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McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Traditional Cache

Hidden : 9/19/2007
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Located just off I-55 and Nash Road at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport.
For anyone flying into KCGI, Terminal Parking is about 1/4 mile from the geocache. If you taxi down to Mid-States Aviation, you'll be about 300' from the cache.

You are looking for a 'Preform' micro, painted white. It contains a log and pencil and has no room for trade items. The staff at Mid-States Aviation, just across the road from the display, were instrumental in getting this aircraft placed on display and are aware of the cache placement
DO NOT OPEN ANY COMPARTMENTS WHEN SEARCHING FOR THIS CACHE!

This retired Skyhawk Trainer, on loan from the United States Navy, was flown into Perryville Municipal Airport (KK02 - Perryville, MO, USA) in 1995, where it was used in the Saberliner Corporation A-4 & T-2 Refit operations . It was flown to Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport (KCGI - Cape Girardeau, MO) from Perryville by Lt. Ray 'Bones' Sweeney in 2006. It sat on the ramp near Mid-States Aviation until a concrete pad could be prepared for its display. Currently mounted on pedestals, it remains on loan from the USN.
Aircraft Tail Number: A706
Unit Number: VT-7 CTW-1 (Naval Air Station, Meridian Mississippi)
Serial Number: 152861

(I'll update/correct the above information as I get corrections.)

 McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk @ KCGI

Quote from Warbird Alley

History: Initially dubbed 'Heinemann's Hot Rod' after chief design engineer Ed Heinemann, the A-4 Skyhawk is one of the best jet aircraft to have served with the US Navy and Marine Corps. Chosen to replace the A-1 Skyraider, the A-4's small design and light weight gave it the speed and power to exceed the Navy's specifications and fight on until today in air forces around the world.

The delta wing aircraft houses its avionics in the nose, along with a pair of cannons for dealing with aerial adversaries. The wings hold the fuel tanks, and the Pratt & Whitney turbojet fits snugly in the fuselage. Ordered during the Korean War, the A-4 was delivered to the US Navy VA-72 attack squadron on October 26, 1956. Other squadrons were soon re-equipped as soon as aircraft became available. The Marines began receiving their A-4s in January 1957. By the time of the Vietnam War, all carrier wings had at least two Skyhawk squadrons. The A-4s were soon performing most of the Navy's and Marine Corps' light air attack missions over the jungles and mountains of Vietnam. It was not long before McDonnell Douglas also produced a two-seat trainer, the TA-4. The A-4 has been sold to countries around the world and has seen combat with the air forces of Kuwait, Israel and Argentina. Production finally ceased in 1979.

Until recently, both the US Navy and Marine Corps used A-4s for training purposes. Skyhawks are still found serving as frontline units in several smaller countries. As of 2001, there were nine single-seat Skyhawks and three TA-4s on the US civil register, although not all were airworthy. [History by David MacGillivray]

Nicknames: The Scooter; Bantam Bomber; Heinemann's Hot Rod; Tinker Toy; Mighty Mite; Camel (A-4E and subsequent models with avionics hump); Skyhog; Super Fox (US Navy Fighter Weapons School A-4Fs with bigger engines); Squawk/Kahu (New Zealand); Ahit "Vulture" (Israel); Chickenhawk (Australian Navy).

Specifications (A-4M):

  • Engine: One 11,200-pound thrust Pratt & Whitney J52-P-408A turbojet
  • Weight: Empty 10,465 lbs., Max Takeoff 24,500 lbs.
  • Wing Span: 27ft. 6in.
  • Length: 40ft. 3.75in.
  • Height: 15ft. 0in.
  • Performance: Maximum Speed at Sea Level: 670 mph Range: 340 miles with 4,000-pound bomb load
  • Armament: Two 20-mm cannon Up to 9,155 pounds of weapons on five external hardpoints
  • Number Built: 2,960


End Quote from Warbird Alley

Permission to place this cache granted by Bruce Loy, Airport Administrator

    Additional Hints (Decrypt)

    Abfr trne fgehg

    Decryption Key

    A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
    -------------------------
    N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

    (letter above equals below, and vice versa)