Hail Thesuper Scooter

LEGACY PROFILE // A-4 SKYHAWK HAIL THESUPER SCOOTER

HE TIME-WORN PHRASE, ‘It’s with uprated engines and equipment, By the end of the 1940s, the US Navy Above: A view of a single-seat Skyhawk not the size of the dog in the often helping to nurture indigenous needed both a replacement for the A-1 from a two-seat TA-4 fight, but the size of the fight aviation industries as a direct result. Skyraider and a machine to carry some of All images DoD in the dog’, perfectly sums From its roots as a replacement for the the new, lighter-weight nuclear weapons up the McDonnell-Douglas A-1 Skyraider on the decks of US carriers, that were then in development. A-4 Skyhawk, which was one the Skyhawk blossomed: a lightweight Twarplane that truly belied its size. and relatively inexpensive attack aircraft (it Genius and genesis Measuring a shade over 40ft in length cost around a quarter of the price of an F-4 Military jet aircraft – even those aboard and with a wingspan of just 27ft 6ins (so Phantom II), it was to become a nuclear the navy’s carrier decks – were getting small that no wing-fold mechanism was bomber, a tanker aircraft and it would also heavier and more complex and one required for storage on even the smallest be an ‘Iron Hand’ machine to tackle surface talented aircraft designer felt this shouldn’t carrier deck), this diminutive jet – quickly to air missile sites. necessarily be the case. nicknamed ‘Scooter’ – would give stellar Later, it would be transformed into Edward H Heinemann was chief designer service to the United States Navy and a two-seat training jet in which many at Douglas, despite never having a formal Marine Corps for 47 years. generations of aviators would earn their engineering degree and was the man With a brochure ‘clean’ top speed of wings. It was to become an agile adversary behind some of its legendary aircraft, around 670mph, the A-4E Skyhawk could aircraft, a forward air control machine, a including the A-20 Havoc, A-26 Invader theoretically lug 8,500lb of ordnance to a target tug, and in blue and gold it would and Dauntless of World War Two, through target – around 500lb more than a World be the mount of the Navy’s Blue Angels to jets such as the A-3 Skywarrior, F4D War Two B-17G Flying Fortress. display team. It could even kill MiGs. Skyray and F3D Skyknight night fighter. He Its capabilities ensured export success, with almost 3,000 being built for the US and eight other nations, some even THE FIRST MACHINE, THE XA4D, WAS ROLLED OUT buying their Scooters second-hand. IN JUNE 1954 AND WEIGHED JUST 7,896LB – Throughout the A-4’s life, many airframes were re-worked into improved models, SOME 270LB BELOW DOUGLAS’ OWN ‘EMPTY’ TARGET

88 July 2021 // www.Key.Aero SUPER SCOOTERWhen the A-4 Skyhawk entered service with the US Navy 65 years ago, it was the beginning of a legend: this diminutive warrior served a number of nations in many conflicts. Report by Bertie Simmonds

