HAF A-7 Corsair - The Ultimate Bomber

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The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War. The Corsair was later adopted by the United States Air Force, to include the Air National Guard, to replace the A-1 Skyraider, F-100 Super Sabre and F-105 Thunderchief. The aircraft was also exported to Greece in the 1970s, and Portugal and Thailand in the late 1980s. The A-7 airframe design was based on the successful supersonic F-8 Crusader produced by Chance Vought. It was one of the first combat aircraft to feature a head-up display (HUD), an inertial navigation system (INS), and a turbofan engine.

Beginning in 1974, active duty U.S. Air Force wings began transferring A-7Ds to Air National Guard (ANG) units. The Air Force had planned to end procurement of the A-7D in 1974 as a result of the development of the Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, which was programmed to replace the Corsair as the Air Force's close air support aircraft. However, Congressional decisions added additional funding to the DOD FY 1975 and FY 1976 budgets for the procurement of additional A-7Ds, primary to keep the LTV production line in Dallas open and the workers employed in the wake of post-Vietnam DOD procurement reductions. As a result of these unplanned acquisitions, the Air Force assigned these new 1975 and 1976 built aircraft, along with new twin seat A-7Ks trainers in 1979 directly to the Air National Guard. In March 1976, A-10 production aircraft began arriving at active-duty units (355th TFW; 354th TFW), and replacing the Corsairs of active duty squadrons with the Corsairs being transferred to Air National Guard units.

By 1981, with the exception of the A-7Ds used in the F-117A program, the last active-duty Corsairs were reassigned to ANG squadrons by the 23d Tactical Fighter Wing at England Air Force Base, Louisiana. Many active duty pilots missed the performance and sophistication of the Corsair. The A-7Ds used by the 4450th Tactical Group in Nevada were either retired or sent to ANG units in 1989.

F-16s began replacing the Air National Guard Corsairs beginning in the late 1980s and the last were retired in 1993 by the ANG units at Rickenbacker ANGB, (Ohio); Des Moines International Airport/ANGB, (Iowa); Tulsa International Airport/ANGB, (Oklahoma); and Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport/ANGB, (Ohio).

U.S. Navy A-7 Corsairs began being phased out of the fleet during the mid-1980s with the arrival of the McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet. The last Navy A-7s were retired by the last fleet operational squadrons (VA-46 and VA-72) in May 1991 shortly after their return from Operation Desert Storm.

Some of these surplus aircraft were passed to Greece, Thailand and Portugal; however by the end of 1998, with the exception of some airframes used as static displays, all US A-7s were disposed of by the AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.

The Hellenic Air Force purchased new A-7H aircraft in moderate numbers. The last two squadrons that used the aircraft were the 335th and 336th. The A-7 remains still in limited operational use by the latter, as the type is gradually being retired, to be replaced by newly purchased F-16s.

The Portuguese Air Force selected the A-7P (modified A-7A/B models) and flew them extensively from 1981 onward. The reliability and exceptional range allowing unrefueled routine flights to the Madera Islands and Lajes AB in the Azores.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• scramble
• bombing
• nuclear
• 116
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• 336
• Araxos
• Souda
• 340
• 345

[stevo728822]

Not bad, but not as good a bomber as the Tornado.

[tasoscorsair]

@stevo728822 the Tornado is better bcz it can carry medium range AAM and it has 2 jet engines with afterburners, in the other hand the the Corsair cannot carry medium AAM but only a pair of Aim-9, also its engine is 1 turbofan with no afterburners, plus it can carry more bombload than the Tornado and fly with ease at very low height, diferent bombing roles are used by both aircrafts.

[bigtoad45]

We has the A-7 onboard the USS Midway when I served on her. The A-7 is in my opinion a better all around attack aircraft than the Tornado. It's apples and oranges. The A-7 does what it does and does it very well. I like the idea of having jets built for a specific purpose rather than being labled with the term "Multi-role".

[xplatis1]

@killerkirbydude it is truth that an experienced Corsair pilot in Hellinic Air Force can still strike with the same accuracy of an F16 Block52+ altough the two aircrafts are seperated by almost 25 years. A-7 is a great plane, a pure strike plane, but the modern times want multiple role planes...for economy. Here in Greece the A-7 will still fly until 2015 max and they will rerplaced by F16s. RF-4E will be replaced by F16s also with recon pods (already operetionals.....)

[takenxan]

Tornado is nothing in front of corsair.A-7(especially the "E" model)is one of the best attack aircraft ever made.

[bman830]

my dad was in the 4450th tactical group

[killerkirbydude]

You Greeks better keep these awesome aircraft flying forever! It's a great airplane...

[parkourbr16]

Super Louco mais um que fez história e continua fazendo =)

[psilkakos]

5*****

[grhaf100]

Gamato video, poli maresi...