A Douglas A-4G <i>Skyhawk</i> jet on the Australian aircraft carrier <i>HMAS Melbourne</i> in 1976. The aircraft No. 874 (serial number N13-155061) was one of eight A-4F obtained from the U.S. Navy as replacements for operational losses of the original Australian A-4Gs. Originally it flew with the U.S. Navy attack squadron VA-212 <i>Rampant Raiders</i> as part of <i>Attack Carrier Air Wing 21 (CVW-21)</i> as "NP-300" aboard the carrier <i>USS Hancock (CVA-19)</i> and was deployed to Vietnam in 1969/70. It was delivered to the Royal Australian Navy in Aug 1971. Unloaded from <i>HMAS Sydney</i> onto RAN Lighter <i>AWL 304</i> at Jervis Bay on 11 August 1971, it was then transported by land to the airbase at RAN Nowra. It entered service with fighter squadron VF-805 <i>Checkmates</i> on 1 June 1972. It was deployed on <i>HMAS Melbourne</i> from 28 Apr to 4 Oct 1977 (the so-called "Spithead  Deployment"). It could be viewed at the Greenham Common Air Tatoo (Berkshire, UK) on 25/26 June 1977. It also took part in the "Highwood" exercise, 5-20 July 1977, in the North Sea. It was withdrawn from RAN service on 30 June 1983 and stored for sale. In July 1984 it was sold to New Zealand, serial number NZ6216, now desgnated as an A-4K. It was retired by the RNZAF in 2001/2002.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.gibstuff.net/a4_alley/RAN/Documents/874-story.pdf">[1]</a>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/11360033@N04">die_hard_1_2</a>
CC BY 2.0
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/11360033@N04/2080261876/">Skyhawk jet on HMAS Melbourne</a>