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The A-4 Skyhawk was an attack aircraft originally designed to operate from United States Navy aircraft 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, including active duty on a carrier. The aircraft, designated the A4D under the US Navy's pre-1962 desigation system, was designed by the Douglas Aircraft Corporation (later McDonnell Douglas, now part of Boeing). |
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Brazilian Navy A-4 in flight over Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian locales. Can't think it gets too much better than this . . . |
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Argentine Air Force A-4AR Fightinghawk |
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This video was created by Kane "Grover" Milne.
www.grover.co.nz |
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Douglas built 2,960 Skyhawks between 1954 and 1979. Built small to be cost effective and so that more could be accommodated on a carrier, the lightweight, high-speed bombers were affectionately nicknamed "Heinemann's Hot Rod" (after Douglas designer Ed Heinemann), the Bantam Bomber, Mighty Mite and Scooter. Skyhawks provided the U.S. Navy and Marines and friendly nations with maneuverable, yet powerful, attack bombers that had great altitude and range capabilities, plus an unusual flexibility in armament capacity.
The Skyhawk A4D was roughly half the empty weight of its contemporaries and could fly at 677 mph at sea level. After 1956, it had provisions for in-flight refueling, and it carried anti-radar missiles on its wing racks. After 1966, it included a hump-like avionics pod. Upgraded models had improved engines and a drogue parachute, new avionics displays, larger cockpit canopies, and more ammunition for the two cannons. Two-seat trainer versions included the TA-4F, TA-4J and the TA-4K Series.
The Blue Angels chose the A-4 in the early '70s, replacing the thundering F-4. By adopting the Skyhawk, the team now had an aircraft that was much more aerobatic than before. This allowed for a tighter display and the ability to keep much of the performance in front of the audience.
The A-4 Skyhawk was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Corporation and was designed by Ed Heinemann. Its primary users are United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. Its maiden flight happened on the 22nd of June 1954 but it was introduced in 1956.
The A-4 Skyhawk is a lightweight, single engine attack aircraft. It is said to be one of the most famous attack aircrafts ever designed. The short range attack and close support aircraft was originally intended for the U.S. Navy and Marine forces. The A-4F variant was a refinement of A-4E. It has extra avionics housed in a hump on the fuselage spine. Some of this variant served with Blue Angels acrobatic team during 1973 to 1986.
The Blue Angels are the best U.S. military aerobatic team who flew the A-4 until 1987 when it was replaced by the F/A-18 Hornet. They flew different kind of aircraft over the years including Grumman Hellcats, Bearcat, Panther, and the Skyhawk. The A-4 Skyhawk was chosen in the early 70s over F-4 as Skyhawk is said to be more fuel efficient than the Phantom. It was chosen because it was the aircraft that was more appropriate that time in the midst of an oil crisis. With the A-4 used by the team, different display was done. The Skyhawk was more aerobatic than the other aircraft. This allowed them to have a tighter display and be able to keep their performance in front of the audience.
The pilots of the Blue Angels enjoyed flying the A-4 Skyhawk because it is easy to maintain and the accident rate was quite low. Eventually, there were new aircrafts that replaced the Skyhawk. It retired in 1976 for the U.S. Navy while in 1998 in U.S. Marine Corps. However it is still active in other countries.
Its combat career began with the first American carrier-launched raids on North Vietnam, Aug. 4, 1964. Later, during Israel's Yom Kippur war in 1973, Skyhawks provided much of the short-range striking power on the Sinai and Golan Heights fronts.
The Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron flew the A-4F Skyhawk II from 1974 to 1986. Skyhawks were also used by the armed forces of Argentina, Australia, Israel, Kuwait, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and New Zealand, and they remained active with several air services into the 2000s.
Song: Monkey Man, Let It Bleed, by The Rolling Stones
See also Goodfellas directed by Martin Scorsese |
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The F-18 Hornet in the picture is painted in the Blue and White paint scheme used for prototype testing before fleet introduction of the design to the Navy and Marine Corps in the early 80's. This was most likely a stores jettison test with the A-4 Skyhawk wingman observing and filming the event which obviously malfunctioned. The store was probably an ordnance rack, fuel tank or some other suspension device which was tested for proper separation when jettisoned by the Test pilot. |
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My Own Tribute to the RNZAF's A4-Skyhawks.
