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Description
| Manufacturer: | Douglas |
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| Base model: | A-4 | ||
| Designation: | A-4 | ||
| Version: | A | ||
| Nickname: | Skyhawk | ||
| Equivalent to: | A4D-1 A4D1A4D-1 | ||
| Designation System: | U.S. Tri-Service | ||
| Designation Period: | 1962-Present | ||
| Basic role: | Attack | ||
| See Also: |
Specifications
| Length: | 39' 4" | 11.9 m | |
| Height: | 15' | 4.5 m | |
| Wingspan: | 27' 6" | 8.3 m | |
| Wingarea: | 260.0 sq ft | 24.1 sq m | |
| Empty Weight: | 8,400 lb | 3,809 kg | |
| Gross Weight: | 14,875 lb | 6,746 kg | |
| Max Weight: | 20,000 lb | 9,070 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 1 | ||
| Powerplant: | Wright J65-2-4 | ||
| Thrust (each): | 7,700 lb | 3,492 kg | |
Performance
| Max Speed: | 664 mph | 1,069 km/h | 577 kt |
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| National Museum of Naval Aviation | NAS Pensacola | Florida |
| New England Air Museum | Windsor Locks | Connecticut |
| U.S. Naval Academy | Anapolis | Maryland |
| United States Marine Corps Air/Ground Museum | Quantico | Virginia |
A-4A on display
National Museum of Naval Aviation | New England Air Museum |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Rich Zidonis Ashtabula, OH | Stationed at MCAS Beaufort 1969-71 in H&MS-31 as an avionics bench technician for the A4. Also went to sea with (I think) VMA-331 aboard the USS Independence (CVA-62). Remember losing two planes while in the Med. One to target fixation during a night shoot. The other to repeated missed catches on the wire. The pilot finally had to eject. Semper Fi. 03/05/2008 @ 22:46 [ref: 19871] |
| joel Crowley Custer, WA | Hi All, any one know capt. Rham or Capt. Powell or Col Barnett from Vma 331 Beaufort S c 1960-61? Tommy Hinds ? i was GTC NCo and plane captain. Joel Crowley Custer, Wa.
How about C M McLean Sgt I have newspaper pics of the cross country record set, non stop. I was also in Edinton, NC hms when we got 1sr a4's Iwakuni, R R, gitmo etc. How bout LT. Braum? Semper Fi all Joel PSRemeber young LT who jettisone drop tank that had been modified to carry gear etc? It was full of rum. How bout Sqd. party at RR when TC hinds and I got stuck and was late delivering the beer? You guys almost lynched us 03/01/2008 @ 00:13 [ref: 19829] |
| joel Crowley Custer, WA | Hi All, any one know capt. Rham or Capt. Powell or Col Barnett from Vma 331 Beaufort S c 1960-61? Tommy Hinds ? i was GTC NCo and plane captain. Joel Crowley Custer, Wa.
How about C M McLean Sgt I have newspaper pics of the cross country record set, non stop. I was also in Edinton, NC hms when we got 1sr a4's Iwakuni, R R, gitmo etc. How bout LT. Braum? Semper Fi all Joel PSRemeber young LT who jettisone drop tank that had been modified to carry gear etc? It was full of rum. How bout Sqd. party at RR when TC hinds and I got stuck and was late delivering the beer? You guys almost lynched us 03/01/2008 @ 00:13 [ref: 19828] |
| joel Crowley Custer, WA | Hi All, any one know capt. Rham or Capt. Powell or Col Barnett from Vma 331 Beaufort S c 1960-61? Tommy Hinds ? i was GTC NCo and plane captain. Joel Crowley Custer, Wa.
