A-4 Skyhawk (Virtavia)

A-4 Skyhawk, Virtavia

Added: October 17, 2024

Updated: October 17, 2024

A-4E Skyhawk

The A-4 Skyhawk was designed to replace the piston-engined AD Skyraider in the close air support and interdiction role. It was capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons. The prototype flew on 22 June, 1954. The first production model, the A-4A, entered service in 1956. The A-4E (498 built), was equipped with a more powerful engine and other improvements and entered service in late 1962. The A-4G entered service with the Royal Australian Navy in 1967. It was armed with Sidewinder missiles and flew from the carrier HMAS Melbourne.

Included variants:

A-4E, Adversary, NAS Miramar, "Top Gun" A-4E, VA-72, USS Independence A-4E, VMAT-102, USMC A-4E, USS Bon Homme Richard, 1969 A-4G Skyhawk, VF805 Sqn., Royal Australian Navy, HMAS Melbourne, 1967

About the A-4

The A-4 Skyhawk is an American single-seat, single-engine, carrier-capable multi-role combat jet aircraft. The small, subsonic A-4 took its maiden flight on June 22, 1954, and was introduced into service on October 1, 1956. It was operated primarily by the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps and also by several foreign ally nations, including Israel, Kuwait, and Australia, among others.

Operationally, the jet was flown as an attack and light bombing platform. The Skyhawk has five hardpoints, and can carry a wide variety of stores, including fuel tanks, bombs (both conventional and nuclear), and pods for rockets. The jet played a salient role in the Vietnam War, and also proved consequential in the Yom Kippur War (flown by Israel) and the Falklands War (flown by Argentina). The jet was operated by the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels in aerial demonstrations from 1975 to 1986.

The A-4 measures 40 feet, 2 inches in length, stands 15 feet, 2 inches tall, and has a low-mounted, clipped delta wing with a span of 27 feet, 6 inches. It features retractable tricycle landing gear and a cruciform empennage with the horizontal stabilizer mounted above the fuselage. The A-4 is powered by a single turbojet engine that delivers up to 8,500 pounds of thrust. It has a range of 1,008 miles, a service ceiling of 42,250 feet above sea level, and it climbs at 5,750 feet per minute. The A-4 Skyhawk has a g limit of +8 and a top speed of 673 miles per hour.

The A-4 Skyhawk is renowned for being nimble and versatile, notably with the amount of fuel it can carry. Standard configurations include no external fuel tanks, a single external fuel tank, and two external fuel tanks.

VERSION 0.3.0 RELEASED OCTOBER 10, 2024

Fixed missing part on left console. Added light shine to nose anti-dazzle. Removed manufacturer's name from rudder pedals.