Douglas AD Skyraider
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was a rugged, heavily armed piston-engine attack aircraft that remained in frontline combat use well into the jet age, prized in Korea and especially Vietnam for its ability to loiter over a target far longer than fast jets could. Its enormous payload, comparable to a WWII heavy bomber's, let a single Skyraider carry more ordnance than several early jet fighters combined. Pilots nicknamed it 'Spad' after the WWI fighter, admiring its old-fashioned toughness against ground fire that would have downed a lighter aircraft. It flew countless close-support and search-and-rescue-escort missions protecting downed pilots deep in hostile territory.
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Did you know?
In 1944, engineer Ed Heinemann sketched the Skyraider's design in a single overnight hotel-room session after the Navy rejected its overweight predecessor.
Specifications
| Length | 11.8 m (39 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 15.3 m (50 ft) |
| Height | 4.8 m (16 ft) |
| Persons on board | 1 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 11.3 t |
| Range | 1,143 NM (2,117 km) |
| Maximum speed | 280 kt (519 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 28,500 ft (8,687 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 21,500 ft (6,553 m) |
| Rate of climb | 2,850 ft/min (14.5 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 600 m (1,969 ft) |
| Landing distance | 600 m (1,969 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 3,150 l |
| Engines | 1x Wright R-3350 (radial) |
| Units built | 3,180 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Douglas AD Skyraider starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Douglas, the AD Skyraider family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
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