An Iconic Attack Jet
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was a single-seat subsonic, single-engined attack jet flown by the U.S. Navy between the years 1956 and clear through 2003 (47 years!). In later years, it was used primarily as a training and aggressor aircraft. In fact, the Argentine air force still operates a small number of A-4s, more than 60 years after the type’s introduction.
This is all because the A-4 is a superbly versatile aircraft which is both easy to maintain, and to fly, while still having a large loadout and being rather durable.