LMAASA A-4AR - "The ultimate Skyhawk"

[el_Argentino]

@joshwagstaff13

So, the story goes that in the January 1993, 2 Sqn RNZAF - based at HMAS Albatross (the main shore base of the RAN FAA) on a long-term fleet air defence training exercise - had a visitor from the Argentine Air Force. Said visitor was Captain E.M. La Torre, who was a Skyhawk pilot and had seen combat during the Falklands. While he was there, he assessed the assorted upgrades made to the A-4K - including the wide-angle FD4510-series HUD, a pair of large display units, and the AN/APG-66NZ radar - and flew on a ship strike exercise, then returned to Argentina.

Then a little over a year later, in 1994, the proposal that became the A-4AR emerged, involving a nearly identical upgrade on slightly newer airframes.

wow, interesting story dude!! thanks for sharing. You made me want to know more! I will see what more I can get.

@joshwagstaff13

The Strikemaster from the last battle pass has SURA rockets, which the particular in-game version likely lacked the armament system wiring to use, as it was manufactured to function with Mk 80-series bombs and the assorted 70mm FFAR pods

Yeah… I think you’re right. Maybe I should have said “generally doesn’t” instead of “never does.”

[AspandaIV]

Do you have any sources to back that up, because i am interested in it

[joshwagstaff13]

Sure.

Simms, Don, and Nick Lee-Frampton. Skyhawks: the history of the RNZAF Skyhawk. Christchurch, New Zealand: WillsonScott, 2011.

[el_Argentino]

mate, these are screenshots from the video that I told you yesterday, about the A4AR with 4 aim9.

[Shin_Kazama]

Oh wow, that first pic is incredible!

Shows an already hard-to-find image type (in regards to camera positioning) especially with the Skyhawk, while ALSO showing it with 4x AIM-9Ls!

[Pato_vj]

Those are AIM9-M, which arrived during the G20 meetings

[CubicSquare]

@OsO73

: Curtiss Wright J-65-W-20
Power: 8400 Lbf of thrust

Are you sure this plane uses a J-65 variant, and not an overhauled J-52 P408A?

[artan24]

great jet, israel need it

[BigFloppyFish]

It got the P-408A IRL

[CubicSquare]

That… should be noted. That’s a few extra thousand pounds of thrust and catapults this plane from being a poor dogfighter to a capable one.

[BigFloppyFish]

yeah its basically an A-4M on crack!

[Shin_Kazama]

I really hope we get this, the A-4K Kahu, AF-1B, A-4SU, and A-4M for their respective TTs
Would be neat for a final Skyhawk update :)

[Bonrath]

Don’t forget A-4E late, A-4F ( ISR+US) and maybe some A-4P/C and the Shoehorn refit mod for A-4B ))))))))

[Shin_Kazama]

I’mma be real, aside from maybe an A-4F, I can’t see a need for any other Skyhawk aside from the A-4M in the US TT (maybe the Kuwaiti A-4KU as an event vehicle because lol)

[BigFloppyFish]

A-4B got a Shoehorn refit?

[Bonrath]

It was a partial upgrade, but it was fitter with ALE-29 which is a flare capable pod, not just chaff like most think ( as far as i know, the source should be public though)

[BigFloppyFish]

Thats cool. And same dispenser positions like on the A-4E early?

[Bonrath]

I think so yes, although it’s incredibly hard to find any photos of the planes equipped with them, the A-4Bs to be precise

[Nostalgistic]

+1, and I really like the skins on the A-4AR. Looks very cool.

Gaijin, please… give us the A-4AR, A-4M, and other advanced Skyhawk variants already. It’s unfathomable that we’re still missing these ultimate Skyhawks in the game.

[Shin_Kazama]

So, I had a recent question: did OA-4ARs (two-seater A-4ARs based on the OA-4M) have the same cockpit upgrades as the single-seat A-4ARs, or did they retain the older gyro gunsight and steam gauge layout?