The Vought A-7 Corsair II may be the most obscure US military jet of the modern era; few planes have fallen through the cracks of our collective memory like the A-7.
The Vought A-7 Corsair II may be the most obscure US military jet of the modern era; few planes have fallen through the cracks of our collective memory like the A-7. Accordingly, one might be surprised to learn that the A-7 served for twenty-five years with the US Air Force and the US Navy. Still, the jet lacked the ability to transcend, or endure, culturally. Probably because the A-7 was so ugly.
Most US military jets register in some respect with the public. It’s the public after all, who pays for them. Some jets, like the SR-71 or F-22 achieve mainstream exposure through a simple cool factor. Others are featured in films, like the F-14 and F/A-18. Many are the source of contentious, bitter policy/budget debates, like the B-1, B-2, and A-10. Others play an important role in a vital historical moment, like the P-51 (World War II), F-4 (Vietnam), and B-52 (Cold War). The A-7, on the other hand, doesn’t hit any of those boxes; the A-7 simply served. And was then decommissioned. And then faded into obscurity.
The A-7 Corsair II was a subsonic light attack aircraft, capable of launching from aircraft carriers. The A-7 entered service in 1967 – and was originally slated as a replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Only, the Skyhawk remained in production for another 7 years, so using the A-7 as a pure replacement for the A-4 never panned out.
The A-7’s origin can be traced back to the Sea-Based Air Strike Forces (SBASF) study group. SBASF was launched to test the flight characteristics of new jet designs. The group concluded, in contrast to military aviation trends of the 1960s, that a subsonic jet would be preferable to a supersonic jet. Why? Because the subsonic jet would be smaller, cheaper, and easier to build and maintain. The SBASF’s findings were relayed into a procurement program, the VAL, or Heavier-than-air, Attack, Light.
In an effort to expedite the production process – while reducing costs – VAL required that all submissions be based on existing designs already in production. Vought submitted a design based on their F-8 Crusader – albeit with a shorter length and stubbier nose cone. Douglas, Grumman, and North American also submitted designs, but Vought’s modified F-8 won out.