A-4 Skyhawk

Though designed as a nuclear bomber, the A-4 Skyhawk became legendary as the Navy’s leading light bomber in the 1960s. Affectionately called “The Scooter”, its rugged simplicity and energetic performance placed the A-4 in the forefront of the close-in bombing war in Southeast Asia. However, Skyhawk squadrons endured correspondingly heavy casualties to the increasingly effective North Vietnamese air defenses. This experience helped push the development of today’s ‘smart bombs’.

Specifications

Crew	one (two in OA-4F, TA-4F, TA-4J)
Length	40 ft 3 in (12.22 m)
Wingspan	26 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
Height	15 ft (4.57 m)
Empty weight	10,450 lb (4,750 kg)
Powerplant	1 × Pratt & Whitney J52-P8A turbojet, 9,300 lbf (41 kN)
Maximum speed	585 kn (673 mph, 1,083 km/h)
Range	1,700 nmi (2,000 mi, 3,220 km)
Service ceiling	42,250 ft (12,880 m)