Corgi Aviation Archive Series Die-cast Model

Douglas A-4E Skyhawk – 149996, Lt. Cdr. John McCain, VA-46 "Clansman", USS Forrestal, U.S. Navy, Gulf of Tonkin, 1967

1:72 Scale.  Length: 6.75”.  Wingspan: 4.5”


Limited Edition of 1,400 Models Worldwide

This U.S. Navy A-4E Skyhawk was one of 21 jets destroyed during a massive fire that engulfed the flight deck of the USS Forrestal on the morning of July 29, 1967 as it prepared to launch its second strike of the day against targets in North Vietnam. The carrier had only been in the Gulf of Tonkin for 48 hours when disaster struck. A Zuni unguided rocket was accidentally fired from an F-4J Phantom II, hitting an A-4 parked in front of it. Strapped into the cockpit of 'AA416' was Lt. Cdr. John McCain, who quickly abandoned his jet and ran for cover. Of the 21 jets destroyed in the ensuing conflagration, 11 were A-4Es. By the time the fire aboard the Forrestal had been brought under control, some 12 hours after it had started, 134 sailors were dead and $72 Million worth of damage had been inflicted on the U.S. Navy's first Super Carrier.

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was a carrier capable light-attack bomber designed for the US Navy and Marine Corp. First flown in June 1954, the A-4s combat career began with carrier-launched raids over North Vietnam in 1964. The Navy began removing A-4 's from its front-line squadrons in 1967, with the last one retired in 1975. The Marine Corps retired the Skyhawk in June, 1994.


The Corgi Aviation Archive includes a wide selection of high quality, ready-made, diecast model airplanes. Each model is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, using specifications of the original aircraft. Corgi models are built with diecast metal and some plastic components.

This model of an A-4 Skyhawk features: