb with 1.45 MT explosive device)
• 2 × B43 (nuclear free-fall bomb with 1 MT explosive device)
• 2 × B57 (nuclear free-fall bomb with 20 kT explosive device)
• 10 × CBU-30/38 (385-lb SUU-13 canister with 40 CDU-12 tear gas bomblets)

External container

• 2 × cannon containers SUU-23 / A (20 mm Gatling cannon GAU-4 / M61 with 1200 rounds of ammunition)
• 4 × drop-off additional tanks for 1135 liters (370 US gallons) of kerosene
• 2 × AN / ALQ-71 (V) -2- EKF jamming container
• 2 × AN / ALQ-87-EKF malfunction containers
• 2 × AN / ALQ-101 (V) -1-EKF-disturbance container
• 2 × AN / ALQ-119 (V) -16-EKF malfunction container
• 2 × N / ALQ-131 (V) -EKF jamming containers
• 1 × AN / AWW-9B data transmission container for AGM-62

See also

• Vought F-8 Crusader
• List of aircraft types

Web links

Commons : A-7 Corsair II  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ Austrianwings.info: The last corsair is retiring , accessed on October 22, 2014.
2. ^ Roman Schürmann: Helvetische Jäger. Dramas and scandals in the military sky. Rotpunktverlag, Zurich 2009, ISBN 978-3-85869-406-5 .
3. ↑ Ling-Temco-Vought A-7Ε / H Corsair. In: haf.gr. Retrieved January 22, 2019 . 
4. ↑ A-7 Retirement: Araxos AB, 17th October 2014. In: airforce.gr. Retrieved January 22, 2019 .