+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was a single seat subsonic carrier-capable attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta winged, single turbojet engine 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 was a relatively lightweight aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 24,500 pounds (11,100 kg) in its late versions and had a top speed of more than 670 miles per hour (1,080 km/h). Late versions were capable of carrying a bomb load equivalent to that of a World War II-era Boeing B-17 bomber and the aircraft supported a variety of missiles, bombs, and other munitions, including nuclear stores. The type saw an intensive career with the US Navy and the US Marine Corps during the Vietnam War era and was furthermore exported and operated by a wide range of countries all over the world, serving well into the 21st century.
One of the Skyhawk’s minor operators was Spain, specifically the Spanish Navy (Armada). Like the rest of the Spanish armed forces, the Spanish Navy had maintained Franco's policy of neutrality during World War II. Since the mid-20th century the Spanish Navy began a process of reorganization to become once again one of the major navies of the world. This not only included ships and submarines, but also an aerial warfare branch for coastal defense and to support the Infantería de Marina, the Spanish Navy Marines Corps. After the development of the Baleares-class frigates based on the US Navy's Knox class the Spanish Navy embraced the American naval doctrine and started to look for a light modern fighter bomber to equip a land-based attack squadron, with the prospect to eventually obtain an aircraft carrier and use the aircraft from it.
The choice fell in 1960 on the Douglas A-4, which offered a modern, compact and simple airframe with the desired option to operate the aircraft from older, smaller World War II-era aircraft carriers. These were still used by many smaller navies during the 1960s, and the Spanish Navy envisioned the procurement of one of more of these ships as operational basis for the new jet fighter force. These older ships were often unable to accommodate newer Navy fighters such as the F-4 Phantom II and F-8 Crusader, which were faster and more capable than the A-4, but significantly larger, heavier, complex and also costly than older naval fighters.
The Spanish Navy ordered a total of eighteen new Skyhawks from the USA, fourteen single-seaters and four trainers, locally called SA-4. The Armada’s Skyhawk attack variant was based on the A4D-2 (re-designated A-4B after 1962) but had, compared with the original US Navy aircraft, improved flight control systems and navigation, including an AN/APN-141 radar altimeter and a state-of-the-art AN/ASN-19A navigation computer. The trainers were equivalent with the US Navy's contemporary TA-4J variant.
Unlike the original A-4Bs, which lacked a radar and were therefore only suited for daytime operations, the Armada’s SA-4Bs were outfitted with a compact Dassault-built Aida radar unit within the aircraft's more pointed nose, giving them a unique profile among the Skyhawk family. Like the USN A-4Bs, the Spanish machines all had air-to-air refueling capabilities in the form of a fixed refueling probe, even though it was a cranked variant (intruduced on Amercian machines with the contemporary A-4F) to avoid interferences with the Aida radar. The SA-4Bs furthermore had the ability to carry a center-mounted "buddy store", a large external fuel tank with a hose reel in the aft section and an extensible drogue refueling bucket.
Alongside the Aida radar unit, a Swedish-made SAAB bombing computer was added to increase bombing accuracy. Specific to these machines were a TACAN receiver and a braking parachute under the tail for land operations. Internal armament remained the original pair of American 20 mm (0.79 in) Colt Mk 12 cannon with 200 RPG in the wing roots. For the Spanish Navy the SA-4Bs were outfitted with two additional underwing hardpoints and avionics for AIM-9B Sidewinder AAMs, so that they could carry a broader range of ground attack ordnance and operate in a limited aerial defense role, too. The SA-4Bs also had provision for radio-guided AGM-12 Bullpup missiles, which were the Skyhawks’ primary anti-ship weapon at the time. The missile avionics were housed in a shallow dorsal hump while a guidance antenna was mounted in a small bulge in ahead of the front landing gear well, so that the machine did not have to carry a respective external pod that would block a hardpoint.
The Skyhawk’s service in Spain was not long, though. In 1967, the mothballed US American light WWII aircraft carrier USS Cabot was loaned to Spain, becoming Dédalo, and the loan was eventually converted to a sale in 1972. By that time, the SA-4Bs – originally painted all-over dark blue – had been re-painted in a US Navy-style high-visibility scheme in Light Gull Grey over Whit and were operating from land bases only, allocated to 7th Squadron at Rota Naval Base near Cádiz in Andalusia The original plan to operate the SA-4Bs from Dédalo came to nought because the ship turned out to be too small to carry and deploy the Skyhawks properly, and the ship’s wooden deck would not withstand the stress from the modern jets’ frequent aircraft starts and landings. A new all-metal deck was not possible, due to budget and weight issues. In consequence the Armada’s SA-4s remained land-based and the Spanish Navy employed Dédalo as a helicopter-only antisubmarine warfare carrier with the SH-3D Sea King.
Attempts to add a fixed-wing strikeforce to the venerable carrier were made, though: On 8 November 1972 a Hawker Siddeley Harrier was successfully tested on the Dédalo’s deck, a first in the history of the plane. It was decided to order and deploy short-take-off-and-vertical-landing (STOVL) AV-8S Matadors (AV-8A Harrier) when Dédalo was overhauled. Since the Harriers' downdraft on vertical landing would have damaged the wooden deck, protective metal sheathing was installed on the rear area of the flight deck – a very convenient compromise.
Spain's purchase of Harriers was complicated by long-standing political friction between the British and Spanish governments of the era, though, and even though the Harriers were manufactured in the UK they were sold to Spain only with the US acting as an intermediary. The lengthy negotiation process was bridged by the SA-4s as well as a batch of AH-1G Cobra attack helicopters.
