(Douglas) A-1 Skyraider @·AIRCRAFTUBE

  • Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - Vietnam Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - Vietnam
    Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - Vietnam
  • Douglas XBT2D-1 Skyraider prototype Douglas XBT2D-1 Skyraider prototype
    Douglas XBT2D-1 Skyraider prototype
  • Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - Da Nang - 1967 Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - Da Nang - 1967
    Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - Da Nang - 1967
  • AD-3 Skyraider AD-3 Skyraider
    AD-3 Skyraider
  • Douglas AD-1 Douglas AD-1
    Douglas AD-1
  • Douglas AD-5W - USS Kearsarge - 1958 Douglas AD-5W - USS Kearsarge - 1958
    Douglas AD-5W - USS Kearsarge - 1958
  • Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - VMA-331 - 1950s Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - VMA-331 - 1950s
    Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - VMA-331 - 1950s
  • Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - Navy Attack Sqd 42 Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - Navy Attack Sqd 42
    Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - Navy Attack Sqd 42
  • Douglas AD-1Q Skyraider - VC-35 Douglas AD-1Q Skyraider - VC-35
    Douglas AD-1Q Skyraider - VC-35
  • Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - VA-122 - c1960 Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - VA-122 - c1960
    Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - VA-122 - c1960
  • Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - VA-152 - USS Oriskany - 1966 Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - VA-152 - USS Oriskany - 1966
    Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - VA-152 - USS Oriskany - 1966
  • Douglas XBT2D-1 - 1945 Douglas XBT2D-1 - 1945
    Douglas XBT2D-1 - 1945
  • Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - Fuel dump - USS Intrepid - 1967 Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - Fuel dump - USS Intrepid - 1967
    Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - Fuel dump - USS Intrepid - 1967
  • Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - VA-25 Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - VA-25
    Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - VA-25
  • Douglas A-1J (AD-7) Skyraider - VA-176 - Vietnam - 1966 Douglas A-1J (AD-7) Skyraider - VA-176 - Vietnam - 1966
    Douglas A-1J (AD-7) Skyraider - VA-176 - Vietnam - 1966
  • Douglas AEW1 Skyraider - 778 RNAS Culdrose Douglas AEW1 Skyraider - 778 RNAS Culdrose
    Douglas AEW1 Skyraider - 778 RNAS Culdrose
  • Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - 1970 Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - 1970
    Douglas A-1H (AD-6) - 1970
  • Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - 1965 Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - 1965
    Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - 1965
  • Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - 1SOS wt BLU-72B - 1968 Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - 1SOS wt BLU-72B - 1968
    Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - 1SOS wt BLU-72B - 1968
  • Douglas A-1J (AD-7) Skyraider - VA-196 - 1964 Douglas A-1J (AD-7) Skyraider - VA-196 - 1964
    Douglas A-1J (AD-7) Skyraider - VA-196 - 1964
  • VA-195 Skyraider (USS Princeton) VA-195 Skyraider (USS Princeton)
    VA-195 Skyraider (USS Princeton)
  • AD-2Q Skyraider - VA-195 - c1949 AD-2Q Skyraider - VA-195 - c1949
    AD-2Q Skyraider - VA-195 - c1949
  • Douglas AD-2W Skyraider - APS-20 radar Douglas AD-2W Skyraider - APS-20 radar
    Douglas AD-2W Skyraider - APS-20 radar
  • AD-3 Skyraider AD-3 Skyraider
    AD-3 Skyraider
  • Douglas AD-3W Skyraider - c1950 Douglas AD-3W Skyraider - c1950
    Douglas AD-3W Skyraider - c1950
  • VC-12 AD-4W - USS Leyte VC-12 AD-4W - USS Leyte
    VC-12 AD-4W - USS Leyte
  • AD-5Q - VAW-33 - 1960s AD-5Q - VAW-33 - 1960s
    AD-5Q - VAW-33 - 1960s
  • Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - USAF Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - USAF
    Douglas A-1E (AD-5) - USAF
  • Douglas EA-1F - VAW-13 ECM-aircraft - CVW-9 - 1966 Douglas EA-1F - VAW-13 ECM-aircraft - CVW-9 - 1966
    Douglas EA-1F - VAW-13 ECM-aircraft - CVW-9 - 1966

Douglas A-1 Skyraider

The Douglas A-1 Skyraider (formerly AD) was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. The Skyraider had a remarkably long and successful career; it became a piston-powered, propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, and was nicknamed "Spad", after the French World War I fighter.

