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[1991.104.001] Aircraft - 'A-7E Aircraft, Bureau Number 160714' |
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A-7E Aircraft, Bureau Number 160714
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| Accession Number |
1991.104.001 |
| Accession Date |
03/05/1991 |
| Creator |
| Creator |
Creator Role |
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Manufacturer |
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| Date Created |
1978 |
| Object Desciption |
A-7E Corsair II delivered to the fleet on 24 March 1978 and first assigned to Attack Squadron (VA) 174. After serving in that squadron for a brief period, the aircraft joined VA-81, embarking in the carrier Forrestal (CV 59) for three cruises during the period 1979-1981. In the latter year, the squadron operated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea following Israeli retaliatory attacks against Syrian missile batteries in Lebanon. During the cruise lasting from March to September 1981, the squadron also flew reconnaissance missions over Libyan ships in the Gulf of Sidra during a Freedom of Navigation Exercise. Transferring to VA-83 in 1981, BuNo 160714 served with the "Rampagers" into the mid-1980s, deploying in Forrestal and Saratoga (CV 60). Joining VA-46, one of the last two A-7 squadrons in the Navy, the aircraft deployed to the Arabian Gulf on board John F. Kennedy (CV 67) in 1990 and logged combat 37 missions during Operation Desert Storm, including the first combat strike over Baghdad on 17 January 1991. The aircraft was flight delivered to the museum by the last commanding officer of VA-46, Commander Mark P. Fitzgerald. |
| Notes |
The aircraft that replaced the venerable A-4 Skyhawk as naval aviation's front line light attack aircraft, the A-7 Corsair II took to the air for the first time in September 1965. Manufactured by the same company that produced the successful F-8 Crusader, the A-7 bore a family resemblance to its cousin, especially in the single jet intake gaping beneath the nose. However, the short and stubby silhouette of the Corsair II embodied ruggedness and left little question that it was designed to carry bombs. The A-7s operational career began and ended under fire, the first squadron equipped with the aircraft logging missions over Vietnam in 1967 and the final two A-7-equipped units ending the aircraft's flying days in the sky over Iraq. All told, seven production versions of the aircraft operated with the Navy, including the two-seat TA-7C and the EA-7L for electronic countermeasures work. Another version of the Corsair II flew operationally with the U.S. Air Force.
Specifications
Manufacturer: LTV Aerospace Corporation
Dimensions: Length: 46 ft., 1½ in.; Height: 16 ft., ¾ in.; Wingspan: 38 ft., 9 in.
Weights: Empty: 19,490 lb.; Gross: 49,000 lb.
Power Plant: One 14,250 lb. static thrust Allison TF41-A-2 turbofan
Performance: Maximum Speed: 693 M.P.H. at sea level; Service Ceiling: 43,000 ft.; Range: 980 miles
(with bomb load)
Armament: One 20mm M61-A1 gun; provisions for AIM-9 Sidewinders and 10,000 lb. of ordnance
Crew: Pilot
Aircraft in the Museum Collection |
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