How about C M McLean Sgt I have newspaper pics of the cross country record set, non stop. I was also in Edinton, NC hms when we got 1sr a4's Iwakuni, R R, gitmo etc. How bout LT. Braum? Semper Fi all Joel PSRemeber young LT who jettisone drop tank that had been modified to carry gear etc? It was full of rum. How bout Sqd. party at RR when TC hinds and I got stuck and was late delivering the beer? You guys almost lynched us 03/01/2008 @ 00:08 [ref: 19824] |
| Adam Hodge Marietta, GA | Hey Guys,
Not sure which model A-4 section this best to ask this in, haha. :) I'm currently a HS Student (Jr) trying to start up a collection of Scooter patches from any service/mission (VA,VMA,VC,VT, etc) as a keepsake. I'm looking for anything anyone can spare (Squadron Patches,Decomm Patches,Shoulder Patches,Anniv Patches, etc) related to Navy or Marine A-4 Squadrons. I wish I would've had the opportunity to see the Scooter in Navy/Marine Action but came along too late! If anyone can help/donate anything to jumpstart my attempt at a collection, Please email me at HODGETCA@aol.com (Can try and offer a little bit of $$ if need be). I doubt there is many folks my age (17) trying to start a collection like this. Thanks in Advance and Skyhawks Forever! 02/03/2008 @ 02:55 [ref: 19528] |
| Ted Higby , MD | During the latter part of 1966 I was working with the SATS Team , also called MOREST FOR Mobile Arresting Gear (we had no catapults) at DaNang, RVN. A Navy A4 called in a wheels-up landing, although his tailhook still worked and he still had two fuel tanks underneath. In addition, the bird had schrapnel damage as did the pilot to his left arm and shoulder.. We had crash crew foam the strip beginning exactly at the single cable and running down the strip for a couple hundred yards. On the first pass the pilot set the hook down about four inches above the cable and slid down the strip. He went down into the foam on his wing tanks. The combination of tanks and foam were like a plane with skies on snow! He went into afterburner and became airborne!!! On the second pass he caught the cable and came to a rest still on the foam. I was one of the first Marines at the plane. The Navy pilot was already coming out of the cockpit. He had blood on his left arm and shoulder. He was taken out on a medivac chopper. The A4 was lifted off the strip with a large crane. Actually it didn't receive much damage. The same thing happened sometime later with an Air Force F105, but with much different results. The Air Force Generals (3) insisted on foaming the strip about 30 yards ahead of the cable, claiming that as the F105 slid over the cable the tailhook would pick up the cable. We tried to convince them that the bird would cut the cable in half, but they wouldn't listen. That is exactly what happened, It slid over the cable, cutting it in half slidding at about 140 knots down the foam covered runway until it hit the bare asphalt. Then it began to disintegrate. The pilot got out. All of the crash crew trucks ran out of foam at the same time. An Air Force chopper hovered over it with a tank of foam when flames engulfed the chopper which left rapidly and never came back. The F105 burned up completely while the Air Force brass shook their heads. We Marines stood around laughing and commenting on how brilliant they were compared to Navy and Marine Aviators. Later, at Bogue Field I assisted in putting in the first catapults and arresting gear. I help launch a lot of A4s and Phantoms. After an airshow there was always a "beer bust" with steaks. The officers always submitted to being thrown in the bay inlet by we enlisted Marines. Years later I became an Army Chaplain, served a Marine Battalion at Ft. Lee, Virginia and set at the head table with the Commandant at the Marine Corps birthday ball (1986 or 87). I met a lot of former Viet Nam era Marines who became pastors and were serving as Chaplains in the 1980's. 03/15/2006 @ 18:29 [ref: 12811] |
| Pete Wicinski Sarasota, FL | I served at MCAS Quantico as a Radio Repairman MOS 6621 from Jan '60 to Nov '62. During that time the seabees arrived to provide us with a SATS (Small Airfield Tactical System) for our newly acquired A4-D aircraft. It was an exciting time. My childhood buddy Capt. Don Gough was flying the A4 at that time and was dispatched from MCAS Beaufort to GITMO for the Cuban Crisis. Don of course perished in TWA Flight 800 on 17 Jul 1996 ... and his squadron mate and partner Robert J. Herrman perished in their Christen Eagle II "N331GH" on 14 Mar 1998 over Lake Berryessa, CA.
Anyway best to H&HS Squadron officers Maj Bloomer and Maj Butters as well as GySgt Jackson. Respectfully Pete (Ski) Wicinski, CPL E4 02/15/2006 @ 07:30 [ref: 12499] |
| Stu (Frenchy) Vigneux , NH | During my tour in the Navy I was attached to VA-12 at Cecil Field NAS in Jacksonville, Fla. from 9/1962 to 4/1964. As a Plane Captain I proudly took delivery of A4D-2N BuWeps #149499, flown in brand new from the factory. It became my baby to pamper and polish. Even though it was a lot of work, I look back now and realized I was happy with my job and enjoyed my work. When I became an E-5 (ATN-2), I moved into the shop and grew as a technician and as a person. I still got to work on "my" plane occasionally and I took special care to see that the electronics equipment worked extra well for that bird. VA-12 was part of CAG-1 and we were deployed aboard the FDR, CVA-42, a Midway class carrier. We toured the Caribbean for Car-quals several times and made a Med cruise. Remembering the Cuban missile incident and loading "live" big bombs was a very tense time but we made it through. I believe VA-12 was decomissioned around 1986. Any ex-Flying Ubangis out there care to communicate? 06/06/2003 @ 11:33 [ref: 6490] |
| Peter H. Erenfeld , WA | I was a pilot in VMA 331, 1966-1967, Beaufort and VMA 311, Dec 1967-Dec 1968. It was a great airplane to fly. VMA 331 under LtCol. Paul Mcguiness was awesome. There has never been and airplane more accurate in the delivery of "dumb bombs". The airworthyness of the A4 saved my butt on many occasions. 10/26/2001 @ 00:49 [ref: 3486] |
| Bob brenner , LA | I was a Plane Captain, fueler and later an Aviation Structural Mechanic for the Skyhawk's LOX, egress and pneumatic system. This was during 1961 – 64 and involved two West-Pac cruises aboard the USS Oriskany. The Skyhawk was a great performing aircraft and we really enjoyed supporting it during the classified mission days of the Vietnam conflict. The Skyhawk had a great up-time record on land and at sea. 10/08/2001 @ 19:24 [ref: 3363] |
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