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[1988.239.001] Aircraft - 'A-4F Aircraft, Bureau Number 154217' |
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A-4F Aircraft, Bureau Number 154217
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| Accession Number |
1988.239.001 |
| Accession Date |
01/01/1988 |
| Creator |
| Creator |
Creator Role |
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Manufacturer |
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| Date Created |
1967 |
| Object Desciption |
A-4F Skyhawk painted in the markings of the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron that hangs in the Slot position of the diamond formation in the Blue Angel Atrium.
Accepted by the U.S. Navy on 14 September 1967, the museum aircraft entered combat almost immediately after assignment to Attack Squadron (VA) 113, completing a 1968 combat cruise in carrier Enterprise (CVAN 65). Joining VA-22 in August 1968, the aircraft made two more Western Pacific cruises to Vietnam waters before being put ashore at Naval Air Station (NAS) Atsugi, Japan. For the next five years it served subsequently Marine Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron (H&MS) 13, VA-127, and VMA-214. Assigned to Composite Squadron (VC) 7 and then Fighter Squadron (VF) 43, it served as an aggressor aircraft until joining the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron in 1985, flying in the Blue Angels' final year with Skyhawks. Initially transferred to the City of Pensacola, the aircraft was accessioned into the museum collection in 1988. |
| Notes |
A study in simplicity, the A-4 Skyhawk resulted from Douglas Aircraft Company designer Ed Heinemann's concern about the increasing weight and cost of combat aircraft appearing during the 1950s. The A-4 ran counter to this trend, incorporating a small delta wing that eliminated the need for a heavy wing-folding mechanism for improved storage aboard aircraft carriers. Additionally, engineers reduced the number of cockpit components and redesigned the pilot ejection system in order to reduce weight. Other measures included elimination of a heavy duty battery in favor of a fuselage stored wind driven generator, the removal of a back-up hydraulic system through use of gravity-dropped landing gear, and installation of a simplified air conditioning system that was one third the weight of those then available. In final form, the "Tinker Toy," as pilots knew the A-4, bettered the Navy's maximum weight restriction by more than half.
The reduced weight allowed for excellent performance. In 1959, an A-4 set a world speed record of over 695 M.P.H. for class C aircraft over a 500 kilometer course, and on another flight two Skyhawks, each fitted with two 150-gallon under wing drop tanks, flew 2,082 miles non-stop without in-flight refueling in a demonstration of the aircraft's long-range capability. A-4s participated in the first strikes of the Vietnam War in response to attacks against American destroyers in the Tonkin Gulf in August 1964, the Skyhawk flown by Lieutenant (junior grade) Everett Alvarez shot down during the raids. Ejecting from his aircraft, he became the first naval aviator taken prisoner during the Vietnam War. All told, 195 carrier-based Skyhawks fell to enemy fire during the Vietnam War, among the pilots forced to eject from them and taken prisoner Medal of Honor recipient Commander (later Vice Admiral) James B. Stockdale and Lieutenant Commander (later Senator) John S. McCain, III.
In the skies over Vietnam, Skyhawks logged more combat missions than any other naval aircraft, including notable strikes against bridges and power plants in North Vietnam and close air support of troops engaged in ground combat in South Vietnam. Among those who flew the aircraft was Lieutenant Commander Michael Estocin, who during a flight on 20 April 1967, neutralized three surface-to-air missile sites in a strike over Haiphong, North Vietnam and subsequently made a fiery carrier landing in his badly damaged A-4. Shot down five days later, he received the Medal of Honor posthumously.
Nearly 3,000 A-4s were produced between 1956 to 1979, their service including assignment to front line squadrons, duty as aggressor aircraft and the role of advanced trainers, the latter aircraft designated TA-4s and including two-seat cockpits. During the years 1974-1986, the A-4 also equipped the Blue Angels Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron. All told, over 20 versions of the Skyhawk were delivered to the U.S military and air forces of foreign nations, including Israel and Argentina, which took the aircraft into combat during the Arab/Israeli Wars and the Falkland Islands War respectively.
The Navy retired its last Skyhawk in 2003, fifty-one years after the sea service issued a contract for the first prototype of the aircraft.
Specifications for A-4E Skyhawk
Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft Company
Dimensions: Length: 40 ft., 1 ½ in.; Height: 15 ft., 2 in.; Wingspan: 27 ft., 6 in.
Weights: Empty: 9,853 lb.; Gross: 24,500 lb.
Power Plant: One 8,500 lb. static thrust Pratt & Whitney J52-P-6A engine
Performance: Maximum Speed: 673 M.P.H. at sea level; Service Ceiling: 33,800 ft.; Range: 2,525 miles
Armament: Two 20mm cannon and up to 8,200 lb. of ordnance
Crew: Pilot |
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