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A 4SU super skyhawk TA 4SU trainer

540 Tw4g18  3.3 years ago

The TA-4S trainers were not the standard TA-4 with a common cockpit for the student and instructor pilot, but were instead rebuilt by Lockheed with a 28-inch (710 mm) fuselage plug inserted into the front fuselage and a separate bulged cockpit (giving better all round visibility) for the instructor seated behind the student pilot. This arrangement was unique for the RSAF but was not the first by Lockheed (the Lockheed SR-71B and U-2CT/U-2RT/TR-1B/TU-2S trainers also used stepped cockpits). As such converted/rebuilt airframes, these TA-4S trainers were powered by the original Wright J65 turbojet engines as used in the B/C models instead of the Pratt & Whitney J52 used by the purpose-built TA-4E/Fs tandem-seaters from Douglas assembly line; this was the main reason why the RSAF decided to not procure the TA-4E/Fs (if indeed an order was placed) and then having to maintain two different engines to power essentially the same aircraft type (a scenario not unlike having a fleet within a fleet).

General Characteristics

  • Created On Windows
  • Wingspan 28.0ft (8.5m)
  • Length 34.5ft (10.5m)
  • Height 15.4ft (4.7m)
  • Empty Weight 5,742lbs (2,604kg)
  • Loaded Weight 8,474lbs (3,844kg)

Performance

  • Power/Weight Ratio 3.977
  • Wing Loading 20.4lbs/ft2 (99.4kg/m2)
  • Wing Area 416.2ft2 (38.7m2)
  • Drag Points 1434

Parts

  • Number of Parts 74
  • Control Surfaces 5
  • Performance Cost 500