The A7-E is a single seat tactical close air support aircraft. Although designated primarily as a ground attack aircraft, it also has limited air-to-air capability. It was derived from the basic A-7 originally developed by LTV for the US Navy. The first A-7 made its initial flight on 27 September, 1965. Four were released to the Navy’s Flight Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland, in September, 1966 as A-7A’s. The Corsair can carry up to 15,000 pounds of externally mounted bombs, rockets and missiles on six under wing stations, and two stations on the fuselage sides. The aircraft also has an internally mounted 20 mm six-barrel cannon on the left side of the nose near the intake. The 199 A7-A’s produced were built with a Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-6 turbofan engine, with deliveries of production models beginning on 23 December 1968.
The A-7B was an upgraded version with a stronger TF30-P-8 Engine with 12,000 lbs. of thrust. A total of 196 A-7B’s were produced from February 1968 to April 1968. The 387 production A-7D’s used the TF41-A-2 engine with 15,0000 lbs. of trust. When A-7D production ended in 1967, 459 had been delivered to the United States Air Force. July, 1969 deliveries of the A-7E began to the Navy. The E version was similar to the D version with more advanced avionics than the earlier Navy models. When loaded with six Mk82 bombs and 1,000 rounds of 20 mm ammo, the A-7E could achieve a top speed of 650 miles per hour. Later E models were equipped with a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) pod for improved night operation and furthering its all-weather capability.
The A-7E on display was delivered to the Navy in December, 1973. Throughout its life, it was based at Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Jacksonville, FL. It was attached to a variety of squadrons beginning with VA-174 training squadron for the Navy’s east coast based squadrons (Navy designation V=fixed wing, A=attack). The marking currently displayed are those of VA-72, nicknamed the “Bluehawks.”
VA-72 and its sister squadron, VA-46, were the last two active duty Navy A-7 squadrons, and both participated in Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991, while operating from the USS John F. Kennedy (CF-67). Upon the ship’s return to the US, the two squadrons were disestablished and the aircraft were sent to NAS Memphis, Millington, TN for storage.
TYPE: Carrier Based Attack
CREW: One
ENGINE: Allison TF-41-A-2 Turbofan
RANGE: 1,070 NMI (internal fuel)
MAX SPEED: 690 MPH
CEILING: 42,000 FT
LENGTH: 46 FT 1 IN
HEIGHT: 16 FT 1 IN
WINGSPAN: 38 FT 8 IN
EMPTY WEIGHT: 19,147 LBS
MAX WEIGHT: 39,325 LBS
ARMAMENT: 1-M61A 20mm Rotary Cannon
15,000 lbs of mixed ordinance
This aircraft is on loan from the Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, FL.