Heinemann’s hotrod

The A-4 Skyhawk joins Australia’s Fleet Air Arm

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk evolved from chief engineer Ed Heinemann’s concerns at the trend of increasingly heavier combat aircraft with degraded performance and increased cost. Held in high affection by its pilots and maintainers, the aircraft was given several nicknames, such as Scooter and Heinemann’s hotrod, which reflected Ed Heinemann’s compact design approach (most notably the Skyhawk could fit on an aircraft carrier lift without requiring folding wings, but it could also carry the same payload as a WW2 B-17 bomber).

The prototype XA4D-1 Skyhawk had its maiden flight from Edwards AFB, California on August 14 1954. Production would continue until 1979, with 2,960 Skyhawks delivered.