Douglas A-1 Skyraider PDF eBook & Flight Manuals

General Characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 38 ft 10 in (11.84 m)
• Wingspan: 50 ft 0¼ in (15.25 m)
• Height: 15 ft 8¼ in (4.78 m)
• Wing area: 400.3 ft² (37.19 m²)
• Empty weight: 11,968 lb (5,429 kg)
• Loaded weight: 18,106 lb (8,213 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 25,000 lb (11,340 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-3350-26WA radial engine, 2,700 hp (2,000 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 322 mph (280 kn, 518 km/h) at 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
• Cruise speed: 198 mph (172 kn, 319 km/h)
• Range: 1,316 mi (1,144 nmi, 2,115 km)
• Service ceiling: 28,500 ft (8,685 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,850 ft/min (14.5 m/s)
• Wing loading: 45 lb/ft² (220 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.15 hp/lb (250 W/kg)

Armament

• Guns: 4 × 20 mm (0.79 in) AN/M3 autocannon
• Hardpoints: 15 external hardpoints with a capacity of 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) and provisions to carry combinations of:
  • Other: bombs, torpedoes, mine dispensers, unguided rockets, and gun pods.

• XBT2D-1 – Single-seat dive-bomber, torpedo-bomber prototype for the U.S. Navy.
• XBT2D-1N – Three-seat night attack prototypes; only three aircraft built.
• XBT2D-1P – Photographic reconnaissance prototype; only one built.
• XBT2D-1Q – Two-seat electronics countermeasures prototype; one aircraft only.
• BT2D-2 (XAD-2) – Upgraded attack aircraft; one prototype only.
• AD-1 – The first production model; 242 built.
• AD-1Q – Two-seat electronic countermeasures version of the AD-1; 35 built.
• AD-1U – AD-1 with radar countermeasures and tow target equipment, no armament and no water injection equipment.
• XAD-1W – Three-seat airborne early warning prototype. AD-3W prototype; one aircraft only.
• AD-2 – Improved model, powered by 2,700 hp (2,000 kW) Wright R-3350-26W engine; 156 built.
• AD-2D – Unofficial designation for AD-2s used as remote-control aircraft, to collect and gather radioactive material in the air after nuclear tests.
• AD-2Q – Two-seat electronics countermeasures version of the AD-2; 21 built.
• AD-2QU – AD-2 with radar countermeasures and target towing equipment, no armament and no water injection equipment; one aircraft only.
• XAD-2 – Similar to XBT2D-1 except engine, increased fuel capacity.
• AD-3 – Proposed turboprop version, initial designation of A2D Skyshark.
• AD-3 – Stronger fuselage, improved landing gear, new canopy design; 125 built.
• AD-3S – Anti-submarine warfare model; only two prototypes were built.
• AD-3N – Three-seat night attack version; 15 built.
• AD-3Q – Electronics countermeasures version, countermeasures equipment relocated for better crew comfort; 23 built.
• AD-3QU – Target towing aircraft, but most were delivered as the AD-3Q.
• AD-3W – Airborne early warning version; 31 built.
• XAD-3E – AD-3W modified for ASW with Aeroproducts propellor
• AD-4 – Strengthened landing gear, improved radar, G-2 compass, anti-G suit provisions, four 20 mm (.79 in) cannon and 14 Aero rocket launchers, capable of carrying up to 50 lb (23 kg) of bombs; 372 built.
• AD-4B – Specialized version designed to carry nuclear weapons, also armed with four 20 mm cannon; 165 built plus 28 conversions.
• AD-4L – Equipped for winter operations in Korea; 63 conversions.
• AD-4N (A-1D) – Three-seat night attack version; 307 built.
• AD-4NA – Designation of 100 AD-4Ns without their night-attack equipment, but fitted with four 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon, for service in Korea as ground-attack aircraft.
• AD-4NL – Winterized version of the AD-4N; 36 conversions.
• AD-4Q – Two-seat electronic countermeasures version of the AD-4; 39 built.
• AD-4W – Three-seat airborne early warning version; 168 built. A total of 50 AD-4Ws were transferred to the Royal Navy as Skyraider AEW Mk 1.
• AD-5 (A-1E) – Side-by-side seating for pilot and co-pilot, without dive brakes; 212 built.
• AD-5N (A-1G) – Four-seat night attack version, with radar countermeasures; 239 built.
• AD-5Q (EA-1F) – Four-seat electronics countermeasures version; 54 conversions.
• AD-5S – One prototype to test Magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) anti-submarine equipment.
• AD-5W (EA-1E) – Three-seat airborne early warning version with an APS-20 radar installed; 218 were built.
• UA-1E – Utility version of the AD-5.
• AD-6 (A-1H) – Single-seat attack aircraft with three dive brakes, centerline station stressed for 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) of ordnance, 30 in (760 mm) in diameter, combination 14/30 in (360/760 mm) bomb ejector and low/high altitude bomb director; 713 built.
• AD-7 (A-1J) – The final production model, powered by a R-3350-26WB engine, with structural improvements to increase wing fatigue life; 72 built.

