Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “The A-4 Skyhawk Light Attack Plane” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/a-4-skyhawk-light-attack-plane/.
The A-4 Skyhawk Light Attack Plane
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Snake45
Professional
I'm generally a USAF guy, but the A-4 is an awesome little airplane.
Some fun facts about A-4 not mentioned in the Will Dabbs piece:
*A-4 was a veteran of the failed Bay of Pigs "invasion." When JFK finally got off his butt and decided to let USN provide some air cover, A-4Bs (at that time designated A4D-2s) of VA-34 "Blue Blasters" off the Essex got the nod. They never dropped a bomb or fired a shot, just showed up to "rattle sabres." Interestingly, they had to be "sanitized" by hastily painting out all US markings, despite the fact that no other country in the world was operating A-4s at the time.
*John McCain was shot down in an A-4. Even more interestingly, he had earlier been sitting in his cockpit when the disastrous 1967 fire erupted on the Forrestal. Film exists of McCain exiting the aircraft through the fire.
I'm not a fan of McCain's politics, and he wasn't the smartest Naval Aviator ever, but there's no denying that he had Big Brass Ones.
Some fun facts about A-4 not mentioned in the Will Dabbs piece:
*A-4 was a veteran of the failed Bay of Pigs "invasion." When JFK finally got off his butt and decided to let USN provide some air cover, A-4Bs (at that time designated A4D-2s) of VA-34 "Blue Blasters" off the Essex got the nod. They never dropped a bomb or fired a shot, just showed up to "rattle sabres." Interestingly, they had to be "sanitized" by hastily painting out all US markings, despite the fact that no other country in the world was operating A-4s at the time.
*John McCain was shot down in an A-4. Even more interestingly, he had earlier been sitting in his cockpit when the disastrous 1967 fire erupted on the Forrestal. Film exists of McCain exiting the aircraft through the fire.
I'm not a fan of McCain's politics, and he wasn't the smartest Naval Aviator ever, but there's no denying that he had Big Brass Ones.
USMC6094
Custom
The last of the Marine Scooters, the O/A-4M, near exclusively flown by the H&MS squadrons as a FAC bird.
This is the one displayed at MCAS Iwakuni Japan.
First Blue Angels display I remember was when they flew the Scooter.
The Kuwaiti Air Force flew until after Desert Storm.
Draken Aviation still does contract DACT training with them, the ones I've seen of theirs are the extended tail pipe Israeli version.
This is the one displayed at MCAS Iwakuni Japan.
First Blue Angels display I remember was when they flew the Scooter.
The Kuwaiti Air Force flew until after Desert Storm.
Draken Aviation still does contract DACT training with them, the ones I've seen of theirs are the extended tail pipe Israeli version.
Snake45
Professional
Very cool. The logical evolution of the TA-4F, which was actually used as a FAST FAC in 'Nam.
Snake45
Professional
At your suggestion, I googled "Douglas A-1 Skyhawk." As I suspected it would, it returned thousands of results for Douglas A-1 Skyraider. Completely different airplane, although designed by the same man. Also an immortal classic which I believe has been previously discussed here.
Douglas A-1 Skyraider: Spads and Sandys in Vietnam
Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Douglas A-1 Skyraider: Spads and Sandys in Vietnam” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/douglas-a-1-skyraider/.
www.thearmorylife.com
Talyn
SAINT
Some additional information on the A-4 that's MIA in the article.
As per the the post with the O/A-4M pics, the "A-4M" Skyhawk II was the last US A-4 model with the best capability. Kuwait bought their version, the A-4KU (modified A-4Ms), which was used in GW1, and later most of the remainders were sold to Brazil (redesignated the AF-1) for use aboard the aircraft carrier São Paulo before it was decommissioned.
In the 2000's Brazil modernized their Skyhawks to the AF-1B standard with many upgrades including a multi-mode radar.
www.overtdefense.com
Like Brazil, Argentina acquired surplus A-4Ms, and modernized them to the AR-4AR Fighting Hawk standard, also with a multi-mode radar, but the AN/APG-66V2 used in early block F-16s.
en.wikipedia.org
New Zealand also modernized their A-4K Skyhawk with a AN/APG-66 variant radar.
