VOUGHT A-7D CORSAIR II

A picture of the Vought A-7D Corsair II

The A-7 Corsair II was initially developed in response to a 1963 U.S. Navy requirement for an aircraft to replace the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk.  Since the Navy wanted the aircraft to be in service by 1967, the speed of development was essential.  The Vought company based their contract-winning design on their F-8 Crusader which was already in Navy service.  The prototype flew in 1965 and the first A-7 squadron entered combat in Vietnam in December 1967.  The plane proved to be wildly successful as a close air support and strike aircraft.  The U.S. Air Force was so impressed that for the second time in a decade they chose to adopt a Navy design for their own use.  The A-7D differed from the Navy version in several ways.  It used the Air Force boom refueling system instead of the Navy probe and drogue system and had a significantly more powerful engine.  In addition, it was equipped with an internal gun that had been lacking in the earlier versions of the aircraft.  The A-7D joined the F-4 Phantom II in the Air Force inventory in 1968 and entered combat in 1972.  Most of the Air Force’s A-7s found their way into the Air National Guard and remained in service until the early 1990s.

Wingspan

38 ft 9 in

Length

46 ft 1 in.

Height

16 ft

Weight

42,000 lbs (loaded)

Maximum Speed

698 mph

Service Ceiling

51,000 ft

Range

1,780 miles

Engines

One Alllison TF-41-A-1 turbojet with 14,500 pounds of thrust

Crew

1

Manufacturer
Vought

Markings
162nd Tactical Fighter Training Wing, Arizona Air National Guard, Tucson International Airport, 1990.

Serial Number
70-973

Designation
A-7D

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