The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was a ground-attack, piston-engine aircraft used by the US Navy in the Korean and Vietnam War. It was sturdy, with a good performance, and it was able to deliver an incredible array of ordnance with pinpoint accuracy. Although the jet combat aircraft had already arrived in the theater of operations by the time the armed conflict in Southeast Asia broke out, this carrier-based attack aircraft showed the world that the old piston-engine warplanes could still be valuable and vital, specially when it came to provide fire support to ground troops.
The prototype of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, the XBT2D-1, made its maiden flight on March 18, 1945, at the end of WW2. This aircraft, which would be nicknamed the 'Spad' by the American pilots, had been designed by the renowned engineer Edward H. Heinemann. When it was introduced into service with the US Navy in 1946, many officers thought that it would have a short career, not only because WW2 had ended but also because jet planes were already being developed. However, in the Korean War, the Spad, along with two distinguished WW2 fighters, the F4U Corsair and P-51 Mustang, would show the military leaders that piston-engine aircraft were still valuable in combat due to their maneuverability, low-level flight capacity, and ruggedness.
The Skyraider entered service on July 27, 1946, as the AD-1, which was the former official designation it had been given. In 1962, it was redesignated A-1. Until 1957, several more variants would be produced, such as the AD-2, AD-3, AD-4, AD-4E, AD-4W, and AD-7. A total of 3,180 aircraft were built between 1945 and 1957, when production ended. The AD-4W and AD-5W were early-warning Skyraiders, which were fitted with a large radome on belly of fuselage containing a powerful radar. Its strong Wright R-3350 Cyclone radial piston engine and wing area gave it the same bomb-load capacity as the B-17 Flying Fortress.
Below, old but not obsolete, still a flying terminator; an AD-7 version of the Skyraider among jet combat aircraft on the flight deck of USS Shangri-LA (CV-38). It was assigned to VA-115.
Technical Description
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane of all-metal construction. It was fitted with straight, cantilever, low wing, with a slight dihedral angle. The wing leading and trailing edge tapered slightly towards the tip at angle of 12 degrees. The wing aileron was mounted on outer panel of wing, which could be folded up, while the flap was on inner panel of wing. The landing gear was a tricycle design.
The cockpit of the Spad was large and comfortable, topped by a bubble canopy, which gave the pilot excellent view. However, it had no ejector seat and pilots had to bail out manually and jump out of it, making the sign of the cross and looking up into the sky. The 388-gallon fuel tank was located right behind the cockpit next to the avionics and radio racks. The pair of large speed breakers lay on the sides of fuselage. The aircraft was powered by one Wright R-3350-26W, 18-cylinder, radial, piston engine, which delivered 3,020 horsepower.
Specifications (AD-2/A-1B)
Type: dive-bomber/ground attack aircraft
Length: 11.63 m (38 feet, 2 inches)
Wing Span: 15.24 m (50 feet)
Wing Area: 37.16 m2 (400 square feet)
Height: 4.7 m (15 feet, 5 inches)
Power Plant: one 3,020-HP, Wright R-3350-26W Cyclone, radial piston engine.
Maximum Speed: 498 km/h (309 mph)
Range: 1,448 km (900 miles)
Service Ceiling: 9,753 m (32,000 feet)
Armament: four 20-mm wing-mounted cannons; 3,600-kg (8,000-lb) of bombs on external hardpoints; or torpedoes and rocket pods.
Below, the AD-2 (A-1B) version from VA-65 Squadron taking off from flight deck of USS Valley Forge (CV-45) for a strike on targets in Korea. It remained in service with the US Navy for two decades, during which it proved to be one of the most versatile attack aircraft.
The prototype XBT2D-1 in 1945, parked on airbase tarmac.
Below, the A-1H (AD-6) version fully loaded with ordnance on all 15 external points in 1964.
An A-1H Skyraider assigned to VA-145 on the USS Intrepid (CV-11) has extended its speed break to slow down the aircraft before touching down on flight deck.