The first batch of six AV-8S single seat and two TAV-8S two seat aircraft were delivered to the Armada Española throughout 1976 and started carrier operations. Due to budget limitations and to simplify maintenance and logistics, the Spanish navy decided in 1977 to phase the Skyhawks out in favor of the more versatile Harrier, which could provide both air defense and strike capabilities for the Spanish fleet. A second batch of five AV-8S aircraft, now directly procured from UK mainly to replace losses, was delivered in 1980-. With this delivery the Spanish Skyhawks were retired and sold to Singapore, to be converted and upgraded by Douglas into A-4S-1s and later into A-4SU ‘Super Skyhawks’. With its Harrier fleet completed, Dédalo then typically carried an air group of eight AV-8S fighters, four Sea King antisubmarine warfare helicopters and four AB 212ASW Twin Hueys.
General characteristics:
Crew: one
Length: 41 ft 9 in (12.72 m) overall
40 ft 1.5 in (12.230 m) fuselage only
Wingspan: 26 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
Height: 15 ft (4.57 m)
Wing area: 259 ft² (24.15 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 0008-1.1-25 root, NACA 0005-0.825-50 tip
Empty weight: 9,146 lb (4,152 kg)
Loaded weight: 18,300 lb (8,318 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 24,500 lb (11,136 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Curtiss-Wright J65-W-16A turbojet with 7,700 lbf (34 kN)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 575 kn (661 mph, 1,064 km/h)
Range: 1,700 nmi (2,000 mi, 3,220 km)
Combat radius: 625 nmi, 1,158 km
Service ceiling: 42,250 ft (12,880 m)
Rate of climb: 8,440 ft/min (43 m/s)
Wing loading: 70.7 lb/ft² (344.4 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.51
g-limit: +8/-3 g
Armament:
2× 20 mm (0.79 in) Colt Mk 12 cannon with 200 RPG in the wing roots
5× hardpoints for a total payload of up to 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg)
- 1× Centerline: 3,500 lbs (1.600 kg) capability
- 2× Inboard wing: 2,200 lbs (1.000 kg) capability each
- 2× Outboard wing: 1,000 lbs (454 kg) capability each
[b]The kit and its assembly:[/b]
This simple project was built on short notice after a 1-week extension had been issued for the “Sixties” Group Build at whatifmodellers.com. I had the idea for a Spanish Navy Skyhawk for some time and already stashed away a kit (Airfix, new mould) and a decal sheet from a Special Hobby AH-1 in Spanish markings – but originally planned to assemble it during a “One Week GB”.
However, since the aircraft would fall into the Sixties’ time frame and had nothing else on the work bench I decided to add a final/3rd entry into the GB.
The Airfix A-4B/Q kit goes together nicely, even though the plastic appeared a bit soft and somewhat waxy. It was basically built OOB, using the A-4Q’s small dorsal hump for AGM-12 avionics, and with a modified nose: I transplanted the small conical radome from an IAI Kfir onto the Skyhawk’s nose, what made it IMHO look like a prototype aircraft, added an bulged fairing for the AGM-12’s guidance antenna behind it (the small blade antenna on the front landing gear cover does this job in real life!) for an even different look, and I added scratched ejection trigger handles to the seat. The flaps and the air brakes were, after the photo session, mounted in open/extended position, and the ordnance was changed to a pair of AGM-12A Bullpups on scratched launch rails on the outer underwing pylons (IIRC left over from a Fujimi A-4C kit).
[b]Painting and markings:[/b]
Inspiration came from the small Spanish AH-1G Cobra fleet: I wondered if an naval attack aircraft would have carried the same attractive all-blue livery (probably FS35042, USN Gloss Sea Blue, but in photos the AH-1s appear darker and less greenish)? Therefore, the paint scheme was easily settled, even though I used a darker and rather dull/greyish tone as a basis: Humbrol 112 (Tarmac). The landing gear wells and the air intakes were painted gloss white, while the inside of the flaps and the air brakes became bright red – a stark contrast, but very attractive, together with the bright markings.
The cockpit was painted in medium grey.
After basic painting the kit received a black ink washing and some panel shading, in this case with FS35042, because it would subtly add some plasticity
The markings are a mix of decals from a Special Hobby AH-1, together with wing roundels from an AV-8S Matador and some other small bits. The St. Andrews flag on the fin was improvised with generic decal material – even though it was a bit overdone because no Spanish Navy aircraft carries this marking, only the air force machines – and Spanish P-3As in their early USN-style livery? It is, however, a nice detail, and to make it not too obtrusive I limited the fin flash to the rudder’s tip – even though it still stands out on the all dark blue airframe.
Thin white decal lines were used to create the canopy seals, the red warning markings around the air intakes were created with decals (from the optional Argentinian A-4Q from the Airfix kit, very convenient for a Spanish aircraft) and paint.
The kit was sealed with a coat of semi-gloss acrylic varnish, for a clean and shiny look, and the metallic exhaust and the jet pipe were treated with graphite to make the area look darker and burnt.
A quick build, realized over a weekend, even though, due to the Humbrol 112’s poor quality, the finish did not turn out as clean as I had hoped for. The all-blue livery, together with the red and yellow roundels and the other bold marking, suit the Skyhawk very well, it looks IMHO very attractive in this guise, despite the scheme’s simplicity.
