Douglas A-4 Skyhawk: Attack & Close-Support Fighter Bomber [Hardcover]

Jim Winchester (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2005 | ISBN-10: 1844150852 | ISBN-13: 978-1844150854

The Skyhawk first entered service with the US Navy almost 50 years ago. (First flew 22 June 1954) It is still in service with various US units and remains the backbone of many of the air forces of those countries to which it has been exported. It was originally conceived as a carrier-borne fighter bomber, but as the aircraft has evolved it has taken on other roles. It is renowned for its strength and survivability in combat.

This is an in-depth look at the design, production, evolution, operation and performance of the aircraft. It will also include firsthand accounts of flying the Skyhawk in action. It is written for those enthusiasts and historians who are seeking the ultimate reference

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Pen & Sword Books (September 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844150852
• ISBN-13: 978-1844150854
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #790,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful monograph on a classic post-WWII warplane, August 4, 2005

By 

James L. Spingarn "bird&aircraft book lover" (Glen Head, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Douglas A-4 Skyhawk: Attack & Close-Support Fighter Bomber (Hardcover)

This volume is one of the best and most complete monographs in a single volume on a post-WWII military jet. It is well written and misses no aspect of the Skyhawk's long and varied military career or the details of its engineering and operation with a multitude of air arms. The history starts in in the early 1950s and continues to virtually today. The descriptions of its superb design and build, that made the "Scooter" a favorite with pilots for 50 years, is all here. The book reads well, is informative and I found it free of noticeable mistakes. The artwork of 20 color profiles, in many of its various plumages, by Dave Windle, is amongst the best in this kind of volume anywhere. The many photos, primarily color, are also excellent. I highly recommend this book to all with an interest in post-War military aircraft or just fans of great airplanes.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best aircraft monographs ever, April 21, 2007

By 

S. Laidlaw "Spacefan" (California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Douglas A-4 Skyhawk: Attack & Close-Support Fighter Bomber (Hardcover)

I bought this book after reading a review in the May/June 2007 Naval Aviation News. It is one of the finest single-aircraft monographs I have seen in a long while. The book is very inclusive of every air arm around the world which has used the Skyhawk and has equal coverage of development, production and operational history. The illustrations are of high quality, with many color photographs and numerous excellent color profiles. The tabular data on production history and surviving Skyhawks in the 21st century is very useful. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in naval aviation history and the Skyhawk in particular.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book, with a lot of details and information, January 29, 2006

By 

Pablo F. Fernicola - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Douglas A-4 Skyhawk: Attack & Close-Support Fighter Bomber (Hardcover)

I like books with engineering details, and this one is fairly good on that front. Also has a lot of information on the different deployments, as well as countries that have deployed the A-4.