Master Curriculum Guide (CNAT P-770 (REV. 3-89) PAT); Advanced Strike Flight Training TA-4J

v, [1], 178 pages. The cover has some wear and soiling. This work presents curriculum Guidelines, Training Hour Summary, Training Time Analysis, and Outline of Training. The highly-capable A-4 Skyhawk, which had served as the Navy's premier light attack aircraft for several decades, continued its career as a Navy advanced trainer, replacing the TF-9J Cougar. The TA-4J Skyhawk model entered production in June 1969. It became the longest-serving of the Skyhawks as the US Navy's standard advanced jet trainer until replaced in the early 1990's with the T-45A Goshawk. The TA-4J descended from the Navy and Marine Corps single-seat light attack aircraft designed in the early 1950s by a team of Douglas Aircraft engineers lead by Ed Heinemann. The first Skyhawk prototype flew in June 1954. The Skyhawk was one of the most successful attack aircraft in US Navy and Marine Corps service. Single-seat Skyhawks were much used by Navy and Marine Corps squadrons during the Vietnam War. Its low delta wing of 27 feet 6 inches (8.4m) was small enough not to require folding on aircraft carrier decks. During service, the Skyhawk acquired several nicknames, including Heinemann's Hot Rod, Mighty Mite, Scooter, Tinker Toy, and Bantam Bomber. This third revision offers a snapshot in time between the end of the Vietnam War and the start of the era of Persian Gulf conflicts, where naval aviator combat training was of paramount importance as the Twentieth Century came to a close. The basic role of the TA-4J Skyhawk was a two-place, lightweight, high-performance trainer capable of operating from an aircraft carrier or shore base. The TA-4J Skyhawk entered production in June 1969. It became the longest-serving of the Skyhawks as the US Navy's standard advanced jet trainer until replaced in the early 1990's with the T-45A Goshawk. There were two trainer variants of the A-4 Skyhawk, the TA-4F and the TA-4J. The TA-4J was simpler than the TA-4F, as it had down-rated engines and simplified avionics. In order to create a two place Skyhawk, Douglas built a 28 inch plug into the A-4E between the normal cockpit and the fuselage fuel tank, which was reduced in size somewhat to accommodate the change. Pratt & Whitney's J52-P8A/P8B turbojet engine powered the TA-4F. The jet was also equipped with nosewheel steering, lift-improving wing spoilers, and a pair of Escapac 1C-3 ejection seats. TA-4Fs began service with VA-125 Rough Raiders at NAS Lemoore in California in 1966. Some of them were modified with additional mission equipment and pressed into service as Marine Corps fast forward air controllers (FastFACs) in Vietnam. Thousands of student naval aviators finished their training flying TA-4J Skyhawk advanced jet trainers. The TA-4J was essentially a TA-4F without the weapons systems or the ability to carry a buddy pod for fuel transfer capability. The J model was powered by a less beefy but still spry J52-P6 engine. The first TA-4Js entered service with Training Squadron TWO ONE (VT-21) Fighting Redhawks at NAS Kingsville in Texas during 1969. Subsequently about 100 of the original TA-4Fs were modified to TA-4J specifications, although many of these aircraft retained their J52-P8A/P8B engines. In addition to training student naval aviators, both TA-4Js and TA-4Fs flew with many of the same aggressor units as the single seat Skyhawks did.…