www.Key.Aero // July 2021 89 LEGACY PROFILE // A-4 SKYHAWK

was also behind the A-1 Skyraider which Segundo design staff to give them a pep private aircraft. On the outside, the A4D was the popular if slow carrier-based talk: “I think we can do this, but it will take Skyhawk (A-4 from 1962, following the piston-engine attack machine. His designs a tough son-of-a-bitch to do it – that is me. change in aircraft designations) had a saw him nicknamed ‘Mr Attack Aviation’. I want you all on my team, if anyone wants delta-wing planform, but with a traditional Heinemann’s Skyraider had already set to leave, there is the door.” No one moved. tail unit. Anything that Heinemann the bar for his ‘light is right’ ethos, being That summer, Douglas representatives could make smaller and lighter, he did 5,000lb lighter than its competitor, the had seen first-hand the conditions that so: four black boxes of avionics and their Martin AM Mauler. Navy and Air Force aircraft were working associated wiring were condensed into So much so, that in the early 1950s, in and being worked on over in Korea. what Heinemann called the ‘biscuit’, saving the El Segundo division of Douglas Indeed, Heinemann himself had been 55lbs of weight. Aircraft Company detailed how weight, dispatched to do the very same during The nose wheel and main undercarriage complexity and cost could actually be World War Two. – which was long to give the A-4 the best reversed on modern combat aircraft. Simplicity then was the watchword, and angle of incidence for take-off – would Heinemann’s reasoning was that if many Navy and Marine pilots were asked retract forwards and come down with the weight and avionics/equipment was for their feedback into the design of the aid of gravity and airflow, thus putting less added to an aircraft (and performance new machine. stress on the hydraulic system, allowing and range had to stay constant) then Inside the diminutive attack aircraft, the it to be lighter. Any sub-contractor who the machine’s size had to increase by a conditions were cramped – you basically Below: An A4D-2 produced a part over the specified weight factor of ten. So, add a single pound of ‘wore’ the A-4 (named Skyhawk officially Skyhawk of VA-83 was shown the door – until they’d hit the refuels an F8U-1P equipment and the rest of the airframe in February 1954) and the control panel Crusader of VFP-62 target. Even the Douglas ejection seat was had to increase by 10lb to keep that wasn’t much more complicated than in a in 1961 re-designed from one on the F4D Skyray same performance. This was somewhat ironic as Douglas was designing/building the huge Skywarrior at the time, which could launch from a carrier at weights around 68,000lb. With curiosity piqued, the US Department of Defense asked Heinemann to give a presentation in early 1952 and in June the Navy asked Douglas to produce two prototype XA4D-1 attack aircraft of just 12,000lb empty (later pushed to 14,000) and a gross weight of 30,000lb. Speed of the aircraft should be around 576mph with combat range in the region of 896 miles – and all for around $1 million per aircraft. It would carry an unspecified weapon of some 2,000lb – an atom bomb. Legend has it that Heinemann claimed to be able to make the Douglas jet go around 100mph faster, be half the weight specified and still cost less. He then sketched his design and sat down the El

