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| A VA-72 (Blue Hawks) A-7E Corsair II aircraft is given a final check before being launched from USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69). (US Navy photo by PH2 Kevin E. Farmer) |
Right now brother. Right now.
(Well, he didn't say anything about which Corsair now did he?)
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| A-7 Corsair II of the 76th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Vanguards), 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, dropping Mark 82 hi-drag bombs over the Tyndall Eglin Air Force Base range. (US Air Force photo by TSgt Frank Garzelnick) |
When I was stationed at Lowry (in Denver), the Air Guard base at Buckley had some of these birds. I think they're cool.
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II was a carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. The A-7 airframe design was based on the successful supersonic Vought F-8 Crusader. It was one of the first combat aircraft to feature a head-up display (HUD), an inertial navigation system (INS), and a turbofan engine.
The Corsair II initially entered service with the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. It was later adopted by the United States Air Force, including the Air National Guard, to replace the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, North American F-100 Super Sabre and Republic F-105 Thunderchief. The aircraft was also exported to Greece in the 1970s, and Portugal in the late 1980s. W
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| A-7Bs of CVW-16 on the USS Ticonderoga in 1968 (US Navy photo by Chester O. Morris) |
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| A-7As of VA-147 (Argonauts) taking off from NAS Lemoore 1967. (US Navy photo) |
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| YA-7D-1-CV AF Serial No. 67-14582, the first USAF YA-7D, 2 May 1968. Note the Navy-style refueling probe and the modified Navy BuNo used as its USAF tail number. (USAF Photo) |
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| Corsair IIs 70-0976, 70-0989 and 70-0970 of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing over the skies of Southeast Asia. 976 and 989 were retired to AMARC in 1992, 970 is on permanent display at the Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. (USAF photo) |
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| A-7Es on the USS Independence (CV 62) in 1983 (US Navy photo) |
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| A-7E of VA-72 (Blue Hawks) on USS America off Libya in April 1986 (US Navy photo) |
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| A-7E from VA-72 (Blue Hawks) flying over the Saudi desert during Operation Desert Shield (US Navy photo by Cdr. John Leenhouts) |
A shout out to the ladies of Naval Aviation!
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| EA-7L pilots of VAQ-34 (Flashbacks) at Elmendorf AB, 1987 (DoD photo by Sgt. W. Thornton) |
The EA-7L was an electronic aggressor aircraft (converted from the TA-7C*) used by VAQ-34, upgraded to A-7E standard while retaining twin seats in 1984.
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| Prototype YA-7Ds 67-14582 and 67-14584, along with 69-6191 and 69-6217 making last flyover retirement formation over Edwards AFB, California, heading to AMARC, August 1992 (USAF photo) |
How about some love for the SLUF?**
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| A-7E Corsair II (BuNo 160713) from attack squadron VA-46 (Clansmen) on 1 July 1988. VA-46 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7) for a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) from 29 February to 29 August 1988. The A-7E 160713 (c/n E-491) was retired to the AMARC as 6A0395 on 10 June 1991 and later donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona. (US Navy photo by Cdr. John Leenhouts) |
Okay, it ain't the F4U Corsair, but it's still pretty cool!
Oh yeah, gotta have a video...
This next guy has brass ones. Or, he's insane. How low can you go? (Bearing in mind the old saying, "You can only tie the low altitude record...")
*Two-seat trainer version for the U.S. Navy, 24 converted from A-7B, 36 from A-7C. In 1984, 49 air frames, including the 8 EA-7Ls, were re-engined with the TF41-A-402 and upgraded to A-7E standard.
**The A-7 Corsair II was tagged with the nickname "SLUF" ("Short Little Ugly F
Sarge Note: If you think you caught a glimpse of this post early on Tuesday, well, you're not crazy. Tuna and I were at cross purposes as to who was gonna post when. As Tuesday is Tuna-day, I pulled this one and rescheduled it for today.
Sarge,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I especially liked the info about 970 being at Wright Patterson. My two boys were stunned and amazed when I was able to switch from your pic to the Virtual Tour that the museum website offers to the 360 cockpit view from the plane. A little geeky, I know, but I thought it was neat. That is a cool airplane.
Thanks.
Thanks Bill. Virtual cockpit, love 'em myself, glad your boys (and you I presume) enjoyed that.
DeleteI was wondering if you were going to go in that direction, seeing as how I left the door open. Much cool. And I love the Corsair II lots, too.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think you'd have any objections. I also took that comment as a hint.
DeleteNo rooster tail? Piker!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I suppose he could have gone lower.
DeleteStill and all, that's pretty low. And fast.
Friend of mine flew SLUFs, said to 'properly' use all the systems took 1.4 people... :-) He also led a strike up the Beqaa Valley against the bad guys after the Marine Barracks got blown up. He loved that bird.
ReplyDeleteCool. "1.4 people" - I so get that, needed three hands I'll bet.
DeleteThe TF-41. It plays the song of my people (along with the T-58. T-56, TF-30, and J-52).
ReplyDeleteThe A's and B's and some of the C's (IIRC) sported the TF-30. The afterburning TF-30 was the motor in the A model Tomcats and the Air Force Varks. One of the arguments for sticking with the AB TF-30 in the Turkey, rather than going with a better engine, was commonality and cost savings given that the A-7's used that engine. Then the Air Force chose the Spey for their D models, and the Spey became the Allison TF-41, and became the motor in the definitive E model Corsairs. Funny how stuff shakes out.
In my perfect world that flight deck is still populated by Grumman, Sikorsky, LTV, and Lockheed iron.
Boeing? Neeeverrr heard of it.
Old school, that's you!
DeleteOld fool, forgot the TF-34 and the J-57.
DeleteRemember our mantra: "It was a long, long time ago..."
Delete