I’m in the process of building out an A-7D in a Colorado ANG scheme (circa 1981) and I’m wondering if A-7D’s typically carried GBU-15s? The kit is actually the Hobby Boss A-7E but it contains the neccessary parts to build it as a D variant (basically the same bird with a different engine and a few extra pods on the belly). The kit contains only one GBU-15 and one FLIR, in addition to various other ordinance. The current plan is to attach the FLIR to station 7 and the GBU-15 at station 3 (the innermost underwing stations), followed by GBU-10s at hardpoints 2 and 7, drop tanks at 1 and 8 (outermost underwing), and finally AIM-9s at stations 4 & 5 (fuselage).
If anyone can shed some light on the validity of this loadout I’d appreciate it.
While the A-7 may be rated to carry the GBU-15, I have yet to come across any photos of them ever doing so. The prime haulers for that bomb at that time were F-4s and F-111s.
Edit-a quick google search shows that the A-7 was never rated with the GBU-15. Only the F-4, F-111, and F-15E. Probably because it requires a WSO to make targeting adjustments in flight after release.
I’m an idiot and misidentified it as a gbu-15 but it was actually a gbu-8 HOBO-B which i believe was only carried on F-4’s during Vietnam. Not sure how that made its way into an A-7E kit…
Decided to go with a flir, two gbu-10s, a drop tank (opposite the flir pod), and an AN/ALQ-184 pod. Possibly adding a AGM-65 opposite the ALQ.
As far as I know, I believe only Navy A-7s carried FLIR pods. I don’t think that it is an Air Force system. The only pod I have seen on AF A-7s was the Pave Penny laser tracker, the same as carried by A-10s.
According to my Detail & Scale A-7 book, Air Guard A-7s late in their service life commonly carried an ALQ-119 pod on the right outboard pylon. Photos show drop tanks commonly carried on both inboard wing pylons… So that reduces the number of bombs you need to build…
Awesome. I can’t tell ya how much O appreciate you looking that up. Do you happen to know if ANG slufs carried gbu-10s? I have em glued, sanded, and wet sanded so I’d like to use em if they make sense. The subject is circa 1981, Colorado ANG, Euro I scheme (FS 34079/FS 36081 green/grey).
According to the FAS site entry on the GBU-10, the A-7 is cleared to carry that weapon. Now of course there needs to be a seperate aircraft lasing the target or a Combat Controller or Fire Support Team with a Ground Laser Designator to mark the target. So shall we say, possible yes, especially in wartime back then, but not likely in most other scenarios. I don’t think ANG budgets allowed for too many LGBs to be used for training. Even in Desert Storm, which was the end of the SLUFs service career saw the vast majority of bombs dropped being dumb bombs. In spite of the impression made by TV footage releases.
Again, thanks a ton for looking all of this up for me. The kit includes a pave penny pod so I’m going to put that on the outside weapon station under the starboard side. I might just suck it up and load up both middle stations with mk-82s. I’ll try to post some pics of whatever I go with. I really should invest in some walkaround books for aircraft that I know I’ll build multiples of. Again thanks so much for providing all this info for me. Cheers!
Correction - I looked again and it’s an ALQ-131 pod which I will not be using.
You’re quite welcome. I like the A-7 myself, but was kind of in the dark as to what sort of smart bombs she did carry. I learned a bit here myself. If you do not want to do Mk.82s, why not do some Mavericks on single or triple racks?
