A Hero Picture. The A-7D Corsair II, also known as the "Sluff" for "Short Little Ugly Fat Fella," and me taken in Tucson, AZ during my A-7D fighter checkout. Originally a Navy plane, the Air Force adopted the A-7 with enhanced weapons computer capabilities. Air to air capable, the primary mission was high speed low altitude combat interdiction ingress to deliver an array of air to ground weapons. The A-7D is said to be Mach 1 capable, in a vertical dive with full power from which a safe recovery to level flight may be risky business. I served as the Wing Weapons and Tactics Officer and Maintenance Quallity Assurance Officer in addition to being the Pilot Member of a Toledo, OH, A-7 Accident Investigation Team. I had previously served in a similar capacity as Pilot Member of an F-105 Accident Investigation Team at Nellis AFB, NV. With the A-7 mission, we deployed to Panama on three occasions to defend the Canal Zone should Mr. Noriega make a questionable move. He did so on another team's watch two weeks after our last deployment. A-7D fighters were the only jets based on land south of the United States border.
