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The '''A-4''' is a light attack bomber, built by McDonnell-Douglas and flown by the [[U.S. Navy]] and [[Marines]]. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney turbojet, it was nicknamed the “Scooter” for its small size and tremendous maneuverability. It also was called "Heineman's Hot Rod", after its designer. The A-4 had a maximum speed of 670 mph, was armed with 2 20-mm cannons, and could carry 4000 lb of bombs.<ref>''Fast Movers'', by John Darrell Sherwood, St. Martin’s Press, 1999</ref>
The '''A-4''' is a light attack bomber, built by McDonnell-Douglas and flown by the [[U.S. Navy]] and [[Marines]]. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney turbojet, it was nicknamed the “Scooter” for its small size and tremendous maneuverability. It also was called "Heineman's Hot Rod", after its designer. The A-4 had a maximum speed of 670 mph, was armed with 2 20-mm cannons, and could carry 4000 lb of bombs.<ref>''Fast Movers'', by John Darrell Sherwood, St. Martin’s Press, 1999</ref>
[[Image:A-4.jpg|right]]
==History==
==History==
[[Image:A-4_over_Vietnam.jpg|left]]
===US Navy and Marine Corps===
===US Navy and Marine Corps===
The Skyhawk first flew on June 22, 1954, and entered operational service in October 1956. The Scooter served prominently during the [[Vietnam War]]. An A-4 was the first plane shot down over [[North Vietnam]], in a raid on a torpedo boat base and oil installations in retaliation for the Gulf of Tonkin incident.<ref name="MyFirstRef">''Rolling Thunder: A History of Jet Combat From World War II to the Gulf War'', by Ivan Rendall, Dell Publishing, 1997</ref> Among the A-4 pilots who flew in the war were [[Medal of Honor]] recipient [[Michael Estocin]] and future Senator and presidential candidate [[John McCain]].
The Skyhawk first flew on June 22, 1954, and entered operational service in October 1956. The Scooter served prominently during the [[Vietnam War]]. An A-4 was the first plane shot down over [[North Vietnam]], in a raid on a torpedo boat base and oil installations in retaliation for the Gulf of Tonkin incident.<ref name="MyFirstRef">''Rolling Thunder: A History of Jet Combat From World War II to the Gulf War'', by Ivan Rendall, Dell Publishing, 1997</ref> Among the A-4 pilots who flew in the war were [[Medal of Honor]] recipient [[Michael Estocin]] and future Senator and presidential candidate [[John McCain]].