Footage i beleive is from a video of the Kiwi Red (aerobatic team) New Zealand Tour, Which my Dad's Mate dug up for us, Edited By Me.
Check Out 2:40 For in-flight aerobatic refueling (if thats what you call it)
Somthing ive never seen Nor knew the RNZAF did.
For the aircraft junkies ive got a special page with all my videos on my website - http://www.sbp.bravehost.com/aircraft.html
NOTE: Yes there is a spelling mistake in the video, just shut up :)
_______________________________
A History Lesson For Those who live under a rock:
The A-4 Skyhawk (in all its variants) is a simple 60's Attack Aircraft/ Fighter-Bomber.
The Royal New Zealand Airforce operated up to 24 Skyhawks in 2 squadrons, No2 & No75.
In The 1990's the Skyhawks where upgraded through Project Kahu (maori for falcon)'
This enabled the use of Sidewinders and GBU Lazer guided bombs.
Along with new radar and avionics, the RNZAF's Skyhawks where comparable to modern F16s.
In 2001, The Labour Government Cancelled an Order Of 28 Block15 F16s, And Then disbanded Our A-4 Skyhawks and Aermacchi MB-339s.
So in conclusion, Our tax went into project kahu, purchased near new Aermacchi's and in 2001 it went down the poo tube.
Thanks Uncle Helen!! |
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A-4 Skyhawk do Kuwait na Guerra do Golfo 1991, atualmente esses aviões pertencem a Marinha do Brasil com designação AF-1. |
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ON SALE NOW at www.bariqatlantic.com. A4 Skyhawk EDF rc jet plane comes in a short combo version requiring only radio system and flight battery. |
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Various simulation models of the A4 Skyhawk.
This video was created by Kane "Grover" Milne.
www.grover.co.nz |
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Electric ducted fan |
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Testflight with Alfa Models 5 Blade fan |
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Flight from this Sunday |
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Beautiful Blue Angels theme Jepe A-4 screaming around the Balsa Bee's field. |
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Deck handling and launch operations of Douglas A-4 "Skyhawks" during the Vietnam-era. |
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Here's Kevin Saunders A-4 zooming around the sky. ROG from grass, great flyer. |
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This is the Yellow Aircraft A-4 Skyhawk with an O.S. .91/Dynamax fan. Piloted by Shaun Evans at the Arizona Jet Rally '99 |
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Pulling an A-4 Skyhawk at a strongwoman competition. Odd Haugen there next to me cheering me on! |
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A-4 SKYHAWK 2nd FLT. |
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Decolagem do AF-1 do NAe São Paulo |
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A Shoot Management event; Porsche 911 GT3 vs Royal New Zealand Air Force A4 Skyhawk Jet |
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A-4 Skyhawk ARF |
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o primeiro voo do modelo a-4 skyhawk
rasantes em alta velocidade. |
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Sunday flight at Björkön Sundsvall |
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F-18 downs an A-4 Skyhawk |
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Manufacturer: www.AMDhobby.com
Retailer : www.rcMart.com
Model No: S001 A-4 SkyHawk |
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Video from the Flight Sim "Strike Fighters" (Mod) |
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Radio control EDF model jet from Alfa Model. You can find out more about this product on the CML website: http://www.cmldistribution.co.uk/cml_product.php?menu=rc_aircraft&productId=0000002862 |
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NZRAF A4 SkyHawk Ultra Low Flyby |
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BAM - Brazilian Army Mod
Integrantes:
Fernando(Dragon44)
Hugo(Maverick)
John(Fuziler)
Pedro(Querosene)
Aeronave A4 Skyhawk da Marinha do Brasil, no simulador de guerra Operation Flashpoint.
