WHF's Douglas A-4B Skyhawk

The Warbird Heritage Foundation (WHF) is the owner and operator of this beautiful Douglas A-4B Skyhawk (S/N 11366/BuNo 142112) which is available for airshows, flybys and film.

The A-4 Skyhawk was a post Korean War U.S. attack aircraft intended to be operated from aircraft carriers. It was designed by Douglas Aircraft to satisfy the U.S. Navy's need for a jet powered replacement for the A-1 Skyraider. The Skyhawk was successfully used by both the USN and USMC, with the first model entering service in October of 1956.

Skyhawk's were the Navy's primary light bomber during the early years of the Vietnam War. A-4's carried out some of the first U.S. air strikes of the war and a Marine Skyhawk is believed to have dropped the last US bombs on the country. Some of the notable A-4 pilots during the war were Vice Admiral James Stockdale and then LCDR John McCain. The Skyhawk continued in service throughout the war, with a total of 362 being lost.

After Vietnam, the A-4 served as demonstration aircraft for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels from 1973 through 1986. The Skyhawk's agility also made it popular as an adversary training aircraft. The A-4 was the preferred surrogate for the MIG-17 at the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) until 1999. The Skyhawk has been used by other countries in a variety of conflicts, including the Falklands War. It was flown by the Kuwaiti Air Force in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

The aircraft remained in production until 1979. It's U.S. military service ended with formal retirement from the Navy on May 3, 2003. A total of 2,960 A-4's were built.

The Foundation's A-4B Skyhawk has Airborne Refueling Capability and is currently painted to represent aircraft BuNo 148609, an A-4C flown by LCDR Ted "T.R." Swartz, a member of Squadron VA-76, operating from the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) during the Vietnam War. On May 1, 1967, LCDR Swartz shot down a MIG-17 over North Vietnam with an unguided ZUNI rocket. This was the only air-to-air kill by a Skyhawk during the Vietnam War.

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