How good was the A-4 Skyhawk?
The Skyhawk had a top speed of 645 miles per hour and an impressive range of up to 2,001 miles. It could haul nearly 10,000 pounds of bombs and could carry the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile. An additional two 20mm cannons gave it the ability to handle air or ground targets.
When did the A-4 enter service?
1956
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, entering service in 1956, sacrificed speed for ordnance-delivery capability. One of the most structurally efficient aircraft ever built, it carried the burden of U.S. Navy attacks on ground targets in North Vietnam and was often used by Israeli pilots in the Middle Eastern…
Was the A-4 a good plane?
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was a marvelous combat plane: tough and able to take punishment. More than 29 variants of the Skyhawk were used by the United States Navy and Marines, and it received further modifications while serving with foreign countries.
Was the a4 used in Vietnam?
Marine pilots in their diminutive Douglas A-4 Skyhawks provided vital close air support for ground forces in Vietnam. Designed as a Navy shipboard attack airplane, the A-4 had the smallest possible airframe to assist stowage aboard carriers. By 1965, as the A-4E, the Skyhawk had become a highly capable warplane.
What is the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk™?
Manual DTG Version 1.1 1 Introduction The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk™ was designed to replace the piston- engined AD Skyraider in the close air support and interdiction role. It was capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons. The prototype flew on 22 June, 1954.The first production model, the A-4A™
When did the Navy stop flying the A-4 Skyhawk?
The Navy operated the A-4 in both Regular Navy and Naval Reserve light attack squadrons (VA). Although the A-4’s use as a training and adversary aircraft would continue well into the 1990s, the Navy began removing the aircraft from its frontline attack squadrons in 1967, with the last ones (Super Foxes of VA-55/212/164) being retired in 1976.
What type of aircraft is the Skyhawk?
The delta winged, single turbojet engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later by McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated A4D under the U.S. Navy’s pre-1962 designation system .
What is the A-4 Skyraider known for?
The A-4 pioneered the concept of “buddy” air-to-air refueling. This allows the aircraft to supply others of the same type, reducing the need for dedicated tanker aircraft—a particular advantage for small air arms or when operating in remote locations.