It was operated by the United States Navy (USN), the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and the United States Air Force (USAF), and also saw service with the British Royal Navy, the French Air Force, the Air Force of the Republic of Vietnam (VNAF), and others. In U.S. service it was finally replaced by the Vought A-7 Corsair II swept wing subsonic jet in the early 1970s.

Design and development

The piston-engined Skyraider was designed during World War II to meet United States Navy requirements for a carrier-based, single-seat, long-range, high performance dive/torpedo bomber, to follow-on from earlier types such as the Helldiver and Avenger. Designed by Ed Heinemann of the Douglas Aircraft Company, prototypes were ordered on 6 July 1944 as the XBT2D-1. The XBT2D-1 made its first flight on 18 March 1945 and in April 1945, the USN began evaluation of the aircraft at the Naval Air Test Center (NATC). In December 1946, after a designation change to AD-1, delivery of the first production aircraft to a fleet squadron was made to VA-19A.

The AD-1 was built at Douglas's El Segundo plant in Southern California. In his memoir The Lonely Sky, test pilot Bill Bridgeman quotes a production rate of two aircraft per day, describing the routine yet sometimes hazardous work of certifying AD-1s fresh off the assembly line for delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1949 and 1950.

The low-wing monoplane design started with a Wright R-3350 radial engine, later upgraded several times. Its distinctive feature was large straight wings with seven hard points apiece. These gave the aircraft excellent low-speed maneuverability, and enabled it to carry a large amount of ordnance (more than its own weight in weapons) over a considerable combat radius and loiter time for its size, comparable to much heavier subsonic or supersonic jets. The aircraft was optimized for the ground-attack mission and was armored against ground fire in key locations unlike faster fighters adapted to carry bombs, such as the Vought F4U Corsair or North American P-51 Mustang, which would be retired by U.S. forces before the 1960s.

Shortly after Heinemann began design of the XBT2D-1, a study was issued that showed for every 100 lb (45 kg) of weight reduction the takeoff run was decreased by 8 ft (2.4 m), the combat radius increased by 22 mi (35 km) and the rate-of-climb increased by 18 ft/min (0.091 m/s). Heinemann immediately had his design engineers begin a program for finding weight-saving on the XBT2D-1 design, no matter how small. Simplifying the fuel system resulted in a reduction of 270 lb (120 kg); 200 lb (91 kg) by eliminating an internal bomb bay and hanging the bombs, drop tanks and rockets from the wings or fuselage; 70 lb (32 kg) by using a fuselage dive brake; and 100 lb by using an older tailwheel design. In the end, Heinemann and his design engineers found over 1,800 lb (820 kg) of weight savings on the original XBT2D-1 design.

The Navy AD series was initially painted in ANA 623 Glossy Sea Blue, but during the 1950s following the Korean War, the color scheme was changed to light gull grey (FS26440) and white (FS27875). Initially using the gray and white Navy pattern, by 1967 the USAF began to paint its Skyraiders in a camouflaged pattern using two shades of green, and one of tan.

Used by the USN over Korea and Vietnam, the A-1 was a primary close air support aircraft for the USAF and VNAF during the Vietnam War. The A-1 was famous for being able to take hits and keep flying. There was added armor plating around the cockpit area for added pilot protection. It was replaced beginning in the mid-1960s by the Grumman A-6 Intruder as the Navy's primary medium-attack plane in supercarrier-based air wings; however Skyraiders continued to operate from the smaller Essex class carriers.

The Skyraider went through seven versions, starting with the AD-1, then AD-2 and AD-3 with various minor improvements, then the AD-4 with a more powerful R-3350-26WA engine. The AD-5 was significantly widened, allowing two crew to sit side-by-side (this was not the first multiple-crew variant, the AD-1Q being a two-seater and the AD-3N a three-seater); it also came in a four-seat night-attack version, the AD-5N. The AD-6 was an improved AD-4B with improved low-level bombing equipment, and the final production version AD-7 was upgraded to a R-3350-26WB engine.

For service in Vietnam, USAF Skyraiders were fitted with the Stanley Yankee extraction system, which acted similarly to an ejection seat, though with a twin rocket pulling the escaping pilot from the cockpit.

