LTV A-7 Corsair II The ‘SLUF’ in USAF and USANG Service 1968 – 1993

by Werner Münzenmaier with Andreas Klein

AirDOC

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

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Double Ugly Books (great name!) are a subsidiary of AirDOC, the Germany based publisher of high quality aviation books whose focus is on modern (post 1950) military aviation.

The first thing that strikes you when you pick up this book and leaf through its pages is the overall high quality of the presentation and of the images contained on its 137 pages.

The book is in both the German and English languages with the left hand column being printed in German and the right hand column in English.  The images are similarly treated with the German captions on top of the English ones.  In the main, there are no problems with the translations although a few have slipped through the proof readers – the word Vietman rather than Vietnam being an example.

The book features an opening introduction of the A-7 which includes a technical description followed by an explanation of the differences between the –D, -K, GA-D, YA-7F versions of the A-7.

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From there the book details the usage and employment of the A-7, firstly in USAF squadrons and then in Air National Guard (ANG) squadrons.  Each and every Wing and its component Squadrons that flew the A-7 is included with a table of tabulated data that lists the Wing, its home base, each of the Squadrons in the Wing, the tail code (Unit Identifier), the colour of the fin stripe(s) worn and the time period that the Wing/Squadron operated the A-7.  The USAF section also includes the Air Force Systems Command and Test Wings that operated the A-7.  These two chapters take up the lion’s share of the book with some 120 pages.  What follows is a 12 page walk-around chapter that sees the camera being poked at just about every area that a modeller could ever want to have images of – all in super sharp, full colour digital images, 61 one in total of both the A-7D and the A-7K.  The final feature is a four-page chapter on the three main camouflage schemes worn by the A-7, the South East Asia (SEA), the European One Scheme, and the Two-Tone Grey Tactical Scheme.   The chapter features a one-page summary of each scheme and a further page per individual scheme that shows full colour four view plan and profile views.

The real strength of the book (as if the complete history of the operational history of the A-7 is not enough!) is the images contained between the covers.  I counted 384 of them, all in full colour (the only black and white images are the small stylised ones that appear on the frontispiece and the top of every second page).  All images seem to have been selected to illustrate a particular facet of the A-7 and not just plonked anywhere.  I just can’t stress enough how good the images are!  Full colour side profile images of particular squadrons are also peppered throughout as are close-up images of nose art and squadron insignia.

The book is A4 in size, soft bound and comprises 137 good quality glossy pages between thin cardboard covers.

An excellent book indeed!  It combines a complete Squadron usage history of the A-7 that will appeal to the enthusiast with exceptional full colour images that will appeal to the modeller too.

Any chance of the same treatment for the A-7s operated by the United States Navy next Double Ugly Books?

Thanks to AirDOC Publications for the sample.

AirDOC Publications may be viewed and purchased online from their website

Review Copyright © 2010 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 18 March, 2010
Last updated 18 March, 2010

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