Seeking to preserve the historical legacy of aircraft with extensive service in the United States Armed Forces, the U.S. Navy, through the Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE), restored a Douglas A-4M Skyhawk fighter that belonged to the Marine Corps and had been stored for 20 years. This was reported by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in a recent publication detailing the work performed and the fate of the aircraft in question.
The restoration of the A-4M was carried out by personnel from the Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) of the U.S. Navy, located in North Carolina, specifically at the facilities belonging to the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. Among the many tasks and capabilities of the unit’s personnel is the preparation and maintenance, including work on airframes and painting, of various aircraft. However, the craftsmen of the FRCE had the opportunity to travel back in time with the arrival of an A-4M Skyhawk, which had been in storage for 20 years, marking the first occasion for the personnel to undertake such tasks. Symbolically, the FRCE also housed many Skyhawks that underwent maintenance tasks until their final retirement in 2003.
In the restoration work, as evidenced by the released photographs, the original condition of the A-4M upon receipt after 20 years of storage can be observed. This required various works on the airframe and painting, replicating the original scheme in which the aircraft flew in the Marine Corps as part of Marine Attack Squadron 223, respecting the insignias and tones used in those years.
It also meant a reunion for various personnel with the Skyhawk after decades. Stephen T. Gurley, who currently serves as the head of the Critical Items Management Branch of the Fleet Support Equipment Team at FRCE, expressed: “The A-4 platform was the first I worked on at FRC East in 1991, and I spent a lot of time working on them.” He added: “I travelled to different squadrons throughout the 90s to repair A-4s, and now hearing about this, it’s exciting. It brings back memories.”
Although not the first of its kind, this was the first A-4M restored by the U.S. Navy unit, presenting challenges in terms of the unique paint scheme.
“This is the fourth historic aircraft we’ve restored for the air station, but the first A-4,” said Jeffrey Mitchell, Aircraft Transfer Branch planner. “This project was chosen to honor Marine Attack Squadron 223 here at the base, which flew the A-4 until ’87 when they received their first AV-8 from McDonald-Douglas.”
In light of the latter, the tribute to Marine Attack Squadron 223 gains relevance as it was the last operational squadron of A-4M Skyhawks on the East Coast of the United States until its final retirement in 2003. Thus, upon completion of the extensive restoration, the aircraft will be displayed as a static monument at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, one of the last places where the weapons system served the U.S. armed forces.
*Photographs: NAVAIR.
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So is it now air worthy or just a display piece?