A-4 Skyhawk Storm: Cold War unbridled

Focus translated the article of the former Air Force officer Christian D. Orra about the veteran of the front aircraft avglas A-4 Skyhawk. A-4 played a prominent role in Vietnam's war, becoming the first plane to deliver the ammunition to the battlefield and made more departures than any other naval assault. Skyhawk also effectively used Israel during the war of Judgment Day and Argentina in the Falkland War.

It is noteworthy that A-4 is still in service with the Air Force Argentina and the Navy of Brazil. The ornithologist the word "skyhawk" (celestial hawk) may seem tautology, because all hawks are predatory birds that attack prey from heaven. But this is how the Cold War called a light combat aircraft with a jet engine, which went down in history and set the heat to the enemies, glorifying the Navy and the US Marine Corps, as well as several foreign armies. Meet Douglas A-4 Skyhawk.

A-4 Skyhawk made its first flight on June 22, 1954, and on October 1, 1956, he officially entered the US Navy. It was built by Douglas Aircraft Corporation (later united with McDonnell Douglas, which in turn united with Boeing). This company was also known for the SBD Dauntless SBD bomber and the A-1 Skyraider A-1 Skyraider screw fighter, which faithfully served in Korea and Vietnam.

The aircraft (including A4D-5/A-4E variants) had the following technical characteristics and basic parameters: weapons: in total 2960 A-4 aircraft were built. Skyhawk has made the history of the US Armed Forces for many reasons: Skyhawk was lifted from the US CMP weapons in 1998, and in 2003 it was followed by the US Navy. Skyhawk also showed striking results in the hands of many foreign armies.

Surprisingly, A-4 is still in service with Argentina Air Force, including A-4ar/OA-4ar, which was renamed Fightinghawk and Brazil's Navy. The World Handbook of Modern Military Aircraft notes that the Argentines use 23 A-4ar as a fighter/river and 3 OA-4ar as a fighter/training aircraft. As for Brazilians, they have 5 single and 2 double specimens that they renamed to AF-1B and AF-1C, respectively; They were modernized and refined by Embraer.

Meanwhile, hawks have been preserved in a flight suitable or as static exhibits in at least 10 different countries. An example is the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Pensacol's military-air station in Florida (I can personally guilty for this Museum) and the Estrella Warbirds Museum into Pass Robles, California. For several examples of Skyhawk flights in the States, it is worth calling a copy of the Navy Bureau (BUNO) 148609 at Warbird Heritage Foundation in Vowkegan, Illinois.

Draken International, LLC from Lakeland, Florida, has 13 such aircraft, and A-4L, LLC (she is The Skyhawk Association, she is Sky Resources) and is current Perrin Field (ICAO: KGYI) in Denison, Texas. Christian D. ORR is a former Air Force officer, a federal law enforcement officer and a private military contractor (he worked in Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany and Pentagon).