TA-4J Skyhawk

Air Warbirds has a number of TA-4J Skyhawks available. Pictured above is a nearly complete Skyhawk, prior to paint.

More A-4s Arriving. Find out why everyone wants the "Scooter"

TA-4J STATS HERE

The story of the remarkable A-4 Skyhawk goes back to 1954, when McDonnell Douglas chief designer Ed Heinemann responded to a US Navy requirement for a lightweight, jet-powered carrier attack aircraft. The result was an aircraft that could carry several times more than the specified payload, and weighed less than half the allowed maximum. With a production run spanning 26 years, nearly 3,000 examples of the A-4 were built in a variety of versions, more than any other tactical aircraft in US history. The Skyhawk was also exported widely.

Dubbed the "Scooter" by its Navy and Marine pilots due to its legendary maneuverability and outstanding roll rate, the A-4 also became known as "Heinemann's Hot Rod" in tribute to its designer. Fans of the movie Top Gun may remember the Skyhawk as the jet flown by the Top Gun instructor pilots. The two-seat trainer version, the TA-4J, has been the only variant in service since the early 1990's, and today the Skyhawk's flying days in US service are all but over and VC-8 will be the last unit to utilize the TA-4J and mark the end of a 45-year career in the near future.

TA-4Js under restoration