Den LTV A-7 Corsair II er et amerikansk hangarskip-kompatibelt subsonisk lett angrepsfly produsert av Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) for å erstatte Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Flyskrogdesignet er en noe mindre versjon av den supersoniske Vought F-8 Crusader. Corsair II gikk opprinnelig i tjeneste med den amerikanske marinen (USN) under Vietnamkrigen. Den ble senere tatt i bruk av United States Air Force (USAF), inkludert Air National Guard (ANG), for å erstatte Douglas A-1 Skyraider og North American F-100 Super Sabre. Flyet ble også eksportert til Hellas på 1970-tallet, og til Portugal på slutten av 1980-tallet. USAF og USN pensjonerte typen i 1991, ANG i 1993, det portugisiske flyvåpenet i 1999 og det greske flyvåpenet i 2014
The LTV A-7D Corsair II was a dedicated carrier-capable, subsonic, light attack aircraft developed for the US Navy and later adapted for the US Air Force (USAF), becoming the A-7D variant. The A-7D was a significant modernization of the naval A-7, featuring the switch from the Navy’s Pratt & Whitney turbofan to the more powerful Allison TF41-A-1 turbofan engine, an entirely new computerized navigation and weapons delivery system, and the replacement of the twin 20 mm cannons with a single 20 mm M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. The A-7D became the standard attack aircraft for the Tactical Air Command (TAC) during the Vietnam War, valued for its accuracy and extremely high payload capacity relative to its size. It was nicknamed the “SLUF” (Short Little Ugly Fella).
Property
Typical Value (A-7D)
Rolle
Light Attack (Close Air Support and Interdiction)
National Origin
USA
Produsenten
Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV)
First Flight (A-7D)
26 September 1968
Mannskapet
1 (Pilot)
Lengde
14.00 m (45 ft 11 in)
Vingespenn
11.80 m (38 ft 9 in)
Høyde
4.90 m (16 ft 1 in)
Empty Weight
8,676 kg (19,128 lb)
Max Takeoff Weight
19,050 kg (42,000 lb)
Powerplant and Performance
Engine: 1 x Allison TF41-A-1 (Rolls-Royce Spey derivative) turbofan engine.
Thrust: 64.5 kN (14,500 lbf) (non-afterburning).
Maximum Speed: 1,110 km/h (690 mph; 600 kn) at sea level (subsonic).
Combat Radius: 1,127 km (700 mi; 608 nmi) (clean configuration).
Ferry Range: 4,600 km (2,860 mi).
Service Ceiling: 12,800 m (42,000 ft).
Armament and Avionics
Fixed Armament: 1 x 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan Gatling cannon in the fuselage (USAF requirement).
Hardpoints: 6 x wing pylons and 2 x fuselage stations for a total external load of up to 6,800 kg (15,000 lb).
Typical Ordnance: Carried a vast array of air-to-ground ordnance, including conventional bombs (up to 12 x 500 lb bombs), rocket pods, AGM-65 Maverick, and Paveway laser-guided bombs (LGBs).
Avionics: Featured a Head-Up Display (HUD) and an integrated inertial navigation system (INS) which gave the A-7D phenomenal bombing accuracy, far superior to many contemporary fighters.