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Military Factory > Military Aircraft > Douglas A-1 Skyraider
 
 
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Douglas A-1 Skyraider

The multi-purpose A-1 Douglas Skyraider.
By Staff Writer

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The mammoth Skyraider series would have been a major player in the Second World War if it were designed and produced a few years earlier than it had. Regardless, the system would prove itself quite a capable close-support aircraft through the impending Korean and Vietnam wars. The system would gain a reputation for resilience, ease of lying and payload capacity and receive a variety of major marks to boot.

The Skyraider system was initially flow in March of 1945 as the XBT2D-1 "Destroyer II" prototype aircraft. This first instance was actually designed as a carrierborne torpedo dive bomber in the vain of the SBT Dauntless before it. The system provided observers with an impressive display of its capabilities and the series was put into production shortly thereafter as the AD-1 Skyraider.

The AD-1 Skyraider was a large aircraft for it being a single-engine, single-seat low-monoplane aircraft. As such, a larger Wright series radial would be fitted to the fuselage and power the system through two major conflicts encountering low-level sorties throughout its stellar career. From the first AD-1, featuring a 2,500 horsepower engine and twin 20mm cannons to the AD-4B that was modified to be nuclear capable, the Skyraider proved its weight in gold by the sheer number of variants produced for this highly adaptable system.

Underwing stores could be carried that consisted of bombs and rockets which, when coupled with the integrated standard cannon armament, could provided a devastating punch on ground targets in the open or in hiding. The large fuselage allowed the system to be modified for more specialized roles including an anti-ship model that featured a widened fuselage to make room for a second crewmember sitting side-by-side with the pilot. The "N" model featured a crew of three personnel and was specialized in the night-fighting role.

After a stellar run of these multiple variants numbering past 3,000, production was halted. The system would later be redesignated to the more traditionally identifiable A-1 series. The Skyraider was used by both American and South Vietnamese forces in the Vietnam War.

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  Specifications for the Douglas AD-1 Skyraider
arrow downDimensions:
Length: 39.37ft (12.00m)
Width:50.00ft (15.24m)
Height: 15.75ft (4.80m)

arrow downPerformance: About MACH
Max Speed: 321mph (517kmh; 279kts)
Max Range: 1,553miles (2,500km)
Rate-of-Climb: 2,300ft/min (701m/min)
Service Ceiling: 26,001ft (7,925m; 4.9miles)

arrow downStructure:
Accommodation: 1
Hardpoints: 14
Empty Weight: 10,470lbs (4,749kg)
MTOW: 18,029lbs (8,178kg)

arrow downPowerplant:
Engine(s): 1 x Wright R-3350-24W air-cooled radial engine generating 2,500hp.
arrow downArmament Suite:
4 x 20mm Cannons
12 x Rockets

7,000 pounds of external ordnance including bombs and gun pods.

  Pictures of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider
     
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Picture of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider
Image courtesy of the United States Department of Defense.

flag of United States
1946

Designation: Douglas A-1 Skyraider
Classification Type: Fighter / Bomber
Contractor: Douglas Aircraft Corporation - USA

Country of Origin: United States
Production Total: 3,180

Operators: South Vietnam; United States


  Variants
XBT2D-1 "Destroyer II" - Prototype Model Designation.

AD-1 - Fitted with R-3350-24W radial engine generating 2,500hp; 2 x 20mm cannons; 8,000lbs of underwing stores; 242 produced.

AD-2 - 156 produced featuring increased fuel capacity.

AD-1Q

AD-2Q

AD-3 - 125 produced; new canopy and landing gear system.

AD-3N - Night Attack Variant

AD-3Q - Electronic Countermeasures

AD-3W - AEW Radar-Toting Model

AD-4 - Fitted with R-3350-26WA engine generating 2,700hp; autopilot system implemented.

AD-4B - Nuclear capability; 4 x 20mm cannon; 165 produced.

AD-4L - Winterized Variant

AD-4N - Modified Variant to AD-4NA Standard

AD-4NA - Day Attack Variant

AD-4NL - Winterized Variant

AD-5 - Anti-Submarine Model of which 212 produced; two crew-seating in side-by-side configuration; widened fuselage.

AD-6 - Improved AD-4B versions; improved low-level bombing capability; 713 produced.

AD-7 - AD-6 version fitted with R-3350-26WB and reinforced substructure of which 73 were produced in total in this way.

A-1E - AD-5 Redesignated from 1962 standard onwards.

A-1H - AD-6 Redesignated from 1962 standard onwards.

A-1J - AD-7 Redesignated from 1962 standard onwards.

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