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Air-to-air record, found another link
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 Skyhawk''' 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. The Skyhawk was also 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]]
[[Image:A-4.jpg|right]]
[[Image:A-4_over_Vietnam.jpg|right]]
[[Image:A-4_over_Vietnam.jpg|right]]
===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 Skyhawk pilots who flew in the war were [[Medal of Honor]] recipient [[Michael Estocin]] and future Senator and presidential candidate [[John McCain]].
Although several A-4s were lost to SAMs and AAA, only one fell in air combat, to a MiG-17 in April 1967.<ref>''MiG-17 and MiG-19 Units of the Vietnam War'', by Istvan Toperczer, Osprey Publishing, 2001</ref> About a week afterward, a Skyhawk pilot from VA-76 scored the A-4’s only kill in American service (and one of the more unusual kills of the war) when he downed a MiG-17 with a Zuni unguided rocket.<ref>[http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_243.shtml U.S. Air-to-Air Victories in the Vietnam War, Part 1]</ref>
===Israel===
===Israel===
*[http://www.boeing.com/history/mdc/skyhawk.htm The A-4 Skyhawk at Boeing.com]
*[http://www.boeing.com/history/mdc/skyhawk.htm The A-4 Skyhawk at Boeing.com]
*[http://www.skyhawk.org/ The Skyhawk Association]
*[http://www.skyhawk.org/ The Skyhawk Association]
*[http://www.historynet.com/douglas-a-4-skyhawks-provided-support-for-vietnam-war.htm Douglas A-4 Skyhawks: Provided Support for Vietnam War]
==Further Reading==
==Further Reading==