Douglas A-4 Skyhawk # 139960
The Scooter, the Tinker Toy, Heinemann’s Hot Rod - all nicknames for one fierce attacker - the Douglas A4 Skyhawk. MotoArt and Yanks Air Museum have partnered to bring you A-4 Skyhawk PlaneTags, made with original fuselage skin of BuNo 139960.
The Skyhawk is a carrier-capable light attack bomber, developed for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. 2,960 Skyhawks were built between 1954 and 1979; Only 166 A4D-1 (the initial production version, later redesignated A-4A) were built. Its small, nimble design was not only cost effective, but allowed more Skyhawks to fit onto the smaller aircraft carriers of the era. The subsonic, single-seat, light attack aircraft proved to be a pivotal asset during the Vietnam War; The A-4 delivered some of the first and last airstrikes of the conflict. The Blue Angels flew the Skyhawk between 1974 and 1986, as did many armed forces all over the world. As of 2021, some A-4s remain in active military service.
Our aircraft, BuNo 139960 was constructed as an A4D-1 in 1957 and delivered to the VA-34 Blue Blasters, the first Skyhawk squadron to deploy to the Mediterranean. It was later redesignated as an A-4A in 1962 and would spend its career in the US Navy’s fleet, operating with a number of different light attack squadrons, mainly in the Mediterranean Sea. It was struck off charge in October 1968, after 11 years of service. The Yanks Air Museum in Chino, CA acquired it and held onto it for several decades until 2021. MotoArt and Yanks have now partnered to preserve the memory of one magnificent Skyhawk, and the legacy of many.