France

Airworthy

AD-4N

• 124143 – Jean Baptiste Salis. Damaged during a mid-air collision with P-51 Mustang “Big Beautiful Doll” at IWM Duxford’s Flying Legends Airshow in July 2011. The P-51 was destroyed (pilot parachuted safely), and Skyraider 124143 suffered extensive damage to its right wing, but landed safely.
• 125716 – Didier Chable.

AD-4NA

• 127002 – Michele Gineste and Maurice Etchetto in Le Havre, France.

On display

AD-4NA

• 126979 – Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace

Sweden

On display

AD-4W

• 127947 – Arlandasamlingarna, Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. Svensk Flygtjänst target tug, SE-EBB. Former Fleet Air ArmSkyraider AEW.1, WT949.
• 127960 – Svedinos Bil- och Flygmuseum, Ugglarp. Currently undergoing restoration but available to visitors. Target tug used by Svensk Flygtjänst, as SE-EBC. Decommissioned in 1974 and acquired by Svedinos the same year. Former Fleet Air Arm Skyraider AEW.1, WT962.

In storage

AD-4W

• 127945 – Owned by Flygvapenmuseum but on loan to Skyraider AB, Karlskoga, for restoration. Former Fleet Air ArmSkyraider AEW.1, WV185. Used by Svensk Flygtjänst as target tug 1963-1973, registration SE-EBI. Decommissioned in 1974 and acquired by Flygvapenmuseum the same year, though never put on display.

Thailand

On display

AD-7

• 142072 – Royal Thai Air Force Museum

United Kingdom

Airworthy

AD-4NA

• 126922 – Kennet Aviation.

In storage

AD-4W

• 124086 (WV106) – in storage (incomplete) at the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm Museum(‘Cobham Hall’), visible from outside.
• 124121 (WT141) – in storage at the Fleet Air Arm Museum’s ‘Cobham hall’

United States

Airworthy

AD-1

• 9257 – Warbird Heritage Foundation in Waukegan, Illinois.

AD-4

• 123827 – Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
• 126997 – Comanche Warbirds, Inc., in Houston, Texas.

AD-4N (A-1D)

• 124156 – West Indies Investments, Ltd., in Troy, Alabama
• 126959 – East Iowa Air Inc., in Bennett, Iowa.

AD-4NA (A-1D)

• 126882 – Marine Aviation Museum in Houston, Texas. The aircraft survived Hurricane Ike without damage as it was flown out before the storm.
• 126965 – Heritage Flight Museum in Burlington, Washington. It has a Wright R-3350-26WA with 2,700 hp. While with the US Navy, it served aboard the USS Kearsarge with VA-115 in 1953, off the coast of Korea. The cease-fire was called before it saw combat action, however, the aircraft of VA-115 conducted DMZ patrols for the duration of the cruise. When it returned stateside it was stationed with FASRON 8 at NAS Alameda before transitioning to FAETULANT at NAS Norfolk, VA from November 1954 until August 1955.

AD-4W

• 126867 – Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon.

AD-5 (A-1E)

• 132683 – Greatest Generation Naval Museum in San Diego, California.

