My dad was attached to VC-10 in Gitmo Bay Cuba. I am looking to build him a model of the TA4J model he worked on while stationed there. Any pics would be helpful. Thanks for your help.

I have over 2000 hours in this bird. One time I was flying along and I smelled smoke in the cockpit. As I was returning back to the Tico I noticed I could not get my flaps down. We were blue water operations so I had to bring this bird back on the deck. With no flaps down it felt like I was going two times the speed of stink. I did catch the number three wire tho. When I went to the ready room after I landed all of my squadron mates kept saying I was the best stick on the boat, think I woud have to agree.

As a newly winged Ensign I was assigned to the first fleet squadron of A4s, VA-72, Quonset Point, RI, later Oceana, VA (Virginia Beach). In those days of the cold war our primary mission was nuclear delivery (we could loft the 1.2 megaton Mark-12 weapon). I spent four years in VA-72 and made 2 Mediterrain cruises, USS Randolph (CVA-19)(Centurian) and the maiden shake-down and Med cruise on USS Independence (CVA-61). I was the first to obtain 1,000 hours in the Skyhawk ... McDonnell Douglas gave me a nice walnut plaque acknowledging that fact. I sent the plaque to The Navy's Museum of Flight (Pensacola) but when I visited there later, I was told they "lost" it! They also had an A4 hanging in the lobby with VA-83 colors and the erronous claim that VA-83 was the Navy's first operational A4 squadron! So much for the credibility of the Navy Museum of Flight!

The best description of the A-4 I ever read was that it was the last military airplane you could fly without voting with a computer. I flew the TA-4F, A-4E, A-4C, TA-4J, A-4F, A-4B (before they went to Argentina), A-4M, OA-4M, and the A-4Y (never called that, but it was an M with the bigger landing gear.) The most fun a boy can have in 3300+ hours.

Flew the A4A,B,C,E,L,KU,TA4F,TA4J. All great a/c. Had an Adversary sqdn. at Miramar NAS in the 70's. Not even the F-14s got close to beating us. A worthy adversary when flown with no external stores. Having flown the early F-86's, I insisted on proper slat lubrication to prevent rolling high "G" departures to an inverted spin. Never had one.
Don't believe the 1988 mile range. Max range as the F8, 1,000 NM.

I flew the A-4B,C,E,M and the TA-4F and J for over 2600 hours and the scooter was a great air to ground platform. Honest, realiable and trustworthy throughout it's combat history in SE Asia.

agree that the A-4 should be listed under Douglas a/c.

This would be more appropriately listed under Douglas A/C who developed it.

I was lucky enough to command two squadrons of Skyhawks and two Air Groups with A4's assigned. I flew in this order A4C, TA4F, A4B,A4A, A4L,A4E, A4f, A4M, and TA4J. I have one less landing than take-offs.