Commonly known as the 'Sluf' of 'Short Little Ugly Fu**er', the Vought A-7 Corsair II was designed in the 1960s for the US Navy as a carrier-borne light attack aircraft. Derived from, but differing considerably from, from the F-8 Crusader fighter, it was intended to replace the A-4 Skyhawk. In the Event, the A-7 was much more than a light attack machine, its huge bomb load and highly effective bombing system leading to its adoption by the US Air Force. It was replaced in US Air Force service by the Fairchild A-10, which is much more the dedicated close support aircraft, but the last US Navy A-7 squadrons remained in service long enough to participate with some effect in the Gulf War, after having seen combat over Vietnam, the Lebanon, Grenada, in the confrontation with Libya, and in Panama.
Specifications
Length overall: 14.06 m (46 ft)
Wing span: 11.81 m (38 ft 9 in)
Maximum speed at sea level: 606 knots
Combat radius lo-lo-lo: 1432 km (890 miles)
Maximum weapons load: 9072 kg (8 tons 2080 lb)
Take-off distance: 1524 m (4900 ft) (with maximum load)
Power Plant: Single Aliison/Rolls Royce TF41-A-400 non-afterburning turbofan engine with a static thrust rating of 15,000
Accomodations: A-7E Pilot only/TA-7C Two seats
External
Dimensions:
Wing Span
11.8m������
Wing span over
missiles
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Wing chord: at
root
4.72m�
Wing chord: at
tip
1.18m��������
Wing aspect ratio
4��������
Width, wings
folded
7.24m��������
Length overall
14.06m�����
Height overall
4.90m������
Tailplane span
5.52m�����
Distance between
fin tips
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Wheel track
2.90m�������
Wheelbase
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Areas:
Wings, gross
34.83m2���
Ailerons (total)
1.85m2��������
Leading-edge
flaps (total)
3.46m2��������
Trailing-edge
flaps (total)
4.04m2��������
Vert Tail
Services (total)
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Horz Tail
Services (total)
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Tailerons (total)
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Weights and Loadings:
Weight empty
8,676kg������
Maximum fuel
weight
Maximum external
stores load
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Take off weight
(normal)
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Fighter
mission
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Attack mission
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Maximum
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Maximum wing
loading (attack mission)
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Performance (At Maximum Takeoff Weight of
19,050kg):
Max level speed @
S.L.
600
knots�����
Max speed,
intermediate power
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Approach speed
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T-O run @ maximum
take-off weight of 1,705m
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Minimum wind over
deck:
Launching
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Recovery
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Combat radius,
interdiction, hi-lo-lo-hi
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Combat endurance,
CAP 150 nm
from aircraft carrier
