LTV A-7 Corsair II

The LTV A-7 Corsair II was a carrier-borne attack aircraft, which was used by the US Navy and US Air Force during the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm. Despite its stubby appearance, it proved to be one of the most capable attack aircraft in service with the US Navy. Compared to the small A-4 Skyhawk it replaced,  the A-7 represented a great leap in technology as it could deliver weapons with an accuracy unheard of in their day. It achieved the lowest loss rate of any aircraft in the Vietnam War. The head-up display, the central navigation and weapon delivery computer, and other avionics innovations were first used on this subsonic aircraft.

The A-7 Corsair II was developed and produced by LTV (Ling-Temco Vought) in the United States of America. The prototype made its maiden flight on September 20, 1965, and the first operational US Navy squadron airplane was delivered in October 1966. It finally entered service on February 1, 1967, as the A-7A Corsair II. The A-7A, A-7B, and A-7E versions took part in the Vietnam War. The first combat mission assigned to this attack aircraft took place in December 1967. The Corsair II was a true naval attack aircraft in every way, flying its last combat sorties during the 1991 Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm). The A-7D and A-7K were the variants used by USAF. It was also employed by the Portuguese and Greek Air Force. A total of 1,545 aircraft was produced between 1965 and 1984.

Technical Description

The LTV A-7 Corsair II was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane designed to operate from aircraft carrier. It had a short, stubby, all-metal fuselage and moderate swept wing, which was mounted on shoulder of fuselage. The wing outer panel could be folded upward to facilitate aircraft stowage beneath the carrier deck. The wing trailing edge was fitted with conventional outboard ailerons and slotted flaps. There were three pylons under each wing for carrying bombs and missiles. The cockpit had an upward hinging canopy, giving pilot excellent visibility. The pilot sat on an Escapat ejection seat. The A-7E version was powered by one Rolls Royce Allison TTF41-A-2 turbofan engine, which delivered 14,979 pounds of thrust. The engine air intake was located on belly of  aircraft, under cockpit. The Corsair II had short and sturdy retractable landing gear.

Specifications (A-7E)

Type: carrier-based subsonic attack aircraft

Length: 14.06 m (46 feet, 2 inches)

Wing Span: 11.81 m (38 feet, 9 inches)

Wing Area: 34.83 m2 (375 square feet)

Height: 4.88 m (16 feet)

Power Plant: one 14,979-lb, Rolls Royce Allison TTF41-A-2 turbofan engine

Maximum Speed: 1,123 km/h (698 mph)

Climb Rate: 4,572 m/minute

Service Ceiling: 12,800 m (41,995 feet)

Crew: one

Armament: one M61A1 Vulcan six-barrel 20-mm gun; maximum bomb-load of 6,804 kg (15,000-lb).

Above, a US Navy's A-7A version flying off the coast of California around 1968.

Above, a USAF's A-7D variant makes a pass over a land airbase.

A Crusader II taxing towards the runway to take off.

A-7 attack aircraft on the flight deck of carrier USS America.

A Corsair II in service with the Portuguese Air Force.

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer

The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer was a long-range, maritime patrol bomber used by the US Navy during World War II and the Korean War. It was developed from the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, which was a widely used bomber in WWII. The Liberator was redesigned for the demanding mission of flying long-range maritime patrols. The Privateer differs from the B-24 bomber in having a lengthened fuselage, a prominent single fin, an Erco nose turret, and an updated power plant. In service with the US Navy, the PB4Y-2 flew combat sorties in the Pacific Theater of Operations from late 1944. It was also employed by the French Navy during the French-Indochina War.

The prototype of the Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer first flew on September 20, 1943, and it was introduced into service with the US Navy on November 18, 1944. Total Privateer production was 736 aircraft, with the last one being delivered in October 1945. Loudspeaker-equipped PB4Y-2s were used in the Marianas Campaign to encourage Japanese soldiers to surrender. Several Privateers were delivered to the Nationalist China (Taiwan) to carry out reconnaissance missions over the People's Republic of China. However, three of them would be shot down by AA guns for violating its air space. The PB4Y-2B, 2M, 2S, and PB4Y-2K version would also be produced. Its main virtue was its long-range capacity as this aircraft could fly twice as far as the North American PBJ Mitchell, thus being able to cover 4,500 km.

