This aircraft was one of 21 jets destroyed during a huge fire that engulfed the flight deck of the USS Forrestal on the morning of 29 July 1967 as the carrier prepared to launch its second strike of the day against targets in North Vietnam. The vessel, with Carrier Air Wing 17 embarked, had only been in the theater on Yankee Station for 48 hours when disaster struck. A Zuni unguided rocket was accidentally fired from an F-4J Phantom II, hitting an A-4 (possibly this aircraft) parked in front of it. Strapped into the cockpit of 'AA416' was Lt. Cdr. John S. McCain, who quickly abandoned his jet and ran for cover. Of the 21 jets destroyed in the ensueing conflageration, 11 of them were A-4Es. By the time the blaze 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 US Navy's first Super Carrier.

Corgi's 1:72 scale Skyhawk series includes the early "E" variant as well as the "F" and "M" variants, which feature a hump on top the fuselage spine to house the upgraded avionics package. The models in this series are surprisingly heavy, constructed almost entirely of diecast metal with only the smallest amount of plastic. Each release features a pair of 20mm cannons, a delicate refueling probe and a variety of wing-mounted weapons ordnance and fuel tanks. This sturdy little model includes a pilot figure and easily configurable landing gear for ground or in-flight display.