 The A-4M Skyhawk was designed specifically for use by the U.S. Marine Corps. In late 1972, two A-4M’s were flown from Patuxent River, MD, to Landivisau, France via Goose Bay, Labrador, and Keflavik, Iceland for compatibility tests on the French aircraft carrier Foch. After a week of shore-based flights, the Skyhawks bagged seventeen traps and catapults on the 845ft long Foch. Launches with the BS-5 catapult built up to 21,500 pounds until the weight limit of the catapult track cover deflector was reached. After debriefing the French Defense Ministry, the pilots flew the A-4M’s onboard John F.Kennedy in the North Sea for transportation to Norfolk, VA. "Boom" Powell. |