90 July 2021 // www.Key.Aero to use only 80 parts instead of 240 and to weigh just 40lbs, not 92. The first machine, the XA4D, was rolled out in June 1954 and weighed just 7,896lb – some 270lb below Douglas’ own ‘empty’ target weight. It was powered by a Curtiss- Wright J65 engine – a licensed British A-4 SKYHAWK: Bristol Siddeley Sapphire. A world-beater Compared with today’s concerns of F-35 A PILOT’S VIEW cost over-runs, late service entry and David ‘Frosty’ Olson earned his Naval The problem is the turning aircraft are issues with reliability and capability, the Aviator wings in August 1969 and, as well flying near stall and forward velocity A-4 was almost a model of production as being a Vought Corsair II pilot, spent a is real slow. lot of time in the cockpit of the A-4 as an “From the perch, the third aircraft will perfection. The Skyhawk even broke a adversary pilot. attempt to enter at speeds twice to three world speed record, when the XA4D-1 He said: “The A-4 was a small aircraft times that of the others. In one case, I was hit 695.16mph around a 310.5-mile and had a small cockpit. I flew the A-4 in the back seat of the TA-4. As our slow course with Lt Gordon ‘Gordo’ Gray at the after several years flying the larger A-7 speed scissors progressed, something in controls – he would also make the first and, being six-feet one, the first few the back of my mind kicked in. ‘Where is flights felt like putting a size 11 foot into the other guy?’ I looked over my shoulder. Above: A VMA-214 carrier landings on the USS Ticonderoga in a size eight shoe! One of my friends told “Oh crap, he was coming in way too hot. A-4M Skyhawk: of September 1955. note are the Mk 12 me of bombing ‘up north’ in Vietnam He pulled into us and directly in front. I Colt 20mm cannons Changes were made during production in heavy flak, he’d turn sideways in took the stick and pushed it full forward. in the wing roots, and in subsequent versions, including a the cockpit to reduce frontal area The last thing I recall was his wing-plan which would often framed forward windscreen, the ‘sugar- to shrapnel. filling the windscreen… jam in combat and “Several of the more senior pilots ”I had the same when flying against an scoop’ jet-pipe fairing, nuclear flash shield, the leading edge slats during my early career had flown the A-4 F-16 flown by the USAF’s Safety General! the single-skin ‘tadpole’ rudder (saving yet in Vietnam: they liked it because it was As he approached from behind, no one more weight), a straight and then angled a pretty stable platform, good power had told him about the A-4’s ability refueling probe, a ‘buddy-buddy’ refueling response (turbojet not turbofan) and it to really tighten the turn, forcing the system so the A-4 could act as a tanker, could take damage: with lost hydraulics overshoot. He watched in horror as we the pilot could manually disconnect the disappeared under his nose and he hit and (from the A-4E-onwards) five pylons hydraulics and still control the aircraft our jet-wake. ‘My God, did we hit the little for more ordnance and the introduction of with flight control cables to ailerons, guy?’ he exclaimed. a dorsal ‘hump’ that would contain more rudder, and elevator. ”He asked if he’d violated the 500 feet advanced avionics. “Adversary in the A-4 was fun, even ‘Rules of Engagement’. ‘Yeah, kinda,’ Later versions, such as the A-4M (called if it came down to one of two outcomes: mumbled we more junior types. the flat scissors and the rolling scissors. “Finally, there was the Super Fox – Skyhawk II) produced for the Marines for We would pull into vertical forcing with a big, 12,000lb thrust motor and use in the 1970s-1980s would add more the overshoot. nearly one-to-one thrust to weight. The advanced electronic countermeasures “As the other pilot pulled up, we would standard A-4 could allow near to slight and the associated receivers scabbed on continue into a sort of loop, roll over at a Mach-plus flight, but in reality even in a the tail and nose, where sat an Angle-Rate very slow airspeed using rudder to push dive it couldn’t. But the Super Fox – oh the A-4 back down. If we could point our boy! I pushed it up and up and as I neared Bombing System lens. nose at the other aircraft we could get 0.9 Mach I encountered a violent back- a high deflection shot, up to a head-on and-forth yawing. shot. Of course, we were losing energy “In my mind, the vivid picture of an F-4 (speed and altitude) the whole time many years before that disintegrated we did this. from pilot-induced oscillations at Mach “An A-4 was great in a slow fight (the entered my mind – I figured that was ‘phone booth’) but lacked the thrust- the end of my adventure pushing that to-weight of a modern fighter with particular envelope. afterburner. So our training was to ”Another lesson learned! emulate slow speed fighter performance. ”With the Super Fox you could Adversary flying was fun, but fraught with accelerate to 450kts, pull up into a loop dangers. Here are a few examples... and then roll out at the top and pull up “Those wing slats would extend into a second loop – but you were pretty simultaneously as the angle of attack slow at the top. (AoA) became high enough. Asymmetric “The adversary squadron was the slat extension was, well, ‘special’ as it apotheosis of my naval aviation career slammed one’s helmeted head into the before I became an Air Boss on the canopy. On one such occasion, during USS Enterprise and in the last months an aggressive, high-G turn, one slat we got some Northrop F-5s from extended asymmetrically. I immediately TOPGUN as they had moved over to the went nose down into a tight spiral – newer F/A-18. yes, I thought I was going to die… My ”While I mention ‘Top Gun’, that opponent could only gulp, ‘are you OK?’ movie created quite a nice image for us “In a two-versus-one, two aircraft may adversary pilots: we had red stars on our enter a horizontal scissors and the third patches and had become legends in our will attempt to close for a firing solution. own minds…”

