A-1 Skyraider

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AD (A-1) Skyraider

U.S. Navy Skyraider from Attack Squadron Fifteen (VA-15) catches a wire during carrier operations.
Type	Attack aircraft
Manufacturer	Douglas Aircraft Company
Maiden flight	1945-03-18
Introduced	1950s
Retired	1970s
Primary users	United States Air Force United States Navy
Produced	1945-1957
Number built	3,180

The Douglas A-1 (formerly AD) Skyraider was a U.S. single-seat attack bomber of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s. A propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, the Skyraider had a remarkably long and successful career.

It carried various nicknames including "Spad" (a model of airplane flown in World War I); Able Dog (phonetic AD); the Destroyer; Hobo (radio call sign of the USAF 1st Air Commando/Special operations Squadron); Firefly (602nd ACS/SOS); Zorro (22nd SOS); The Big Gun; Old Faithful; Old Miscellaneous; Fat Face (AD-5/A-1E version, side-by-side seating); Guppy (AD-5W version); Q-Bird (AD-1Q/AD-5Q versions); Flying Dumptruck (A-1E); Sandy (Combat Search And Rescue helicopter escort); Crazy Water Buffalo (South Vietnamese nickname).

1 Development
2 Service
3 Production and variants
4 Operators
5 Specifications (A-1H Skyraider)
6 External links
7 Related content

[edit] Development

Originally designed to meet World War II requirements for a carrier-based, single-place, long-range, high performance dive bomber/torpedo carrier. Designed by Ed Heinemann of the Douglas Aircraft Company, the Skyraider was ordered in July 1944 as the XBT2D-1. In April 1945, one month after its first flight on 18 March 1945, it was evaluated at the NATC, and December 1946, after redesignated to AD-1, delivery of the first AD to fleet squadron was made to VA-19A.

The low-wing monoplane design started with a Wright R-3350 radial engine, later upgraded multiple times. Its distinctive feature was the presence of seven hardpoints on each wing, enabling it to carry a tremendous amount of ordnance for its size.

[edit] Service

Douglas A-1Es (S/N 52-133884 and 52-132686).

Though the Skyraider was produced too late to take part in World War II, it became the backbone of naval air attack forces in Korea, with the first AD's going into action from the USS Valley Forge. It's ability to employ a wide variety of weapons allowed it to be used against nearly all Korean targets, earning the Skyraider the repution of the most effective close support aircraft in the world at the time. Its weapon load and 10-hour flying time far surpassed the jets that were available at the time.

One of the Skyraider's most famous roles was as the "Sandy" helicopter escort. In one incident an A-1 pilot landed under fire to rescue another downed A-1 pilot, winning its pilot the Medal of Honor. After November 1972 all A-1s in US service in Southeast Asia were transferred to the South Vietnamese Air Force and their former roles were taken over by the subsonic A-37 Dragonfly and A-7 Corsair II. The Skyraider in Vietnam pioneered the concept of tough, survivable aircraft with long loiter times and large ordnance loads later exemplified by the Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II. An A-1 was even credited with downing a MiG-17 that happened to fly across its gunsight.

U.S. Air Force Douglas A-1E with wings folded at McClellan Air Force Base, California, on February 15, 1968.

In addition to serving during Korea and Vietnam as an attack aircraft, it 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 E-1 Tracer and Fairey Gannet respectively in those services.

USAF Major Bernard F. Fisher piloted an A-1E on the March 10, 1966 mission for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor for rescuing Major "Jump" Myers at A Shau Special Forces Camp.

USAF Lieutenant Colonel William A.Jones, III piloted an A-1H on the September 1, 1968 mission for which he was awarded Medal of Honor. In that mission, despite significant damage to his aircraft and suffering serious burns, he returned to his base and reported the position of a downed flight crew member.

[edit] Production and variants

Production ended in 1957 with a total of 3,180 built. However, 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.

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 4-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.

XBT2D-1 - Single-seat dive-bomber, torpedo-bomber prototype for the US 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. (statistics in table)
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 desigantion 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 cannon and 14 Aero rocket launchers, capable of carrying up to 50 lb (23 kg) of bombs. 372 built.
AD-4B - Specialised 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 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.

Douglas A-1E (AD-5W) (S/N 52-135206) in flight.

Skyraider AEW. Mk 1 - 50 AD-4Ws transferred to the Royal Navy.
A-1E (AD-5) - Side by side seating for pilot and co-pilot, without dive brakes. 212 built.
A-1G (AD-5N) - Four-seat night attack version, with radar countermeasures. 239 built.
EA-1F (AD-5Q) - Four-seat electronics countermeasures version. 54 conversions.
AD-5S - One prototype to test Magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) anti-submarine equipment.
EA-1E (AD-5W) - Four-seat airborne early warning version.
A-1H (AD-6) - Single-seat attack aircraft with three dive brakes, centerline station stressed for 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) of ordnances, 30 inches (760 mm) in diameter, combination 14/30 inch (360/760 mm) bomb ejector and low/high altitude bomb director. 713 built.
A-1J (AD-7) - The final production model, powered by a R3350-26WB engine, with structural improvements to increase wing fatigue life. 72 built.
UA-1E - Utility version of the AD-5.

[edit] Operators

Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, France, Gabon, South Vietnam, United Kingdom, United States

See also: List of A-1 Skyraider operators

[edit] Specifications (A-1H Skyraider)

A-1E Skyraiders fly in formation over South Vietnam on way to target on June 25, 1965. The aircraft are assigned to the 34th Tactical Group, based at Bien Hoa, South Vietnam.

General characteristics

Crew: One
Length: 38 ft 10 in (11.84 m)
Wingspan: 50 ft 0 in (15.25 m)
Height: 15 ft 8 in (4.78 m)
Wing area: 400.31 ft² (37.19 m²)
Empty weight: 11,970 lb (5,430 kg)
Loaded weight: 13,925 lb as scout; 18,030 lb as bomber (6,315 kg as scout; 8,180 kg as bomber)
Max takeoff weight: 25,000 lb (11,340 kg)

Performance

Maximum speed: 320 mph (280 knots, 520 km/h)
Cruise speed: 295 mph (256 knots, 475 km/h)
Range: 1,315 mi (1,142 nm, 2,115 km)
Service ceiling: 28,500 ft (8,660 m)
Rate of climb: ft/min (m/s)
Wing loading: 45 lb/ft² (220 kg/m²)

Armament

Guns: 4× 20 mm (0.787 in) cannon
Other: Up to 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) of ordnance on 15 external hardpoints including bombs, torpedoes, mine dispensers, unguided rockets, or gun pods