Singapore modernized their A-4 Skyhawk fleet (ex-US Navy A-4B & Cs) to the A-4SU standard with new avionics and replaced the original engines with the GE F404-GE-100D turbofan (non-afterburning version), which resulted in greatly improved performance compared to the specs listed in the OP article.
en.wikipedia.org
IMO, the "ultimate" A04 Skyhawk would have had the improvements of the Brazilian AF-1B or Argentine A-4AR, and with the installation of a non-afterburning version of the GE F414.
As per the the post with the O/A-4M pics, the "A-4M" Skyhawk II was the last US A-4 model with the best capability. Kuwait bought their version, the A-4KU (modified A-4Ms), which was used in GW1, and later most of the remainders were sold to Brazil (redesignated the AF-1) for use aboard the aircraft carrier São Paulo before it was decommissioned.
In the 2000's Brazil modernized their Skyhawks to the AF-1B standard with many upgrades including a multi-mode radar.
The Last Modernized AF-1B Skyhawk Is Delivered to The Brazilian Navy
Embraer, a South American aerospace company, has delivered the Brazilian Navy's last AF-1B Skyhawk light attack aircraft modernized under the AF-1 program.
www.overtdefense.com
Like Brazil, Argentina acquired surplus A-4Ms, and modernized them to the AR-4AR Fighting Hawk standard, also with a multi-mode radar, but the AN/APG-66V2 used in early block F-16s.
Lockheed Martin A-4AR Fightinghawk - Wikipedia
New Zealand also modernized their A-4K Skyhawk with a AN/APG-66 variant radar.
Singapore modernized their A-4 Skyhawk fleet (ex-US Navy A-4B & Cs) to the A-4SU standard with new avionics and replaced the original engines with the GE F404-GE-100D turbofan (non-afterburning version), which resulted in greatly improved performance compared to the specs listed in the OP article.
ST Aerospace A-4SU Super Skyhawk - Wikipedia
IMO, the "ultimate" A04 Skyhawk would have had the improvements of the Brazilian AF-1B or Argentine A-4AR, and with the installation of a non-afterburning version of the GE F414.
Talyn
SAINT
US A-4 Skyhawk specs.
Skyhawks still flying
Skyhawks still flying
Snake45
Professional
I always liked the Singapore A-4s and wanted to do a model of one because they used Vietnam-era USAF-type camo and paints: 34079, 34102, 30219, and 36622 (hope I'm right on those FS numbers, just going from memory here). AFAIK they were the only A-4s so painted. Pretty sure I have the pattern in some reference book somewhere. Maybe I WILL build that model sometime soon. Thanks for reminding me!
Talyn
SAINT
Watch This Crazy Video Of An A-4 Running For Its Life At Low-Level From A Menacing F-22
It's like a frantic life-or-death scene out of the documentary Planet Earth.
www.thedrive.com
Talyn
SAINT
Snake45
Professional
Oh, man, I've never seen that one before! Nothing appeals to me more as a modeler than an overall one-color paint scheme! (That's why I love the 1944-1956 USN/USMC and early '60s USAF airplanes so much--they're all one color!) That sure looks like 34079 but if it's not, I'm sure I have some suitable dark green on my paint bench. Practice bomblets on MER on centerline? This one would be EASY to model! Thanks so much for this pic!
Snake45
Professional
Oh man, ANOTHER one-color and a completely different airplane! This one could be 34092 Euro I Green, or maybe it's the Euro I Gray, hard to tell from the photo but I should be able to find out. Thanks AGAIN for these!
Talyn
SAINT
AIRFIGHTERS.COM - Douglas A-4N Skyhawk
AIRFIGHTERS.COM - Military Aircraft Photos. Take a shot!
Talyn
SAINT
Very Nice book on the last A-4M model and its Israeli, Argentine and Brazilian derivatives.
Douglas A-4 M/N/AR/AF-1 Skyhawk: Aircraft in Detail (Duke Hawkins) Paperback – December 28, 2020
powerboatr
Professional
actually there is strong evidence he caused the fire, by dumping fuel in the engine to get a hot start with fireball, as per the show offs at the time, except it got out of control and his dad washed the event to protect said turd.I'm generally a USAF guy, but the A-4 is an awesome little airplane.
Some fun facts about A-4 not mentioned in the Will Dabbs piece:
*A-4 was a veteran of the failed Bay of Pigs "invasion." When JFK finally got off his butt and decided to let USN provide some air cover, A-4Bs (at that time designated A4D-2s) of VA-34 "Blue Blasters" off the Essex got the nod. They never dropped a bomb or fired a shot, just showed up to "rattle sabres." Interestingly, they had to be "sanitized" by hastily painting out all US markings, despite the fact that no other country in the world was operating A-4s at the time.
