(Air) A Rare Opportunity

Now all they need to do is to get Sen John McCain to strap in for old time sakes. Pic 4 really shows why the Scooter was very difficult to land in a crosswind...Nice shots!!

Great shots of a beautiful aircraft.

I was lucky enough to fly the TA-4J as a student Naval Aviator. It was used for bombing, rockets, and gunnery training with a single 20MM cannon(operationl versions carried two). Carrier landings were fairly exciting. The tall gear was dictated by the need to carry the somewhat bulky "physics packages" of the day, the proverbial "bucket of sunshine".
It did make ground handling a little trickey during takoffs and landings in a crosswind.

It was a simple and beatiful design, the cockpit was tiny-just wide enough for a human and the handling was fantastic. Very high rate of roll, about 720 degrees per second and very sensitive on the controls.
The slats were deployed by aerodynamic load at low speed and rode on rollers, under high g they often deployed a little unevenly and would rock the wings for a second.

I was very happy to move to the F-4, but the A-4 will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Awesome photos, Love A4's

Well done Jay, I have been watching this A/C on the WIX board. A lot of hard work to get it in the air....

Thanks for the additional kudos folks.

@ Jungle: You basically gave the same dissertation on the A-4 that we got from the gentleman who was flying her that day. They've really come up with some nifty tweaks though. Sandel instrumentation to replace some of the steam gauges, a nitrogen system for rasing the canopy without power and a conversion to a gas O2 system instead of LOX.

I had no idea the leading edge slats were gravity powered ala the Bf-109.

beautiful shots of a historic jet! well done

WaFp wrote in post #10282090
beautiful shots of a historic jet! well done

Thanks Very Much...

Jay, yet again great shots. I agree... I've always liked the A-4. I bet it's a blast to fly.

MulesAFpilot wrote in post #10285884
Jay, yet again great shots. I agree... I've always liked the A-4. I bet it's a blast to fly.

Having sat in it, I can tell you that unless you're totally a twenty-something "flat belly" (which I'm far from...) it's an aircraft you slip on instead of slip into!

Glad you like the series.

Jay...cool shots as usual....

Desertraptor wrote in post #10270026
Great shots
Always liked the A4

Yep, great shots. I've always liked the A-4, too. It's a small, agile aircraft. I remember seeing them in BA blue when I was a kid.

The A4 has such a fantastic shape and profile. I think you really captured them well in these shots... The Skyhawk sort of makes me think of sport bikes - fast, and yet twitchy.

wow, I'd love to take a ride in her.

Excellent images!! I love seeing military aircraft.

she looks good love the B&W