A-7H and BGM-34A

     Three view drawing of a two place A-7H with a Ryan BGM-34A carried under the left wing. This was drawn in February 1972 not long after the first successful tests of launching AGM-65A Maverick missiles from the BGM-34A platform. Given the mounting arrangement for the AGM-65 on the BGM-34 there would have been little ground clearance of the missile fins upon aircraft rotation. It also can be easily imagined that a fuel tank or inert bomb would have to be carried on the right side to help balance the aircraft until drone launch.

Courtesy VAHF

Courtesy VAHF

Courtesy VAHF

     Just for visual representation of the Ryan AQM/BQM-34 family, a BQM-34S photographed in 2004 is presented below.

BQM-34S-NAS-Point-Mugu-BillSpidle-20040812

    Later on in the Corsair II's life the EA-7L was given the capability to carry and launch BQM-74C target drones to simulate aggressor aircraft or missiles. The EA-7L was only able to start the engine and launch the drone. The crew could not change the pre-programmed flight profile for the target. Below is a BQM-74E representative of the BQM-74 series.

BQM-74E NAS Point Mugu BillSpidle 20040812

Great VE-7 Images

     While researching Vought aircraft at NARA II, I came across these great images, It is a Vought VE-7 uncovered and uncowled sitting on the airfield at Dayton. It gives a great view into how thing are arranged and the various wires and supports used in biplane construction.

342FH-B3246-Vought VE-7 Uncovered Right Front View 

342FH-B3248-Vought VE-7 Uncovered Right Side View 

End of the Biplane Series

     It is fairly well documented that in 1934 the US Navy issued the requirement for a new Scout Bomber. This was at the time the Navy was starting the transition from biplane to monoplane aircraft.

     The XSB3U-1 was built as hedge against the Navy not accepting the XSB2U-1 Vindicator in the 1934-35 time frame. There was discussion about monoplanes being too large to handle on deck, high approach speeds, and longer take-off distances, some of the same arguments in the discussion of progressing from propeller driven aircraft to jets just about 10 years later.

3617-XSB3U-1-9634-Right-Side-View-19360228 VAHF Archives

     The top speed for the XSB3U-1 was listed at 215 mph which meant the retractable landing gear bought approximately 10 mph over the previous SBU-1/-2 aircraft that it was intended to replace. That speed was a good 30 mph slower than the SB2U-1.

3620-XSB3U-1-9634-Left-Rear-View-19360228 VAHF Archives

     One XSB3U-1 was built and the contract went to Vought to build the SB2U series. Here is a general arrangement for the XSB3U-1 from the Vought Heritage Archives

    

     In the end the XSB3U-1 was the last vestige of the biplane dive bomber line at Vought that started with the end of another era, the two seat fighter (pilot and rear gunner) XF3U-1. The XSBU-1 was the XF3U-1 prototype re-purposed into the dive bomber series SBU-1 and SBU-2.