*John McCain was shot down in an A-4. Even more interestingly, he had earlier been sitting in his cockpit when the disastrous 1967 fire erupted on the Forrestal. Film exists of McCain exiting the aircraft through the fire.
as a navy guy, we never liked him
yes its a cool little bird
fwd slats use aerodynamic forces to hold them in and then drop when airspeed bleeds off for landing
rebuilt hundreds of those leading edge slats when stationed at pensacola in late 80s
Snake45
Professional
That is a complete BS lie that was put out by the DNC during the 2008 campaign. There is NO evidence of that. In fact, there is evidence to the contrary. His A-4 was parked with its tailpipe hanging over the edge of the flight deck. There's been a published diagram showing where every airplane on deck was at the moment the fire started. AND there's the film of him exiting his aircraft and it's exactly where the diagram says it was. The fire was caused by a Zuni rocket that accidentally came off an F-4.
I know this is a lie, because one of my best Internet friends in 2008 was a VERY dedicated modeler and a USN VN vet who'd actually served in the Gulf of Tonkin at the time. He was also a dedicated Liberal Democrat. He forwarded everyone on his email list this lie, which had come right from the DNC. I emailed him back that he of all people should have known it was an outright, outrageous, libelous lie, and shame on him for spreading it, and demanding he send a retraction to everyone to whom he'd emailed it. Never heard back from him, and I haven't spoken to him again to this day, and I never will again. He's a scumbag AFAIC and he's dead to me.
As I said above, I'm sure no McCain fan due to his subsequent political career, but I will NOT stand by and let such an outrageous and libelous LIE about a US veteran go unchallenged. So there.
Talyn
SAINT
A correction on the OP articles' assumption that the A-4 Skyhawks drop tanks were designed as emergency landing gear..."Additionally, the two large underwing external tanks were designed to act as ad hoc landing gear in the event of main gear failure."
This isn't quite correct...
The A-4 could carry three different drop tank sizes: 150, 300, and 400 Gallon. While all three sizes could be carried on the centerline.he inboard wing pylons could accommodate 150 & 300 gallon, but the 400 gal. tank could only be carried on the centerline and was the basis for a "buddy-refueling system". All three tanks could be configured with or without fins, and the 300 gallon tanks had optional rounded fairings.
tailspintopics.blogspot.com
The A-4 didn't have a lot of internal fuel capacity. so carrying drop tanks were almost standard operating procedure. But, the number of drop tanks depended on where the target was. For some CAS missions, no tanks were required as the target was close to haul a large amount of ordnance. One centerline tank seemed common as it was better to have pylons available for bombs and rockets.
But, two tanks were carried on the inner hard points for greater range and flight time. In those positions, due to their positions, the two tanks (150 or 300 gal.) did come in handy in case of an emergency when the landing gear would not deploy. Maybe some operators thought carrying two tanks were a good idea just in case.
I doubt any Skyhawk was ready to go in an hour based on these pictures. So, as Paul Harvey used to say, that is the rest of the story.
This isn't quite correct...
The A-4 could carry three different drop tank sizes: 150, 300, and 400 Gallon. While all three sizes could be carried on the centerline.he inboard wing pylons could accommodate 150 & 300 gallon, but the 400 gal. tank could only be carried on the centerline and was the basis for a "buddy-refueling system". All three tanks could be configured with or without fins, and the 300 gallon tanks had optional rounded fairings.
Douglas Low-drag External Fuel Tanks
11 October 2017: A3J-1/RA-5C tank drawing and discussion updated. 13 September 2016: For the earlier 150 and 300-gallon tanks, see http://...
tailspintopics.blogspot.com
The A-4 didn't have a lot of internal fuel capacity. so carrying drop tanks were almost standard operating procedure. But, the number of drop tanks depended on where the target was. For some CAS missions, no tanks were required as the target was close to haul a large amount of ordnance. One centerline tank seemed common as it was better to have pylons available for bombs and rockets.
But, two tanks were carried on the inner hard points for greater range and flight time. In those positions, due to their positions, the two tanks (150 or 300 gal.) did come in handy in case of an emergency when the landing gear would not deploy. Maybe some operators thought carrying two tanks were a good idea just in case.
I doubt any Skyhawk was ready to go in an hour based on these pictures. So, as Paul Harvey used to say, that is the rest of the story.
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