A-7E weapon loadout question

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Hello,

I’m building an A-7E from VA-72 from Operation Desert Storm. Does anyone know what a typical load out would be? I know they dropped GP bombs, Walleyes, HARMS, and Rockeys. The only thing I don’t know is which combo. After searching the web I only found pics of a few birds with a pair of TERS with Rockeyes, one A/C with four HARMS, and one with four MK-84’s.

I wanted to build the kit with 2 AUX tanks, two Walleye bombs, and two TERS with Rockeyes. Would that be correct? Or to heavy?

I’m building aircraft 401, I noticed in some pictures that on some aircraft some of the pylons were removed was this the case with 401? The only pics that I have found of this bird are from before or after the war.

Any help would be grate, thanks.

Jose

2

When the A-7E carried the AGM-62A/B the load out would be as follows. One FLIR pod on the right inboard pylon, one 300 gallon fuel tank on the left inboard pylon and one AGM-62A/B on the left or right outboard pylon. All other pylons would be empty. Usually the center pylons would be removed. If the aircraft was carrying Iron, then it would carry two 300 gallon tanks on the inboard pylons and a TER or MER on the outboard pylons loaded with Iron. In case it is carrying a MER, only four stations would be loaded, usually the center and outboard MER stations. The center pylons would be removed. For a loadout of MK-20 Rockeye, only three would be carried, on the outboard pylons. The inboard pylons would have the 300 gallon tank.

A loadout of two 300 gallon tanks, two AGM-62A/B’s and a loadout of MK-20’s would be too heavy. The 300 gallon tank could only be carried on the inboard and outboard pylons. The AGM-62A/B could only be carried on the outboard pylons. That would leave the center pylons to carry the MK-20’s and none could be carried on that station. The MK-20 could only be loaded on the inboard pylon (two each) and outboard pylon (three each).

3

WOW! berney!,

Thanks for the help, that was really what i was looking for.

Jose

4

Not to dispute what Berny said but…

Navy A-7 could fly AGM-62 Walleye’s on stations 1, 2, 7 and 8.

Also, during Desert Storm, both VA-72 and VA-46 removed two of their pylons to save weight. Most common pylons removed where station 3 and 7 but a few jets had stations 2 and 6 removed.

A typical load out would depend on the type of mission. In the early days of the war they flew three HARM’s on station 1, 2 (or seven depending on which station was removed) and station 8 with a FLIR or drop tank on station 6 for SAM suppresion mission. For iron bombs and cluster bombs they carried either Mk-82’s or Mk 20 Rockeye’s on TER’s on the outboard stations (1 and 8) with bombs on parent racks on all the other stations. Also, for early in the war they carried two sidewinders but later on when there was no air threat they went down to one. Since VA-72 was the FLIR squadron they usually had a FLIR Pod on station 6.

If you want to do the load you called out for it would not be accurate for the war since two of the pylons were removed. It is a possible load except there would be only two Rockeye’s on the TER’s (centerline and outboard), inboards were not loaded due to them hitting the Walleye when they were dropped.

As for the pylons being removed, they were removed for the entire war and only re-installed after the war was over and they were on their way home. Removing pylons was not fun and usually took several hours, along with defueling the jet. So installing them was equally hard if not worse them removing them, remember, gravity works, thing come down easier then they are going up. Trust me, I’ve done it twice and still have the nightmares from doing it 22 years ago.[swg]

I have a pic of 401 with stations 3 and 7 removed during the war.

The heaviest cat shot load for a Navy A-7 was six Mk 84’s, two AIM-9L’s, 1000 rounds of 20mm HEI and 30 chaff and 20 flare. If you add it up is come in at just over 13,000 lbs, and the fuel load is limited to 7,500 lbs. Basically, the A-7 was a flying dump truck, if you could put it on there you could fly it, weight wasn’t an issue usually. (BTW, that was done by my squadron VA-82 in June of 85)

V/R Reddog Former A-7E Ordie

5

Hey Reddog,

The more info the better! you and berny are a real help.

my next project is the hasegawa 1/48 A-7E i like to practice and reaserch using 1/72 scale aircraft then build a detailed 1/48 or larger kit.

i’m going to build it in VA-86 colors. One of my favriot movies is “The Final Countdown” starring the Nimitz and CAG-9.

i’m also a former Ordie mostly ship’s company and helos.

take care,

IYAOYAS

6

Aaaahhhhh, you’re doing brand “X”!!![:D]

I was in VA-82, VA-86 was our sister squadron, hence brand “X”.

BTW, we were CAG-8, CAG-9 was a west coast CAG.[;)]

IYAOYAS

Reddog

7

Reddog,

I must be the “one” thats left over from 9 out of 10. As in 9 out of 10 perfer VA-82.

oh yeah and thanks for correcting me on CAG-8. CAG-9 had VFA-146 and 147.

thanks again,

IYAOYAS

8

I wonder how many guys building airplane models were in squadrons, ships company, airwings, et al?

I was a VA 147 “Argonaut” … the 1st A7 squadron to see combat…on the Ranger. We had some pretty funky mixed loads depending on the mission. It seems to me “Rockeyes” are the most under-represented ordnance on the Corsair models I’ve seen and putting missiles on the rails was rare. It got even more interesting once we transitioned from the “alpha” to the “echo”.

9

Boog,

I know what you mean, we did a lot of Rockeye’s also. Rockeye’s were my favorite, easy to load and could mess your day up really good.

FH,

Don’t sweat it, before Hasegawa came out with their 1/48 scale A-7E back in 87 everyone was doing VA-86 and other squadrons, no one knew who VA-82 was. I was suprised when Trumpter came out with their 1/32 scale A-7E with VA-82 markings, thought they would do a different squadron since -82 was already done. Doing VA-86 is okay, they did win the Battle E in 86 anyway so some needs to one of thier jets. Just put VA-82 on their winder nose cones, they liked to take our nose cones from time to time.[:D]

Reddog

10

OOOOH, you’re really trying to get him dinged on the contest table, right? ANY IPMS judge knows with absolute certainty that squadrons would NEVER use any piece of SE that didn’t come from their own equipment locker…NEVER! [:O] [;)]

11

Yea…squadrons never “borrowed” other squadrons gear/parts.[:D]

Reddog

12

Hahaha,

“it is better to ask for forgivness than to ask for permission”,

i don’t know who said that, but i bet it was an ordnanceman!

IYAOYAS

13

FH,

That’s the first rule of Naval Aviation![:D]

The second one is “don’t P-O the Ordies if you ever what to drop anything”.[;)]

IYAOYAS

Reddog