Twin-Engine Skyhawk variant.

[XP67_Moonbat]

Anyone seen this twin-engine Skyhawk variant before ? Could it be part of the A-6 or A-7 competitions?

Here's where I found it:

https://m.facebook.com/alabama.slammer.5/photos/a.1580312672221618.1073741828.1580190638900488/1583654455220773/?type=3

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

The Facebook post says its from the SDASM.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Here:

https://flic.kr/p/7ZD85u

View: https://www.flickr.com/photos/49487266@N07/4590423832


Catalog #: 00065426
Manufacturer: Douglas
Notes: Attack/Trainer proposal - John Barter
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive

Its a Douglas design, but I think its only vaguely A-4 related.

A4D-6 was Douglas' VAL entry which lost to the A-7.

http://www.alternatewars.com/SAC/A4D-6_Skyhawk_SAC_-_1_August_1962.pdf

 

[XP67_Moonbat]

Thanks Paul. I was barking up the wrong tree. You can imagine what flood of images typing only "A-4 Skyhawk" on SDASM's Flickr brought me. Lol

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Well, its clearly for a Navy attack requirement in the early 1960s.

Perhaps VAX, which preceeded VAL? VAX was more ambitious though.

The Navy initiated the VAL (light attack aircraft) design competition in 1963 with the objective of finding an aircraft having better conventional weapons capability than the Douglas A-4

Perhaps they initially didn't specify a TF-30? Then later on Douglas reverted to a single engine proposal?

 

[taildragger]

Here:

"Its a Douglas design, but I think its only vaguely A-4 related." ???

How could it be more A-4 related? Whatever requirement it addressed, it's very obviously a scheme to use most of the A-4 airframe (maybe 80%?). The apparent restriction of changes to the mid and aft fuselage suggest to me that it might have been intended to use remanufactured airframes (like Boeing's T-33-based Skyfox of the 80's).