The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, first introduced in 1956, is a carrier-capable ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The delta winged, single turbojet-engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated the A4D under the US Navy's pre-1962 designation system.

Skyhawks were the Navy's primary light bomber used over North Vietnam during the early years of the Vietnam War. A Marine Skyhawk is believed to have dropped the last American bombs on the country.

During the 1982 Falklands War, armed with unguided bombs and lacking any electronic or missile self-defense, Argentine Air Force Skyhawks sank the Type 42 Destroyer HMS Coventry and the Type 21 Frigate HMS Antelope as well as inflicting heavy damage on several others: the RFA Sir Galahad (1966) (which was subsequently scuttled as a war grave), the Type 42 HMS Glasgow, the Type 21 HMS Argonaut, the Type 22 Frigate HMS Broadsword, and the RFA Sir Tristram. Argentine Navy A-4Qs, flying from Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego naval air station, also played a role in the bombing attacks against British ships, destroying the Type 21 HMS Ardent.

Fifty years after the aircraft's first flight, and having played key roles in the Vietnam War, the Falklands War, and the Yom Kippur War, a few of the nearly 3,000 Skyhawks produced remain in service with several air arms around the world, including active duty on the aircraft carrier of the Brazilian Navy.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1 (2 in TA-4J, TA-4F, OA-4F)
• Length: 40 ft 3 in (12.22 m)
• Wingspan: 26 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
• Height: 15 ft (4.57 m)
• Wing area: 259 ft² (24.15 m²)
• Airfoil: NACA 0008-1.1-25 root, NACA 0005-0.825-50 tip
• Empty weight: 10,450 lb (4,750 kg)
• Loaded weight: 18,300 lb (8,318 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 24,500 lb (11,136 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Pratt & Whitney J52-P8A turbojet, 9,300 lbf (10,000+ USMC A-4M and OA-4M) (41 kN)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 585 kn (673 mph, 1,077 km/h)
• Range: 1,700 nmi (2,000 mi, 3,220 km)
• Service ceiling: 42,250 ft (12,880 m)
• Rate of climb: 8,440 ft/min (43 m/s)
• Wing loading: 70.7 lb/ft² (344.4 kg/m²)
• Thrust/weight: 0.51
• g-limit: -3/+8 g

Armament

• Guns: 2 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Colt Mk 12 cannon, 100 rounds/gun
• Missiles: 4 × AIM-9 Sidewinder, AGM-45 Shrike ARM (anti-radiation missile), MBDA Exocet, AGM-65 Maverick ASM (air-to-surface missiles), AGM-62 Walleye glide bomb, AGM-12 Bullpup ASM (air-to-surface missiles)
•  Bombs: 9,900 lb (4,490 kg) on five external hardpoints, Rockeye Mk.20 Cluster Bomb Unit, Rockeye Mk.7/APAM-59 Cluster Bomb Unit, Mk.81 (250 lb/113 kg) and Mk.82 (500 lb/227 kg) general-purpose bombs, various tactical nuclear missiles and bombs, Mk.76 practice bombs

 See digital art of the A-4 Skyhawk on the Gallery page.