From the former operators whom I work with every day. A-7B 19,500 empty,
A-7E 21.500 empty. Typical bomb load off 27C was 8 or 10 Mk82 (depending on
wind ... the cats were short). Otherwise 10-12 Mk82. Preferred was 4-6
Mk83 on the parent racks (no MERs/TERs with weight and drag), rare for the
Navy in Viet Nam. Add 400# for two sidewinders (given the ACM capability of
the SLUF, they would have proven more effective mounted backwards). Tanker
typically 2x300Gal drop + D704 = 6000+ lbs. It would appear that your 6K,
give or take, is the typical operational load.

None of those I talked with (two of with combat experience) thought a field
T/O at max gross of 42K was practical unless the concrete was REAL long and
the day was REAL cold. I don't think A-7D's were launching in SEA at max
gross given the typical wx etc. The airplane was a real pig at 38K or over.

"Guy Alcala" wrote in message


. ..
John Carrier wrote:

The A-7's empty weight was a bit over 20K IIRC, certainly not 15 (even
in
the A-7A version ... the E was much heavier). The A-7 never lifted its
empty weight in stores. That would have taken it well over max gross.

Dorr's book lists the A-7A @ 15,037 lb. empty, MTOW 32,500 lb. A-7D is
listed
at 19,781 lb. empty, 42,000 lb. MTOW, essentially agreeing with Tom's data
from
Jane's. Typical bombload during Vietnam for Navy A-7s was about 6,000
lb.,
although during DS they tended to operate with only 4,000 lb. such as 4 x
Mk.
83 1,000 lb. bombs (plus an AIM-9 or two), as they'd removed two pylons to
decrease the drag. USAF A-7Ds tended to operate with 4-6,000 lb. in
Vietnam,
plus two tanks and a pod or two if going into a high-threat area. Navy
a-87s
in Vietnam tended not to carry tanks (they were closer to the targets)
unless
they were acting as buddy tankers, and they had internal ECM so didn't
need to
take up a pylon or two with that.

Guy