In addition to serving during Korea and Vietnam as an attack aircraft, the Skyraider was modified into a carrier-based airborne early warning aircraft, replacing the Grumman TBM-3W Avenger. It served in this function in the USN and Royal Navy, being replaced by the Grumman E-1 Tracer and Fairey Gannet respectively in those services.

Skyraider production ended in 1957 with a total of 3,180 built. In 1962, the existing Skyraiders were redesignated A-1D through A-1J and later used by both the USAF and the Navy in the Vietnam War.

Operational history

Korean War

Though the Skyraider was produced too late to take part in World War II, it became the backbone of United States Navy aircraft carrier and United States Marine Corps (USMC) strike aircraft sorties in the Korean War (1950–1953), with the first ADs going into action from the Valley Forge with VA-55 on 3 July 1950. Its weapons load and 10-hour flying time far surpassed the jets that were available at the time. On 2 May 1951, Skyraiders made the only aerial torpedo attack of the war, hitting the Hwacheon Dam, then controlled by North Korea.

On 16 June 1953, a USMC AD-4 from VMC-1 piloted by Major George H. Linnemeier and CWO Vernon S. Kramer shot down a Soviet-built Polikarpov Po-2 biplane, the only documented Skyraider air victory of the war. AD-3N and -4N aircraft carrying bombs and flares flew night-attack sorties, and radar-equipped ADs carried out radar-jamming missions from carriers and land bases.

During the Korean War, A-1 Skyraiders were flown only by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, and were normally painted in dark navy blue. It was called the "Blue Plane" by enemy troops. A total of 128 Navy and Marine AD Skyraiders were lost in the Korean War - 101 in combat and 27 to operational causes. Most operational losses were due to the tremendous power of the AD. ADs that were "waved-off" during carrier recovery operations were prone to perform a fatal torque roll into the sea or the deck of the aircraft carrier if the pilot mistakenly gave the AD too much throttle. The torque of the engine was so great that it would cause the aircraft to rotate about the propeller and slam into the ground or the carrier.

Cathay Pacific VR-HEU Incident

On 26 July 1954, two Douglas Skyraiders from the aircraft carriers USS Philippine Sea and Hornet shot down two Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force Lavochkin La-11s off the coast of Hainan Island while searching for survivors after the shooting down of a Cathay Pacific Skymaster airliner three days previously, by La-9s.

Vietnam War

As American involvement in the Vietnam War began, the A-1 Skyraider was still the medium attack aircraft in many carrier air wings, although it was planned to be replaced by the A-6A Intruder as part of the general switch to jet aircraft. Skyraiders from Constellation and Ticonderoga participated in the first U.S. Navy strikes against North Vietnam on 5 August 1964 as part of Operation Pierce Arrow in response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, striking against fuel depots at Vinh, with one Skyraider from Ticonderoga damaged by anti-aircraft fire, and a second from Constellation shot down, killing its pilot.

During the war, U.S. Navy Skyraiders shot down two North Vietnamese Air Force (NVAF) Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 jet fighters: one on 20 June 1965, a victory shared by Lieutenant Clinton B. Johnson and Lieutenant, junior grade Charles W. Hartman III of VA-25; and one on 9 October 1966 by LTJG William T. Patton of VA-176. While on his very first mission, Navy pilot LTJG Dieter Dengler took damage to his A-1H over Vietnam on 1 February 1966, and crash-landed in Laos.

As they were released from U.S. Navy service, Skyraiders were introduced into the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF). They were also used by the USAF to perform one of the Skyraider's most famous roles: the "Sandy" helicopter escort on combat rescues. USAF Major Bernard F. Fisher piloted an A-1E on 10 March 1966 mission for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor for rescuing Major "Jump" Myers at A Shau Special Forces Camp. USAF Colonel William A. Jones, III piloted an A-1H on 1 September 1968 mission for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. In that mission, despite damage to his aircraft and suffering serious burns, he returned to his base and reported the position of a downed U.S. airman.

After November 1972, all A-1s in U.S. service in Southeast Asia were transferred to the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) and their roles taken over by the subsonic LTV A-7 Corsair II. The Skyraider in Vietnam pioneered the concept of tough, survivable aircraft with long loiter times and large ordnance loads. The USAF lost 201 Skyraiders to all causes in Southeast Asia, while the Navy lost 65 to all causes. Of the 266 lost A-1s, five were shot down by surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and three were shot down in air-to-air combat; two by North Vietnamese MiG-17s.

