E-mail from 'ZOO' from the wayback machine:
"Adversary Skyhawk used as MiG-17 emulator
The USN/USMC used various models of the A-4 in their Adversary programs. The USN squadrons were VF-43/45/126/127, VCF-13, (maybe 12 too?), and the Top Gun/Have Gun programs used these A-4s as part of their training syllabus.
I am not sure what weapons school you are referring to? I am not aware of the USAF using A-4s this way, but there were many combined air warfare exercises that included USN adversary A-4 participation. They were frequent players at Red Flag exercises.
USN Fighter Weapons School was a comprehensive syllabus that covered advanced tactics training with the usual classroom instruction and flight simulator training. The flight syllabus was tailored to the type of fighter aircraft flown. These fighter crews being trained flew against the adversary pilots from any of the adversary squadrons participating.
Typically, the VF-43 at NAS Oceana and VF-126 at NAS Miramar did most of this work.
But the goal of the Top Gun/Have Gun program was to train a select number of fleet squadron pilots and NFOs to return to their squadron and continue the ACM/DACM training of their squadron's pilots.
The A-4 was an almost perfect MIG-17 substitute in every way.
Size, and maneuverability were very similar and the Specific Power envelopes were very close.
Although the MIG-17 had A/B and the A-4 did not, a mostly clean A-4E/F could emulate the MIG very well.
The Mongoose A-4 had the P-408 engine installed, no avionics hump, as much hardware removed as possible to lighten the aircraft, the slats wired permanently up; and was an amazing performer with a greater than 1:1 thrust to weight ratio.
Zoo"