History

On 11 February 1964 the US Navy named the former LTV Aerospace Corporation winner of a design competition for a single-seat light attack aircraft. The requirement was for a subsonic aircraft able to carry a greater load of non-nuclear weapons than the A-4E Skyhawk. To keep costs to a minimum and speed delivery it was stipulated by the USN that the new aircraft should be based on an existing design; the LTV design study was based therefore, on the F-8 Crusader. The A-7 shared only a family resemblance to the F-8 Crusaders airframe however, the maximim commonality the two aircraft shared was through the use of many previous designed internal components. An initial contract to develop and build three aircraft, under the designation A-7A was made on 27 September 1965.

As the US Navy A-7 was in development, the US Air Force evaluated the design and determined that it met a US Army demand for a dedicated close air support aircraft. On 5 November 1965 the US Air Force announced that it would purchase a version of the A-7, designated the A-7D, for Tactical Air Command. The A-7D differed in engine, systems, and armament from the Navy's initial A-7A and A-7B models.

US Air Force Corsair IIs were phased out of front-line service by the late 1970s, many aircraft passing to the Air National Guard. Navy aircraft were gradually replaced by the F/A-18 Hornet in the 1980s. The last US Corsairs were retired not long after the 1991 Gulf War.

Production of Corsairs continued through 1984. A total of 1,569 aircraft was built.

ROLE: Carrier-borne and land-based subsonic single-seat tactical fighter
Crew: One
Bureau Number: 152681
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-6 non-afterburner
Wing Span: 38 feet 9 inches
Wing Span Folded:23 feet 9 inches
Length: 46 feet 1 1/2 inches
Height: 16 feet 3/4 inches
Empty Weight: 15,037 pounds
Crew: One
Armament: Two MK 12 20mm cannons plus 15,000 lbs of mixed ordnance.

PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 663 mph.
Cruising speed: 545 mph.
Range: 3,360 miles
Service Ceiling: 33,500 ft.