Miragedriver
Brigadier
My friend Kwaigonegin recommended that we begin a thread dedicated to well-built aircraft (fixed and rotary wing) that continue to fly today with just avionic and some airframe reconstruction
In praise of the cheap and cheerful.
Imagine a military combat aircraft that first flew in 1954 and is still flying today. No, it's not the . This aircraft has played major roles in the air over Vietnam, the Falklands, and the Yom Kippur War. It replaced the F-4 Phantom as the jet of choice for the USN'sBlue Angels demonstration team. This aircraft even played a .
Now... What if I told you that the first 500 examples of this aircraft cost $7.5 million each, adjusted for inflation?
The Douglas (soon to be McDonnell Douglas, then Boeing) A-4 Skyhawk was designed from the outset to be a small, light, simple, inexpensive attack aircraft that could be operated from the USN's aircraft carrier fleet. It's chief designer, , really knocked it out of the park. The A-4 weighed about half of the USN's desired specs. Unlike most carrier based aircraft, the A-4 doesn't need folding wings. The Skyhawk earned a reputation for being rugged, simple to maintain, and cheap to operate. It became a favorite of its pilots, earning nicknames like "Scooter" and "Heinemann's Hot-Rod". The A-4 was at one time , but the CF-5 Freedom Fighter was selected instead.
The A-4 Skyhawk was operated by the USMC and USN from 1956 until 1993. Besides playing a major role over Vietnam, the A-4 was used as a training platform. When the F-4's lackluster win:loss ratio against older MiGs was discovered, the A-4 was introduced a "surrogate" for the MiG-17 in the USN's TOPGUN combat school.
More than 60 years after its first flight, the A-4 is still used in military operations. Argentina, Israel, and Singapore still use list the A-4 in active service. Brazil not only still uses the A-4, but operates it from its sole aircraft carrier, the Sao Paulo. There are even a f, if you have the resources.
The A-4 has flown so long, that its intended replacement, the F/A-18, is now in need of replacement.
Why has the A-4 survived so long? It's not so much what is is, but what it isn't.
The A-4 is a simple attack aircraft intended to engage ground targets using bombs, rockets, or guided missiles. It carries AIM-9 Sidewinders for self defense, but lacks a sophisticated radar or fire control system. It is incapable of supersonic speeds. I can only carry half the ordinance of modern multirole aircraft like the Super Hornet. All of this decreased capability does pay off when it comes to operating costs, however. A smaller, single engine aircraft uses less fuel, and its simple design makes maintenance far easier.
The A-4 still has enough to get the job done however. While it may not have the payload capacity of a Super Hornet or F-35, it can still carry over 4 tons worth of bombs and missiles. When equipped with external tanks, its combat radius is within spitting distance of newer multirole fighters. While not capable of supersonic speeds, the A-4 comparable, if not superior to the bigger, newer fighters at subsonic speeds.
In missions over uncontested air space, like Afghanistan, Iraq, or Libya, the A-4 likely would have been more than enough to handle most close air support, (CAS) and counter insurgency (COIN) duties. All at a fraction of the cost of Super Hornets, Strike Eagles, even F-16s.
So where is the spiritual successor to the A-4? A quick look at the fighter landscape these days reveals very few low-cost options. Everything out there seems to be expensive, multi-role fighters like the Super Hornet and Rafale.
Back to bottling my Grenache
In praise of the cheap and cheerful.
Imagine a military combat aircraft that first flew in 1954 and is still flying today. No, it's not the . This aircraft has played major roles in the air over Vietnam, the Falklands, and the Yom Kippur War. It replaced the F-4 Phantom as the jet of choice for the USN'sBlue Angels demonstration team. This aircraft even played a .
The Douglas (soon to be McDonnell Douglas, then Boeing) A-4 Skyhawk was designed from the outset to be a small, light, simple, inexpensive attack aircraft that could be operated from the USN's aircraft carrier fleet. It's chief designer, , really knocked it out of the park. The A-4 weighed about half of the USN's desired specs. Unlike most carrier based aircraft, the A-4 doesn't need folding wings. The Skyhawk earned a reputation for being rugged, simple to maintain, and cheap to operate. It became a favorite of its pilots, earning nicknames like "Scooter" and "Heinemann's Hot-Rod". The A-4 was at one time , but the CF-5 Freedom Fighter was selected instead.
The A-4 Skyhawk was operated by the USMC and USN from 1956 until 1993. Besides playing a major role over Vietnam, the A-4 was used as a training platform. When the F-4's lackluster win:loss ratio against older MiGs was discovered, the A-4 was introduced a "surrogate" for the MiG-17 in the USN's TOPGUN combat school.
More than 60 years after its first flight, the A-4 is still used in military operations. Argentina, Israel, and Singapore still use list the A-4 in active service. Brazil not only still uses the A-4, but operates it from its sole aircraft carrier, the Sao Paulo. There are even a f, if you have the resources.
The A-4 has flown so long, that its intended replacement, the F/A-18, is now in need of replacement.
Why has the A-4 survived so long? It's not so much what is is, but what it isn't.
The A-4 is a simple attack aircraft intended to engage ground targets using bombs, rockets, or guided missiles. It carries AIM-9 Sidewinders for self defense, but lacks a sophisticated radar or fire control system. It is incapable of supersonic speeds. I can only carry half the ordinance of modern multirole aircraft like the Super Hornet. All of this decreased capability does pay off when it comes to operating costs, however. A smaller, single engine aircraft uses less fuel, and its simple design makes maintenance far easier.
The A-4 still has enough to get the job done however. While it may not have the payload capacity of a Super Hornet or F-35, it can still carry over 4 tons worth of bombs and missiles. When equipped with external tanks, its combat radius is within spitting distance of newer multirole fighters. While not capable of supersonic speeds, the A-4 comparable, if not superior to the bigger, newer fighters at subsonic speeds.
In missions over uncontested air space, like Afghanistan, Iraq, or Libya, the A-4 likely would have been more than enough to handle most close air support, (CAS) and counter insurgency (COIN) duties. All at a fraction of the cost of Super Hornets, Strike Eagles, even F-16s.
So where is the spiritual successor to the A-4? A quick look at the fighter landscape these days reveals very few low-cost options. Everything out there seems to be expensive, multi-role fighters like the Super Hornet and Rafale.
Back to bottling my Grenache
