Vought (LTV) A-7 Corsair II Ideas and Inspiration

[GTX_Admin]

Hi folks,

A thread for your Vought (LTV) A-7 Corsair II Ideas and Inspiration.

To begin with, here are some real life proposals to fit 30mm gun installations on the single seat A-7D aircraft for the USAF.  These were posted over on Secret Projects by Bill S.

They studied two different cannons: GAU-8 Gatling Gun and Oerlikon 304RK. They also studied two different configurations: Internally mounted and podded.

The recommendation was for a stretched A-7 (same dimensions as the trainer) with a single seat, and internally mounted GAU-8 with 391 rounds of ammunition. This configuration was chosen due to the increased effectiveness of the GAU-8 and the least effects on the flight characteristics during gun firing.

All drawings from a photocopy of a slide presentation, original not available. All information from Vought Heritage Collection.

[GTX_Admin]

Another real world proposal: twin-engined version:

[GTX_Admin]

Another real world proposal (that got further tan most too) - the A-7F:

[kitnut617]

All you photo links are just appearing as the dreaded 'white box with red cross' Greg

[GTX_Admin]

Bugger!  They work for me - try now.

[GTX_Admin]

How about Argentine or even Iraqi A-7s?

[Maverick]

Did profiles of Argentinian and Iraqi SLUFs back in 08 amongst others.

Regards,

John

[GTX_Admin]

Did profiles of Argentinian and Iraqi SLUFs back in 08 amongst others.

Regards,

John

Well, repost them man...

[Maverick]

Here you go.




Regards,

John

[GTX_Admin]

Nice. :)

[kitnut617]

Bugger!  They work for me - try now.

That worked whatever you did   :)

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Take a good look at the weapon mounted on this A-7A in the image below.  It is the W61 TIGER II Extended Range Nuclear Bomb (ERB) based on the B-61 bomb with a rocket motor and terminal guidance package added on.  It never made it into production but that certainly should not stop us from fabricating something in model scale to arm our aircraft. 

Click on thumbnail to view larger image


(Source page is Replica in Scale Blog)

[upnorth]

Looking at the twin engined concepts, why not widen the forward fuselage too?

That could give the aircraft a side by side two person crew and maybe accommodation for bigger radar. That could give the Intruder a competitor and would also result in an aircraft with a possibly very curvaceous area ruled fuselage.

[GTX_Admin]

I wonder...VG A-7?

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Looking at the twin engined concepts, why not widen the forward fuselage too?

That could give the aircraft a side by side two person crew and maybe accommodation for bigger radar. That could give the Intruder a competitor and would also result in an aircraft with a possibly very curvaceous area ruled fuselage.

Maybe a scale-o-rama using a smaller scale cockpit from some aircraft that has side by side seating arrangements such as the Canberra, Sea Vixen, Sea Venom, A-6, A-37, or F-111 and use that in a larger scale A-7 which could net you the desired results.  That would make a very interesting looking aircraft with twin side by side seating. 

[Weaver]

Looking at the twin engined concepts, why not widen the forward fuselage too?

That could give the aircraft a side by side two person crew and maybe accommodation for bigger radar. That could give the Intruder a competitor and would also result in an aircraft with a possibly very curvaceous area ruled fuselage.

Maybe a scale-o-rama using a smaller scale cockpit from some aircraft that has side by side seating arrangements such as the Canberra, Sea Vixen, Sea Venom, A-6, A-37, or F-111 and use that in a larger scale A-7 which could net you the desired results.  That would make a very interesting looking aircraft with twin side by side seating.

The front part of an AD-5 Skyraider canopy is worth looking at too.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Looking at the twin engined concepts, why not widen the forward fuselage too?

That could give the aircraft a side by side two person crew and maybe accommodation for bigger radar. That could give the Intruder a competitor and would also result in an aircraft with a possibly very curvaceous area ruled fuselage.

Maybe a scale-o-rama using a smaller scale cockpit from some aircraft that has side by side seating arrangements such as the Canberra, Sea Vixen, Sea Venom, A-6, A-37, or F-111 and use that in a larger scale A-7 which could net you the desired results.  That would make a very interesting looking aircraft with twin side by side seating.

The front part of an AD-5 Skyraider canopy is worth looking at too.

Yep, that could work too.  Ignored most anything that had propellers since it was a jet powered aircraft but if it is small enough the little details are going to get lost so that could open up several other aircraft types for their cockpits.

[jschmus]

This month's article on Air Vectors covers all the variants of the A-7.

http://airvectors.net/ava7.html

There's not really any "new" info there, but it's nice having it all in one location.

[GTX_Admin]

Israeli A-7 anyone.  In this scheme:

[Rickshaw]

...with extended tailpipe of course! 

[Geoff]

Yes!

[elmayerle]

I'm thinking that an exhaust mixer to mix the core and bypass flows would work better than the extended exhaust on that A-4.  Having a turbofan instead of a turbojet does give you more options.  Much the same approach was used to reduce the exhaust IR signature on low-observables vehicles that I'm familiar with.

[upnorth]

Just backtracking to the side by side seating idea that could grow from the two engine variation; I was looking at pics of EE Lightnings for other reasons recently and the idea hit me that the trainer Lightning canopy might be just the thing for the application.

[GTX_Admin]

Just backtracking to the side by side seating idea that could grow from the two engine variation; I was looking at pics of EE Lightnings for other reasons recently and the idea hit me that the trainer Lightning canopy might be just the thing for the application.

That would look cool.

[Daryl J.]

For those who want to put something on an IPMS display table this paint scheme from Richard Chafer along with a few fairly easy modifications might just knock some socks off:





Then, make the radome more pointed like the F-8 Crusader series.  Why?   Simple visual change only.    Add a couple Sea Eagle missiles and wing tanks.  British Chaff/Flare dispensers.  Button it up with appropriate Remove Before Flight flags/covers for a bit more color.     Either single seat or two seat variant to be used.