Loadout for ANG A-7D with GBU-15

While the A-7 may be rated to carry the GBU-15, I have yet to come across any photos of them ever doing so. The prime haulers for that bomb at that time were F-4s and F-111s. 

Edit-a quick google search shows that the A-7 was never rated with the GBU-15. Only the F-4, F-111, and F-15E. Probably because it requires a WSO to make targeting adjustments in flight after release. 

I'm an idiot and misidentified it as a gbu-15 but it was actually a gbu-8 HOBO-B which i believe was only carried on F-4's during Vietnam.  Not sure how that made its way into an A-7E kit...

Decided to go with a flir, two gbu-10s, a drop tank (opposite the flir pod), and an AN/ALQ-184 pod.  Possibly adding a AGM-65 opposite the ALQ.

Thanks for the response!

As far as I know, I believe only Navy A-7s carried FLIR pods. I don't think that it is an Air Force system. The only pod I have seen on AF A-7s was the Pave Penny laser tracker, the same as carried by A-10s.

Aw man!  So what you're telling me is I gotta build a ton of snakeyes or rockeyes?!  :/

Yeah, CBUs and iron bombs are the most common things carried by Air Force A-7s... Early AGM-65s too...

According to my Detail & Scale A-7 book, Air Guard A-7s late in their service life commonly carried an ALQ-119 pod on the right outboard pylon. Photos show drop tanks commonly carried on both inboard wing pylons... So that reduces the number of bombs you need to build...

Awesome.  I can't tell ya how much O appreciate you looking that up.  Do you happen to know if ANG slufs carried gbu-10s?  I have em glued, sanded, and wet sanded so I'd like to use em if they make sense.  The subject is circa 1981, Colorado ANG, Euro I scheme (FS 34079/FS 36081 green/grey).

Thanks so much for all your help!

According to the FAS site entry on the GBU-10, the A-7 is cleared to carry that weapon. Now of course there needs to be a seperate aircraft lasing the target or a Combat Controller or Fire Support Team with a Ground Laser Designator to mark the target. So shall we say, possible yes, especially in wartime back then, but not likely in most other scenarios. I don't think ANG budgets allowed for too many LGBs to be used for training. Even in Desert Storm, which was the end of the SLUFs service career saw the vast majority of bombs dropped being dumb bombs. In spite of the impression made by TV footage releases. 

I did find a photo of an AZ ANG SLUF carrying GBU-12s...

Again, thanks a ton for looking all of this up for me.  The kit includes a pave penny pod so I'm going to put that on the outside weapon station under the starboard side.  I might just suck it up and load up both middle stations with mk-82s.  I'll try to post some pics of whatever I go with.  I really should invest in some walkaround books for aircraft that I know I'll build multiples of.  Again thanks so much for providing all this info for me.  Cheers!

Correction - I looked again and it's an ALQ-131 pod which I will not be using.

You're quite welcome. I like the A-7 myself, but was kind of in the dark as to what sort of smart bombs she did carry. I learned a bit here myself. If you do not want to do Mk.82s, why not do some Mavericks on single or triple racks?

Nice little video:

https://youtu.be/PMZLPYRL5Ps