Technical Description

The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer was a large, four-engine monoplane. Its fuselage was of semi-monocoque all-metal construction. The nose of fuselage featured the distinctive Erco nose turret, which carried two .50-caliber M2 Browning machine guns. The aircraft was fitted with cantilever, shoulder wing. Both the leading and trailing edge of wing tapered towards the tip. The tail assembly consisted of a conventional tailplane, which was mounted high on fuselage, and a large vertical fin and rudder. The aircraft was powered by four Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp, radial piston engines, each one being able to deliver 1,350 horsepower.

Specifications

Type: maritime patrol bomber

Length: 22.73 m (74 feet, 7 inches)

Wing Span: 33.53 m (110 feet)

Wing Area: 97.4 m2 (1,048 square feet)

Height: 9.17 m (30 feet, 1 inch)

Power Plant: four 1,350-HP, Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engines.

Maximum Speed: 482 km/h (300 mph)

Range: 4,500 km (2,800 miles)

Service Ceiling: 6,310 m (20,700 feet)

Crew: 11

Armament: twelve 12.7-mm (.50-cal.) M2 Browning machine guns; plus up to 5,800 kg (12,780-lb) of bombs.

Above, the PB4Y-2 in flight during WWII.

A Privateer parked on airbase tarmac. Notice the two M2 Browning machine guns in nose of aircraft.

A PB4Y-2 on an airbase in Shanghai, China, in 1945.

Cessna O-2 Skymaster

The Cessna O-2 Skymaster was a forward air control, observation aircraft, which was used by the US Air Force during the Vietnam War. It was developed from the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster, which was a private aircraft design. It was a reliable and maneuverable plane flying at low altitudes, and it was also cheap and easy to maintain. In 1967, it was sent to South Vietnam where it would also carry out ground-attack missions; to fulfill that role, it was fitted with four hardpoints for a wide variety of light air-to-ground weaponry. In Southeast Asia, it replaced the Cessna O-1 Bird Dog. The USAF would receive a total of 531 O-2s during the Vietnam War years. In the 1970s, it was also used in action in Rhodesia, Africa, in low-intensity warfare against leftist guerrillas.

The prototype of the Cessna O-2 Skymaster performed its maiden flight on January 27, 1967, and it would be introduced into service with the US Air Force only two months later, on March 28, 1967. Its unusual power arrangement, with both engines on the centerline of the aircraft, made it easier for the pilot to keep control of plane if one engine was lost. Cessna built this military aircraft in two versions: the O-2A, which was designed to be used in forward air control and observation missions; and the O-2B, which was conceived for psychological warfare as it was equipped with loudspeakers and a leaflet dispensers. In observation and forward air control missions, the O-2A flew low and close to targets to identify and indicate position of enemy troops or command post for friendly bombers and artillery units to attack and destroy enemy targets.

Technical Characteristics

The Cessna O-2 Skymaster was a two-seat, twin-twin engine monoplane. Its short, monocoque fuselage was of all-metal construction. The aircraft had straight, high wing, with the trailing edge tapering towards the wing tip. Th wing was mounted with a slight dihedral angle and was supported and reinforced at the root by two lateral struts. The plane had a twin-boom configuration, with twin vertical fin and rudder. It had a comfortable, pressurized cockpit with two seats for pilot and observer. It was powered by two Teledyne Continental IO-360-C/D, air-cooled, piston engines, which were mounted in tandem along the centerline, with one in front of cockpit and the other behind it. The aircraft had retractable, tricycle-type landing gear.

Specifications

Type: observation aircraft

Length: 9 m (29 feet, 9 inches)

Wing Span: 11.58 m (38 feet)

Wing Area: 18.81 m2 (202 square feet)

Height: 2.84 m (9 feet, 4 inches)

Power Plant: two, in-tandem, 210-HP, Teledyne Continental IO-360-C/D, flat-sexi piston engines.

