Aircraft Type Index

Bomber Planes Index

                   

 

Douglas A-1 Skyraider Bomber Plane

Designed in 1942 by Ed Heinemann of the Douglas Aircraft Company, the Skyraider USAF and USN attack bomber first flew in March 1945, it was to late to see action in WWII but saw service in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Production of the Douglas Skyraider ended in 1957 by which time a total of 3,180 aircraft had been built and remained in military Service well in to the 1970's due to it's excellent range, endurance, survivability and weapon stores capability. The Douglas Skyraider saw military service with Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, France, Gabon, South Vietnam, United Kingdom as well as the United States.

Douglas A-1 Skyraider Bomber Plane

 

The time span which the Skyraider's remained in military service is a tribute to a superb design and resulted in a vast acumination of nicknames over four decades from friend and foe alike, these include: Spad, Able Dog, Destroyer, Hobo, Firefly, Zorro, The Big Gun, Old Miscellaneous, Fat Face, Guppy, Crazy Water Buffalo, Old Faithful, Sandy, and the Flying Dump-truck.

 

Douglas A-1H Skyraider Specifications:

  • Crew: Pilot only
  • Length: 38 ft 10 in (11.84 m)
  • Wingspan: 50 ft 0 in (15.25 m)
  • Height: 15 ft 8 in (4.78 m)
  • Empty weight: 11,970 lb (5,430 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 25,000 lb (11,340 kg)
  • Engine: Single 2,700 hp (2,000 kW) Wright R-3350-26WA radial
  • Maximum speed: 320 mph (520 km/h)
  • Range: 1,315 mi (2,115 km)
  • Service ceiling: 28,500 ft (8,660 m)
 
 

Douglas Skyraider


 
Douglas Skyraider
 

Douglas Skyraider
Survivability!

Skyraider F-AZDP makes a
perfect landing even with
six feet of  wing missing

 
Douglas Skyraider and P51D Mustang collision Duxford 2011
 

The picture above shows a Douglas AD-4N Skyraider (F-AZDP) making a perfect landing at Duxford's flying legends air-show in 2011 following a mid-air collision with a P51D Mustang, the P51D Mustang was lost but it's pilot, Rob Davies, parachuted to safety although being hit by the Mustang's tail-plane as he baled out only 500 ft before his Mustang, D-FBBD "Big Beautiful Doll" completed it's near vertical terminal dive in to the ground.

On inspection after landing, it was found that the Douglas A-1 Skyraider had lost six feet from it's starboard wing, truncating the Skyraider's starboard wing from it's normal 22.5ft to 16.5ft.

The Skyraider's pilot momentarily lost sight of the formation's lead aircraft, Rob's Mustang, resulting in the Skyraider breaking late and then not having enough time to avoid the collision once he visually re-acquired the Mustang.

 
 

US Navy Douglas AD-4NA

G-RAID in 2011 operated by
"The Fighter Collection" Duxford, UK

 
Skyraider
 
 

A-1 Skyraider


 
A-1 Skyraider

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The picture at the top of the page of a Douglas A-1 Skyraider has been digitally re-mastered from an image taken by Adrian Pingstone who has kindly placed the picture in to the public domain. All other pictures are © June 2014 Siteseen Ltd.

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