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An affiliation of individuals who have flown, maintained, (or who simply love) the "A-4 Skyhawk"; and who are dedicated to the perpetuation of the legend, history, traditions, and camaraderie associated with the greatest attack aircraft ever built. JOIN US!

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JOIN US!
ATTENTION ON DECK!
USMC A-4 Skyhawkers' Reunion and Marine Air Centennial Celebration!!

Register Here.

Proposed Schedule.

[ Our "Logged In" membership see more data with the Skyhawk Images here, and in the A/C Display Pages.
AND our membership has access to additional data/images in our Ready Room. ]

Flight Quarters
211K wav
Start'em Up!
239K wav
Three's In!
3.3M mpg- P. Galanti
Skyhawk Roll Rate
2M mov
Dave Dollarhide

137812 Douglas Douglas Aircraft photo 7

160264 Robert-Lawson via Tailhook Association 6323

Acronyms

AAA: Anti Aircraft Artillery
ACM: Air Combat Maneuvers
AGL: Above Ground Level
ALS: Approach Lighting System
Angel: 1,000ft of altitude; angels3= 3,000ft.
AOA: Angle of Attack
CAG: Carrier Air Grooup
CAP: Combat Air Patrol
CAS: Close Air Support
Clara: Pilot can't see meatball (fresnel optical landing system)
COD: Carrier On-board Delivery
CVW: Carrier Air Wing
ECM: Electronic Countermeasures
ELT: Emergency Locator Transmitter
Father: Local Ship's TACAN (Nav Beacon)
FOD: Foreign Object Damage
GQ: General Quarters
HARM: High Speed Anti-radiation Missle

Acronyms (cont.)

HUD: Head-up Display
IP: Instructor Pilot
KIAS: Knots Indicated Airspeed
LSO: Landing Signal Officer
Midrats: Midnight Rations
Mother: Home Ship
OinC: Officer In Charge
Ops: Operations Department
OVC: Overcast
RAG: Readiness Air Group
ROE: Rules of Engagement
RTB: Returen To Base
SAR: Search And Rescue
SDO: Squadron (Staff) Duty Officer
SEAD: Suppresstion of Enemy Air Defenses
Sweet: working ok
UNREP: Underway Replenishment
Vertrep: Vertical Replenishment
VID: Visual Identification
VFR: Visual Flight Rules
VOD: Vertical On-board Delivery
VSI: Vertical Speed Indicator

A Skyhawk that never flew.

As a follow-on to the A4D-2 (A-4B), Douglas proposed the A4D-3, equipped with a more economical, more powerful (8,500 lb thrust vs. 7,700 lb) Pratt and Whitney J52 engine; a terrain clearance radar system; an all-attitude bombing and navigation system; and improved instrumentation and auto-pilot for all-weather flight. The proposal could not be supported by the Navy's existing austere budget, however, and the project was cancelled before production began. Some of the A4D-3 capabilities were incorporated into the later A4D-5 (A-4E) Cancelled Bureau Numbers were 145157 thru 145156 (10).

HMAS Nowra, Australia - Portable Mirror

Blue Angel

The incredible work of R. G. Smith
[ Link to our small sampling of his work, and contact information. ]







Caricature Artist Hank Caruso’s last A-4 depiction, “Scooters”, is now available in limited numbers from the Association. The prints are 13”x 16”, signed by the artist, and will make a great gift or “I Love Me” wall memento! Through Hank’s generosity, we can make prints available at $20 plus S&H (~$6). 20% of the sales price will be donated to the Artist’s favorite charity. Contact skyhawkasn@gmail.com



"The 8,500-pound-thrust J52 engine was first built for the North American Hound Dog missile. With models producing 11,200 pounds of thrust, the J52 soon became the Navy's workhorse, powering McDonnell Douglas' A-4 Skyhawk series and Grumman's A-6 Intruder and EA-6B Prowler. More than 5,000 J52 engines were produced, spanning nearly three decades."
The Skyhawk Association would like to thank Pratt and Whitney for their generous support of our mission.



Disabled American Veterans


Wounded Warrior Project