The first A-1 was shot down on 29 April 1966, and the second A-1 was lost on 19 April 1967; both were from the 602 Air Commando Squadron (ACS). The third A-1 Skyraider was from Navy Squadron VA-25 flying a ferry flight from Cubi Point (Philippines) to the USS Coral Sea and was lost to two Chinese MiG-17 on 14 February 1968. Lieutenant (j.g.) Joseph P. Dunn, USN, had flown too close to the Chinese held island of Hainan, and had been intercepted. Lieutenant Dunn's A-1H Skyraider 134499 (Canasta 404) was the last U.S. Navy A-1 lost in the war. He was observed to survive the ejection and deploy his raft, but was never found. Initially listed as MIA he is now listed as KIA and posthumously promoted to the rank of Commander. Shortly thereafter, A-1 Skyraider naval squadrons transitioned to the A-6 Intruder, A-7 Corsair II or Douglas A-4 Skyhawk.

In contrast to the Korean War, fought a decade earlier, the U.S. Air Force used the naval A-1 Skyraider for the first time in Vietnam. As the Vietnam War progressed, USAF A-1s were painted in camouflage, while USN A-1 Skyraiders were gray/white in color; again, in contrast to the Korean War, when A-1s were painted dark blue.

In October 1965, to highlight the dropping of the six millionth pound of ordnance, Commander Clarence J. Stoddard of Attack Squadron 25 (VA-25), flying an A-1H, dropped a special, one-time-only object in addition to his other munitions – a toilet (see photos at reference).

South Vietnamese Air Force

The A-1 Skyraider was the close air support workhorse of the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) for much of the Vietnam War. The U.S. Navy began to transfer some of its Skyraiders to the VNAF in September 1960, replacing the VNAF's older Grumman F8F Bearcats. By 1962 the VNAF had 22 of the aircraft in its inventory, and by 1968 an additional 131 aircraft had been received. Initially Navy aviators and crews were responsible for training their South Vietnamese counterparts on the aircraft, but over time responsibility was gradually transferred to the USAF.

The initial trainees were selected from among VNAF Bearcat pilots who had accumulated 800 to 1200 hours flying time. They were trained at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and then sent to NAS Lemoore, California for further training. Navy pilots and crews in Vietnam checked out the Skyraiders that were being transferred to the VNAF, and conducted courses for VNAF ground crews.

Over the course of the war, the VNAF acquired a total of 308 Skyraiders, and was operating six A-1 squadrons by the end of 1965. These were reduced during the period of Vietnamization from 1968 to 1972, as the U.S. began to supply the South Vietnamese with more modern close air support aircraft, such as the Cessna A-37 and Northrop F-5, and at the beginning of 1968, only three of its squadrons were flying A-1s.

As the U.S. ended its direct involvement in the war, it transferred the remainder of its Skyraiders to the South Vietnamese, and by 1973, all remaining Skyraiders in U.S. inventories had been turned over to the VNAF. Unlike their American counterparts, whose combat tours were generally limited to 12 months, individual South Vietnamese Skyraider pilots ran up many thousands of combat hours in the A-1, and many senior VNAF pilots were extremely skilled in the operation of the aircraft.

United Kingdom

The Royal Navy acquired 50 AD-4W early warning aircraft in 1951 through the Military Assistance Program. All Skyraider AEW.1s were operated by 849 Naval Air Squadron, which provided four-plane detachments for the British carriers. One flight aboard HMS Bulwark took part in the Suez Crisis in 1956. 778 Naval Air Squadron was responsible for the training of the Skyraider crews at RNAS Culdrose.

In 1960, the Fairey Gannet AEW.3 replaced the Skyraiders, using the APS-20 radar of the Douglas aircraft. The last British Skyraiders were retired in 1962. In the late 1960s, the APS-20 radars from the Skyraiders were installed in Avro Shackleton AEW.2s of the Royal Air Force which were finally retired in 1991.

Sweden

Fourteen British AEW.1 Skyraiders were sold to Sweden to be used by Svensk Flygtjänst AB between 1962 and 1976. All military equipment was removed and the aircraft were used as target tugs with the Swedish armed forces.

France

The French Air Force bought 20 ex-USN AD-4s as well as 88 ex-USN AD-4Ns and five ex-USN AD-4NAs with the former three-seaters modified as single-seat aircraft with removal of the radar equipment and the two operator stations from the rear fuselage. The AD-4N/NAs were initially acquired in 1956 to replace aging Republic P-47 Thunderbolts in Algeria.