Maximum Speed: 320 km/h (198 mph)

Range: 1,706 km (1,060 miles)

Service Ceiling: 6,000 m (19,800 feet)

Crew: two

Armament: 70-mm marker rockets and light bombs and machine guns.

The Skymaster had two in-tandem piston engines and was equipped with two rocket pods.

View of belly of aircraft as it banks left. Notice the bombs it carries on the four hardpoints.

The O-2 flying over Vietnam in the early 1970s.

Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight

The Boeing-Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight was a troop-transport, twin-rotor helicopter in service with the US Navy and US Marine Corps between 1964 and 2023. It was widely used during the Vietnam War both as a troop transport and utility chopper. Due to its mechanical and technical reliability and its impressive performance, the CH-46 had a very long career in the United States, where it would also be employed as a search and rescue chopper by the US Coast Guard in the HH-46 version. It saw combat action world-wide, from Southeast Asia to Iraq and Afghanistan. However, it had one weakness: it had thin armor and it was vulnerable to small arm fire, such as machine guns. Nevertheless, it was an effective assault helicopter used by the US Marine Corps.

The prototype of the Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight first took to the air on April 22, 1958. The first production helicopters rolled out of the factory in October 1962 and they were accepted into service with the US Navy and Marine Corps two years later, on May 28, 1964. When the Sea Knight was introduced, it provided a new standard of performance to the United States as it was a versatile helicopter especially designed for combat troop transport and logistic support. To the US Navy, this meant vertical replenishment, using this helicopter to haul cargoes to ships at sea. The US Marine Corps, on the other hand, used it to carry combat troops directly into battle. Many veterans who served in Vietnam are alive today because the CH-46 snatched them out of danger and flew them to safety, away from the battlefield. The Marines called it the ''flying bullfrog''.

Technical Characteristics

The Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight was a twin-turbine, medium-lift helicopter, with a tandem-rotor configuration. The fuselage was all-metal, with three, small, round windows and a side door on each side and a large rear ramp door to facilitate quick troop access and exit and cargo loading. Up to twenty-five fully-equipped combat troops could be carried in the fuselage. The cockpit was large enough to seat two pilots and a load-master as improved avionics were fitted inside. The CH-46E version was powered by two General Electric T58-GE-16 turboshaft engines, each one delivering 1,870 horsepower. The three-bladed rotors rotated in opposite direction to counterbalance each other and avoid an out-of-control spiraling spin. The blades were made of glassfiber. The landing gear was non-retractable and it was strengthened to withstand the high rates of vertical sink. The CH-46A, CH-46D, and CH-46E were the assault and cargo transport versions used by the US Marine Corps, while the UH-46A-B and D were the US Navy utility variant.

Specifications (CH-46E)

Type: assault/troop transport helicopter

Rotor Diameter: 15.24 m (50 feet)

Rotor Disc Area: 182.41 m2 (1,963 square feet)

Fuselage Length: 13.67 m (44 feet, 10 inches)

Power Plant: two 1,870-HP, General Electric T58-GE-16 turboshaft engines

Maximum Speed: 256 km/h (159 mph)

Range: 996 km (618 miles)

Capacity: 25 troops

Armament: two 12,7-mm (.50-cal) M2 Browning machine guns.

Above, the Navy's utility version of the Sea Knight.

Two CH-46s of HMM-161 transporting marines of the 1st Marine Division during a Search and Rescue operation in Da Nang, South Vietnam.

A HH-46 variant for search and rescue operations.

Above, a CH-46D version of the US Marine in South Vietnam in 1969.

Boeing MH-47E Chinook

The Boeing MH-47E Chinook is a Special Forces support helicopter in service with the US Army since 1992. Like its successor, the MH-47G, it was especially designed for night insertion and to operate behind enemy lines. It is packed with fire power in the form of two window-mounted 12.7-mm, three-barrel rotary machine guns and Stinger air-to-air missiles. The MH-47E has similar capabilities as the MH-47D, but includes an increased fuel capacity similar to the CH-47SD, terrain following radar, and in-flight refueling probe. A total of 30 Special Operations Aircraft were produced. All aircraft were assigned to 2–160th SOAR(A) "Nightstalkers", home based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. E models were conversions from existing CH-47C model airframes.

