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Aircraft:
Douglas A-4F Skyhawk
- Reg: 154983 photos
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Serial #:
13799
- Airline: United States - US Navy (USN)
- Photo Date: Apr 24, 2016
- Uploaded: Dec 24, 2017
- Pensacola Naval Air Station - KNPA, USA - Florida
Notes:
The delta-wing A-4 (A4D) Skyhawk brought high performance with weight-saving innovations, resulting in the premier light attack aircraft of the Cold War era. A-4s flew for Navy and Marine squadrons for 51 years from prototype to retirement, and logged more Vietnam combat missions than any other naval attack aircraft. They also served for over a decade with the Blue Angels, their famous diamond formation depicted here in the Museum's Blue Angels Atrium. 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 and also featuring a number of weight saving initiatives. In final form, the "Tinker Toy," as pilots knew the A-4, bettered the Navy's maximum weight restriction by more than half. Nearly 3,000 A-4s were produced between 1956 and 1979, the Navy retiring its last Skyhawk in 2003, 51 years after the sea service issued a contract for the first prototype of the aircraft. During the years 1974—1986, the Blue Angels flew the A-4, three of the aircraft suspended in the Blue Angel Atrium having flown with the flight demonstration squadron during their service. All four of the aircraft flew combat missions during the Vietnam War.
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Notes
The delta-wing A-4 (A4D) Skyhawk brought high performance with weight-saving innovations, resulting in the premier light attack aircraft of the Cold War era. A-4s flew for Navy and Marine squadrons for 51 years from prototype to retirement, and logged more Vietnam combat missions than any other naval attack aircraft. They also served for over a decade with the Blue Angels, their famous diamond formation depicted here in the Museum's Blue Angels Atrium. 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 and also featuring a number of weight saving initiatives. In final form, the "Tinker Toy," as pilots knew the A-4, bettered the Navy's maximum weight restriction by more than half. Nearly 3,000 A-4s were produced between 1956 and 1979, the Navy retiring its last Skyhawk in 2003, 51 years after the sea service issued a contract for the first prototype of the aircraft. During the years 1974—1986, the Blue Angels flew the A-4, three of the aircraft suspended in the Blue Angel Atrium having flown with the flight demonstration squadron during their service. All four of the aircraft flew combat missions during the Vietnam War.Camera
Canon EOS 60D | Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Show Exif data-
Aircraft
- Reg: 154983 photos
-
Aircraft:
Douglas A-4F Skyhawk
- Airline: United States - US Navy (USN)
-
Serial #:
13799
-
Photo Location
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Pensacola Naval Air Station - KNPA
- USA - Florida
