Military
To meet the need for close air support in South Vietnam, the USAF chose the A-7D Corsair II, derived from the US Navy's A-7. The Air Force required a more powerful version, fitted with an Allison TF41-A-1 turbofan engine capable of 14,250 lbs of thrust, 2,000 lbs more than the Navy A-7 with its TF30 engine. A new automatic electronic navigation system and a new weapons delivery system greatly improved the A-7D's accuracy. During the Vietnam War, USAF A-7D's flew 12,928 combat sorties with only six losses, the lowest of any U.S. fighter in the theater. The aircraft was second only to the B-52 Stratofortress in the amount of ordinance dropped on Hanoi, and the A-7D dropped more bombs per sortie with greater accuracy than any other U.S. attack aircraft. It measured 46 ft 1 in in length, had a wingspan of 38 ft 8 in, stood 16 ft 1 in high, reached a maximum speed of 663 mph, had a range of 3,044 miles, a service ceiling of 33,500 ft, and carried one M61A1 20 mm rapid-fire cannon plus 15,000 lbs of mixed ordinance.
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