The Douglas A-1 Skyraider: The Best Attack Plane Ever Made

The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was not only an integral aircraft used, but it was also a deadly weapon capable of eviscerating the enemy into nothing more than a grease spot – making it one of the best attack planes of all time.

The A-1 (formerly known as the AD Skyraider) is a single-seat attack aircraft that saw service from 1946 until the 1980s. The piston-engined, American-designed plane’s ability to carry large amounts of weapons over a long period of time made it especially powerful. It provided close air support to ground forces, escorted helicopters during rescue missions, and attacked enemy supply lines.

With a maximum speed of 322 miles per hour, a range of 1,316 miles, and an armament complete with an array of bombs, rockets, cannons, and guns the A-1 was extremely successful at navigating guerrilla . However, it was ultimately phased out in favor of more advanced jet aircraft.

Development of the Skyraider

The Douglas Skyraider was first developed to meet the needs of the US Navy – which had realized that carrier air wings needed to change due to new weapons advancements. Designed by Ed Heinemann from the Douglas Aircraft Company, the first A-1 prototype, XBT2D-1, was ordered in July 1944.

The Douglas XBT2D-1 Skyraider prototype, circa 1946. (Photo Credit: NASA / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

By December 1946, the XBT2D-1 was re-designated the AD-1 and put into production. The Skyraider, also affectionately called “the Spad” after the French biplane, combined the stamina of larger planes with the maneuverability of smaller aircraft.

Equipped with fifteen hardpoints, it could carry a large amount of ordnance over a longer period of time, while still easily maneuverable at low speeds. Unlike faster fighter planes like Vought F4U Corsair, the A-1 was well suited to ground attacks.

A U. S. Air Force Douglas A-1E Skyraider armed with six LAU-3 rocket launchers . (Photo Credit: Pictures From History / Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Before production ended in 1957, Douglas manufactured a total of 3,180 Skyraiders in 28 variations for a variety of situations like carrier-based aircraft, attack bombing, reconnaissance, airborne early warnings, and search missions.

The first Skyraiders arrived at the Korean Peninsula in 1950, and by 1955 29 Skyraider squadrons were serving the U.S. Navy in Korea. In 1962, the aircraft was re-designated A-1D/A-1J. The A-1 became a valuable asset to the United States, its impressive weapons load and flying time which surpassed most other jets at the time – a whopping 10 hours of flight at a time.

A U.S. Navy Douglas AD-4 Skyraider of attack squadron VA-195 Dambusters taking off the aircraft carrier USS Princeton (CV-37), circa 1952. (Photo Credit: U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

View of a Douglas A-1E Skyraider attack plane as it escorts a Sikorsky CH-3C rescue helicopter, Vietnam, 1966. (Photo Credit: PhotoQuest / Getty Images)

The most famous squadron of Skyraiders, under the call sign “Sandy,” supported search and rescue missions by air. The A-1’s ability to fly low and slow was perfect for locating missing persons over a longer period of time without needing to refuel, unlike other jet planes at the time.

The immense firepower of the Skyraider was also a key asset . According to Boeing, the A-1 was the only aircraft of its time capable of delivering 8,000 pounds of bombs with impressive precision over difficult targets like dams and bridges.

By 1960, the United States began to transfer over some of its A-1 Skyraiders to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF). By 1968, the RVNAF had received over 150 Skyraiders. Potential Vietnamese pilots were sent to NAS Corpus Christi in Texas to receive flight training on the Skyraider, which was a primary aircraft .

Douglas A-1 Skyraider (AD-4NA) in flight, owned by the Heritage Flight Museum. (Photo Credit: Clemens Vasters / Flickr / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0)

Is the Skyraider still the best?

The United Kingdom, France, and Sweden have also acquired Douglas A-1 Skyraiders. The United Kingdom retired the aircraft in 1962, while it remained in limited French and Swedish service until the 1970s.

Even though the lifespan of the Douglas A-1 Skyraider was relatively short-lived, it is still remembered as one of the best aircraft ever made. Former U.S. Marine Corps Captain William C. Smith told HistoryNet he wasn’t impressed when he first laid eyes on the AD Skyraider. “After flying Corsairs, I thought it looked like a great big airplane with a little bitty engine,” he said.