The LTV A-7 Corsair II was an American military attack aircraft developed for the Navy and subsequently adapted for the Air Force. It emphasised range, weapons capacity and accurate delivery rather than supersonic performance. Naval and land-based versions had different equipment and operational histories.[1][2]
Naval development
The A-7A first flew in September 1965. VA-147 took the aircraft on its first combat deployment and began attacks over North Vietnam in December 1967. Improved versions followed quickly as the Navy sought greater attack capability from the design.[2]
The A-7E first flew in November 1968. It introduced an Allison TF41-A-2 engine, improved avionics and hydraulic equipment, and a multibarrel M61 cannon. It flew its first Vietnam combat missions in May 1970 and participated in the 1972 Linebacker operations and mining of North Vietnamese ports.[2]
Air Force adaptation
The A-7D first flew in April 1968, with production deliveries beginning that December. LTV delivered 459 to the Air Force before production ended in 1976. An electronic navigation and weapons-delivery system supported accurate ground attack, while the aircraft retained a limited air-to-air capability.[1]
A-7Ds flew from Korat in Thailand with the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing during the closing phase of the Southeast Asian war. The aircraft preserved at the National Museum of the United States Air Force supported a nine-hour rescue mission in November 1972, an example of the type's demanding support work.[1]
Final American operations
The Air Force began transferring A-7Ds to the Air National Guard in 1973; they later participated in the 1989 Panama operation. Naval A-7Es remained in carrier service through Desert Storm, with VA-46 and VA-72 operating from John F. Kennedy. That deployment closed the Corsair II's front-line Navy combat career.[1][2]