Navy Chief (and all other A-7 people)!

[PRB]

This photo shows two (and the wing tip of a third) A-7Es from my old squadron, VA-94. It was taken from a KC-135 tanker in April of 1983, during the “Trans-Pac” flight from NAS Cubi Point (Philippines) to NAS Lemoore, CA. The photographer was one of our pilots who, on this leg of the trip, rode in the tanker. When he posted this on our facebook page I asked him if he could send me the original scan, because it was such an awesome photo. I know both the guys sitting in the seats of those two Corsairs, as well as the picture shooter. I asked about the drop tank configuration, and was told that there was less drag, and better gas mileage, with the drop tanks on the outboard stations. That doesn't explain the one with the tanks on the inboard stations though, but it could be a maintenance issue. Maybe one of the outboard stations wasn't working properly on that plane.

[Navy Chief]

Nice picture! You know, as much as I hated deployments, I do miss working on and just being around those Corsairs.....

NC

[Warhawk1130]

A problem with the station could prompt them to do that..weight and balance, ya know?

[PRB]

Yep. If there was an issue with the fuel transfer system on one of the outboard stations, they would obviously hang both DTs on the inboard stations. The center wing stations, as we know, could not transfer fuel, so that wasn't an option. I wonder why there was less drag when hanging them on the outboard stations. There must have been some air flow interference issues between the tank and the fuselage, when the tank was on the inboard station.