The A-4 Skyhawk is an attack aircraft originally designed to operate from United States Navy aircraft carriers. Fifty years after the type's first flight, some of the nearly 3,000 Skyhawks produced remain in service with smaller air arms around the world. The aircraft was formerly the A4D Skyhawk, and was designed by the Douglas Aircraft Corporation, later McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing.

The Skyhawk was designed by Douglas' Ed Heinemann in response to a U.S. Navy call for a jet-powered attack aircraft to replace the A-1 Skyraider. Heinemann opted for a design that would minimize size, weight, and complexity. The result was an aircraft that weighed only half of the Navy's specification and had a wing so compact that it did not need to be folded for carrier stowage. The diminutive Skyhawk soon received the nicknames "Scooter", "Bantam Bomber", "Tinker Toy Bomber", and, on account of its nimble performance, "Heinemann's Hot-Rod."

The Navy issued a contract for the type on June 12th, 1952, and the first prototype first flew on June 22nd, 1954. Deliveries to Navy and U.S. Marine Corps squadrons commenced in late 1956.

The Skyhawk remained in production until 1975, with a total of 2,960 aircraft built, including 555 two-seat trainers. The US Navy began removing the aircraft from its front-line squadrons in 1967, with the last retiring in 1975. The Marines would pass on the A-7 Corsair II. The last USMC Skyhawk was delivered in 1979, and were used until the mid-1990s until they were replaced by the similarly small, but V/STOL vertical landing AV-8 Harrier.

This particular 1:72 scale Skyhawk attack aircraft was flown by the Royal Australian Navy's VF 805 Squadron then embarked upon the HMAS Melbourne in 1982. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 4-3/4-inches
Length: 6-3/4-inches

Release Date: January 2008

Historical Account: "Aussies" - The Commonwealth Naval Forces were established on March 1st, 1901, two months after the Federation of Australia. On July 10th, 1911, King George V granted the title of 'Royal Australian Navy'.

During World War I the RAN was initially responsible for capturing many of Germany's colonies in the South Pacific and protecting Australian shipping from the German East Asia Squadron. For the remainder of the war most of the RAN's major ships operated as part of Royal Navy forces in the Mediterranean and North Seas.

During the 1920s and early 1930s the Royal Australian Navy was greatly reduced in size. As international tensions increased, however, the RAN was modernised and expanded. During the early years of World War II ships from the RAN again operated as part of the Royal Navy, with RAN ships serving with distinction in the Mediterranean. Following the outbreak of the Pacific War and the virtual destruction of the Royal Navy force in Asia the RAN increasingly operated independently or as part of United States Navy forces. By the end of the war, the RAN was the fifth largest navy in the world.

While the size of the RAN was greatly reduced after World War II, the Navy gained new capabilities with the delivery of two aircraft carriers. The RAN saw action in many Cold War era conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region and operated alongside the Royal Navy and United States Navy off Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam. Following the end of the Cold War the RAN has participated in Coalition forces in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean and has formed a critical element in Australian-led operations in East Timor and the Solomon Islands.