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5050 Santa Fe Drive • Atwater, California • 95301
Douglas A-4L Skyhawk
Douglas built 2,960 Skyhawks between 1954 and 1979. Built small to be cost effective and so that more could be accommodated on a carrier, the lightweight, high-speed bombers were affectionately nicknamed "Heinemann's Hot Rod" (after Douglas designer Ed Heinemann), the Bantam Bomber, Mighty Mite and Scooter. Skyhawks provided the U.S. Navy and Marines and friendly nations with maneuverable, yet powerful, attack bombers that had great altitude and range capabilities, plus an unusual flexibility in armament capacity.
The Skyhawk A4D was roughly half the empty weight of its contemporaries and could fly at 677 mph at sea level. After 1956, it had provisions for in-flight refueling, and it carried anti-radar missiles on its wing racks. After 1966, it included a hump-like avionics pod. Upgraded models had improved engines and a drogue parachute, new avionics displays, larger cockpit canopies, and more ammunition for the two cannons. Two-seat trainer versions included the TA-4F, TA-4J and the TA-4K Series.
Its combat career began with the first American carrier-launched raids on North Vietnam, Aug. 4, 1964. Later, during Israel's Yom Kippur war in 1973, Skyhawks provided much of the short-range striking power on the Sinai and Golan Heights fronts.
The Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron flew the A-4 Skyhawk II from 1974 to 1986. Skyhawks were also used by the armed forces of Argentina, Australia, Israel, Kuwait, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and New Zealand, and they remained active with several air services into the 2000s.
The designation A-4L was assigned to 100 Naval Air Reserve A-4Cs that were upgraded during the Vietnam War. The upgrade was designed to bring them up to the standards of Skyhawks that were currently in fleet service, in the expectation that there could be two Reserve carrier air wings that would be fully combat-ready should the need arise.
The upgrade included the installation of an uprated J65-W-20 engine with 8400 lb.s.t. for takeoff, plus the addition of the dorsal avionics pod. In addition, the wing lift spoilers that were first introduced on the TA-4F were included in the modification kit. However, the number of weapons pylons remained at three.
The first A-4L upgrade was flown for the first time on August 21, 1969. It was the first of 100 aircraft to be so modified.
Surplus A-4L aircraft were later reworked to A-4PTM aircraft for delivery to Malaysia, and this aircraft, assigned to VA-22 at NAS Lemoore, saw combat duty in Vietnam before it was converted to an A-4L in 1970. It now has the markings of VA-204, (based at NAS Memphis, TN.) now at NAS New Orleans, LA.
On the web at: www.skyhawk.org
MUSEUM HOURS
April 1- September 30
9:00am - 5:00pm
October 1 - March 31
10:00am - 4:00pm
The museum is open
daily year round (weather permitting),
except for the
following days:
New Year's Day,
Easter,
Thanksgiving and
Christmas Day.
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Specifications
Country of Origin:
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United States
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Manufacturer:
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Douglas Aircraft Corporation
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Role/Function:
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Attack Fighter
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Serial Number:
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BuNo 149532
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Model Number/Mk #:
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n/a
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Crew:
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1
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Power Plant:
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1 - Pratt & Whitney J65-W-20 Turbojet rated at 8,400 lbs. Static Thrust
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Maximum Speed:
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649 mph. @ 4,000 ft.; 593 mph. @ sea level
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Cruising Speed:
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496 mph. (stall speed is 137 mph.)
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Service Ceiling:
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41,800 ft.
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Range:
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1,000 mi. with 2,025 lbs. of stores; 1,650 mi. with 2 - 300-gallon drop tanks
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Weights:
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Empty: 9,860 lbs. Gross: 18,500 lbs. Maximum: 22,500 lbs.
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Wing Span:
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27 ft. 6 in.
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Length:
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40 ft. 1 in.
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Height:
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15 ft.
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Wing Area:
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259 ft²
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Armament:
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2 x 20-mm cannon with 100 rpg; 4 x under-wing & 1 x under-fuselage pylon stations holding up to 9,900 lb (4,490 kg) of payload; 4 x LAU-10 rocket pods (each with 4 x 127 mm Mk 32 Zuni rockets)
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Cost:
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$860,000.00 each for the first 500 units
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Number Built:
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2,960
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# in Current Service:
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The Unted States Navy retired the A-4 in 1998, and the Marine Corps. in 2003
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