Italeri 1224 A-7 E Corsair II

The Vought A-7 Corsair II is a light attack aircraft, adapted to be operated by aircraft carriers. Its history begins in February 1964, when Vought (today LTV Aerospace) was commissioned to develop the design of a new deck plane for the US Navy, intended to replace the A-4 Skyhawk, with greater payload and range. The project was developed on the basis of the F-8 Crusader, adapting it to subsonic flights. The flight of the A-7 prototype was made in 1965, and serial production started a year later. The Corsair II resembles the Crusader silhouette, but the wing wedge angle was not changed, which was redesigned, increasing the number of suspension knots to 6, and - apart from flaps and ailerons - saws and spoilers, a device for hydraulic wing folding was also introduced. The structure was largely unified with the Crusader, using many ready-made elements. The main versions are: A-7E (fighter assault), A-7H (land version), A-7K (new avionics, in service since 1980). The A-7 Corsair II aircraft were used in combat on a large scale in the Vietnam War and in the air attack on Libya in 1986. They were also exported, min. to Greece and Portugal. Technical data: Top speed: 1100 km / h; climb speed 67 m / s, maximum ceiling 16000 m, maximum range: 4600 km, fixed armament: 2 20mm Mk.12 cannons, lifting capacity: up to 6800 kg.