The Skyraiders were first ordered in 1956 and the first was handed over to the French Air Force on 6 February 1958 after being overhauled and fitted with some French equipment by Sud-Aviation. The aircraft were used until the end of the Algerian war. The aircraft were used by the 20e Escadre de Chasse (EC 1/20 "Aures Nementcha", EC 2/20 "Ouarsenis" and EC 3/20 "Oranie") and EC 21 in the close air support role armed with rockets, bombs and napalm.

The Skyraiders had only a short career in Algeria. But they nonetheless proved to be the most successful of all the ad hoc COIN aircraft deployed by the French. The Skyraider remained in limited French service until the 1970s. They were heavily involved in the civil war in Chad, at first with the Armée de l'Air, and later with a nominally independent local air force staffed by French mercenaries. The aircraft also operated under the French flag in Djibouti and on the island of Madagascar. When France at last relinquished the Skyraiders it passed the survivors on to client states, including Gabon, Chad, Cambodia and the Central African Republic. (several aircraft from Gabon and Chad have been recovered recently by French warbird enthusiasts and entered on the French civil register).

The French frequently used the aft station to carry maintenance personnel, spare parts and supplies to forward bases. In Chad they even used the aft station for a "bombardier" and his "special stores" – empty beer bottles – as these were considered as non-lethal weapons, thus not breaking the government-imposed rules of engagement, during operations against Libyan-supported rebels in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Variants

  • XBT2D-1 : Single-seat dive-bomber, torpedo-bomber prototype for the U.S. Navy.
  • XBT2D-1N : Three-seat night attack prototypes; only three aircraft built.
  • XBT2D-1P : Photographic reconnaissance prototype; only one built.
  • XBT2D-1Q : Two-seat electronics countermeasures prototype; one aircraft only.
  • BT2D-2 (XAD-2) : Upgraded attack aircraft; one prototype only.
  • AD-1 : The first production model; 242 built.
  • AD-1Q : Two-seat electronic countermeasures version of the AD-1; 35 built.
  • AD-1U : AD-1 with radar countermeasures and tow target equipment, no armament and no water injection equipment.
  • XAD-1W : Three-seat airborne early warning prototype. AD-3W prototype; one aircraft only.
  • AD-2 : Improved model, powered by 2,700 hp (2,000 kW) Wright R-3350-26W engine; 156 built.
  • AD-2D : Unofficial designation for AD-2s used as remote-control aircraft, to collect and gather radioactive material in the air after nuclear tests.
  • AD-2Q : Two-seat electronics countermeasures version of the AD-2; 21 built.
  • AD-2QU : AD-2 with radar countermeasures and target towing equipment, no armament and no water injection equipment; one aircraft only.
  • XAD-2 : Similar to XBT2D-1 except engine, increased fuel capacity.
  • AD-3 : Proposed turboprop version, initial designation of A2D Skyshark.
  • AD-3 : Stronger fuselage, improved landing gear, new canopy design; 125 built.
  • AD-3S : Anti-submarine warfare model; only two prototypes were built.
  • AD-3N : Three-seat night attack version; 15 built.
  • AD-3Q : Electronics countermeasures version, countermeasures equipment relocated for better crew comfort; 23 built.
  • AD-3QU : Target towing aircraft, but most were delivered as the AD-3Q.
  • AD-3W : Airborne early warning version; 31 built.
  • XAD-3E : AD-3W modified for ASW with Aeroproducts propellor
  • AD-4 : Strengthened landing gear, improved radar, G-2 compass, anti-G suit provisions, four 20 mm (.79 in) cannon and 14 Aero rocket launchers, capable of carrying up to 50 lb (23 kg) of bombs; 372 built.
  • AD-4B : Specialized version designed to carry nuclear weapons, also armed with four 20 mm cannon; 165 built plus 28 conversions.
  • AD-4L : Equipped for winter operations in Korea; 63 conversions.
  • AD-4N : Three-seat night attack version; 307 built.
  • AD-4NA : Designation of 100 AD-4Ns without their night-attack equipment, but fitted with four 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon, for service in Korea as ground-attack aircraft.
  • AD-4NL : Version of the AD-4N; 36 conversions.
  • AD-4Q : Two-seat electronic countermeasures version of the AD-4; 39 built.
  • AD-4W : Three-seat airborne early warning version; 168 built. A total of 50 AD-4Ws were transferred to the Royal Navy as Skyraider AEW Mk 1.
  • AD-5 (A-1E) : Side-by-side seating for pilot and co-pilot, without dive brakes; 212 built.
  • AD-5N (A-1G) : Four-seat night attack version, with radar countermeasures; 239 built.
  • AD-5Q (EA-1F) : Four-seat electronics countermeasures version; 54 conversions.
  • AD-5S : One prototype to test Magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) anti-submarine equipment.
  • AD-5W (EA-1E) : Three-seat airborne early warning version with an APS-20 radar installed; 218 were built.
  • UA-1E : Utility version of the AD-5.
  • AD-6 (A-1H) : Single-seat attack aircraft with three dive brakes, centerline station stressed for 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) of ordnance, 30 in (760 mm) in diameter, combination 14/30 in (360/760 mm) bomb ejector and low/high altitude bomb director; 713 built.
  • AD-7 (A-1J) : The final production model, powered by a R-3350-26WB engine, with structural improvements to increase wing fatigue life; 72 built.

