page_title: Douglas A-4 Skyhawk
section_title: Specifications (A-4D-5 / A-4E Skyhawk)
hierarchical_section_title: Douglas A-4 Skyhawk / Specifications (A-4D-5 / A-4E Skyhawk)
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: A-4 skyhawk version A/B/C
context_page_description: The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic carrier-capable light attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta-winged, single turbojet engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later by McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated A4D under the U.S. Navy's pre-1962 designation system.
  The Skyhawk is a relatively lightweight aircraft, with a maximum takeoff weight of 24,500 pounds, and has a top speed of 670 miles per hour. The aircraft's five hardpoints support a variety of missiles, bombs, and other munitions. It is capable of carrying a bomb load equivalent to that of a World War II–era Boeing B-17 bomber, and can deliver nuclear weapons using a low-altitude bombing system and a "loft" delivery technique. The A-4 was originally powered by the Wright J65 turbojet engine; from the A-4E onwards, the Pratt & Whitney J52 engine was used.
  Skyhawks played key roles in the Vietnam War, the Yom Kippur War, and the Falklands War.
context_section_description: Data from McDonnell Douglas aircraft since 1920 : Volume I, Global Security : A4D (A-4) Skyhawk
  General characteristics
  Crew: 1
  Length: 40 ft 1.5 in (12.230 m)
  Wingspan: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
  Height: 15 ft 2 in (4.62 m)
  Wing area: 260 sq ft (24 m²)
  Airfoil: root: NACA 0008-1.1-25; tip: NACA 0005-.825-50
  Empty weight: 9,853 lb (4,469 kg)
  Gross weight: 16,216 lb (7,355 kg)
  Max takeoff weight: 24,500 lb (11,113 kg)
  Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney J52-P-6A turbojet engine, 8,500 lbf (38 kN) thrust
  Performance
  Maximum speed: 585 kn (673 mph, 1,083 km/h) at sea level
  Range: 1,008 nmi (1,160 mi, 1,867 km)
  Ferry range: 2,194 nmi (2,525 mi, 4,063 km)
  g limits: +8 -3
  Rate of climb: 5,750 ft/min (29.2 m/s)
  Wing loading: 62.4 lb/sq ft (305 kg/m²)
  Thrust/weight: 0.526
  Armament
  Guns: 2× 20 mm (0.79 in) Colt Mk 12 cannon, 100 rounds/gun
  Hardpoints: 4× under-wing & 1× under-fuselage pylon stations with a capacity of 8,500 lb (3,900 kg),with provisions to carry combinations of:
  Rockets: 4× LAU-10 rocket pods (each with 4× 127 mm Mk 32 Zuni rockets)
  Bombs: 
  6× Rockeye-II Mark 20 Cluster Bomb Unit (CBU)
  6× Rockeye Mark 7/APAM-59 CBU
  Mark 80 series of unguided bombs (including 3 kg and 14 kg practice bombs)
  B43 nuclear bomb
  B57 nuclear bomb
  B61 nuclear bomb
  Other: up to 3× 370 US gallons (1,400 L) Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight/extended range/loitering time
  Missiles: 
  Air-to-air missiles:
  4× AIM-9 Sidewinder
  Air-to-surface missiles:
  2× AGM-12 Bullpup
  2× AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missile
  2× AGM-62 Walleye TV-guided glide bomb
  2× AGM-65 Maverick
  Avionics
  
  Typical avionics fitted to A-4s
  Bendix AN/APN-141 Low altitude radar altimeter (refitted to C and E, standard in the F)
  Stewart-Warner AN/APQ-145 Mapping & Ranging radar (mounted on A-4F, also found on A-4E/N/S/SU)
  UHF AN/ARC-159
  VHF AN/ARC-114
  RAD/ALT AN/APN-194
  TACAN AN/ARN-118
  ILS/VOR AN/ARA-63 / AN/ARN-14
  CHAFF AN/ALE-39
  IFF AN/APX-72
  RADAR AN/APG-53-A
  Secure Comm AN/KY28/58
  Countermeasures AN/ALQ-126
  Countermeasures AN/ALQ-162
  HUD AN/AVQ-24
  Navigational Computer AN/ASN-41
caption: A-4 Skyhawk A/B/C color scheme
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