A-7D Corsair II
"Scrappy" 162nd TFS, 178 TFG Ohio ANG

“Scrappy”
A-7D Corsair II 69-6222 as it appeared in the summer of 1989
Sometimes getting it wrong turns out better than getting it right. This model was meant to be done in a dazzling black and silver commemorative paint scheme worn by a Greek A-7 in the 1990s. However, in doing my research after buying the kit I discovered that the Hellenic Air Force never used this variant of Corsair. The D and E variants of the Corsair II look close enough to identical to the untrained eye that I was tempted to continue with the Hellenic markings anyway. After all, who would know the difference?
I would, and that would make all the difference. So after ordering an E variant from my favorite hobby shop, I began to look for some sort of cool markings I could put on this airplane. It turns out that I didn’t have to look very far, as one of the marking sets included with the kit was an interesting scheme that was worn by the Air National Guard in the airplane’s twilight years. It was something that was not worn by active duty A-7s, and had a name and other pieces of flair painted on it. Intrigued, I turned to the internet to find out more.

The airplane:
A-7D 69-6222 started life in 1969. After sixteen years of active duty service, she was transferred to the Ohio Air National Guard, where she would serve until her retirement in 1995. After being withdrawn from service, she was sent to Minot AFB, North Dakota. Scrappy’s service records get a bit fuzzy here as it is stated she served as a “Ground Trainer”. How long she spent there remains a mystery, as her next sighted location was at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland in October of 2010. A quick look at Google Earth verified that there were indeed three A-7s parked in a field at Aberdeen, and none to be seen at Minot. Is Scrappy one of these? The next time I’m out that way I’ll have to make a side trip… (Update: 69-222 was located at Aberdeen as of November 2010, see pic)

The markings:
What the model’s instructions almost never tell you is the story behind an airplane’s markings. Finding out the rest of the story often leads to fantastic forays into aviation history for those who are curious enough to put in the research. Thankfully, I am one of those, and this foray proved to be no less fantastic.
The original Scrappy was a P-51B Mustang (43-6960) flown by Lt. Alvin F. Pyeatt III. The man and machine were assigned to the 357th Fighter group during World War II, where they escorted American bombers on their raids over Germany. As far as I have been able to discover, Pyeatt was credited with two kills and earned an Air Medal before being killed on March 16th, 1944 during an engagement with three German fighters.

The connection:
69-6222 commemorates Alvin Pyeatt and his Mustang due to the Ohio Air National Guard being able to trace its lineage back to the 357th Fighter Group of World War II fame. Activated on 1 December, 1942, the 357th was deactivated in Germany on 20 August 1946. The following day, this unit was reconstituted and re-designated as the 121st Fighter Group, Ohio Air National Guard. In December of 1978, the unit would receive its first A-7s. These would deploy to Europe frequently in support of various NATO exercises. Some would see action in Panama during Operation Just Cause. The 121st kept its A-7s stateside during Desert Storm, as they were now considered second-line aircraft and slated for retirement. That would happen in 1992, as the 121st underwent major reorganization that saw it transition from fighter aircraft to tankers as the unit became the 121st Air Refueling wing. Some of the fighter units that had belonged to the 121st were upgraded to Wing-level organizations and given F-16 Falcons to replace their aging Corsair IIs. The 180th Fighter Group that 69-6222 had belonged to was one of these. The 180th Fighter wing is presently operating their F-16Cs out of Toledo Air National Guard Base, Ohio.