Douglas A-4F Skyhawk – #1, US Navy Blue Angels aerobatic team 1979

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA1438: Douglas A-4F Skyhawk #1 of the US Navy Blue Angels aerobatic team 1979. Production run of 500 models

Length 6.75 inches Wingspan 4.75 inches

In 1974 the Blue Angels downsized from the massive F-4J to the smaller more aerobatic Douglas A-4F. Also this was during the oil crisis and the Skyhawk was more economical to operate, it was subsonic and more manoeuvrable which allowed for tighter displays and kept the performance in front of the audience. The pilots loved the A-4 because it was so easy to fly, it was simple to maintain and it had a very low accident rate. In 1986 the A-4 gave way to the newer F/A-18 Hornet.

Designed to replace the antiquated, propeller-driven AD Skyraider, the A-4 Skyhawk was first flown on June 22, 1954. Douglas exceeded the original design requirements by delivering a carrier-capable aircraft that was only half the Navy’s weight specification and so compact that it did not need folding wings. The A-4 was the first to use “buddy” air-to-air refuelling (an A-4 could refuel other aircraft of the same type), which was helpful when operating in remote locations where dedicated tankers were impractical. The A-4 served the US Navy until 2003 and remained the preferred warplane for the Marine Corps until the 1980s, even after the introduction of the A-7 Corsair II.