Operators

  • Cambodia
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • France
  • Gabon
  • South Vietnam
  • Thailand
  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Vietnam

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Source : Article Douglas A-1 Skyraider of Wikipedia ( authors )

Specifications (A-1H Skyraider)

  • Crew : One.
  • Length : 38 ft 10 in (11.84 m).
  • Height : 15 ft 8¼ in (4.78 m).
  • Wingspan : 50 ft 0¼ in (15.25 m).
  • Wing area : 400.3 ft² (37.19 m²).
  • Wing loading : 45 lb/ft² (220 kg/m²).
  • Empty weight : 11,968 lb (5,429 kg).
  • Loaded weight : 18,106 lb (8,213 kg).
  • Max. takeoff weight : 25,000 lb (11,340 kg).
  • Maximum speed : 322 mph (280 kts, 518 km/h) at 18,000 ft (5,500 m).
  • Cruise speed : 198 mph (172 kts, 319 km/h).
  • Range : 1,316 mi (1,144 nmi, 2,115 km).
  • Service ceiling : 28,500 ft (8,685 m).
  • Rate of climb : 2,850 ft/min (14.5 m/s).
  • Powerplant : A Wright R-3350-26WA radial engine.
  • Power : 2,700 hp (2,000 kW).
  • Power/mass : 0.15 hp/lb (250 W/kg).
  • Armament:
    • Guns : Four 20 mm (0.79 in) M2 cannon.
    • Other : Up to 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) of ordnance on 15 external hardpoints including bombs, torpedoes, mine dispensers, unguided rockets, and gun pods..

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This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Douglas A-1 Skyraider of Wikipedia ( authors )
Douglas A-1 (AD) Skyraider : Your comments on this subject
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    Administrators assume no liability for any content, advertising, products and/or services available on such third party websites. It is reminded that those sites are governed by their own terms of use.

    Placing a link to third party sites or authorize a third party to include a link on their website refering to this Website does not mean that the Administrators recommend in any way the products or services offered by these websites.

    Modifications

    The Webmaster reserves the right to modify at any time without notification the present terms of use as well as all content or specific functionality that the Website offers.

    The modified terms and conditions immediately apply to the using Visitor when changes come online. Visitors are invited to consult the site regularly on the most current version of the terms and conditions

    Governing Law and Jurisdiction

    These general conditions are governed by Belgian law.

    In case of dispute regarding the interpretation and/or execution of the above terms, the parties agree that the courts of the district of Nivelles, Belgium shall have exclusive jurisdiction power.

    Credits page

    Wikipedia.org

    Wikipedia is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet encyclopedia.

    Youtube

    YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, view and share videos.

    Special thanks to all Youtube quality aviation vids providers, specially (Those I forgot, please excuse me or report) :

    Airboyd
    Andys Video
    Aviation videos archives
    Bomberguy
    Classic Aviation TV
    Historical Aviation Film Unit
    Horsemoney
    Jaglavaksoldier
    Joluqa Malta
    Just Planes
    Koksy
    Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture
    Memorial Flight
    Octane130
    Okrajoe
    SDASM archives
    Spottydog4477
    The Aviators TV
    Valentin Izagirre Bengoetxea
    Vexed123
    VonBerlich
    Zenos Warbirds

    Bundesarchiv

    The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv are the National Archives of Germany.

