Douglas A-1 Skyraider Starup And Big Backfire

via subbass32/YouTube
A Little Late To The War But Still A Fantastic Plane
The Skyraider was an American single-seat attack aircraft with a 40 year career in the Navy. Nicknamed ‘Spad’ after a French World War I fighter, over 3,000 A-1 Skyraiders were built at the dawn of the jet age. They were introduced in 1946, slightly over a year after World War II ended, andย served in Korea, Vietnam and a few other conflicts during the 60s and 70s.
Here are some key performance specs of the A-1 Skyraider:
- They had a cruising speed of 198 mph and a maximum speed of 322 mph
- Their range was 1,316 miles and a service ceiling of 28,800 ft.
- It was armed with 4 20mm M2 cannon
- It could carry up to 8,000 lbs of bombs, torpedoes and rockets
There are just about 20 airworthy A-1 Skyraiders around the world, with many others on display in museums, storage or restoration. Though not as well known as other comparable planes, the Skyraider was featured in aย few Vietnam-era films such as the Green Berets, Flight of the Intruder and Were Were Soldiers.