Herpa Wings Military 580175 | Vought A-7E Corsair II Clansmen, USN VA-46 Clansmen, AC307, USS John F. Kennedy, Operation Desert Storm, 1991

General Background:

Designed as a longer-range, higher-payload replacement for the A-4 Skyhawk, the A-7 Corsair II was first flown on September 27th, 1965. This aircraft entered service during the Vietnam war and later became one of only a few US Navy aircraft to serve with the US Air Force. It possessed cutting edge technologies; it was one of the first aircraft to use a turbofan engine, an internal navigation system and a "head-up" display. Late in its career, A-7s were used for pilot training and were parked outside of hangars in order to draw the attention of Soviet spy satellites away from the fledgling F-117.

The Aircraft:

The Clansmen were one of two squadrons flying the A-7 that took part in the strikes over Baghdad as part of Operation Desert Storm in 1991. After ending their operations, VA-46 was the last unit to retire the venerable Corsair II the same year – 25 years ago. To commemorate this anniversary, the Pima Air and Space Museum refurbished this very aircraft which is now again on display on the museum grounds near Tucson, Arizona. Also included with the model is the external load typically used by the A-7 in the Gulf War.

Note: An optional display stand is available separately if you wish to display this model "in-flight".