The Douglas A-4D "Skyhawk," designed by the late Ed Heinemann to meet a Navy requirement for a fast but compact, long-range, light-weight carrier jet capable of delivering a nuclear weapon, became known as the "Scooter" or "Tinker Toy" because of its small size and the ease with which flight deck personnel could handle it. In 1959, an A-4 set a world speed record of more than 695 mph for Class C aircraft over a 500K km course, and two A-4Ds fitted with two 150 gallon underwing drop tanks flew 2,082 miles non-stop without in-flight refueling to demonstrate the plane's long-range capability. The A-4 Skyhawk took part in the first raids of the Vietnam War and then became one of the primary strike aircraft, though it also suffered more combat losses in Vietnam than any other carrier-based aircraft, with 195 lost. From the late 1950s into the 1980s, it formed the backbone of Navy and Marine Corps light jet attack forces as the series continued to receive improvements, updates, and advancements that added versatility, performance, and maintenance benefits. The first production Skyhawk was delivered in 1956, the last in 1979, and 2,960 were delivered to the fleet in all; a two-seat trainer version remained in Navy use until 1999. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company as a carrier-based light attack bomber with a single pilot, the aircraft had a 27'6" wingspan, a 40' length, a 14' 11" height, an empty weight of 10,465 pounds, a maximum takeoff weight of 24,500 pounds, and a maximum speed of 645 knots at sea level. Its armament included a maximum bomb load of 10,000 pounds, centerline and wing loads of 3,500, 2,200, and 1,000 pounds, two 20 mm cannons, and weapons ranging from conventional iron bombs to the Gatling Gun, Bullpup, Walleye, Shrike, and in one case the Sidewinder air-to-air missile.