| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
| A-1 Skyraider | ||
|---|---|---|
A-1 Skyraider, USA 2003 | ||
| Description | ||
| Role | Naval attack and airborne early warning aircraft | |
| Crew | 1-4 | |
| First Flight | ||
| Entered Service | ||
| Manufacturer | ||
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 38 ft 4 in | 11.7 m |
| Wingspan | 50 ft | 15.2 m |
| Height | 17 ft 6 in | 5.3 m |
| Wing area | ft² | m² |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 10,508 lb | 4,766 kg |
| Loaded | 13,924 lb (as scout) 18,030 lb (as bomber) | 6,316 kg (as scout) 8,180 kg (as bomber) |
| Maximum takeoff | lb | kg |
| Capacity | ||
| Powerplant | ||
| Engines | One Wright R-3550-24W enginer | |
| Power | 2,500 hp | 1,900 kW |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | mph | km/h |
| Combat range | miles | km |
| Ferry range | miles | km |
| Service ceiling | 23,800 ft | 7,300 m |
| Rate of climb | ft/min | m/min |
| Wing loading | lb/ft² | kg/m² |
| Thrust/Weight | ||
| Power/Mass | hp/lb | kW/kg |
| Avionics | ||
| Avionics | ||
| Armament | ||
| Guns | 2 x 20 mm M-3 cannons | |
| Bombs | One 2,000 lb (450 kg) bomb on fuselage, two 2,000 lb (450 kg) bombs on wings | |
| Depth bombs | One 650 lb (300 kg) depth bomb on fuselage, two 650 lb (300 kg) depth bombs on wings | |
| Torpedoes | One MK 13-3 on fuselage, two MK 13-3 on wings | |
| Mines | One 2,000 lb (900 kg) mine on fuselage, two 1,000 lb (450 kg) mines on wings | |
| Rockets | Two 11.75 Tiny Tim or 12 HVAR on wings | |
The Douglas AD-1 (later A-1) Skyraider was a US single-seat attack bomber of the 1950s and 1960s, a propeller-driven anachronism in the Jet Age with a remarkably long and successful career.
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 hardpoint s on each wing, enabling it to carry a tremendous amount of ordnance for its size.
Although the Skyraider came into production too late for World War II, it turned out to be of great value in the Korean War, since its weapon load and 10-hour flying time far surpassed the jets that were available.
It 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 .
Production ended in 1957 with a total of 3,180 built. However, in 1962Events January January 1 Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand January 3 Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro January 4 New York City introduces a train that operates without a crew on-board January 8 Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is e the existing Skyraiders were redesignated A-1D through A-1J and later used by both the USAF and the NavyThe United States Navy USN is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. Navy consists of slightly fewer than 300 ships and over 4,000 operational aircraft. It has over a half million men and women on active or ready re in the Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a war fought between 1957 and 1975 on the ground in South Vietnam and bordering areas of Cambodia and Laos See Secret War) and in bombing runs ( Rolling Thunder) over North Vietnam. See also the timeline of the Vietnam War. Fighting on.
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 NavyThe Royal Navy is the navy of the United Kingdom. It operates a number of aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, fifteen nuclear submarines, and various other ships, as well as aircraft and Britain's amphibious forces, the Royal Marines. The Royal Navy, being replaced by the E-1 TracerE-1 Tracer The E-1 Tracer was the first purpose built airborne early warning aircraft used by the United States Navy. It was a derivative of the S-2 Tracker and first entered service in 1954. It was replaced by the more modern E-2 Hawkeye in early 1970s. and Fairey Gannett respectively in those services.