Douglas A-4 Skyhawk – Φώτο & Βίντεο

Teh Ντάγκλας Α-4 Σκάιχαουκ is a single seat subsonic carrier-capable attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta winged, single turbojet engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later by McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated A4D under the U.S. Navy’s pre-1962 designation system. The Skyhawk is a relatively lightweight aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 24,500 pounds (11,100 kg) and has a top speed of more than 670 miles per hour (1,080 km/h). The aircraft’s five hardpoints support a variety of missiles, bombs and other munitions. It was capable of carrying a bomb load equivalent to that of a World War II-era Boeing B-17 bomber, and could deliver nuclear weapons using a low-altitude bombing system and a “loft” delivery technique. The A-4 was originally powered by the Wright J65 turbojet engine; from the A-4E onwards, the Pratt & Whitney J52 was used. Skyhawks played key roles in the Vietnam War, the Yom Kippur War, and the Falklands War. Sixty years after the aircraft’s first flight in 1954, some of the 2,960 produced (through February 1979) remain in service with several air arms around the world.

Πηγή: Ντάγκλας Α-4 Skyhawk στη Βικιπαίδεια

Douglas A 4 Skyhawk

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat, subsonic carrier-capable attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The Skyhawk was designed by Douglas Aircraft’s Ed Heinemann in response to a U.S. Navy call for a jet-powered attack aircraft to replace the older AD Skyraider. Heinemann opted for a design that would minimize its size, weight, and complexity. The result was an aircraft that weighed only half of the Navy’s weight specification. It had a wing so compact that it did not need to be folded for carrier stowage.
The Skyhawk proved to be a versatile and reliable aircraft, serving in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. It also saw service with the air forces of several other nations, including Israel, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kuwait, and Singapore. The Skyhawk was nicknamed “Heinemann’s Hot Rod” by its pilots, and also earned the moniker “Scooter” for its nimble performance. The A-4 was also known as the “Bantam Bomber”, because of its ability to carry a bomb load equal to its own weight.
The A-4 was produced from 1954 to 1979, with a total of 2,960 aircraft built. The last A-4s were retired from active U.S. Navy service in 2003, but some remain in use as training and adversary aircraft. The Skyhawk is one of the most successful and longest-serving aircraft designs in history.