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
Last modified 29 November 2005
|
| HISTORY:
|
| First
Flight |
(XA4D-1) 22 June 1954
(A-4A) 14 August 1954 |
Service Entry
|
October 1956
|
| CREW:
|
one: pilot
|
ESTIMATED COST:
|
unknown
|
| AIRFOIL
SECTIONS: |
| Wing
Root |
NACA 0008-1.1-25 |
Wing
Tip
|
NACA 0005-.825-50
|
| 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)
|
Canard Area
|
not applicable
|
| 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 |
Max
Payload
|
3,720 lb (8,200 kg)
|
| 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
|
| ARMAMENT:
|
| Gun
|
two Mk 12 20-mm cannons (200 rds
ea) or
two DEFA 552/553 30-mm cannons (150 rds ea) |
|
Stations |
5 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
|
| 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
|
KNOWN COMBAT
RECORD:
|
Vietnam War (USN,
USMC, 1965-1972)
Yom Kippur War (Israel, 1973)
Falklands War (Argentina, 1982)
Iraq - Operation Desert Storm (Kuwait, 1991)
|
KNOWN OPERATORS:
|
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)
|
