Estrella WarBird Museum

Corsair II

s/n (BuAero 155861)

The Corsair II was designed as a lightweight attack aircraft to supplement and later replace the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. In addition to service in our Navy, Corsair II's were flown by our Air Force, Air National Guard, and several other nations. The Ling· Temco-Vought A-7 production line started on 19 March 1964 and continued until September 1984; 1,545 were built. Its first flight, powered by a Pratt & Whitney TF3O-P-6 turbofan engine, was on 27 September 1965. Navy Preliminary Evaluations were underway in January 1966. Test programs were accomplished with wartime urgency, and the first fleet delivery (VA-174) was on 14 October 1966.

Early A-7s were powered by the Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-408. Later versions were powered by the Allison TF41-A-2. The Corsair II was used extensively in Vietnam. The last two Navy squadrons equipped with A-7s saw action during operation Desert Storm.

This aircraft is also known as the LTV A-7 Corsair II due to changes in company ownership. This capable aircraft acquired the nickname SLUF for Short Little Ugly Fellow(or words to that effect). Retirement of the last two Navy A-7 aircraft fleet operational squadrons (VA-46 and VA-72) was in May 1991.

A total of 535 A-7Es were built, the last one being delivered in 1983. At its peak in the mid 1980s, some 22 Navy attack squadrons were using the A-7E. The last of the A-7A squadrons were disestablished and the last of the A-7Bs were transferred to reserve squadrons by 1977.

Arrived at Estrella Warbirds Museum in July, 1998, trucked in from NAS China Lake and is now fully restored to static display.

Manufactured by Vought Aeronautics Division of Ling-Temco- Vought, Dallas TX.