With the Boeing MH-47E, the US Army enhanced its ability to carry out secret missions deep in enemy territory at night and in bad weather-conditions. This dark, dangerous-looking, special operations chopper is the heir of the much-admired Chinook of the nostalgic Vietnam War era. With a high-tech, terrain-following radar and infra-red sensor, the MH-47E and MH-47G are the trump cards of the US Army's famous ''Night Stalkers''. According to experts, the primary objective of this night insertion helicopter is to give 90% probability of successfully completing a six-hour, deep-penetration, clandestine mission over 560 km (350 miles) radius.

The MH-47E was developed from the CH-47 Chinook. Thus, it has an all-metal fuselage, with a large rear ramp that allows the Special Forces troops and their equipment to access and exit the helicopter quickly. It is powered by two Lycoming T55 turboshaft engines, each one capable of delivering 4,733 sHP. The MH-47E can quickly be distinguished from other Chinook helicopters by the air refueling probe that extends from the forward portion of chopper fuselage. Other vital changes are avionics and weapon systems, especially the APQ-174 all-weather, terrain-following radar.

Specifications

Type: Special Forces support helicopter

Rotor Diameter: 18.28 m (60 feet)

Rotor Area: 282.60 m2 (3,041 square feet)

Length: 15.87 m (52 feet, 1 inch)

Height: 5.59 m (18 feet, 4 inches)

Power Plant: two Textron Lycoming T55-I-714 turboshaft engines

Maximum Speed: 285 km/h (177 mph)

Cruising Speed: 259 km/h (161 mph)

Crew: two

Capacity: 55 troops

Armament: two 12.7-mm (.50 cal.) GAU-19/A, three-barrel, rotary machine guns; Stinger air-to-air missiles.

Above, an MH-47E about to touch down on airbase tarmac. Notice the air refueling probe sticking out from fuselage.

The MH-47G version parked on airbase.

Eurofighter Typhoon

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a supersonic fighter aircraft in service with the air forces of several NATO nations since 2003. It was designed and developed as a joint project of Germany, UK, Spain, and Italy. Each one of these countries built different parts of the aircraft. Since it is a multi-role airplane, it is also used in ground-attack missions. Thus, the Eurofighter Typhoon is capable of destroying both aerial targets on long distances and short distance flight maneuver warfare (dogfight), as well as concentration of enemy troops and command posts on the ground below. Four European defense firms took part in the development and production of this aircraft: the British BAE Systems, the Spanish 'CASA', the Italian 'Alenia Aerospazio', and the German 'DASA'. It first saw combat action in 2011 in Libya, flying sorties to strike Muammar Gaddafi government troops.

The first prototype of the Eurofighter Typhoon, the DA1, performed its maiden flight on March 27, 1994. The flight test phase lasted nine years, longer than it had originally been planned. In 1998, they gave it its official name: 'Typhoon', and the aircraft finally entered service with the German Luftwaffe (Air Force) on August 4, 2003, with the delivery of the first batch of 30 aircraft. Although Spain had already received its first production aircraft on February 17, 2003, it would officially be introduced into service with Spanish Air Force on August 27 that year. The United Kingdom acquired 160 Typhoons, Germany 181, Italy 97, and Spain 81. This European joint venture also produced a two-seat trainer version of the aircraft.

Technical Description

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a single-seat, twin-engine monoplane. Its fuselage is all-metal, made of steel, aluminum-lithium, titanium, and carbon-fiber. It has a cropped delta, low wing configuration, with canards to improve maneuverability by providing the aircraft with additional lift. The wing has extensive sweep along its leading edge. The aircraft had a fly-by-wire control system, which is operated electronically rather than manually. The Typhoon is fitted with a glass cockpit located forward of wing and aft of the nose cone housing the radar assembly; it has three color, multi-function displays. The airplane is powered by two Eurojet EJ200 turbofan engines, with each one delivering 20,200 pounds of thrust when using afterburner. Engines air intakes are located on belly of aircraft.

