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| A Douglas A-1D (AD-4NA) Skyraider nicknamed "The Proud American" taxiing with wings folded at an air show in Oregon. The folding wings is a common design found in naval aviation, especially among aircraft carrier operations, allowing compact storage of aircraft while at sea. |
Though it arrived too late to take part in World War II, the Skyraider saw much combat service during the Korean War as the backbone of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps and only with these two military branches during this war as strike aircraft. It also saw extensive service during the Vietnam War, this time serving with all three branches including the United States Air Force. In an era where jets were the main combatants of the sky, once again, it was the Skyraider's versatility that kept it in service up until that point. The Skyraider's main assets in weaponry were four 20mm M2 cannons. The Skyraider's versatility also allowed it to carry up to 8,000 lbs. of ordnance on 15 external hardpoints, which ranged from bombs, torpedoes, mine dispensers, unguided rockets, gun pods, and even a toilet! Yes, a Skyraider actually dropped a toilet one time! It was dropped during the Vietnam War from an A-1H of VA-25 aboard USS Midway in commemoration of dropping the six millionth pound of ordnance.
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| An A-1D (AD-4NA) Skyraider on display at a live museum in Idaho with wings folded. Sadly, this Skyraider pictured here crashed in 2011, killing the pilot/owner. |
The Skyraider was capable of loitering over targets for extended periods of time. During the Korean War, the weapons load and 10-hour flying time capability surpassed those of jets that were available at the time. On May 2, 1951, Skyraiders conducted their only aerial torpedo attack against a North Korean-controlled dam. During the Vietnam War, the most famous role the Skyraider played was the "Sandy" helicopter escort on combat rescues. The Vietnam War also marked the first time the United States Air Force used a naval aircraft for the first time. The eventual replacement of the Skyraider would come during the Vietnam War, with the introduction of the A-6 Intruder. Many of the Skyraiders would then be transferred to the South Vietnamese Air Force. But the versatile, outdated, piston-driven workhorse would achieve some notable accomplishments before that would happen. One was the "toilet bomb" mentioned earlier.
Another incredible feat achieved by the Skyraider was an air-to-air gun kill in the Vietnam War... against a jet fighter! Two Mig-17s in fact were shot down by A-1 Skyraiders with their guns; one shot down by two Navy Skyraiders on June 20, 1965 by Lieutenant Clinton B. Johnson and his wingman Lieutenant, junior grade Charles W. Hartman III of VA-25, and the other shot down on October 9, 1966 by Lieutenant, junior grade William P. Patton of VA-176. These gun kills (especially the first) helped prove that the gun could still make the critical difference in a dogfight, even if the Skyraider was not meant to dogfight. This also partially played a role in paving the way to put guns and cannons back on fighter aircraft, which at the time were considered a thing of the past when long-range missiles were considered supreme. The Vietnam War taught many lessons that had to be learned, including the one that air combat could still end up being an up close and personal dogfight; too close for missile. Many fighters back then (like the F-4 Phantom, but were eventually fitted with a gun) didn't have a gun but modern fighters of today all have guns, in addition to missiles which are cemented as the fighter's primary weapon. However, the achievements didn't come without their cost; the USAF lost 201 Skyraiders while the USN lost 65 in all causes to Southeast Asia.
Versatility, extended loitering time, and an array of weaponry makes for an incredible legacy and that in turn makes the A-1 Skyraider worthy of being called a notable warbird.
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| An EA-1E (AD-5W) Skyraider on display at an air show in Nevada. |
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