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Weapons loadout for the A-7E Corsair II in Vietnam!


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Hey everyone I am building the A-7E Corsair II as a commission build and would like to make this as accurate as possible. I am looking for a proper Vietnam era loadout. Would like a combination of missles and bombs. BTW, I am building the Trumpeter 1/32 scale version, so there is a buttload of weapons, just need a little help! Thanks all!

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Hey everyone I am building the A-7E Corsair II as a commission build and would like to make this as accurate as possible. I am looking for a proper Vietnam era loadout. Would like a combination of missles and bombs. BTW, I am building the Trumpeter 1/32 scale version, so there is a buttload of weapons, just need a little help! Thanks all!

I think in the SEA conflict, generally speaking the A-7D's delivered pig iron Mk. 82 (and its Snakeye variant) and Mk 84 GP bombs, BLU-27 napalm cannisters and LAU-series rocket pods, in addition to fuel tanks and the AIM-9's on the fuselage stations. AFAIK the AGM-65 Maverick was a post-Vietnam addition to the SLUF's weapon options in Air Force service.

HTH,

Andre

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I will take that into consideration when I build my A-7D, right now this however, will be a Navy version and would like the typical weapons loadout in that conflict. Thanks for your information, I will use that on the next one!

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Most common ordnance carried was Mk 82's, Mk 20 Rockeye and for Missiles, the AGM-45 Shrike, along with AIM-9G on the fuselage stations. the A-7E was also capable of hauling Walleyes, all the Mk 80 series Iron Bombs, LGB's and Rockets. Firebombs were not carried while aboard ship and I didn't see too many carry drop tanks during Vietnam.

Here's is one suggested loaded out,

Station 1 and 8 = TER with Mk 20 Rockeye on centerline and outboard TER stations

Station 2 and 7 = AGM-45 on a AERO 5A

Station 2 and 6 = Mk 20 Rockeye on parent rack

Station 4 and 5 = AIM-9G Sidewinder

This load out would be for SAM suppression missions.

What squadron and time frame are you doing, that would help determine what would be the most proper load out.

Reddog :thumbsup:

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Most common ordnance carried was Mk 82's, Mk 20 Rockeye and for Missiles, the AGM-45 Shrike, along with AIM-9G on the fuselage stations. the A-7E was also capable of hauling Walleyes, all the Mk 80 series Iron Bombs, LGB's and Rockets. Firebombs were not carried while aboard ship and I didn't see too many carry drop tanks during Vietnam.

Here's is one suggested loaded out,

Station 1 and 8 = TER with Mk 20 Rockeye on centerline and outboard TER stations

Station 2 and 7 = AGM-45 on a AERO 5A

Station 2 and 6 = Mk 20 Rockeye on parent rack

Station 4 and 5 = AIM-9G Sidewinder

This load out would be for SAM suppression missions.

What squadron and time frame are you doing, that would help determine what would be the most proper load out.

Reddog :salute:

This is for VA-192 circa, 1972

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Check out this link, it has two possible load out's for VA-192 in 1972.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DN

The picture with the aircrew shows a TER on station one with LAU-61's and A MER with Mk 82 (slicks) on station 2. I'm sure that the other side would be the same and possibly a FLIR Pod on station 6.

The inflight photo shows a M129 Cluster Bomb on station one and a MER on station two with three Mk 82 (slicks) loaded on the centerline and outboard forward station. Again, I'm sure the other side is the same with possibly a FLIR Pod loaded.

HTH

Reddog :salute:

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inflight photo shows a M129 Cluster Bomb on station one and a MER on station two with three Mk 82 (slicks) loaded on the centerline and outboard forward station. Again, I'm sure the other side is the same with possibly a FLIR Pod loaded.

HTH

Reddog

The inflight VA-192 Photo

The outboard pylon is loaded with a CBU-29C/B cluster bomb (SUU-30C/B + 670 BLU-36 bomblets), not an M129 leaflet bomb.

Good luck with all that "waste of plastic" Trumpeter ordnance!

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The Osprey A-7 Units in The Vietnam War book has lots of ideas for weapon loads carried by the Corsair including 5 Mk-82s on MERs on the o/b pylons (lower aft rack empty) and 1 Shrike on a middle pylon, the other stations being empty.

Jari

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While not the sqdn you're looking for specifically, I checked my cruise book from the '72 cruise and found these loadouts (for VA-27 and 97 w A-7E's):

TER's outboard w 2 mk82 (bottom and outside), single mk82 on each remaining pylon

Same as above but w one Shrike on a mid pylon

Single mk82's on inner and outer pylons, w MER on center pylon but only 2 mk82's on bottom stations of the MER

Same load immediately above but w mk82 Snakeye's

Most of the ac had at least one Sidewinder (all the pics showed mounted on left side but couldn't see the right side in any of the pics, or it was in shadow)

While not in any of the pics, I also recalled similar loadouts but w mk20 Rockeye.

hope that helps a bit,

Gary F

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I will take that into consideration when I build my A-7D, right now this however, will be a Navy version and would like the typical weapons loadout in that conflict. Thanks for your information, I will use that on the next one!

Oops - I misread your A-7E for A-7D. Excuses!

I need more coffee...

Cheers,

Andre

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Even though the Shrike was carried, was it a pretty common load? I guess north of the DMZ it would have been a good idea, but was it carried by all A-7s in the Strike Package, or just a few, select aircraft/pilots? I would expect Mk.82s and 83s to be the "most-carried" weapons for strikes in the north.

Of course, I could be way off base here…

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Even though the Shrike was carried, was it a pretty common load? I guess north of the DMZ it would have been a good idea, but was it carried by all A-7s in the Strike Package, or just a few, select aircraft/pilots? I would expect Mk.82s and 83s to be the "most-carried" weapons for strikes in the north.

Of course, I could be way off base here…

It all depends on the mission and the target as to what is going to be carried. There is no thing as a "standard" load, it's all mission/target driven.

Reddog :o

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It all depends on the mission and the target as to what is going to be carried. There is no thing as a "standard" load, it's all mission/target driven.

Reddog :cheers:

I understand that, I just wasn't aware that the Shrike was a common part of the A-7 loadout in Vietnam. I guess I'm always thinking Mk.8x series slicks or snakeyes on Navy A-7s (IIRC A-7s were involved mining Haiphong harbor, so I guess mines would have been carried as well).

Edited by DonSS3
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I was in A-7's in the mid 80's and we were cleared to fly everything in the Navy's inventory with the exception of Sparrow, Phoenix, Harpoon and Maverick. The A-6 guys did a lot of iron bombs, we did a lot of cluster bombs and HARM/Shrike's along with LGB's.

Reddog :thumbsup:

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