Skyraiders ...

[Ken]

Here's a familiar (fat) face ... name that tune.

Oh, and she had the castle canopy as well ...

[Snake45]

135152 (c/n 10229) reported 1975 stored at NAS Memphis, TN. Later on civilian registry as N37AM, later as N65164. Airworthy with Cavanaugh Flight Museum, Addison, Texas.

Cool!

[Ken]

They don't all have to be USAF ...

[Ken]

Snake, here's another view of your "favorite" G-model.

[Ken]

Any chance the MAP antenna was of the style from the AD-4 (modified with a pedestal for the VNAF) and the MAP airplanes got the early model radios & antennas?

First pic via airliners.net, second pic source unknown.

[Snake45]

Snake, here's another view of your "favorite" G-model.

I'm getting quite a few photos of that airplane. Just yesterday I got Mikesh's Flying Dragons book that has a photo of the other side of it, for a change.

It's ususual because it has the USAF-style black exhaust panels on the side. I've only found one pic of one other VNAF A-1E with that. My theory is that the USAF outfit painted that on there during the time they "borrowed" that airplane so it would better fit in with theirs, but who knows, maybe someone in VNAF thought it looked sharp and painted it on too.

[Snake45]

Any chance the MAP antenna was of the style from the AD-4 (modified with a pedestal for the VNAF) and the MAP airplanes got the early model radios & antennas?

I've pretty much come to the conclusion that the VNAF/MAP antenna is the older USN antenna, which someone told me is called AT145. Until I learn different, that's what I'm going on. Makes perfect sense--the USN prolly had a warehouse full of the things.

As to what radios they were hooked to--well, I've got pics of USAF flying that antenna on the "borrowed" A-1E/Gs, and of course we've got pics of VNAF (much later on) operating ex-USAF A-1s still carrying their USAF-spec Collins antenna. So EITHER both USAF and VNAF A-1s had the same radios, which were served equally well by both kinds of antenna, OR if they had two kinds of radios and swapped them, both radios worked with both kinds of antenna. Maybe Hook can shed some light on that.

Now as to the smaller mast or "spike" antenna, right behind the canopy, as seen on almost all USN A-1H/Js, all USAF H/Js I've noticed, and the vast majority of VNAF H/Js: This served the AN/ARC-27 radio. Where is that antenna on Es/Gs? It's built into the tip of the fin--you can see the "radome tan" panel on most pics of USAF gray A-1Es. Most VNAF H/Js had both the short and tall "spikes," but so far I've seen three or four of them that had only the taller spike, located behind the canopy where the short one normally is, and no short one. I have no idea what's going on with that arrangement.

[Snake45]

So many VNAF airplanes were done this way that it was surely intentional. I'll wait for more expert opinions, but my theory is that it was an easy recognition feature when airborne since two air forces were operating otherwise identical airplanes in the same combat theatre.

Ken

I just noticed that this A-1 has a gray canopy frame. Unusual and interesting!

Not sure that "in the time of camo" USAF and VNAF were operating Skyraiders in the same airspace all that much. Wasn't VNAF flying support in-country, while USAF was flying them over Laos and "up north" on RESCAP and such? Notice that it's very rare to see VNAF Skyraiders with drop tanks.

[Ken]

There was a constant presence of USAF A-1's at Pleiku and Da Nang throughout the camo years. My theory was just a theory, but the coloring of the cowls was no doubt intentional.

The grey canopy was likely a new part off the shelf still as delivered to the USN. There's an example of this on a USAF bird but would have to find the pic ...

Ken

[Snake45]

The grey canopy was likely a new part off the shelf still as delivered to the USN. There's an example of this on a USAF bird but would have to find the pic ...

Ken

Oh, no doubt. I've got lots of pics of overall gray Skyraiders--both USAF and VNAF--that appear to have white outer wing pylons, obviously USN replacement units.

Heck, I've even got a couple pics where it looks like a gray Skyraider has a Glossy Sea Blue pylon or two on it.

The late great Dave Menard told me that they once unpacked a replacement flap or aileron (I forget which) that was in Glossy Sea Blue. They bolted it on and flew, until they could get around to repainting it to match the rest of the airplane.

[Snake45]

Here's one for the "I seen it in a book, so it must be true" files. A little in-joke for Skyraider people; I actually LOLed when I read it. I don't want to embarrass the author (who is a nice guy) by giving credit.

[tom d. friedman]

i'm not drunk or crazy, but i'd bet anything that the versatile old ass hauling / ass kicking spad, if put back into service today w/ updated electronics & controls would definitely still do the job of ground support as well as the a-10 warthog, & could be done on the cheap for the usaf /pentagon bean counters for what 1 a-10 costs. they both fly w/ about the same ordinance less the a-10's 30 mm cannon, & at near the same top speed. boy would that be a hoot!!

[Snake45]

i'm not drunk or crazy, but i'd bet anything that the versatile old ass hauling / ass kicking spad, if put back into service today w/ updated electronics & controls would definitely still do the job of ground support as well as the a-10 warthog, & could be done on the cheap for the usaf /pentagon bean counters for what 1 a-10 costs. they both fly w/ about the same ordinance less the a-10's 30 mm cannon, & at near the same top speed. boy would that be a hoot!!

Well, one big strike against it today is that it would require stocking another kind of fuel (gasoline) at every base from which it would operate. Isn't the modern USAF all-jet (turboprop) now? I could be wrong.

Now, what about a turboprop Skyraider, as someone here built a what-if model of several pages back?

[mike furline]

Now, what about a turboprop Skyraider, as someone here built a what-if model of several pages back?

Like this one? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A2D_Skyshark

[Snake45]

Speaking of light-colored cowling panels, here's a real interesting one. Not just front and rear in light, but the whole thing. and the cowl ring appears to be in overall 1/36473 or 36373, while the center panel and flaps seem to be in USN Gull Gray/White (36440).