Airplane A4 Skyhawk of the Brazilian Navy, in the war simulator Operation Flashpoint
A-4 Skyhawk de la Marina Brasileña, en el simulador de guerra Operation Flashpoint |
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o voo... |
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Brazilian A4 Skyhawks doing what they do best. |
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Pouso do AF-1 no NAe São Paulo |
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Pouso do AF-1 no porta-aviões São Paulo |
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o pouso do modelo. |
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My TA-4j based in GYI |
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This is the Yellow Aircraft A-4 on an O.S. .91/Dynamax fan. This plane is very heavy due to repairs/mods. Arizona Jet Rally '99, piloted by Shaun Evans |
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2W-20 motor,6904 fan |
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F-15 Eagle collides with A-4 Skyhawk during Israeli training exercise on May 1, 1983. Amazingly, the pilot Zivi Nadavi was able to salvage his aircraft and land safely, if a bit uncomfortably fast. |
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A4 SkyHawk PAMA 2006 |
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A-4 based Denison Tx. Want a Ride? call Air-1 FBO, Denison Tx |
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GWS A-4 Skyhawk Flyby |
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Hicieron 4 pasadas por el cielo de camilo |
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Este video reune imágenes y sonido del hundimiento del destructor HMS Coventry por aviones A4 Skyhawk de la Fuerza Aerea Argentina durante la Guerra de Malvinas en 1982. |
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A-4 Skyhawk de Jacobo Villalobos. |
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Il direttore alle prese con la cabina di un A4 Skyhawk |
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algumas manobras.. |
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In the Falklands War in 1982 the argentinan Air Force was able to Sunk the HMS Antelope with the a couple of A4 Sky Hawk |
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http://www.aviationlive.org Online Aviation Pics,Videos and Forum
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft design that was introduced to replace the A-4 Skyhawk in US Naval service and based on the successful supersonic F-8 Crusader aircraft produced by Chance Vought. The A-7 was one of the first combat aircraft to feature a head-up display (HUD), doppler-bounded inertial navigation system (INS), and a turbofan engine. It initially entered service with the United States Navy during the Vietnam conflict and was then adopted by the United States Air Force to replace their A-1 Skyraiders that were borrowed from the Navy as well as with the Air National Guard. It was exported to Greece (in the 1970s), Portugal and Thailand (in the late 1980s).
In 1962, the United States Navy began preliminary work on VAX (Heavier-than-air, Attack, Experimental), a replacement for the A-4 Skyhawk with greater range and payload. A particular emphasis was placed on accurate delivery of weapons to reduce the cost per target. The requirements were finalized in 1963 and in 1964, the Navy announced the VAL (Heavier-than-air, Attack, Light) competition. Contrary to USAF philosophy, which was to employ only supersonic fighter bombers such as the F-105 Thunderchief and F-100 Super Sabre, the Navy felt that a subsonic design could carry the most payload the farthest distance. One story illustrated that a "slow fat duck" could fly nearly as fast as a supersonic one, since carrying dozens of iron bombs also restricted its entry speed, but a fast plane with small wings and an afterburner would burn up a lot more fuel. To minimize costs, all proposals had to be based on existing designs. Vought, Douglas Aircraft, Grumman, and North American Aviation responded. The Vought proposal was based on the successful F-8 Crusader fighter, having an identical configuration, but more short and stubby, with a rounded nose. It was selected as the winner on 11 February 1964, and on 19 March the company received a contract for the initial batch of aircraft, designated A-7. In 1965 the aircraft received the popular name Corsair II, after Vought's highly successful F4U Corsair of World War II.
Compared to the F-8 Crusader fighter, the A-7 had a shorter, broader fuselage. The wing was made larger, and the unique variable incidence wing of the F-8 was deleted. To achieve the required range, A-7 was powered by a Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-6 turbofan producing 11,345 lbf (50.5 kN) of thrust, the same innovative combat turbofan produced for the F-111, but without the afterburner needed for supersonic speeds. Turbofans achieve greater efficiency by moving a larger mass of air at a lower velocity.
The aircraft was fitted with an AN/APQ-116 radar which was integrated into the ILAAS digital navigation system. The radar also fed a digital weapons computer which made possible accurate delivery of bombs from a greater stand-off distance, greatly improving survivability compared with faster platforms such as the F-4 Phantom II. It was the first US aircraft to have a modern Heads-Up Display, now a standard instrument, which displayed information such as dive angle, airspeed, altitude, drift, and aiming reticle. The integrated navigation system allowed for another innovation -- the projected map display system (PMDS) which accurately showed aircraft position on two different map scales.
