A-4 Skyhawk

Douglas · United States · first flew 1954 · fighter

The A-4 Skyhawk is a compact, lightweight single-engine carrier attack aircraft famous for its simplicity and long production life.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, delta
E — Engines	1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	12.22 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Small cropped delta wing
Compact lightweight airframe
Single jet with cheek intakes

Spot it by its very small size and cropped delta wing with no fold. The bullet-shaped fairing on the tail fin, cheek-mounted intakes and single jet exhaust mark the diminutive Skyhawk.

Specifications

The A-4 Skyhawk has a length of 12.22 m (40 ft).
It has a wingspan of 8.38 m (27 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1080 km/h (671 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Designed by Ed Heinemann at Douglas to be far lighter than its specification demanded, the Skyhawk first flew in 1954. Its small delta wing was so compact it needed no folding mechanism for carrier stowage. It remained in production for some 25 years.

Variants

The family ran from the A-4A through the definitive A-4M Skyhawk II, with two-seat TA-4 trainers. Export and upgraded versions served Israel, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and others. Many were modernised with new avionics and engines.

Where you'll see it

The Skyhawk was not a UK service type, but it is well represented in British aviation literature and private collections. Surplus airframes have appeared on the UK warbird and museum circuit. Its role as an adversary aggressor aircraft parallels RAF training practice.

Related aircraft

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