The last of a long line of Vought aircraft to serve with the US Navy, the A-7 was the result of an early 1960s effort to replace the A-4 Skyhawk. Although the A-4 was to prove an effective “bomb truck” over Southeast Asia, it had been conceived of as a nuclear bomber that would be small enough to operate from even the WWII-era escort carriers if necessary. With the inactive CVEs no longer factoring into planning, and with increasing attention being paid to fighting non-nuclear conflicts, a larger light attack type with an increased conventional warload was called for.
To meet the USN’s VAL requirement, four companies submitted derivatives of existing types for the light attack mission. Douglas’ design was based on the A-4, while Grumman offered a single-seat A-6 and North American proposed an outgrowth of the FJ-4 Fury. The Vought entrant, which was ultimately selected, was based on the F8U, but with a TF30 engine and a fixed-incidence wing.
A-7 Bibliography
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Erwin J. Bulban “Total A-7A Order Exceeds $200 Million” Aviation Week & Space Technology November 8, 1965 p.30-32
“Navy/LTV A-7A Designed for Equipment Accessibility and Short Turn-Around Time” Aviation Week & Space Technology November 22, 1965 p.62-63 Includes photos of an early aircraft with panels opened and engine removed.
Photo: “First A-7A Delivered to Training Squadron” Aviation Week & Space Technology November 21, 1966 p.37 BuNo 152664
Photo: Test A-7A with boom on nose and full load of bombs Pratt & Whitney ad Aviation Week & Space Technology December 12, 1966 p.2
Photo: A-7A BuNo 153221 of VA-147 Aviation Week & Space Technology November 11, 1968 front cover
Peter B. Mersky “Warplane Classic: A-7 Corsair II in US Navy Service” International Air Power Review Volume 10 Includes a large fold-out A-7E cutaway drawing, and a color 3-view of a VA-192 aircraft.
Photo: A-7A on a bow cat of USS America Naval Aviation News February 1967 front cover
Photo: A-7A BuNo 153221 of VA-147 aboard USS Ranger Aviation Week & Space Technology November 11, 1968 front cover
“A-7E Corsair II Praised for Accuracy in Combat” Naval Aviation News August 1970 p.35
Codell Summers “Deadly Sidewinder” Scale Modeler February 1973 Building the Airfix 1/72 A-7E model kit as an aircraft of VA-86 aboard USSAmerica
Photo: An A-7C from China Lake launching a Harpoon test missile. Aviation Week & Space Technology April 5, 1976 front cover
United Technologies ad, with artwork depicting an A-7 launching a ramjet-powered missile. Aviation Week & Space Technology October 16, 1978 p.40
“A Corsair by any other name…Sandy, SLUF and Little Hummers” Air International April 1982 Includes a photo of the V-519 trainer prototype, A-7E 3-view, A-7A, TA-7C, and A-7E side-view drawings.
Photo: TA-7C in Portuguese markings Air International January 1988 p.41
David Francis “Supersize SLUF” Scale Aviation Modeller International July 2006 building the 1/32 Trumpeter A-7E (Amazon affiliate link) kit as an aircraft of VA-72. Includes several pages of Corsair II color profiles
Jezz Coleman “Sidewinders SLUF” Model Aircraft July 2017 The HobbyBoss 1/48 A-7E (Amazon affiliate link) (as an aircraft of VA-86/USS Nimitz.
- Gerry Manning Military Aircraft of the 1970s (Amazon affiliate link) photos: A-7B BuNo 154520/VA-303, A-7E 157497/VA-97, A-7E 157536/VA-27, A-7E 158021/VA-195 p.48-49
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A-7D walk around
Review: Aviation Archive: Vietnam War 65th Anniversary Special: Vol.2 US Army USN USMC
