Affectionately known as "SLUF" (Short Little Ugly Fella), the A-7D was a single-seat, tactical close air support aircraft derived from the U.S. Navy's A-7. The first A-7D made its initial flight in April 1968, and deliveries of production models began in December 1968. When A-7D production ended in 1976, LTV had delivered 459 to the U.S. Air Force.
The A-7D demonstrated its outstanding ground attack capability flying with the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, during the closing months of the Southeast Asia War. The Corsair II achieved its excellent accuracy with the aid of an automatic electronic navigation and weapons delivery system. Although designed primarily as a ground attack aircraft, it also had limited air-to-air combat capability.
In 1973 the USAF began assigning A-7Ds to the Air National Guard (ANG), and by 1987 they were being flown by ANG units in 10 states and Puerto Rico. A-7Ds participated in Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989. The last A-7Ds were retired in the early 1990s.
Armament: One M61A1 20mm rapid-fire cannon plus 15,000 lbs. of mixed ordnance;
Engine: One Allison TF41 turbofan engine of 14,250 lbs. thrust;
Maximum speed: 663 mph;
Cruising speed: 545 mph;
Range: 3,044 miles;
Ceiling: 33,500 ft.;
Span: 38 ft. 8 in.;
Length: 46 ft. 1 in.;
Height: 16 ft. 1 in.;
Weight: 39,325 lbs. loaded;
From US Air Force Museum factfile.
About this creation
The most notable change to the model is the removal of the Naval-style inflight refueling probe, as the Air Force and National Guard use the flying boom style refueling recepticle as opposed to the Navy's probe and drogue system. The new recepticle is located on the aircraft's spine on the upper left wing root.
The other main change was the deletion of the twin 20mm single barreled cannons as used on the A-7A and B model, and the addition of the GE M-61A1 6-barreled 20mm rotary cannon instead on the left lower "cheek", with the ammo drum located just behind the cockpit.
The top view shows the flight control surfaces and the SE Asian "Lizard" camoflauge scheme used in Vietnam operations. The control surfaces are positionable, including the ailerons, flaps, spoilers, all moving tailplanes, and ventral airbrake.
This view shows the ventral airbrake, tailhook (leftover from the aircraft's Naval heritage but rarely used in USAF service), and the complex landing gear and doors. Each main gear retracts forwards and has a large upward hinging side door, a lower downward hinging door, a smaller upward hinging door behind the large main door, and a small downward hinging door over the retraction strut. The front gear retract rearward and have two doors that open sideways. The robust gear were designed for carrier operations, hence their unusual design.
A closeup of the "flying boom" inflight refueling recepticle on the left upper wing root. The aircraft is positioned behind and under the tanker aircraft, where the boom operator "flies" the refueling boom to the recepticle until contact and connection is made. The Naval probe and drogue method instead requires the pilot to fly behind a trailing basket on a retractable hose from the tanker aircraft, and manually plug the extended refueling probe into the basket to receive fuel. There is no assistance from the tanker aircraft in the Naval method, but it allows much smaller aircraft to be used as tankers.
Closeup of the main landing gear. The design is as accurate as possible to the actual aircraft, but I am uncertain if it would hold the model's weight. I have reinforced the design, but without real world testing I can't say for certain.
Another great model! The camouflage scheme on this one is fantastic. I don't know where you are planning to go after you finish working on the A-7, but I am hoping that the A-4 Skyhawk is in your future plans. It would be great to see it done at this scale.