AD-5W (EA-1E)

• 135152 – Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison, Texas.
• 135178 – Midwest Wild Relics Refuge Inc. in Saint Charles, Missouri.
• 135188 – Collings Foundation in Stow, Massachusetts. Particular aircraft is a rare A-1E variant donated to the Collings Foundation by a generous supporter in May 2012 in Rhode Island and debuting to the public on June 17th, 2012 at the then annual Rhode Island Air National Guard Open House and Air Show in a demonstration flown by CF pilot Dan McCue. The aircraft also appeared that same year at the Legends of Airpower and Armor event at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, NY and a number of local aviation events, The aircraft occasionally appears alongside the Foundations B-17, B-24, and P-51 at Wings of Freedom Tour stops in New England. The A-1E continues its yearly air show schedule appearing at two particular events in 2013, it is currently based at Quonset State Airport, in North Kingstown R.I but preparations are now being made to move the aircraft to the Collings Foundations Headquarters in Stow, MA.

AD-6 (A-1H)

• 139606 – Warbird Aircraft, LLC, in San Diego, California.
• 139665 – Tennessee Air Museum in Sevierville, Tennessee.

On display

XAD-1

• 9102 – Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

AD-3

• 122811 – Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

AD-4N (A-1D)

• 127007 – USS Yorktown (CV-10) at the Patriot’s Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. It bears the markings of Attack Squadron 65 (VA-65), assigned to Carrier Air Group TWO (CVG-2), aboard Yorktown, circa 1953-54.

AD-4NA (A-1D)

• 125739 – United States Naval Museum of Armament and Technology, NCC China Lake (North) in Ridgecrest, California.
• 126924 – Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.
• 127888 – Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

AD-4W

• 127922 – USS Midway (CV-41) at the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum, in San Diego, California. According to the curators, the aircraft is actually an AD-4W that was modified to resemble an A-1 for museum display purposes. Former Fleet Air Arm Skyraider AEW.1, WT981, later Svensk Flygtjänst target tug, as SE-EBL. Decommissioned in 1976 and acquired by Flygvapenmuseum. Sold to David Talichet in 1983, as N5469Y, later donated to the National Warplane Museum. On display in San Diego since 2006.

AD-4B

• 132261 – Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada.

AD-5 (A-1E)

• 132463 – Aerospace Museum of California at the former McClellan Air Force Base in North Highlands, California.
• 52-132649 (former bureau number 132649) – National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. This aircraft was originally a US Navy aircraft. Transferred to USAF, it was flown by then-Major Bernard Francis Fisher (Colonel, USAF Retired) on 10 March 1966 when he rescued a fellow A-1E pilot shot down over South Vietnam in the midst of enemy troops, a deed for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. The aircraft was severely damaged in combat in South Vietnam and was returned in 1967 for preservation by the then-US Air Force Museum. It is the only surviving US Air Force Medal of Honor Aircraft.
• 52-247 – Hill Aerospace Museum at Hill AFB in Roy, Utah. It is an A-1E that was apparently remanufactured from various components taken from several other A-1s (both Air Force and Navy versions) in South Vietnam.

AD-5N (A-1G)

• 132534 – Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
• 52-598 (former bureau number 132598) – Hurlburt Field Memorial Air Park, Hurlburt Field, Florida (USA).

AD-5W (EA-1E)

• 132443 – Historic Aviation Memorial Museum, Tyler Pounds Field (East Side) in Tyler, Texas.
• 132789 – March Field Air Museum, March AFB (former) in Riverside, California.

AD-5Q (EA-1F)

• 132532 – National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola, Florida.
• 135018 – Pima Air and Space Museum adjacent to Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona. The aircraft is painted in the markings of VAW-33 as embarked with Carrier Air Wing 6 (CVW-6) aboard the aircraft carrier USS America (CV-66) in 1967.

AD-6 (A-1H)

• 135300 – National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola, Florida. This aircraft is painted in the markings of Attack Squadron 25 (VA-25).
• 137602 – on a pylon near the near base headquarters and the base chapel at NAS Lemoore, California. This aircraft is also painted in the same markings as the NAS Pensacola museum aircraft, i.e., Attack Squadron 25 (VA-25) and a “false” BuNo of 135300.

Under restoration or in storage

AD-4W

• 126867 – in storage at the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon.

AD-6 (A-1H)

• 134600 – for display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.
• 135332 – in storage at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C..

Vietnam

On display

A-1E

• 132436 – Viet Nam Military History Museum in Ha Noi.

A-1H

• 134636 – Viet Nam Military History Museum in Ha Noi.
• 139674 – War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City.
• 139723 – Vietnam Air Force Museum, Hanoi / Bac Mai Airport in Ha Noi.