Has.07014

L.T.V. A-7E CORSAIR II "VALIONS"
The A-7 Corsair II represented the last in a long, proud line of naval aircraft to bear the name of the Vought Aircraft Company. This attack aircraft, affectionately known as the SLUF (Short Little Ugly,uh. Fellow) to its Air Force caretakers and crew, enjoyed a long and
distinguished career that started in Vietnam and ended with the Gulf War In the early 1960s, the US Navy was looking for a light attack aircraft that could replace the A-1 Skyraider and the A-4 Skyhawk. The term "light attack" is a misnomer, as a significant amount of ordnance carrying capability was specified in the initial VAX (V – heavier than air, A - attack, X - experimental) proposal. With storm clouds gathering in southeast Asia, the Navy felt that VAX aircraft development would take too much time, so a VAL (L - light) study was authorized, imploring the use of existing technology. Using knowledge from the F-8 Crusader program, LTV (Ling-Temco-Vought) was able to design the A-7 quickly using a similar design layout (but no common components) and was awarded the contract in February 1964 after beating out two offerings from North American Aviation (one based on the A-4, another on the FJ-1 Fury) and Grumman (based on the A-6).

The big issue was speed. The Navy wanted a subsonic aircraft because it felt that it was more cost effective than supersonic aircraft, and that excessive speed was not really needed for precision application of ordnance anyway, as demonstrated by the successful A-1 Skyraider. Instead, the VAL aircraft would rely on sophistication in ordnance delivery and electronic countermeasures systems for survivability, a concept that was proved in the A-7’s long service career, with remarkably low attrition. VA-147 took the A-7A model of the Corsair to war in September 1967, where it performed very well with a high rate of readiness. The Air Force took notice, and in a rare step across service lines (just like it did for the F-4 Phantom II. Ed.), contracted for its own version of the A-7, to be known as the D model. The Air Force addressed complaints about engine power by replacing the F-111 derived non-afterburning Pratt & Whitney TF30 with an Allison TF41 engine that increased top speed at sea level by over 100 MPH, although at the expense giving up over a 1000 miles of range. In addition to the plumbing for the flying boom refueling system, the Air Force changed the armament from two 20 mm cannon to a single M61A1 Vulcan Gatling-style gun. The Navy jumped on board the improvement train and designated their version the A-7E, which became the most numerous variant of the line with 535 aircraft built.

A-7s served into the 1990s, where the type was replaced by F/A-18s for the Navy and F-16s for the Air Force. Ironically, it appears that the go-fast proponents finally won the argument, with the replacement of those types slated to go to the new Lockheed Joint Strike Fighter, which also has supersonic cruise capability. Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. continues to exist today, making components for many civilian and military aircraft. They no longer compete in the prime contractor arena, preferring to let the aerospace behemoths slug it out in that brutal environment. Portugal and Greece both operate export versions of the A-7, where it still flies today

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