    FAQ

    I don't see my comments any more!

    Please note that each page has it's own comment entry. So, if you enter a comment i.e. on the B-747, you will only see it on that related page.

    General comments are accessed via the "BLOG En" button.

    Comments are moderated, so please allow some delay before they appear, specially if you are outside Europe.

    Menus are developing below the page, because they are too long!

    But they remain accessible, for example by scrolling the mouse wheel, or with your finger (on the menu) on a smartphone or tablet.

    I see adds on all videos.

    Use a good free add remover software.

    The site is loading random pages at startup.

    We think it is a good way to bring back the memory of aircraft, persons or events sometimes quite forgotten.

    HELP PAGE

    Why this site?

    Discovery

    This website is dedicated to one's aeronautical passion (which I hope we share) and was realised mainly as an educationnal tool. Knowing that, you'll notice that each new visit brings random topics for the purpose of making new discoveries, some achievements or characters certainly not deserving the oblivion into which they have sometimes fallen.

    By these pages, we also want to pay tribute to all those who gave at one time or another, their lives or health in the name of freedom, aeronautical security or simply our comfort.

    Centralisation

    Internet is full of websites dedicated to aviation, but most are dedicated to subjects or periods that are very limited in space or time. The purpose of this site is to be as general as possible and thus treats all events as well as characters of all stripes and times while putting much emphasis on the most significant achievements.

    The same years saw birth of technologies like photography and cinema, thus permitting illustration of a large part of important aeronautical events from the start. Countless (and sometimes rare) media recently put online by enthousiasts finally give us access to these treasures, but the huge amount of information often makes things a little messy. A centralization effort is obviously most needed at this level.

    All persons who directly or indirectly contributed to the achievement or posting of such documents are here gratefully acknowledged.

    General

    Fluid website

    This site automatically fits the dimensions of your screen, whether you are on a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone.

    Bilingual website

    You can change the language by clicking on the flag in the upper left or via "Options" in the central menu. Of course, the videos remain in the language in which they were posted ...

    Browser compatibility

    The site is not optimized, or even designed to run on older browsers or those deliberately deviating from standards. You will most probably encounter display issues with Internet Explorer. In this case, it is strongly recommended installing a modern (and free!) browser that's respecting the standards, like Firefox, Opera, Chrome or Safari.

    Cookies and Javascript

    This site uses cookies and JavaScript to function properly. Please ensure that your browser is configured accordingly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Site for the retention or disclosure of personal information about its Visitors. See the "Legal" page for more on this subject.

    Website layout

    Left menus

    Because of the lack of space on smartphones and small tablets, these menus are hidden. Everything is nevertheless accessible via the main menu option, located between the video and photo sections. This menu is placed there for compatibility reasons with some browsers, which play the videos over the menus.

    "Search" and "Latest" :
    The link "In Titles" restricts the search to the titles of different forms. Use this option if you are looking for a plane, a constructor, a pilot or a particular event that could have been treated as a subject.

    The link "In Stories" will bring you to a search in all texts (the "Story" tab) and will take more time. The search term will appear highlighted in green when opening the corresponding story.

    Would you believe, "Timeline" will show all subjects in chronological order.

    "Random" will reload the entire page with a new random topic.

    The bottom section keeps you abreast of the latest five entries. New topics are added regularly. Don't hesitate to come visit us often : add bookmark.

    Blogs and Comments central section

    Under the photos section comes the comments tabs window :

    You can enter general comments in your own language via one of the two buttons on the left (BLOG EN and BLOG FR). Note that these buttons are accessible regardless of the language to allow some participation in the other language.

    All comments are subject to moderation and will be published only if they comply with the basic rules of decorum, while remaining relevant to the purpose of this site.

    The third tab allows you to enter comments on the shown topic and is bilingual. Personal anecdotes, supplements and other information questions will take place here.

    The "Story" tab shows the explanatory texts. They are most often taken from Wikipedia, a site where we participate regularly.

    The "Data" tab is reserved for list of features and specifications.

    Right menus

    On a smartphone, the lack of space is growing and this menu is moved to the bottom of the page to give priority to videos and pictures.

    The top right icons are links to videos posted by third parties (on their own responsabilities) or by ourselves. The link below these icons will take you to the channel of the one who posted the video. Feel free to suggest other videos if you think they are of some interest (Use the BLOG button or the "Contact" link).