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Scooters Forever (A-4 Skyhawk Tribute Thread)

Uncle Fester

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
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Malo83 said:
Brazil receives modernized AF-1 Scooters :cool:
Click to expand...

So much awesome.

I don't know what the record is for an a/c type to remain in active, front-line service, but the Scoot has to be among the leaders.

Yeah, I know there's still Frescos rusting in third-world air forces, but that's hardly the same thing.
 
707guy

707guy

"You can't make this shit up..."
Uncle Fester said:
I don't know what the record is for an a/c type to remain in active, front-line service, but the Scoot has to be among the leaders.
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My first thought was the B-52 has to be close to the Scooter so I did a little digging:

The first B-52A flew Aug. 5, 1954.
The first Skyhawk flight was on June 22, 1954.

So the Scoot is at least in front of the B-52 by about six weeks!
 
Uncle Fester

Uncle Fester

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Super Moderator
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707guy said:
My first thought was the B-52 has to be close to the Scooter so I did a little digging:

The first B-52A flew Aug. 5, 1954.
The first Skyhawk flight was on June 22, 1954.

So the Scoot is at least in front of the B-52 by about six weeks!
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The BUFF certainly has the record for oldest flying combat aircraft in service (as in, the actual airframes, not just the T/M/S). The B-52H ceased production in 1962 and is the only model still flying.

The Herk, Huey, P-3, and E-2 are up there too, for t/m/s still in operational service (first flights in 1954, 1956, 1958, and 1960, respectively).
 
707guy

707guy

"You can't make this shit up..."
Uncle Fester said:
The Herk, Huey, P-3, and E-2 are up there too, for t/m/s still in operational service (first flights in 1954, 1956, 1958, and 1960, respectively).
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True. Here are a couple of shots posted by the Boneyard the last couple of days that illustrate that:
AC-130H.jpg
"Still reigning supreme after years of battlefield victories, AC-130H, Serial No. 69-6569, proudly roared into AMARG today...to rest. Nicknamed "Excalibur," for having the legendary strength of King Arthur's sword, the aircraft is said to be the last AC-130H to retire as well as the last to have served during the Vietnam War. May 28, 2015"
P-3C.jpg
"Though parking in the shadow of "Excalibur," a victorious AC-130H war horse, this P-3C, BuNo 157329, carries an extraordinary history of its own--26,000 hours and 22,000 landings! Welcome aboard! - May 28, 2015"
 
brownshoe

brownshoe

Well-Known Member
Contributor
Uncle Fester said:
The Herk, Huey, P-3, and E-2 are up there too, for t/m/s still in operational service (first flights in 1954, 1956, 1958, and 1960, respectively).
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Now I DO feel old. We used to ride all over the place on 130's. Once we were heading somewhere and were sitting on those awfully uncomfortable webbed seats. We had some sea bags and other things in a pile in the middle of the cargo area which looked much more comfortable so off we went, plopped down and sprawled out a bit. Well it wasn't long before one of the 130 crew members came by and mentioned that we ought not be trying to sleep there. Well we VA guys didn't listen to that puke, after all we were attack guys. Well it wasn't long after that we hit an air pocket, sea bags and dumb attack Sailors went everywhere. Oh... and the 130 crew members just snickered the rest of the hop.
 
Malo83

Malo83

Keep the Faith
A-4N landing accident in Phoenix.
http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2015/09/incident-occurred-september-17-2015-at_17.html
IMG_3132_1442527823217_218908_ver1.0_640_360%2B%25281%2529.jpg
 
Griz882

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
My father, winged in 1944, Wildcat pilot in a VC (Pacific), stayed around long enough to be a weapons test pilot on the A-4 in the early days. He always rated it as among the best craft he ever flew. He loved that machine.
 
RCArce01

RCArce01

Active Member
My father flew A-4E's in the USMC from 1967-1973. This is one of the very few pictures I have of him from that era. Wish he was still around to tell stories and see me following in his footsteps today
 

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zipmartin

zipmartin

Never been better
pilot
Contributor
wink said:
I was told in the VTs that this is why they always left the wing tanks on the plane.
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When I was instructing at VT-22 in Kingsville in the early '80's, I witnessed a situation like this. A link on the nose gear that compressed the gear during retraction failed and the gear was stuck in the wheel well. The drops were empty, and as we all watched from the ready room, the instructor and stud made a picture perfect intentional wheels up landing on the drop tanks. The a/c was jacked up, the gear was lowered (pried out of the nose wheel well), towed to the hangar, new drops were hung, the link replaced, some minor skin repairs were made, and the a/c was flying again two days later.
 
Griz882

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
You know, Brazil is operating a squadron of A-4's in the strike-fighter role. They were purchased from Kuwait and recently modified by Israel. They are being operated off an old French aircraft carrier.

I wonder if I picked up some Portuguese if the Brazilian Navy might be looking for a scooter driver?
 
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