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Design of the Skyhawk began in 1952 as a response to the increasing weight and decreasing performance of the early jet fighters. The Skyhawk was to be a lightweight, carrier based, nuclear capable, attack bomber for the U. S. Navy. The type's first flight was on June 22, 1954 and testing quickly resulted in Navy contracts for the A4D-1 and A4D-2 versions of the plane. The Skyhawk was redesignated as the A-4 in 1962 with the A4D-2 becoming the A-4B. Skyhawks were one of the main Navy and Marine strike aircraft during the Vietnam War and flew from every American carrier. Production of the Skyhawk ended in 1979, but A-4s continued to serve with the U. S. Navy in training roles until the early 1990s.
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| Wingspan |
27 ft 6 in |
| Length |
39 ft 5 in |
| Height |
15 ft |
| Weight |
20,000 lbs (loaded |
| Maximum Speed |
664 mph |
| Service Ceiling |
20,100 ft |
| Range |
1,160 miles |
| Engines |
1 Wright J65-W-20 turbojet, 8,400 lbs thrust |
| Crew |
1 |
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