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. The time span which the aircraft remained in 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)
Armament: Guns: Four 20 mm (0.787 in) cannon Munitions: Up to 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) of weapons on 15 fuselage and wing mounted external hard-points, these include bombs, torpedoes, mine dispensers, unguided rockets and gun pods.
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