The A-7 enjoyed the fastest and most trouble-free development period of any American combat aircraft since World War Two. The YA-7A made its first flight on 27 September 1965, and began to enter Navy squadron service late in 1966. The first Navy A-7 squadrons reached operation status on 1 February 1967, and began combat operations over Vietnam in December of that year.
Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara prodded the Air Force to adopt not only the hugely successful F-4 Phantom II, but also the Navy's A-7 Corsair as a low cost follow-on to F-105s until the troubled F-111 came online. The Air Force ordered the A-7D with a fixed high speed refueling receptacle behind the pilot optimized for the KC-135's flying boom rather than the folding long probe of Navy aircraft. They opted for the M61 Vulcan cannon rather than the twin single-barrel 20 mm cannon, and changed to the Allison TF41-A-1 engine, which was a licenced version of the British Rolls-Royce Spey. The TF41-A-1 engine produced 14,500 lbf (64 kN) of thrust. Later Navy versions would adopt this gun and engine.
The A-7 Corsair II was tagged with the nickname "SLUF" ("Short Little Ugly Feller" was the polite version) by pilots.
napalm mk-82 cluster bombs airfield attack naval crete creta army |
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http://www.aviationlive.org Online Aviation Pics,Videos and Forum
##The Best Bomber Ever##
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft design that was introduced to replace the A-4 Skyhawk in US Naval service and based on the successful supersonic F-8 Crusader aircraft produced by Chance Vought. The A-7 was one of the first combat aircraft to feature a head-up display (HUD), doppler-bounded inertial navigation system (INS), and a turbofan engine. It initially entered service with the United States Navy during the Vietnam conflict and was then adopted by the United States Air Force to replace their A-1 Skyraiders that were borrowed from the Navy as well as with the Air National Guard. It was exported to Greece (in the 1970s), Portugal and Thailand (in the late 1980s).
In 1962, the United States Navy began preliminary work on VAX (Heavier-than-air, Attack, Experimental), a replacement for the A-4 Skyhawk with greater range and payload. A particular emphasis was placed on accurate delivery of weapons to reduce the cost per target. The requirements were finalized in 1963 and in 1964, the Navy announced the VAL (Heavier-than-air, Attack, Light) competition. Contrary to USAF philosophy, which was to employ only supersonic fighter bombers such as the F-105 Thunderchief and F-100 Super Sabre, the Navy felt that a subsonic design could carry the most payload the farthest distance. One story illustrated that a "slow fat duck" could fly nearly as fast as a supersonic one, since carrying dozens of iron bombs also restricted its entry speed, but a fast plane with small wings and an afterburner would burn up a lot more fuel. To minimize costs, all proposals had to be based on existing designs. Vought, Douglas Aircraft, Grumman, and North American Aviation responded. The Vought proposal was based on the successful F-8 Crusader fighter, having an identical configuration, but more short and stubby, with a rounded nose. It was selected as the winner on 11 February 1964, and on 19 March the company received a contract for the initial batch of aircraft, designated A-7. In 1965 the aircraft received the popular name Corsair II, after Vought's highly successful F4U Corsair of World War II.
Compared to the F-8 Crusader fighter, the A-7 had a shorter, broader fuselage. The wing was made larger, and the unique variable incidence wing of the F-8 was deleted. To achieve the required range, A-7 was powered by a Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-6 turbofan producing 11,345 lbf (50.5 kN) of thrust, the same innovative combat turbofan produced for the F-111, but without the afterburner needed for supersonic speeds. Turbofans achieve greater efficiency by moving a larger mass of air at a lower velocity.
The aircraft was fitted with an AN/APQ-116 radar which was integrated into the ILAAS digital navigation system. The radar also fed a digital weapons computer which made possible accurate delivery of bombs from a greater stand-off distance, greatly improving survivability compared with faster platforms such as the F-4 Phantom II. It was the first US aircraft to have a modern Heads-Up Display, now a standard instrument, which displayed information such as dive angle, airspeed, altitude, drift, and aiming reticle. The integrated navigation system allowed for another innovation -- the projected map display system (PMDS) which accurately showed aircraft position on two different map scales.
