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Aviation History
1979
1979 - 1201.PDF
FLIGHT International, 14 April 1979 Designed as a trainer, the TA-4F was the first two-seat Skyhawk. TA-4Fs Were used for forward air control and electronic warfare in Vietnam envisaged a 30,0001b, twin-turboprop aircraft. Production of the XA4D-1 prototype, a static test air frame and nine A4D-ls began at El Segundo in 1953. Douglas test pilot Bob Rahn took the XA4D-1 up for the first time on June 22, 1954. According to Rahn, "the fine flying qualities of the Skyhawk showed up immediately . . . The Skyhawk has exceptionally fine performance and will prove a capable attack aircraft for the Navy." He could hardly have said anything else, but his words were prophetic nonetheless. Today's Skyhawk is still a pilot's aircraft, partly due to its reputation for "getting you home" despite crippling battle damage. In Vietnam, A-4s of the Navy and Marine Corps flew more missions than any other aircraft. In the Middle East, Skyhawks were the workhorses of the Israeli Air Force during the Yom Kippur war—and suffered the consequences. Of the 287 A-4Es, Hs and Ns supplied to Israel, 53 were lost in that conflict. From A-4A to A-4N, improvements based on combat ex perience have been progressively added, but the Skyhawk's adaptability and survivability are a direct result of Heine- mann's design philosophy—keep it simple. The wing is a good example of his achievements. One piece from tip to tip, the wing is virtually all fuel tank. With all the sweep on the leading edge, the wing is a structural, if not an aerodynamic delta. The leading-edge sweep is not sufficient to generate the delta's characteristic vortices. The three continuous spars are machined from 2in plate, and bent to shape. Extra wide sheet is used for the one-piece upper and lower wing skins, avoiding any unnecessary joints. The main undercarriage retracts into fairings under the wing box, preserving the wing's structural integrity. The Skyhawk's systems have changed over the years, and Heinemann was perhaps lucky that the aircraft was designed before the days of intertial navigation, electronic countermeasures and other technical wizardry. Many modern trainers have a more cluttered cockpit than those first Skyhawks. To produce such a small machine Heine mann and his team had ruthlessly to examine each com ponent, to see primarily even if it was needed. The A4D-1 (later to become the A-4A) had a single hydraulic system powering the split flaps and automatic leading-edge slats. Flying controls were manually powered, apart from the electrically actuated variable-incidence horizontal tail. The forward fuselage skin still has no stiffeners, as extra-thickness metal provides strength and a degree of pilot protection. Behind the removable nose was the Packhard-Bell packaged avionics, a self-contained air-conditioned, unit saving 481b over conventionally- arranged equipment. Engines were always a problem on the earlier Skyhawks as the J65 never quite delivered the promised thrust, which was 8,0001b. Initial production A4D-ls made do with 7,2001b but even then the Skyhawk was no slouch and on October 15, 1955, Lt Gordon Grey, US Navy, set a new 500km closed-circuit speed record, averaging 695-163 m.p.h. at a height of just over 300ft. The Navy eventu ally acquired 166 A4D-ls, the first entering service in October 1956. A4D-ls were later retrofitted with the 8,5001b-thrust J65-W-18. The next Skyhawk variant, the A4D-2 (later A-4B), had a number of improvements, including the single-surface rudder. This was the first Skyhawk to carry a flight re fuelling probe and Douglas-designed Buddy refuelling store. With a 300 US gal capacity the store was self- contained, with a ram-air turbine, hydraulic and electric systems, fuel pumps, hose reel and drogue. Fitted with a Buddy pack, any Skyhawk could be a tanker. Other changes included avionics improvements, mainly to the weapons system, which was modified to handle Bullpup missiles. The rudder and elevators were powered and a dual hydraulic system was fitted. Most aircraft were powered by a 7,7001b J65-W-16A, and the gross weight was increased to 15,5001b. First flight of the A4D-2 was March
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