Skyraiders ...

[Snake45]

Speaking of Skyraider antennas, I was just looking at the Osprey USN Vietnam book and noticed in the profile illustrations that the artist put the same antenna on all the USN Skyraiders, and it seems to be somewhere in between the short AT-141 and the taller AT-145. He's got the same antennas on the single-seaters and the EA-1Fs. The USN H and Js all had short 141s* and many of the EA-1Fs had the taller 145s added.

*With exactly ONE exception I've seen so far: On page 63 of the Osprey book is a good color photo of a USN A-1H with the taller AT-145 antenna. (I have found two or three VNAF A-1Hs with that antenna, but so far never a USAF H or J.)

[Ken]

These shots are from an online ejection site. This A-1H cockpit section was supposedly recovered from a damaged aircraft. The stencil (not the original format) looks like 52-139789.

A look in Mutza's book at this tail number says: 22nd SOS, 6th SOS, engine failure SVN 10-7-70, Maj John Williams KIA when the egress system was inop and the attempted forced landing near the A Shau Valley was unsuccessful.



More photos are available via links at this page: http://www.ejectionsite.com/yankee.htm

The big question is that the photo above was taken during the 2002 SAFE Assoc Symposium. I can't seem to locate any info on who the A-1 display belongs to and if it is displayed at this time. I shot an email to SAFE, but pending their response, does anyone have any info???

Ken

[Snake45]

Good article in the latest issue of Air Classics on the oldest (only?) flying AD-2. Some great photos. It's right on the cover, you can't miss it.

[Snake45]

A friend on a gun forum (Ruger) just posted four personal photos of VNAF Skyraiders we haven't seen before. You can see them here:

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewto ... 4#p2132224

[Ken]

Thanks Snake. Haven't seen that type of shipping cocoon on a VNAF A-1 before ... always learning something new.

Ken

[Mark Allen M]

This is a series from the NMNA archives. No info to go on though. Can't make out the carrier or squadron. Ken or Snake? anything from you guys?

[Mark Allen M]

A few more from the same archives.


Six AD-6 Skyraiders of Attack Squadron (VA) 65 pictured during a New Year's Day flight over the aircraft carrier Intrepid (CVA 11) on January 1, 1960


Fully Loaded Skyraider


USS Antietam (CVA 36), AD Skyraiders and an F4U Corsair are pictured spotted for launch on June 29, 1952

[Mark Allen M]

A couple big close-ups

[Mark Allen M]

Some Raider-prangs. No information other than what I've posted. SDASM archives






Stalled 9th June 1954 Pungo AAF, VA VA-42









... and a great looking shot below from Robert Sullivan's collection.



... this shot below came from the Military Veterans Museum & Education Center archives


A Douglas A-1E / AD-5 Skyraider (BuNo. 132670 & USAF 52-132670) with 1st Air Commando Squadron 6251st Tactical Fighter Wing crashed due to pilot error in South Vietnam Jul 29, 1965. Pilot survived

[Mark Allen M]

Another nice shot form the SDASM archives Miles Blaine collection.


Douglas AD-1Q, BuNo 09359. Location unknown

[Snake45]

... this shot below came from the Military Veterans Museum & Education Center archives


A Douglas A-1E / AD-5 Skyraider (BuNo. 132670 & USAF 52-132670) with 1st Air Commando Squadron 6251st Tactical Fighter Wing crashed due to pilot error in South Vietnam Jul 29, 1965. Pilot survived

Interesting that it's wearing VNAF insignia at this late date. My sources say that 1ACS stopped carrying VNAF insignia somewhere between February and April of 1965 (my refs vary on this). I'm wondering if the caption shouldn't be either 1964, or January 29, 1965.

(I think I've seen this pic before elsewhere. Have to see if I can find it again and see what the caption says there.)

ETA: Checked my log. I have three pics of this airplane, including this very pic on p. 79 of the Mutza book, where this crash is captioned only as "1965." It's in good health in the other two pics, one of which is labeled "Bien Hoa Dec '64." The Baugher list has it bellied in at Bien Hoa on Jul 29, 1965. It's possible that it bellied in twice (lots of Skyraiders that bellied in were rebuilt to fly again), OR that Baugher has the date wrong, OR that it really is wearing the VNAF markings long after it should have. Interesting.

[Ken]

I love the picture led by A-1H 139738. I have many hours in this bird. And oh, by the way, it may be the only aircraft that was flown in both a Medal of Honor mission (Lt Col Bill Jones III on 1 Sep 1968) AND an Air Force Cross mission (Capt Ron Smith on 2 June 1972), in that order. It was about to be one of the survivors of USAF service when, on 28 September 1972, it became the last Skyraider to be lost in the Vietnam War.

From the Skyraider Association comes this color original taken by Randy Jayne. His note says, "Per the questions about #738 photos, here’s one taken with my trusty Canon FT, back when men were men and photographers used film! Please feel free to share—not sure, but I think my wingman that day, flying the Proud American, was Randy Scott."

A-1H 139738, seen here wearing the "TC" of the 1st SOS, probably in mid-1972. This will be the paint scheme when the A-1H at NMUSAF is restored. I hope they match it exactly, including the lettering that isn't straight.

[Ken]

Interesting scale model breakdown of an A-1H. Scroll down the link to see all the pix.

http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/cp-bin/blog ... php?eid=25

[Snake45]

Interesting scale model breakdown of an A-1H. Scroll down the link to see all the pix.

http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/cp-bin/blog ... php?eid=25

Remember the fellow who showed up here a few months ago looking for Skyraider details for a large-scale model he was working on? He finished it:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47751/thread/1414856495

[SIDSIKO]

Little history on the A-1E 132670.
SOC by the USN 20 May 1964, shipped out to SEA and gained by the USAF 31 May 1964.
Lost from the USAF inventory, 1 August 1965, code "TN" (Flying accident-on combat mission), which is shortly after the quoted date for the crash in the photo.