Kiwi Skyhawk Mishaps and Odds N Sodz

THE A-4 ALLEY
Odds N SodZ

Here are shots that don't quite fit into the other pages

Here are few mishaps involving RNZAF Skyhawks.
(Note no people died or were seriously injured as a result of these accidents)

		In 2001 NZ6201 hit a electrical high tension wire, fortunately the pilot managed to get the aircraft back to RNZAF Woodbourne. The fin tip IFF Antenna was nearly severed. The aircraft landed with he antenna still attached. If anyone has the full details email me.
	A-4G NZ6218crashed on landing at RAAF Townsville. As you can see by the paint scheme it was one of the 10 former RAN Skyhawk's bought by the RNZAF. It aquaplaned on landing and flipped over. At the time it did not have a drag chute system (as did the original RNZAF A-4K's). The drag chute system may have allowed the pilot to stop the aquaplaning. NZ 6218 was eventually repaired and is till in service. (Photo submitted by TC, if this is yours please let me know)
	The pilot got a low fuel light (he still had pretty much a full gas load at the time). He turned around and came home, but didn't dump enough gas before landing due to the fuel quantity gauge dropping to almost zero (caused by a fuel transfer problem ). He thought the engine was about to flame out, so didn't want to mess around. The weather at OH was also crap, so he came straight in and landed heavy and the main gear couldn't handle it and the rest is history (RNZAF official Photo)
	This incident (NZ6211) occurred at RNZAF Base Woodbourne (in 1998 I think) They were washing NZ6211 during major servicing, no fuel plus no engine, plus no radar etc equals one light A-4!!! All it took was one of the a/c washers to walk a bit close to the edge of the wing and........well the photo tells the rest of the story!!!! The smiles on the faces of the observers where in inversely proportional to their rank. ;-)Thanks to TC for the story (Photo courtesy Tim Jordan)
		looks like someone cut the corner RNZAF Official
		The remains of NZ6207 Crash. The cartoon is 14 Sqn's light hearted dig at the incident. (RNZAF Official)


	Buddy Store Drogue ripped of the store
		A couple of Birdstrke shots. Birds were a common hazard to low flying A-4's. The one on the left was NZ6214, the right NZ6254. (Photo's are RNZAF Official)

The Golden Bird NZ6256

				NZ6256 trialling the RNZAF Golden Anniversary scheme. The trial scheme was hand painted and on the port side of the aircraft only. Photos courtesy of Des Sullivan and Glen Turner
			RNZAF T-A4K (NZ6256) painted for the RNZAF's 50th Anniversary (The 2 Photos of NZ6256 in flight are RNZAF Official) Another Photo of NZ6256, this time in company with 2 RAAF AF/A-18 Hornets. (Photo either RAAF or RNZAF official) It was "found" at the Avalon Air show 1991

Miscellaneous RNZAF A-4K Pictures

	Kiwi Red, 75 Sqn's Aerobatic team over Sydney Harbour 1988 (RNZAF Official)
	NZ6256 in it's its original RAN/RNZAF ("Admiral's Barge") pre golden 2 Sqn scheme, (Glen Turner)
	I found this a the Aviation Museum in Darwin, It looks like a A-4 bombing simulator. I assume it was a old RAN A-4G piece of gear. How it ended up in Darwin I have no idea. Mind you they also have a B-52.......
	18 Skyhawk's (out of 22) on the line prior to a flypast celebrating the RNZAF's 50th Anniversary in 1987 Photo courtesy of Don Simms

	NZ6254 KAHU protype with Canards. This done to fool an Australian squadron who was exercising at RNZAF Ohakea at the time. (RNZAF Official)
	RNZAF Official shot of the trial all green (FS34079) scheme with light green markings. The markings were later changed to black.
		The first aircraft (NZ6215) was paint stripped ready to go for major servicing and some wag painted a "bucket" on the side of the intake. The second photo shows the 75 Sqn logo on an intake (NZ6216), but modified with a gumboot in the place of the usual tiki. A case of inter Squadron rivalry - 75 Sqn was unofficially known as the "Gumboot Squadron" by 2 Sqn in the late 80's, and often they would borrow a 2 Sqn aircraft, so the 2 Sqn ground crew would "doctor" the 75 Sqn logo when it returned before replacing it with the 2 Sqn logo. Photo's copyright Glenn Turner

RNZAF Minipan Camera pod photos.

The Minipan camera was photo reconnaissance camera that could be fitted to RNZAF A-4K's.
It was mounted in the rear of the port main landing gear fairing

		RNZAF BAC 167 Strikemasters at Westport Airport during Exercise Falcons Roost in 1988
		A B-52 skimming the waves during Exercise Kangaroo 81 as seen from a RNZAF A-4K (note the shadow).

A-4 Skyhawk Documents

Title	Size	Details
Approach-mag.zip	475 KB	2 Articles from the USN's Approach magazine. One is about A-4 asymmetric Slat extension , the other about loss of control in a TA-4 during ACM.
AirPower-1992-2-Sqn- RNZAF.zip	1318 KB	Article about the 2 Sqn RNZAF at NAS Nowra in 1992 Author is Laurie Cohen.
2-Sqn RNZAF-Jets_magazine.zip	1551 KB	Article for the August 1999 issue of "Jets" magazine written by Squadron Leader Murray (Muzz) Neilson about No.2 RNZAF A4Ks at NAS Nowra. Tragically "Muzz" was killed on 16 February 2001 while conducting practice of plugged barrel roll with NZ6213 hooked up. The aircraft plunged into thick bush near NAS Nowra and exploded.
A4escapacEjectInfoGrfxText6.zip	1189 KB	A Document compiled from Natops with opening page of screenshot of 'cold cat' A4 and a successful USN -- almost zero-zero -- ejection photo (needs Adobe Acrobat Reader 6)
A4weaponLoadComparo5.zip	391 KB	Comparison from a Magazine of the A-4 against similar aircraft of it's era.