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[1990.031.001] Aircraft - 'A-4E Aircraft, Bureau Number 154180' |
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A-4E Aircraft, Bureau Number 154180
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| Accession Number |
1990.031.001 |
| Accession Date |
15/01/1990 |
| Creator |
| Creator |
Creator Role |
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Manufacturer |
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| Date Created |
1963 |
| Object Desciption |
A-4E Skyhawk painted in the markings of the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron that hangs in the Flight Leader position of the diamond formation in the Blue Angel Atrium.
Accepted by the U.S. Navy on 30 August 1963, this aircraft is the 1,466th production Skyhawk, and first served with Attack Squadron (VA) 43 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, Virginia. It was the first of many tours with East Coast attack squadrons, its service including stints with VA-72, VA-81, and VA-44 during which it deployed in the carriers Independence (CVA 62), Forrestal (CVA 59), and Shangri-La (CVA 38). In 1967, the demands of the Vietnam War shifted the museum's aircraft to the Western Pacific, a brief stint with VA-195 at NAS Lemoore, California, followed by assignment to VA-94 in December 1967. The following year, the aircraft flew combat missions over Vietnam from the deck of Bon Homme Richard (CVA 31), and in 1969 it logged more missions from Oriskany (CVA 34) while serving in VA-195. The aircraft's last combat service was destined to be from land. After joining Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 211 in December 1970, it deployed with the squadron to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Naha, Okinawa, in 1971, and was soon in country flying missions from Bien Hoa, Republic of Vietnam. The aircraft finished its service with VA-127 at NAS Lemoore and arrived at the museum in 1990.
Although it never itself flew with the team, BuNo 150076 is marked with the bureau number (154180) of an aircraft once flown by the Blues. |
| 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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