www.Key.Aero // July 2021 91 LEGACY PROFILE // A-4 SKYHAWK

With the A-4’s service entry with the US Navy starting in October 1956, by the time of the Vietnam War it was a relatively mature platform and one that represented a significant proportion of a carrier wing’s air power, with A-4B, C, E and F models used for the duration. Initial weapons used would include the two 20mm Colt cannons, buried in the wing-roots, 2.75 and 5-inch diameter Zuni FFAR (Folding Fin Aircraft Rocket). Iron bombs from the low-drag Mk 80 family were used as well as some box- tailed M57s of Korean War vintage. With the advent of air-to-ground missiles, the AGM-12 Bullpup would be A more ‘blown’ canopy also increased Above: The Scooter Singapore’s A-4SU Super Skyhawk) were used and later napalm, Fuel-Air Explosives, overall visibility. was a popular used, producing 10,800lb, while the most retarded Mk 84 Snakeye bombs and the aircraft in US Navy With the initial versions, the projected service over four powerful Scooters would have a Pratt & AGM-62 Walleye TV guided bomb. $1 million per aircraft cost was actually decades. This is A-4E Whitney J52-P408 at their heart pushing Towards the very end of the conflict, around $850,000. Also, it used a third 151023 ‘UE-06’ when out more than 11,000-12,000lb of thrust. A-4Fs with laser designators in the nose operating with VC-5 fewer parts and was half of the weight of ‘Checkertails’ Despite the capability of the successive would even employ laser-guided its contemporaries. models of the A-4 Skyhawk, it was ‘smart’ bombs. Of course, the Scooter would put on effectively complemented or replaced The US Marine Corps would also use weight and capability during its life, but in the light attack role by the Vought A-7 models of the A-4 for close support of the even the last models were still small and Corsair II on carrier decks, even if troops on the ground. Some would use compact compared with the opposition. the humble A-4 would outlive its either JATO (Jet Assisted Take-Off) bottles Early Skyhawks could carry around 6,000lb supposed successor. attached to the rear fuselage or the of ordnance on three weapons pylons. SATS (Short Airfield for Tactical Support) This would increase to 9,200lb for the last Scooting off to war ‘catapult’ system to use smaller airfields, A-4M version, which also carried double Being a true ‘Cold War’ warrior, the initial or if operating at higher weights. the 20mm ammo than earlier models. purpose of the A-4 series was in light Such practices meant that the Marines Engines would also change and power attack, as well as the delivery of a small could get closer to the battle area – and would increase. Below: 1979, the last nuclear weapon. more quickly. That original J65 would pump out of 2,960 A-4s rolls Thankfully, it was never used in the latter Figures show that around 200 Skyhawks off the McDonnell- 5,970lb of thrust and other engines role, but it would prove to be a major were lost in Vietnam to enemy action, but Douglas production such as the General Electric F404 (on line – an A-4M weapon in the conflict in South East Asia. so many more would make it back to the

92 July 2021 // www.Key.Aero carriers or their bases on land, albeit with fi rst American aircraft to be bought for the Above: Scooters would be used and – over the course considerable damage. Israeli Air Force. Douglas fi rst had contact when in service of decades of service – much internal as an adversary Thus beginning the legend of the from Israel as early as 1963, but it wasn’t aircraft would sport a equipment would be locally developed. Scooter being a tough warplane. until 1966 that the fi rst order for 48 (later number of weird and The most striking feature of the late- increased to 90) A-4H model Skyhawks wonderful use H and Ns would be the extended paint schemes Export success was approved by the US government, tail pipe called the ‘Barrel’ which helped Ironically, the need for a two-seater which would begin delivery the following survivability when struck by infra-red SA-7 Skyhawk wasn’t realized until after a year. The IAF grew to love the tough portable SAM systems. decade of single-seater service. Scooter and employed them in the War of The last Ahits were retired in 2015 after Redesign of the standard A-4E saw Attrition (1967-1970) and the Yom Kippur 48 years of service. the fuselage lengthened by 28 inches War of 1973. The H would be joined by to accommodate the two seats/controls surplus A-4Es from US Navy stocks in 1971. Angel and adversary along with an enlarged, blown canopy Changes to the H included the The Scooter had also shown that it could replacing the more cramped original. replacement of the 20mm Colt with the down MiGs, with at least three kills in The resulting TA-4E/F and later J models French 30mm DEFA cannons. With the Vietnam (one by LCDR Theodore ‘TR’ (revised J52 engine, changes to internal Skyhawks (called Ahit – ‘Eagle’ in IAF Swartz with Zuni rockets in May 1967) and equipment and external pylons) were service) being almost constantly in a number in the Middle East, including used mainly in the training role, but also action, many changes and advancements two by Colonel Ezra Dotan in 1970. Both as adversary aircraft and some combat came off the back of this combat encounters were against the agile MiG-17 missions, especially in the ‘Fast FAC’ experience, most notably to improve the and it was this machine that the Skyhawk (forward air control) mission, where they Scooter’s survivability in the face of surface would simulate. would often mark targets for other aircraft. to air missiles. For the early part of the Vietnam confl ict, The two-seater was displayed at the The onset of the improved A-4M Below: The A-4’s the big, powerful fi ghters and interceptors agility made it a 1965 Paris Air Show, helping stir up export Skyhawk II prompted the IAF’s own perfect fi t for the Blue of the US Navy and the USAF were found orders, the fi rst being from Argentina in version – the A-4N. Again, the 30mm DEFA Angels display team to have a poor return against the likes of that year, which would take A-4B/P/Q models for its Air Force and Navy. These would be employed against the UK task force in the Falklands War and would sink several ships, including HMS Ardent, HMS Antelope and HMS Coventry. This was despite operating at extreme range and often carrying bombs which weren’t fused for delivery at low level. Other orders would come from Israel, Australia (A-4G) New Zealand (A-4K), Malaysia (A-4PTM), Indonesia (A-4E) and latterly Brazil. Israel’s use of the Skyhawk was most notable as it was the largest operator of the type outside of the US and it was the

