Hobby Master Archive

Argentina was the first country with Skyhawks outside of the U.S.. 50 surplus A-4Bs were ordered by the Argentine Air Force. The aircraft were refurbished and designated A-4P with 25 planes being delivered in October 1966 and the last 25 in 1970. The first planes were powered by 7700 lb.s.t. Wright J65-W-16A engines, had new ejection seats and lift spoilers with vortex generators on top of the flaps normally used on the A-4F. The pair of 20-mm cannons with 100 rounds per gun was retained but no Sidewinder missiles.

A flight of 3 A-4 started out on a bombing mission but 1 plane had to return because of technical trouble A flight of 2 A-4Ps, call sign Zeus flown by Ensign Jorge “Pampa” Barrionuevo and First Lieutenant Mariano “Cobra” Velasco flying C-207. On Velasco’s final run on the HMS Coventry he dropped three 1000 lb. bombs with all 3 hitting the ship. The bombs penetrated deep inside the ship, and exploded with a tremendous force. C-207 wore the silhouettes of 2 ships, sinking HMS Coventry and damaging HMS Brilliant.