The A-7 enjoyed the fastest and most trouble-free development period of any American combat aircraft since World War Two. The YA-7A made its first flight on 27 September 1965, and began to enter Navy squadron service late in 1966. The first Navy A-7 squadrons reached operation status on 1 February 1967, and began combat operations over Vietnam in December of that year.
Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara prodded the Air Force to adopt not only the hugely successful F-4 Phantom II, but also the Navy's A-7 Corsair as a low cost follow-on to F-105s until the troubled F-111 came online. The Air Force ordered the A-7D with a fixed high speed refueling receptacle behind the pilot optimized for the KC-135's flying boom rather than the folding long probe of Navy aircraft. They opted for the M61 Vulcan cannon rather than the twin single-barrel 20 mm cannon, and changed to the Allison TF41-A-1 engine, which was a licenced version of the British Rolls-Royce Spey. The TF41-A-1 engine produced 14,500 lbf (64 kN) of thrust. Later Navy versions would adopt this gun and engine.
The A-7 Corsair II was tagged with the nickname "SLUF" ("Short Little Ugly Feller" was the polite version) by pilots.
napalm mk-82 cluster bombs airfield attack naval crete creta army |
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Here they are again !! One year after the first video, the "falcões"
of VF-1 are back at scene releasing the new 2007 video. Very interesting footage.
These venerable Scooters are still rocking and rolling down in
South America. It's a compilation of images about operations performed by the Brazilian Navy A-4 Skyhawks Squadron like: Formation flights, Carrier Operations, Attack against the Fleet, Shot against flying drones with the Sidewinder Missile, Air Refuelling with C-130 Hercules from Brazilian Air Force. I hope you enjoy.
Scooters Forever
(video by Sobra - text by Igorsb) |
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http://www.aviationlive.org Online Aviation Pics,Videos and Forum
##The Best Bomber Ever##
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft design that was introduced to replace the A-4 Skyhawk in US Naval service and based on the successful supersonic F-8 Crusader aircraft produced by Chance Vought. The A-7 was one of the first combat aircraft to feature a head-up display (HUD), doppler-bounded inertial navigation system (INS), and a turbofan engine. It initially entered service with the United States Navy during the Vietnam conflict and was then adopted by the United States Air Force to replace their A-1 Skyraiders that were borrowed from the Navy as well as with the Air National Guard. It was exported to Greece (in the 1970s), Portugal and Thailand (in the late 1980s).
In 1962, the United States Navy began preliminary work on VAX (Heavier-than-air, Attack, Experimental), a replacement for the A-4 Skyhawk with greater range and payload. A particular emphasis was placed on accurate delivery of weapons to reduce the cost per target. The requirements were finalized in 1963 and in 1964, the Navy announced the VAL (Heavier-than-air, Attack, Light) competition. Contrary to USAF philosophy, which was to employ only supersonic fighter bombers such as the F-105 Thunderchief and F-100 Super Sabre, the Navy felt that a subsonic design could carry the most payload the farthest distance. One story illustrated that a "slow fat duck" could fly nearly as fast as a supersonic one, since carrying dozens of iron bombs also restricted its entry speed, but a fast plane with small wings and an afterburner would burn up a lot more fuel. To minimize costs, all proposals had to be based on existing designs. Vought, Douglas Aircraft, Grumman, and North American Aviation responded. The Vought proposal was based on the successful F-8 Crusader fighter, having an identical configuration, but more short and stubby, with a rounded nose. It was selected as the winner on 11 February 1964, and on 19 March the company received a contract for the initial batch of aircraft, designated A-7. In 1965 the aircraft received the popular name Corsair II, after Vought's highly successful F4U Corsair of World War II.
Compared to the F-8 Crusader fighter, the A-7 had a shorter, broader fuselage. The wing was made larger, and the unique variable incidence wing of the F-8 was deleted. To achieve the required range, A-7 was powered by a Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-6 turbofan producing 11,345 lbf (50.5 kN) of thrust, the same innovative combat turbofan produced for the F-111, but without the afterburner needed for supersonic speeds. Turbofans achieve greater efficiency by moving a larger mass of air at a lower velocity.
