The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk (formerly A4D Skyhawk, Douglas later McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing) is an attack aircraft originally designed to operate from United States Navyaircraft carriers. Fifty years after the type's first flight, some of the nearly 3,000 Skyhawks produced remain in service with smaller air arms around the world.
The Skyhawk was designed by Douglas' Ed Heinemann in response to a U.S. Navy call for a jet-powered attack aircraft to replace the A-1 Skyraider. Heinemann opted for a design that would minimize size, weight, and complexity. The result was an aircraft that weighed only half of the Navy's specification and had a wing so compact that it did not need to be folded for carrier stowage. The diminutive Skyhawk soon received the nicknames "Scooter," "Bantam Bomber," and, on account of its nimble performance, "Heinemann's Hot-Rod."
The aircraft is of conventional design, with a low-mounted delta-like wing, tricycle undercarriage, and a single turbojet engine in the rear fuselage, with intakes on the fuselage sides. The tail is of cruciform design, with the horizontal stabilizer mounted above the fuselage. Armament consisted of two 20 mm Colt Mk 12 cannon, one in each wing root with 200 rounds per gun, and large variety of bombs, rockets, and missiles carried on a centreline hardpoint under the fuselage and two hardpoints under each wing (early versions had only one hardpoint under each wing).
The Navy issued a contract for the type on June 121952, and the first prototype first flew on June 22, 1954. Deliveries to Navy and U.S. Marine Corps squadrons commenced in late 1956.
The Skyhawk remained in production until 1975, with a total of 2,960 aircraft built, including 555 two-seat trainers. The US Navy began removing the aircraft from its front-line squadrons in 1967, with the last retiring in 1975. The last Marine Skyhawk was delivered in 1979, and were used until the mid-1990s. Trainer versions of the Skyhawk remained in Navy service, however, found a new lease on life with the advent of adversary training , where the nimble A-4 was used as a stand-in for the MiG-17 in dissimilar air combat training (DACT). It served in that role until 1999, when the last were replaced with the T-45 Goshawk. The last US Navy Skyhawks, TA-4J models belonging to composite squadron VC-8, remained in military use for target-towing and as adversary aircraft for combat training at Naval Air Station Roosevelt Roads. They were officially retired on May 3, 2003.
In combat
Skyhawks received much use in the early years of the Vietnam War until being supplanted by the A-7 Corsair II in the light bomber role. Skyhawks carried out some of the first air strikes by the US during the conflict and a Marine Skyhawk is believed to have dropped the last US bombs on the country. Notable pilots like Lt. (Jg) Everett Alvarez, John McCain, and Vice Admiral James Stockdale flew the Skyhawk. On one occasion, an A-4C Skyhawk, piloted by LCDR Ted Swartz from from attack squadron VA-76, shot down a MiG-17 with an unguided rocket.
TA-4S 7 trainer versions of the above. Different from most Skyhawk trainers in that they have a second canopy for the instruction, rather than seating student and instructor under one long canopy.
TA-4SU ("Super Skyhawk") extensively modified and updated A-4S with General Electric F404 non-afterburning turbofan engine and modernised electronics.
A-4PTM 40 A-4Cs and A-4Ls refurbished for Royal Malaysian Air Force, incorporating many A-4M features.
TA-4PTM Small number of trainer versions of above.
A4D-4 long-range version with new wings cancelled; A-4D designation skipped to prevent confusion with A4D
A-4E
A4D-5 (A-4E) major upgrade, including new Pratt & Whitney J52-P-6A engine with 8,400 lbf (37 kN) thrust, strengthened airframe with two more weapon pylons (for a total of five), improved avionics, with TACAN, Doppler navigation radar, radar altimeter, toss-bombing computer, and AJB-3A low-altitude bombing system. Many later upgraded with J52-P-8 engine with 9,300 lbf (41 kN) thrust. 499 built.
TA-4E two A-4Es modified as prototypes of a trainer version.
A-4F
A-4F Refinement of A-4E with extra avionics housed in a hump on the fuselage spine (this feature later retrofitted to A-4Es and some A-4Cs) and more powerful J52-P-8A engine with 9,300 lbf (41 kN) thrust, later upgraded in service to J52-P-408 with 11,200 lbf (50 kN). 147 built. Some served with Blue Angels acrobatic team from 1973 to 1986.
TA-4F Conversion trainer - standard A-4F with extra seat for an instructor. 241 built.
OA-4M Twenty-three TA-4Fs modified for Forward Air Control duties for the USMC.
TA-4J Dedicated trainer version based on A-4F, but lacking weapons systems, and with down-rated engine. 277 built new, and most TA-4Fs were later converted to this configuration.
A-4G Eight aircraft built new for the Royal Australian Navy with minor variations from the A-4F. Subsequently, eight more A-4Fs were modified to this standard for the RAN.
TA-4G two trainer versions of the A-4G built new, and two more modified from TA-4Fs.
A-4H 90 aircraft for the Israeli Air Force based on the A-4F. Used 30 mm DEFA cannon with 150 rounds per gun in place of U.S. 20 mm guns. Later, some A-4Es later locally modified to this standard. Subsequently modified with extended jetpipes as protection against heat-seeking missiles.
TA-4H 25 trainer versions of the above. These remain in service, and are being refurbished with new avionics and systems for service till at least 2010 .
A-4M dedicated Marine version with improved avionics and more powerful J52-P-408 engine with 11,200 lbf (50 kN) thrust, enlarged cockpit, IFF system. Later fitted with Hughes AN/ASB-19 Angle Rate Bombing System (ARBS) with TV and laser spot tracker. 158 built.
A-4N 117 modified A-4Ms for the Israeli Air Force.
A-4KU 30 modified A-4Ms for the Kuwaiti Air Force. Brazil purchased some of these second-hand and redesignated them AF-1.
TA-4KU 6 trainer versions of the above. Brazil purchased some of these second-hand and redesignated them AF-1A.
A-4AR 36 A-4Ms refurbished for Argentina.
Units using the A-4
USN
VA-12
VA-15
VA-22
VA-23
VA-34
VA-36
VA-44
VA-46
VA-55
VA-56
VA-64
VA-65
VA-72
VA-76
VA-81
VA-83
VA-86
VA-93
VA-94
VA-95
VA-106
VA-112
VA-113
VA-125
VA-127
VA-144
VA-146
VA-152
VA-153
VA-155
VA-161
VA-163
VA-164
VA-165
VA-176
VA-192
VA-195
VA-203
VA-204
VA-205
VA-209
VA-210
VA-212
VA-216
VA-303
VA-304
VA-305
VA-776
VA-831
VA-873
VC-7
VC-8
VC(VFC)-12
VC(VFC)-13
VF-126
VT-7
USMC
VMA-211
VAM-214
VAM-223
VMA-311
VMA-331
VMA-225
VMA-133
Brazilian Air Force
Argentinean Air Force
4th Air Brigade (A-4C, withdrawn from use)
5th Air Brigade (36 A/OA-4AR, replaced older A-4B)
Argentinean Navy
3rd Fighter/Attack Flight (A-4Q, withdrawn from use in 1986)
Royal Australian Navy
VF-805 Squadron (10 A-4G, followed by 10 ex USN A-4F modified to G standard. Withdrawn from use 1983)
VC-724 Squadron (4 TA-4G/F, withdrawn from use 1982)
8 Surviving A-4G and 2 TA-4G sold to New Zealand, and subsequently upgraded to A-4K level with the "Kahu" program
