A-4 Skyhawk: why the relatively primitive carrier-based attack aircraft has become so in demand
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk - an American carrier-based attack aircraft was developed in the 50s of the last century. The plane was not distinguished by anything extraordinary. It had subsonic speed and was not equipped with ultra-modern weapons and systems.
Meanwhile, as paradoxical as it may sound, it was the aforementioned simplicity that allowed the combat aircraft to outlive its peers. Moreover, he manages to fly today.
It’s worth starting with the fact that in the middle of the last century there was a revolution in the military aviation. Aircraft with piston engines began to be replaced en masse by jet aircraft. At the same time, the new winged aircraft cost many times more than their obsolete predecessors, and they had to be produced in large quantities.
As a result, Douglas Aircraft Company tried to solve this problem. Designers focused on how to simplify the design of the jet aircraft as much as possible. True, their ideas were not to the liking of the Air Force command, which in no case agreed that American fighters would be in any way inferior to Soviet MiGs.
At the same time, the proposals of Douglas engineers were liked by the command of the US Navy, which needed a new aircraft for aircraft carriers.
This is how the A-4 Skyhawk was born, relatively cheap, with an extremely simple design, but extremely in demand.
An example of a simplified design is the wing of an attack aircraft, which had a triangular shape. It was a single piece that was attached to the fuselage from below. The wing mechanization is also extremely simple - large ailerons extended to the very tips, large slats without drive motors, as well as paired flaps and aerodynamic brakes.
The aircraft received a landing gear with one wheel and an elongated strut so that weapons could be suspended under the wing, attached to the lower part of the fuselage. The fuselage itself was also as simple as possible, with an armored nose section.
One jet engine with a thrust of 38 kN was used as a power plant.
The A-4 Skyhawk was armed with two 20 mm cannons and various unguided rockets and bombs.
The aircraft's cruising speed is subsonic about 950 km/h, and the maximum speed reached 1118 km/h. The flight range of the deck attack aircraft reached 1800 km. At the same time, it became the first American combat aircraft to receive an in-flight refueling system.
As a result, an extremely simple and relatively cheap aircraft had excellent flight and combat characteristics for that time. In addition, its maintenance also did not require large expenses and was not labor-intensive. This ensured the attack aircraft the aforementioned “longevity” and demand not only in the USA, but also in other countries.
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