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McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Attack Bomber |
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DESCRIPTION:
In 1952, the US Navy and Marines requested a new tactical attack jet weighing 30,000 lb. The Navy was quite surprised when the Douglas Aircraft Company claimed to be able to meet the design specifications with an aircraft weighing only half as much. Not only did the resulting A-4 fully meet all performance requirements, but the aircraft also set a world speed record in 1954. The A-4 was designed from experience gained in the Korean War that made clear the need for an aircraft with greater range and payload, suitable for use on aircraft carriers, and able to provide close-in support for ground forces. The Skyhawk proved a great success in Vietnam and also became popular with many foreign militaries. Although nearly 30 years old at the time of the Falkland Islands conflict, A-4s operating from Argentine land bases successfully attacked and sank a number of British ships. The last of 2,960 Skyhawks was built in 1980, though upgrade programs continued well into the 1990s.
Data below for A-4S-1 |
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| HISTORY: | |
| First Flight |
(XA4D-1) 22 June 1954 (A-4A) 14 August 1954 |
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Service Entry
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October 1956
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| CREW: |
one: pilot
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ESTIMATED COST:
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$860,000 [1955$]
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| AIRFOIL SECTIONS: | |
| Wing Root | NACA 0008-1.1-25 |
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Wing Tip
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NACA 0005-.825-50
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| DIMENSIONS: | |
| Length | 41.71 ft (12.72 m) |
| Wingspan | 27.50 ft (8.38 m) |
| Height | 14.98 ft (4.57 m) |
| Wing Area | 260 ft² (24.2 m²) |
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Canard Area
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not applicable
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| WEIGHTS: | |
| Empty | 10,250 lb (4,649 kg) |
| Normal Takeoff | unknown |
| Max Takeoff | 22,500 lb (10,205 kg) |
| Fuel Capacity |
internal: unknown external: unknown |
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Max Payload
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8,200 lb (3,720 kg)
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| PROPULSION: | |
| Powerplant |
(A-4F) one Pratt & Whitney J52-8A turbojet (A-4M) one Pratt & Whitney J52-408 turbojet (A-4S-1) one General Electric F404-100D turbofan |
| Thrust |
(A-4F) 9,300 lb (41.37 kN) (A-4M) 11,200 lb (49.82 kN) (A-4S-1) 10,800 lb (48.04 kN) |
| PERFORMANCE: | |
| Max Level Speed |
at altitude: 595 mph (955 km/h) at 34,000 ft (10,365 m) [A-4F] at sea level: 700 mph (1,130 km/h) |
| Initial Climb Rate | 8,440 ft (2,570 m) / min |
| Service Ceiling | 40,000 ft (12,190 m) |
| Range |
typical: 800 nm (1,480 km) ferry: 1,790 nm (3,310 km) |
| g-Limits |
unknown
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| ARMAMENT: | |
| Gun |
two Mk 12 20-mm cannons (200 rds ea) or two DEFA 552/553 30-mm cannons (150 rds ea) |
| Stations | five external hardpoints |
| Air-to-Air Missile | AIM-9 Sidewinder, Shafrir |
| Air-to-Surface Missile | AGM-12 Bullpup, AGM-62 Walleye, AGM-65 Maverick, Gabriel III |
| Bomb | Mk 82/83/84 GP, nuclear, cluster bombs |
| Other |
rocket pods, ECM pods, refueling pods, torpedoes
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| KNOWN VARIANTS: | |
| XA4D-1 | First prototype, powered by one Wright J65-2 turbojet |
| YAD-1 or YA-4A | Preproduction test model with Wright J65-4 or J65-4B turbojets |
| A4D-1 or A-4A | First production model; 146 built |
