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Douglas A-4 Skyhawk

History of the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk

The A-4 Skyhawk (nicknamed "Heinemann's Hot Rod" and "Scooter") was originally a private enterprise when Douglas Corporation attempted to replace the aging AD Skyraider (A-1 Skyraider) piston engine aircraft. The successor to the A-1 was originally another piston engine replacement called the A-2D Skyshark, but engine problems put the project on hold entirely.

During this time, the A-4 Skyhawk has been developed as a small light jet fighter of great interest to the U.S. Navy.

Ed Heinemann was chief designer of the A-4 Skyhawk during his time at Douglas, where he developed nine Skyhawk prototypes, designated XA4D-1 - the first of which flew a Pratt & Whitney J65 powered in September 1956 The vehicle will enter full operational production as the A-4A Skyhawk.

The Pratt & Whitney engine is a British designed and licensed Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire turbojet. The system was capable of producing over 8,000 pounds or standard thrust (with no afterburner built into the engine) and found the base powerplant on the first three A-4s (A, B and C models).

The A-4E Skyhawk model represented a vast improvement over the previous model and provided the US Navy with an overall heavier airframe, but powered by Pratt & Whitney J52 engines. The U.S.

Navy's successor, the A-4F proved to be the last model, and further improved upon the A-4E, most notably the avionics crane visible behind the cockpit in the photo above The cabin "humps" and extends the spine of the torso along the back.

The U.S. Marine Corps has taken orders for the "Ultimate Skyhawk" in the A-4M Skyhawk II. This model features a new enlarged canopy for improved pilot visibility. It also has increased MTOW capacity (almost double that of the base A-4), allowing it to deploy an additional array of weapons.

The A-4M model is equipped with a more powerful J52-P-408 engine, which increases range and overall speed.

Good export figures, Argentina as the first customer. Other countries will follow soon, including Israel, Malaysia, Kuwait, Brazil and Singapore.

Ultimately, the A-4 Skyhawk proved its worth with decades of loyal service to the United States, and both the Navy and Marine Corps put the aircraft through rigorous pacing. The single engine is perfect for the role of the A-4, and its small size compared to other carrier aircraft is ideal for onboard storage.

Specification

Basic

Year:

1956

Status:

Retired, out of service

Staff:

Production

[ 2,960 units ] :

McDonnell Douglas - USA

Roles

- Fighter

- Ground Attack

- Naval/Navigation

- Education

Dimensions

Length:

40.26 ft (12.27 m)

Width:

27.49 ft (8.38 m)

Height:

4.57m

Weight

Curb Weight:

10,465 lbs (4,747 kg)

MTOW:

11,115 kg

(difference: +14.039lb)

Performance

1 x Pratt & Whitney J52-P-408 non-afterburning turbojet, 11,200 lbs thrust.

Performance

Maximum Speed:

645 mph (1,038 km/h; 560 knots)

Service Limit:

38,698 ft (11,795 m; 7.33 mi)

Maximum range:

2,001 miles (3,220 km; 1,739 nautical miles)

Rate of climb:

3,139 m/min (10,300 ft/min)

Armor

Standard, Fixed:

2 x 20mm Colt Mk 12 with automatic built-in cannons at the root of the wing (one cannon per root).

Optional:

Mission-specific weapons include one of the following:

AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile.

AGM-12 "Bullpup" air-to-surface missile.

AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missile.

AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missile.

AGM-62 "Walleye" glide drop.

LAU-10 rocket pod.

Atomic bombs B43, B57 and B61.

Conventional throwing bombs Rockeye Mk 7 (cluster), Rockeye II Mark 20 (cluster) and Mark 80.

3 x 370 gallon disposable fuel tanks.

5 external hardpoints (1 x fuselage centerline; 4 x lower wings) for a maximum ammunition load of up to 4,155 kg (9,155 lb); three internal locations for fuel supply.