The aircraft was fitted with an AN/APQ-116 radar which was integrated into the ILAAS digital navigation system. The radar also fed a digital weapons computer which made possible accurate delivery of bombs from a greater stand-off distance, greatly improving survivability compared with faster platforms such as the F-4 Phantom II. It was the first US aircraft to have a modern Heads-Up Display, now a standard instrument, which displayed information such as dive angle, airspeed, altitude, drift, and aiming reticle. The integrated navigation system allowed for another innovation -- the projected map display system (PMDS) which accurately showed aircraft position on two different map scales.
The A-7 enjoyed the fastest and most trouble-free development period of any American combat aircraft since World War Two. The YA-7A made its first flight on 27 September 1965, and began to enter Navy squadron service late in 1966. The first Navy A-7 squadrons reached operation status on 1 February 1967, and began combat operations over Vietnam in December of that year.
Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara prodded the Air Force to adopt not only the hugely successful F-4 Phantom II, but also the Navy's A-7 Corsair as a low cost follow-on to F-105s until the troubled F-111 came online. The Air Force ordered the A-7D with a fixed high speed refueling receptacle behind the pilot optimized for the KC-135's flying boom rather than the folding long probe of Navy aircraft. They opted for the M61 Vulcan cannon rather than the twin single-barrel 20 mm cannon, and changed to the Allison TF41-A-1 engine, which was a licenced version of the British Rolls-Royce Spey. The TF41-A-1 engine produced 14,500 lbf (64 kN) of thrust. Later Navy versions would adopt this gun and engine.
The A-7 Corsair II was tagged with the nickname "SLUF" ("Short Little Ugly Feller" was the polite version) by pilots.
napalm mk-82 cluster bombs airfield attack naval crete creta army a7e a7h a-7e a-7h |
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http://www.aviationlive.org Online Aviation Pics,Videos and Forum
##The Best Bomber Ever##
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft design that was introduced to replace the A-4 Skyhawk in US Naval service and based on the successful supersonic F-8 Crusader aircraft produced by Chance Vought. The A-7 was one of the first combat aircraft to feature a head-up display (HUD), doppler-bounded inertial navigation system (INS), and a turbofan engine. It initially entered service with the United States Navy during the Vietnam conflict and was then adopted by the United States Air Force to replace their A-1 Skyraiders that were borrowed from the Navy as well as with the Air National Guard. It was exported to Greece (in the 1970s), Portugal and Thailand (in the late 1980s).
In 1962, the United States Navy began preliminary work on VAX (Heavier-than-air, Attack, Experimental), a replacement for the A-4 Skyhawk with greater range and payload. A particular emphasis was placed on accurate delivery of weapons to reduce the cost per target. The requirements were finalized in 1963 and in 1964, the Navy announced the VAL (Heavier-than-air, Attack, Light) competition. Contrary to USAF philosophy, which was to employ only supersonic fighter bombers such as the F-105 Thunderchief and F-100 Super Sabre, the Navy felt that a subsonic design could carry the most payload the farthest distance. One story illustrated that a "slow fat duck" could fly nearly as fast as a supersonic one, since carrying dozens of iron bombs also restricted its entry speed, but a fast plane with small wings and an afterburner would burn up a lot more fuel. To minimize costs, all proposals had to be based on existing designs. Vought, Douglas Aircraft, Grumman, and North American Aviation responded. The Vought proposal was based on the successful F-8 Crusader fighter, having an identical configuration, but more short and stubby, with a rounded nose. It was selected as the winner on 11 February 1964, and on 19 March the company received a contract for the initial batch of aircraft, designated A-7. In 1965 the aircraft received the popular name Corsair II, after Vought's highly successful F4U Corsair of World War II.
Compared to the F-8 Crusader fighter, the A-7 had a shorter, broader fuselage. The wing was made larger, and the unique variable incidence wing of the F-8 was deleted. To achieve the required range, A-7 was powered by a Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-6 turbofan producing 11,345 lbf (50.5 kN) of thrust, the same innovative combat turbofan produced for the F-111, but without the afterburner needed for supersonic speeds. Turbofans achieve greater efficiency by mo | | | | |