| A4D-2 or A-4B | Improved A-4A with strengthened rear fuselage, in-flight refueling capability, and an improved Wright J65-16 turbojet engine; 542 built |
| A4D-2N or A-4C | One-seat attack model with terrain-following radar, an autopilot, and J65-16C engine; 638 built |
| A4D-3 | Proposed all-weather attack model with a Pratt & Whitney engine, not built |
| A4D-5 or A-4E | Improved model with a new Pratt & Whitney J52-6A turbojet engine and increased payload; 494 built |
| A4D-6 | Proposed attack model with a Pratt & Whitney TF30 turbofan engine and enlarged fuselage, not built |
| TA-4E | Prototype two-seat trainer based on the A-4E with a lengthened fuselage and decreased fuel capacity |
| TA-4F | Production model of the TA-4E trainer with a Pratt & Whitney J52-8A engine; 240 built |
| A-4F | First model with an enlarged fuselage "hump" containing avionics and allowing increased fuel capacity, final attack model built for the US Navy; 146 built |
| A-4G | Export version of the A-4E originally built for the Royal Australian Navy and later sold to the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1984; 8 built |
| TA-4G | Two-seat trainer based on the A-4G built for the Royal Australian Navy and later sold to the Royal New Zealand Navy |
| A-4H | Export version of the A-4E built for the Israeli Air Force, equipped with a braking parachute and the 20-mm guns were replaced by 30-mm caliber guns; 90 built |
| TA-4H | Two-seat trainer based on the A-4H for Israel; 10 built |
| TA-4J | Two-seat trainer for the US Navy; 291 built |
| A-4K | Export version of the A-4F built for the Royal New Zealand Air Force; 10 built |
| TA-4K | Two-seat trainer based on the A-4K for the RNZAF; 4 built |
| A-4KU | Export version of the A-4M built for Kuwait; 30 built |
| TA-4KU | Two-seat trainer based on the A-4KU for Kuwait; 6 built |
| A-4L | A-4C airframes rebuilt for use by the US Naval Reserves |
| A-4M | Improved attack model for the US Marine Corps with a new bombing system, radar warning receivers, internal ECM jammers, a heads-up-display, payload dispensers, and an uprated engine; 162 built |
| A-4N | Attack model for Israel based on the A-4M; 267 one-seat and 27 two-seat models built |
| A-4P | Re-built A-4B aircraft acquired by the Argentine Air Force |
| A-4PTM | Re-built A-4C/L aircraft with new radios, gunsights, avionics, and increased payload capacity sold to Maylasia; 34 converted |
| TA-4PTM | Two-seat trainers for Malaysia similar to the A-4PTM; 6 converted |
| A-4Q | Re-built A-4B aircraft acquired by the Argentine Navy |
| A-4S, A-4S-1 | Re-built A-4B aircraft bought by the Singapore Air Force |
| A-4SU, TA-4S | Two-seat trainers based on the A-4S series and purchased by Singapore |
| A-4Y | unknown |
| OA-4 |
Forward air control model
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KNOWN COMBAT RECORD:
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Vietnam War (USN, USMC, 1965-1973) Yom Kippur War (Israel, 1973) Falklands War (Argentina, 1982) Iraq - Operation Desert Storm (Kuwait, 1991) |
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KNOWN OPERATORS:
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Argentina, Fuerza Aérea Argentina (Argentine Air Force) Argentina, Comando de Aviación Naval Argentina (Argentine Naval Aviation) Australia (Royal Australian Navy) Brazil, Força Aeronaval da Marinha do Brasil (Brazilian Naval Air Arm) Indonesia, Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Udara (Indonesian Air Force) Israel, Tsvah Haganah le Israel - Heyl Ha'Avir (Israeli Defence Force - Air Force) Kuwait, al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya (Kuwaiti Air Force) Malaysia, Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (Royal Malaysian Air Force) New Zealand (Royal New Zealand Air Force) New Zealand (Royal New Zealand Navy) Singapore (Republic of Singapore Air Force) United States (US Marine Corps) United States (US Navy) United States (US Naval Reserve) |
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