Scooters Forever (A-4 Skyhawk Tribute Thread)

[MasterBates]

I actually FIT (legally) in the TA-4J. Not sure about single seaters.

of course, if I bought it, I would do slight modifications to make my ass fit.

 

[Uncle Fester]

I heard once that de-mil'ed aircraft have to have the ejection seat permanently safed, because they're not certified for civilian use or some such. At least in the US...I know there's a Brit company that both maintains civil ejection seats (for warbirds, etc) and does the DJET-equivalent training for civvie pilots.

 

[MasterBates]

Civ seats require some ATF paperwork due to the explosives inside them. I forget exactly what though.

 

[brownshoe]

Sooooooooooo ... if I buy one ... and pay for it .... (and fly it) .... you'll help me build it and maintain it (?) ... and carry my helmet bag ... and strap me in ... and wipe my canopy ... ???

I will… I will! (Sigh) Ah, to be that young again.

Remember now I can send you off, fuel you, load you, tow and start you, plus, I can work the deck for you.

Steve

 

[A4sForever]

I will… I will! (Sigh) Ah, to be that young again.

Remember now I can send you off, fuel you, load you, tow and start you, plus, I can work the deck for you.

Steve

Good man, Steve-O ... LAUNCH 'EM !!! :jump2refe:thumbup_1

 

[phrogdriver]

I'm pretty handy.

From those in the know, if you keep a warbird in a climate controlled hangar not near sea water, how hard is it to keep up with corrosion and the like. Just CC alone would scare me given the USN birds I have been around, but they are in sea air 24/7 and only see indoors for major work, and that's not climate controlle.d

Just guessing, but I think that if you actually didn't abuse the aircraft the way we do, they'd actually stay fairly corrosion-free. After all, part of navalizing an aircraft during design and manufacture is supposed to be making it corrosion-resistant. Granted, even the best parts take a beating the way they're used in the military, or parked on top of sea-spayed decks.

I don't think the naval services deliberately buy shoddy, rust-prone parts (cast iron langing gear, anyone?). You don't see Roscoe going over the C-152s at the FBO with a wire brush every day, and those planes aren't rusting away. Our multi-million dollar stuff has to at least be better than 30-year-old civilian planes in their inherent corrosion-resistance, I would hope.

 

[A4sForever]

... After all, part of navalizing an aircraft during design and manufacture is supposed to be making it corrosion-resistant....

OR ... you could just keep dabbing on coat after coat of zinc chromate until the bird was at max cat weight and could hardly launch. Here's a Vark sporting her "zinc's" paint-job mid-cruise :

 

[FastMover]

Here are some pics of the A-4 cockpit trainer that me and one of my friends worked on while stashed at the museum. It was just recently finished and put in the entrance with the other Blues jets.

 

[whitesoxnation]

I've never seen this video posted before here.

"Some old RNZAF A-4K training (?) videos relating to air combat maneuvering. "

[youtube]Zfg58KFuMUA[/youtube]

 

[wink]

I just caught some Carrier show on TV the other night. It was set onboard USS Reagan. Just before a Brazilian port visit the Brazilian Navy came out and bagged a bunch of touch and goes in A-4s. It was cool to see them hitting the deck again.

 

[rondebmar]

Newbie here...

Flew A4's with VA-95 aboard Intrepid off both Dixie & Yankee Station in 1966...

Was notified by email from old USN buddy, Bill Iams, plus a member of the restoration crew about a year ago...the recently restored A4 now on static display...still aboard Intrepid, but in NYC during the ship's recent o'haul period (after being unstuck from the mud ), was painted in our squadron colors...complete with the "Green Lizard"...

Both Bill & I, and I'm certain the rest of the VA-95 guys, flew this very bird over 'Nam that same year...

I logged six flights in her, four of them "green ink"...

A4B BuNo 142833...Bless Her Heart!!

Banty

 

[HeyJoe]

Newbie here...

Flew A4's with VA-95 aboard Intrepid off both Dixie & Yankee Station in 1966...

Was notified by email from old USN buddy, Bill Iams, plus a member of the restoration crew about a year ago...the recently restored A4 now on static display...still aboard Intrepid, but in NYC during the ship's recent o'haul period (after being unstuck from the mud ), was painted in our squadron colors...complete with the "Green Lizard"...

Both Bill & I, and I'm certain the rest of the VA-95 guys, flew this very bird over 'Nam that same year...

I logged six flights in her, four of them "green ink"...

A4B BuNo 142833...Bless Her Heart!!

Banty

So which one did you prefer, the A-1 or the A-4? Hint, hint...how about a been there, done that over Vietnam? I think younger generation might want explanation of Dixie and Yankee Stations if you have the inclination. Cheers, HJ

 

[Junkball]

Gen xyz

So which one did you prefer, the A-1 or the A-4? Hint, hint...how about a been there, done that over Vietnam? I think younger generation might want explanation of Dixie and Yankee Stations if you have the inclination. Cheers, HJ

(From the younger generation) I "know" what Yankee and Dixie Stations were... but I don't "know" about them... lets hear it (and your A/C preference)!

 

[nugget61]

Newbie here...

Flew A4's with VA-95 aboard Intrepid off both Dixie & Yankee Station in 1966...

Was notified by email from old USN buddy, Bill Iams, plus a member of the restoration crew about a year ago...the recently restored A4 now on static display...still aboard Intrepid, but in NYC during the ship's recent o'haul period (after being unstuck from the mud ), was painted in our squadron colors...complete with the "Green Lizard"...

Both Bill & I, and I'm certain the rest of the VA-95 guys, flew this very bird over 'Nam that same year...

I logged six flights in her, four of them "green ink"...

A4B BuNo 142833...Bless Her Heart!!

Banty

She still looks good:

 

[HeyJoe]

(From the younger generation) I "know" what Yankee and Dixie Stations were... but I don't "know" about them... lets hear it (and your A/C preference)!

One of my favorite books