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American Combat Planes of the 20th Century is an incredible reference for anyone who is interested in any American Combat Plane History. There are 758 pages and 1700 b/w photos in this substantial labor of love by Ray Wagner, who has been passionately researching and writing about aircraft for over 50 years. Whether you are already familiar with his past works, or just discovering this accomplished author for the first time... This is the book that you've been waiting for!

If you'd like to see the book's Table of Contents ... Click here. You can also browse the entire Index Section to get an idea of the extensive amount of information that is covered within this book.

Search our site for other combat planes. A- 1 Eaton A- 4 Skyhawk A- 6 & A- 7 Air Weapons AV- 8 to A- 10 A- 20 Havoc A- 22 Martin Maryland A- 23 Martin Baltimore A- 24 Douglas A- 26 Douglas Invader Attack Planes B- 2A, F-111, F-117 Stealth B- 17 Flying Fortress B- 24 Liberator B- 25 North American B- 26 Marauder B- 29 Superfortress B- 32 Dominator B- 35 Flying Wing B- 36 B- 47 Stratojet B- 50 Boeing B- 52 Stratofortress B- 57 Canberra B- 58 Hustler Biplanes Biplanes, Army Pursuits Bombers, B- 70 to Stealth Bombers, First Big Curtiss Falcon CO- 1 DH- 4 De Havilland F3D- Douglas Skyknight F3H- McDonnell Demon F4D- 1 Skyray F4F Grumman Wildcats F- 4U Corsair F6F Grumman F7F Grumman F7U Vought F9F G. Cougar F9F G. Panther F- 16 Fighting Falcon F- 84 F- 86 Sabre F- 89 to F-94 F- 100 to F-108 First Fighters Flying Boats GAX Iraq to Afghanistan Martin Bombers Missile Era Fighters Navy Fighers Navy Flying Boats O- 2 Douglas P- 35 Seversky P- 36 to 42 Curtiss P- 38 Lightning P- 39 Airacobra P- 40 Line P- 47 Thunderbolt P- 51 Mustang Fighter P- 61 Black Widow P- 63 Kingcobra P- 79 to P-81 P- 82 Twin Mustang SB2C Helldiver TBF-TBM Avenger Thomas-Morse Torpedo Planes V- 11 Vultee XB -28 XP -48 / 77

A-6 & A-7

Page 3 FAIRCHILD HILLER AC-119K 17th SOS, 1969

The eight-place AC-119G Shadow began combat with the 17th Special Operations Squadrons in January 1969, and the ten-place AC-119K Stinger with the 18th SOSq arrived in Viet Nam on November 3. After many strikes against trucks, boats, and PT-76 light tanks, the AC-119Gs were given to the VNAF in September 1971, and the AC-119Ks were left when the USAF departed in 1973. In April 1975, 37 Fairchild gunships were abandoned to the victorious enemy.

Lockheed Spectre gunships of Special Operations Squadron 16 were upgraded with new digital computer fire controls, FLIR, ECM, and inflight refueling. Fourteen crewmembers handled each of the five AC-130Hs deployed on the Gulf War. One was lost to enemy action, but successful night operations encouraged the conversion of 12 more Hercules to the AC-130U model by 1992.

Based on a C-130H “U-boat” conversion tested at Edwards in January 1991, the AC-130U had one each of the 25-mm, 40-mm, and 105-mm guns and APQ-180 radar to direct a new battle management computer system with ECM flare and chaff dispensers. They would be retained for the rest of the century.

A-7 Corsair IIA
The Vought A-7 Corsair II was designed to meet a Navy requirement issued in May 1963 for a light single-seat attack plane to replace the A-4. Bomb load and combat radius were to be doubled, without loss of speed. To keep costs as low as possible, improve weapons accuracy, and to expedite operational service, speed was to be limited to subsonic levels.

VOUGHT A-7A VOUGHT A-7B

Vought’s design utilizing F-8 experience was declared the design competition winner in February 1964, and a March 19, 1964, contract provided for seven test and the first 35 production aircraft, with severe penalty clauses to guarantee prompt delivery and performance standards. These goals were met when the first A-7A from Dallas began flight tests piloted by John Konrad on September 27, 1965.

Powered by a Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-6, the A-7A had two 20-mm Mk 12 guns with 500 rounds, APQ-116 radar, refueling probe, and electronic bombing and radar systems. A high 35-degree swept wing had six pylons for a wide variety of weapons stores and two Sidewinders could fit on fuselage side rails.

For the nuclear strike mission, a 2,000-pound Mk 28 and three 300-gallon drop tanks were carried, but for the usual close support and interdiction roles, the A-7A could carry six to 24 250-pound Mk 81 bombs, or 12 500-pound Mk 82 plus six Mk 81 bombs. Missile or rocket pods could be substituted as needed, on the pylons.

Vought delivered 199 A-7As and 196 A-7Bs, the latter similar but for a TF30-P-8 and improved flaps. The Corsair II reached VA-174, a training squadron at Cecil Field, Florida, in October 1966, and on the 40th anniversary of Lindbergh’s flight to Paris, two A-7As with two 300-gallon drop tanks flew non-stop from Patuxent NAS to Paris in just seven hours, instead of the 33 hours for that 1927 flight.

VOUGHT A-7D

Corsair IIs first deployed operationally in November 1967 on the Ranger with VA-147. This squadron made the first A-7A attack into North Vietnam on December 4, 1967, and flew 1,400 combat missions in two months, losing one A-7A to an SA-2. First flown February 6, 1968, the A-7B entered combat March 4, 1969, and the last was delivered in May 1969.

There was still no Air Force jet attack type when the A-7A appeared; since World War II funds had been used for strategic offensive and continental defense capabilities. While close support of Army forces was accepted as part of the Air Force mission, it was considered a secondary role for tactical fighters. First control of the air had to be won; only then could the fighter-bombers turn to surface targets.

The concept of limited war in general, and the Southeast Asia war in particular, caused the Army to pressure the Air Force for close support by specialized aircraft, not the multipurpose supersonic fighters favored by the Air Force. The Vought attack plane seemed to be a relatively low cost and quick way to get this capability. On November 5, 1965, the new Secretary of the Air Force, Harold Brown, and USAF Chief of Staff, General John P. McDonnell decided to buy A-7s for Tactical Air Command.

Although the original intention was to save money by retaining most of the original configuration, the Air Force insisted on more power, and in October 1966, contracted with Allison to produce the TF41-A-l, an American version of the Rolls-Royce Spey, for their Corsair version. An M61Al Vulcan with 1,000 20-mm rounds replaced the two Navy guns, plus a computerized navigation/weapons delivery system with APQ-126 radar and a Head-Up Display (HUD) reflecting all steering and attack displays between the pilot’s eyes and the windshield.

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