Specifications

Type: multi-role fighter

Length: 15.96 m (52 feet, 4 inches)

Wing Span: 10.95 m (35 feet, 11 inches)

Wing Area: 51.2 m2 (551 square feet)

Height: 5.28 m (17 feet, 4 inches)

Weight: 11 tons

Power Plant: two 20,200-lb Eurojet EJ200 turbofan engines

Maximum Speed: Mach 2 (2,469 km/h)

Range: 2,900 km (1,800 miles)

Rate of Climb: 315 m/s

Service Ceiling: 19,812 m (65,000 feet)

Crew: 1

Armament: one 27-mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon; two IRIS-T air-to-air missiles, two MBDA Meteor air-to-air missiles; bomb-load of 9,000 kg (19,800-lb) of bombs/missiles, which includes Stormshadow and Taurus KEPD-350 air-to-ground missiles, and Paveway II and III laser-guided bombs.

Above, the belly of a German Luftwaffe's Typhoon showing the wide assortment of missiles and bombs.

Eurofighter Typhoon in RAF service about to touch down. Photo taken around 2003.

The delta-winged aircraft in Spanish service flying along the Spanish Mediterranean coast.

Eurofighter Typhoon in action (video)

Front view of the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Tupolev Tu-128 Fiddler

The Tupolev Tu-128 'Fiddler' was a long-range, all-weather interceptor and escort fighter aircraft, which was in service with the Soviet Air Force during the Cold War period. It was designed at the end of the 1950s to meet the needs of defending the Soviet vast air space against the new USA/NATO threat; the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. This Russian supersonic aircraft was developed from the Tu-98 'Backfin' and it was capable of carrying long-range missiles. Thus, it was a highly specialized interceptor, with no more than 200 aircraft being built. Also known as the Tu-28, it would be replaced by the MiG-31 at the end of the 1980s.

The prototype of the Tupolev Tu-128 first took to the air on March 18, 1961. The aircraft would go through a three-year period of flight tests, entering service with the Soviet Air Force on July 27, 1964. It was assigned for the Soviet home defense. Three variants saw service: the Tu-128A, Tu-128UT (trainer), and the Tu-128M. The aircraft huge size enabled it to carry all the avionic equipment and armament needed to intercept enemy bombers before they could penetrate the Soviet air space. Thus, a powerful radar scanner mounted in the nose allowed the Tu-128 to detect and locate intruders at long ranges. Twin afterburning jet engines enabled it to reach speeds of up to 2,085 km/h (1,296 mph) as it could take off with enough fuel for patrols lasting up to six hours.

Technical Description

The Tupolev Tu-128 Fiddler was a two-seat, twin-engine monoplane, whose fuselage was an all-metal, monocoque design. It was fitted with low, swept wing. The wing was made in three sections. The center section was integral with the fuselage, with massive girders bridging the body width, while the left and right panels extended to the tip of wing. The leading edge swept back from 58° to 70° over the inboard portion. Aside from the ailerons, the wing trailing edge had large-chord tracked slotted flaps in single sections inboard and outboard of the main landing gear. The wing had a static anhedral angle of -4°. The tail assembly horizontal stabilizer had a sweepback of 58°, while the vertical fin was large and had a leading edge sweep of 60°. Like the wing and tail movable surfaces, the fin rudder had thermal de-icing.

Specifications (Tu-128M)

Type: long-range interceptor and escort fighter.

Length: 30.49 m (100 feet)

Wing Span: 17.67 m (58 feet)

Wing Area: 96.94 m2 (1,043 square feet)

Height: 7 m (23 feet)

Power Plant: two Lyulka AL-7F-4 afterburning, turbojet engines, each one delivering 23,539-lb of thrust.

Maximum Speed: 2,085 km/h (1,296 mph)

Range: 2,565 km (1,594 miles), with allowances for combat.

Service Ceiling: 20,000 m (65,617 feet)

Armament: two R-4PM and two R-4TM air-to-air missiles

Crew: 2

Above, the Tu-128 armed with four air-to-air missiles.

The prototype of the Fiddler in flight around 1961.

The Tu-128 on the tarmac of an airbase in central Russia.

The Tu-128M version