VOUGHT A-7E CORSAIR II

The A-7 Corsair II was initially developed in response to a 1963 U.S. Navy requirement for an aircraft to replace the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Since the Navy wanted the aircraft to be in service by 1967 speed of development was essential. The Vought company based their contract winning design on their F-8 Crusader which was already in Navy service. The prototype flew in 1965 and the first A-7 squadron entered combat in Vietnam in December 1967. The plane proved to be wildly successful as a close air support and strike aircraft. In 1968, the A-7D version of the Corsair II went into production. At the same time production began of the A-7E version for the Navy. These last two versions of the Corsair II are basically identical with the main difference being the equipment installed in the "E" for carrier operations.