Home

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 4 VOUGHT A-7E

Two AIM-4E Falcon, AIM-9B Sidewinder, or AGM-65A Maverick missiles could be attached to the fuselage sides, but the basic mission load was eight 800-pound M-117A bombs and two 300-gallon tanks, or a variety of attack stores. A boom receptacle was added on the fuselage top to replace the older nose probe for inflight refueling.

The first A-7D flew at Dallas on April 5, 1968, with a TF-30, since the first production TF-41 was not ready for flight tests until September 26. After that engine production got underway, deliveries to a TAC training unit began in September 1969, and the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing got its first operational A-7Ds in September 1970.

Vought delivered 459 A-7Ds by December 1976 to serve three TAC wings and two ANG squadrons. In October 1972, 354th TFW A-7Ds arrived at Korat, Thailand and began missions into Cambodia, Laos, and North Vietnam. The A-7Ds flew 6,848 sorties with only four losses and the last U.S. air strike in Cambodia was made by an A-7D on August 15, 1973, ending the nation’s longest war.

The Navy took advantage of these electronics, power plant, and armament improvements in the A-7E, first flown November 25, 1968. Armed with an M61A-1 gun and rails for two Sidewinders, the A-7E had the advanced electronic provisions, including HUD display and ECM devices used on the A-7D. It could handle a 2,140-pound Mk 43 nuclear store plus drop tanks, but the primary close support mission was delivery of from six to 18 bombs or other stores.

VOUGHT A-7H for Greece

Allison TF41-A-2 engines were specified, but production delays slowed deliveries, so the first 67 aircraft were delivered with TF30-P-8s and designated A-7Cs. Not until March 9, 1970, was an A-7E flown with the TF41-A-2.

The first delivery of the A-7E to a fleet squadron, VA-122, had been made on July 14, 1969, but VA-146 and VA-147 made their first cruise on the America with the Allison engine in 1970. Their first combat mission in Vietnam was on May 23, 1970. Of the 54 Corsairs lost in combat during 49 months by 1973, 38 fell to AAA fire, and the rest to SAMs.

Production of 536 A-7Es ended in March 1981, with a total of 931 Corsair IIs for the Navy. Later additions to A-7E electronics added improved ECM with AGM-88A HARM missiles first fired live on October 5, 1981, as well as AGM-65F Mavericks first launched September 20, and FLIR pods for night attacks. In March 1986, A-7Es put a Libyan radar site out of action with AGM-88A missiles.

Navy Corsairs served 27 light attack squadrons with the fleet, usually operating two 14-plane squadrons per carrier. Three replacement training units served ashore, while older models had been retired to six Navy Air Reserve squadrons, beginning in April 1971. The TA-7C designation was applied to a two-seat trainer remanufacture of 60 retired A-7A/B aircraft delivered from 1977 to 1980.

VOUGHT YA-7F

Two A-7Ds modified to export G versions in April 1972 were offered to Switzerland, but the first successful foreign sale was 60 A-7H Corsairs for Greece. Essentially similar to the A-7D, the first A-7H was flown May 6, 1975, the Greeks also buying five TA-7H two-place trainers by 1980. Another two-place version was the YA-7K, converted from an A-7D, which was followed by 30 new A-7Ks for the Air National Guard in 1981.

By October 1986, Vought had completed 1,545 Corsair IIs in total. Post-production rebuilds included 50 A-7As upgraded into A-7Ps for Portugal from 1981 to 1985. An effort to extend sales was to enlarge two A-7Ds to YA-7F configurations with Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 afterburning turbofans rated at 23,450-pounds thrust. While the prototype first flown on November 29, 1989, was said to reach 748 mph, the company, then called LTV, was unable to win funding away from the F-16 program.

Corsair II retirement began when the F/A-18 Hornet was first deployed in 1985. The last two A-7E squadrons were VA-46 and VA-72 on the Kennedy. When the Gulf War erupted, they began predawn strikes from the Red Sea on January 17, 1991, and flew 731 sorties with CBUs, AGM-62 Walleye II, and HARM guided missiles, without any combat loss. On May 23, the Corsair’s 24-year service ended when both squadrons were decommissioned.

[ B- 24 / Home ] [Back]

Want information on other Combat Planes? Search the rest of our site.