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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art and Artists Modern Era Aircraft More Aircraft Initials P - Z  Skyhawk |
[UP] - Panther - Paradak - PBM - Peacemaker - Phantom (RAF) - Sabre - Saro SR45 Princess - Saro SR53 - Saro SRA1 - Sea Fury - Sea Harrier - Sea Vixen - Sentry - Shackleton - Skyhawk - Skyraider - Space Shuttle - Spearfish - Starfighter - Stratofortress - Strikemaster - SU27 - Swift - T-Bird - Tomcat (F-14) - Tristar - Twin Pioneer - Typhoon Eurofighter - U2 - Valiant - Valkyrie - Vampire - VC10 - Venom - Victor - Vigilante - Viper - Wyvern - X-15 |
| Skyhawk Aviation Prints |
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| Text for the above items : |
Fallen Eagle by Stan Stokes. The McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was designed by Ed Heinemann as a successor to the Skyraider attack bomber. The prototype aircraft first flew in 1954. The diminutive Skyhawk was only 42 feet in length, with a carrier friendly wingspan of 27 feet. The Skyhawk was capable of speeds close to 700 MPH, and was produced in several variants through 1979. The Skyhawk was utilized extensively in Vietnam for ground attack and support. As depicted in Stan Stokes painting entitled Fallen Eagle, the A-4 of a young Navy aviator, Everett Alvarez, has just taken off from the USS Constellation at 2:30 PM on August 5, 1964. Alvarez, a native of Salinas California, had attended the University of Santa Clara before joining the Navy. It was a day that Alvarez would not soon forget. About midnight that day the destroyers USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy were under attack from North Vietnamese patrol boats in international waters sixty miles off the coast of North Vietnam. Alvarez unit, the VA-144 Roadrunners, had been scrambled to assist the destroyers, but terrible weather conditions prevented any action. Washington decided to retaliate against these attacks by authorizing the first bombardment of North Vietnam on August 5, 1964. On that day twenty-two aircraft from the USS Ticonderoga attacked North Vietnam military targets at 1:15 PM. Only one aircraft was damaged during this first wave, and its pilot successfully made it back to an airfield in South Vietnam. The USS Constellation would provide a second wave involving 10 Skyhawks, 4 Skyraiders, and a single F-4 to provide fighter cover. Alvarez target was the harbor at Hon Gai, where his mission was to destroy any military patrol boats in the harbor. The lumbering Skyraiders were launched early, and Alvarez was the first of the ten Skyhawks off the Constellation. The Skyhawks rendezvoused at 20,000 feet before climbing to 30,000 feet for the seventy-five minute flight to the target area. Alvarez A-4 was equipped with a belly pod of 19 rockets. The Skyhawks streaked in over the harbor at 500 MPH in a shallow dive. Four torpedo boats and a larger coastal patrol ship were in the harbor. Alvarez made two passes over the harbor, and as he was passing over the southern edge of the town he saw a yellow flash to the port side of his windscreen accompanied by a popping sound. Seconds later the A-4 shook violently, and all the warning lights came on. The cockpit began to fill with smoke and the stick froze. With a final radio transmission, Im getting out! Ill see you guys later!, Alvarez pulled his ejection ring. Within seconds he was in the water. Picked-up minutes later by some very nervous fisherman, Everett Alvarez would become the first pilot shot down and captured over North Vietnam. It would be eight-and-one-half years later that Alvarez would be released, having endured hardships which would have broken anyone of less than the highest faith and courage. Everett Alvarez retired from the Navy in 1980, and was later a Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, and Deputy Director of the Veterans Administration. |
Yankie Station by Randall Wilson. CVN 65 USS Enterprise on her first deployment in the Gulf of Tonkin. On this day she flew 165 sorties, a carrier record! Two A4 Skyhawks head towards a bombing mission while an F4 phantom rides escort. |
Alfa-Strike by Nicolas Trudgian. In the Vietnam war Squadron VA-163 was stationed aboard the carrier Oriskany on its second cruise, the squadrons A-4 Skyhawks were led by Commander Wynn Foster, one of the navys most aggressive strike leaders, and under Air Wing Commander James Stockdale, the A-4 pilots racked up a formidable record as a top fighting unit. |
| Skyhawk Pilot and aircrew signature details |
Major General P Drax Williams Our estimated value of this signature : £30 | Major General P Drax Williams Born in Geneva, New York, Drax Williarns was raised in Bermuda where his father was Editor of the Bermudian magazine. Drax attended Cornell University and after graduation was commissioned in 1963. Drax received his wings as a Naval Aviator in 1965. Stationed in Hawaii for two years flying the F-8 Crusader, Drax was eventually transferred to Vietnam where he joined VMF(AW) - 235. There he flew F-8Es out of Da Nang. In April of 1968 General Williams reported to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines on the DMZ as Air Liaison Officer. Drax returned to the States in September of 1968 following completion of his first combat tour. He served for two years as a flight instructor at Chase Field, Texas. Drax returned to Quantico where he attended the Amphibious Warfare School, and in early 1971 he received temporary duty as Special Project Officer (Harrier)Liaison to U.S. Government Accounting Office. In August of 1971, Drax was transferred to Yuma, Arizona as a Flight Instructor for the A-4 Skyhawk. In September of 1972 General Williams began a second combat tour in Vietnam flying A-4s out of Bien Hoa with MAG12. He served as Aviation Safety Officer with MAG-12, and later as Operations Officer with VMA-211, flying over 300 combat missions. In August of 1973 Drax completed his second combat tour and returned to the States as Operations Officer of VMA-231 at Cherry Point, North Carolina. In 1975 he was assigned as Officer in Charge of VMA-513 Detachment A. This unit was given the primary mission of demonstrating the combat capabilities of the Harrier to the public. Following an assignment as Head, Aviation Section, Supporting Arms Branch of the Landing Force Training Command, Gen. Williarns attended the Armed Forces Staff College. Later he would attend the NATO Defense College in Italy, and would be assigned to Headquarters, Fleet Marine Force, Europe, as Chief of Plans. In 1985 Drax was transferred to Japan where he commanded Marine Aircraft Group-12. There he flew A-4s, A-6s, and A-7s. In 1987 he was made Deputy Commander of the Naval Space Command in Virginia. Drax also served as the Director of Public Affairs for Marine Corps Headquarters prior to being made Commander, Marine Corps Air Bases, Western Area. Drax served in this capacity until 1995 when he was made The Inspector General of the Marine Corps. Gen. Williams is married to the former Mary Hardie of Long Island New York, and has two daughters. His numerous decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Meritorious Service Medal, 22 Strike/Flight Air Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat 'V', the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat, the Combat Action Ribbon, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star. |
| Skyhawk Squadron details |
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