www.Key.Aero // July 2021 93 LEGACY PROFILE // A-4 SKYHAWK

the MiG-17, 19, and later the MiG-21. In response, the US Navy began the Naval Fighter Weapons School, known more famously as TOPGUN, and the plentiful A-4 was a natural choice for use. The first use of an A-4 in the adversary role was as early as 1968: flown by experienced instructors, often stripped of non-essential equipment (they would be around 1,500lb lighter) and with the later, increased thrust engines, they could beat the more powerful F-4 Phantom IIs and later Grumman F-14A Tomcats. The thrust-to-weight ratios on these machines approached that of unity – 1:1. The aircraft used included two-seaters, A-4E, F and later M models and they THE NEED FOR A TWO-SEATER SKYHAWK WASN’T generally carried gaudy and attractive REALIZED UNTIL AFTER A DECADE OF color schemes replicating those of MiG users, in addition to being small and hard SINGLE-SEATER SERVICE to spot. While the US Navy signed off its last A-4 in 1999, the final A-4 adversary Above: A training superfluous equipment and using the aircraft was retired in 2003. TA-4J operated by powerful J52-P408 could perform vertical VT-7 seen in 1994. That agility and speed that was so handy Until the arrival of the maneuvers and use its high roll rate to for the adversary role would come into T-45 Goshawk, the good effect in front of an audience. good use in the 1970s-1980s. A number twin-stick Skyhawk An inverted fuel system and smoke was the trainer of squadrons had used the A-4 in air of choice generating system was used and the wing displays, including the Naval Air Reserves, slats were locked to prevent asymmetric which had a team called the Air Barons. deployment. The Angels would use the They were unique in displaying with drop A-4F from 1974 until it was replaced at tanks and often performing ‘buddy-buddy’ the end of 1985 by another McDonnell- refueling in front of the crowd. Douglas product (the firms merged in From 1969, the Blue Angels had used the 1967), the F/A-18 Hornet. F-4J Phantom, but a series of accidents, including a fatal in mid-air, meant that The Scooter today a new machine was needed: one that Below: VA-164 A-4E The Skyhawk is a bona fide jet legend. The was not as thirsty since the world was Skyhawk 151194 en Bantam Bomber, Heinemann’s Hot Rod, route to a target in in the middle of the 1973 oil crisis. The the Mongoose, the Super Fox, the Super Vietnam in 1967. It A-4 was the perfect fit, being replaced carries Mk 82 bombs Skyhawk and the Fightinghawk – they all by the A-7 Corsair in some squadrons and Bullpup missiles. stem from that humble little jet that first It is now preserved in and therefore available in numbers. The flew on June 22, 1954. the Pacific Coast Air A-4F or ‘Super Fox’ was stripped of any Museum While the last of the 2,960 rolled off the

94 July 2021 // www.Key.Aero Right: Brazil is one assembly lines back in 1979, today – in of the last operators of the venerable 2021 – the Skyhawk is still in service with A-4 Skyhawk. The the Argentine Air Force. The Fightinghawk Brazilian Navy aircraft is a Lockheed Martin product, based on are upgraded former Kuwait Air Force the A-4M airframe, completely rewired A-4KUs and TA-4KUs, and refitted with more modern defense which are locally systems and the AN/APG-66V2 radar, designated as the AF-1 in Brazil which replaces the Angle Rate Bombing US Navy System in the nose. The Brazilian Navy became a Skyhawk customer as late as 2014, when 20 low- hour Kuwaiti A-4KU and three TA-4KUs were purchased. Meanwhile, a number of export models are still flown, owned by private companies, to provide adversary services to the US military. Below: By 1972 the A-4 had been in Almost 67 years after the machine’s service almost 20 first flight, the little Skyhawk is still a years, but was still flying legend, outlasting many of its crowding the decks of US Navy carriers such contemporaries and even its supposed as the USS Hancock replacements.