MAQUETTE À MONTER - A-4M Skyhawk [U.S.M.C. Attacker] Hasegawa | N° 07233 | 1:48 **LIKE NEW INSIDE UNOPENED**

Characteristics

Description

Carrier-borne jet fighter development advanced at a brisk pace in the aftermath of WW2, but work on jet ground attack aircraft of similar capabilities did not, forcing the US Navy to rely on the propeller-driven A-1 Skyraider to carry out ground support/strike missions throughout the Korean War. While the Navy was fully aware of the necessity for new aircraft capable of performing these crucial missions, the appearance of the superlative MiG-15 in the Communist arsenal during the conflict required throwing virtually all military aviation design efforts into coming up with a fighter capable of besting the Soviet-built fighter, leaving very little left of the R&D pie for ground attack aircraft.

However, once the urgency of the Korean situation diminished, the Navy was ready to move on with developments in this area, and in the early 1950s tasked the design team at Douglas Aircraft to come up with a next-generation carrier-borne ground attack plane. Douglas, utilizing the newest in light aircraft design technology, came up with a proposal for a small jet weighing a mere 6.8 tons and with a wingspan of only 8.4 meters. Douglas ended up with a Navy contract, and the prototype made its maiden flight on June 22, 1954, featuring a superlight airframe and a layout emphasizing efficient and simple manufacture. For example, the main wing encompassed both left and right wings in a single structure mated to the fuselage for optimum strength and ease of construction.

The fact that a total of 2,960 A-4 Skyhawks were built over the next 26 years until the production line closed in February 1979 attests to the excellence of the aircraft's design. The A-4M was developed as a stopgap next-generation ground support aircraft to replace the United States Marine Corp's aging A-4, with the first production aircraft flying in April 1970. Fitted with the powerful J52-P-408A engine, the aircraft was capable of increased ordnance loads.

The aircraft was visibly distinguishable from the older A-4 by its squared-off rudder, and was the first to be equipped with the addition of rudder-mounted RHAWS rear-warning radar. The A-4M first went online with the Marine Corps in November 1970, with VMA-324 the first unit outfitted with the "new" ground attacker. The production run ended in February 1979, with the last aircraft issued to VMA-331.

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