A-1 Skyraider
The Douglas
AD (later
A-1)
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" (after the model of airplane flown in World War I by early American fighter ace
Eddie Rickenbacker); Able Dog (phoenetic AD); the Destroyer; Hobo; Firefly; Zorro; The Big Gun; Old Faithful; Old Miscellaneous; Fat Face (AD-5 version); Guppy (AD-5W version); Q-Bird (AD-1Q/AD-5Q versions); Flying Dumptruck (A-1E); Sandy (rescue helicopter escort); Crazy Water Buffalo (South Vietnamese nickname).
The Skyraider was originally designed in the
1940s by
Ed Heinemann of the
Douglas Aircraft Company, as a simpler alternative to the
XBTD-1. At the time of the first prototype's flight on
18 March 1945, it was the largest production single-seater aircraft. 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.
|
Privately-owned Douglas Skyraider in flight |
Although the Skyraider entered production too late for active service in
World War II, it turned out to be of great value in both the
Korean and
Vietnam Wars, as its weapon load and 10-hour flying time far surpassed the jets that were available.
|
Privately-owned AD-4NA Douglas Skyraider with wings folded |
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. Late in the Vietnam war, A-1 roles were taken over by the subsonic
A-37 Dragonfly and
A-7 Corsair II. Most press accounts credit the
Stuka and
Sturmovik for inspiration for the AX /
A-10 Thunderbolt II dedicated close air support mission in Europe, but it was really the Skyraider in Vietnam which pioneered the concept of tough, survivable aircraft with long loiter times and large ordnance loads. An A-1 was even credited with downing a
MiG-17 that happened to fly across its gunsight.
In addition to serving during Korea and Vietnam as an attack aircraft, it was modified into the first airborne early warning aircraft to see service off aircraft carriers. 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 a A-1E on the
March 10,
1966 mission for which he was awarded the
Medal of Honor.
USAF
Lieutenant Colonel William A.Jones, III piloted a 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.
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.
* AD-1 - The AD-1 was 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.
* XAD-2 or BT2D-2 - Upgraded attack aircraft, one prototype 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.
* 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.
* Skyraider AEW. Mk 1 - 50 AD-4Ws were transferred to the Royal Navy.
* 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 MAD anti-submarine equipment.
* AD-5W (EA-1E) - Four-seat airborne early warning version.
* AD-6 (A-1H) - 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.
* AD-7 (A-1J) - 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.
Operators
*
Cambodia,
Central African Republic,
Chad,
France,
Gabon,
South Vietnam,
United Kingdom,
United States{{aircontent|related=|similar aircraft=
*
Westland Wyvern,
Ilyushin Il-10|sequence=
*
Unified sequence (after 1962): A-1 -
A-2 -
A-3 -
A-4*
Navy A sequence (before 1962): AD -
A2D -
A3D -
A4D*
Navy BT sequence (before 1962): BTD -
BT2D|lists=
*
List of attack aircraft*
List of military aircraft of the United States|see also=
