Douglas A-1 Skyraider
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider (formerly designated AD before the 1962 unification of Navy and Air Force designations) is an American single-seat attack aircraft in service from 1946 to the early 1980s, which served during the Korean War and Vietnam War. The Skyraider had an unusually long career, remaining in front-line service well into the Jet Age (when most piston-engine attack or fighter aircraft were replaced by jet aircraft); thus becoming known by some as an "anachronism". The aircraft was nicknamed "Spad", after the French World War I fighter.
| A-1 (AD) Skyraider | |
|---|---|
| Role | Attack aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| First flight | 18 March 1945 |
| Introduction | 1946 |
| Retired | 1973 (US use) 1985 (Gabonese Air Force) |
| Primary users | United States Navy United States Air Force Royal Navy South Vietnam Air Force |
| Produced | 1945–1957 |
| Number built | 3,180 |
| Developed into | Douglas A2D Skyshark |
It was operated by the United States Navy (USN), the United States Marine Corps (USMC), and the United States Air Force (USAF), and also saw service with the British Royal Navy, the French Air Force, the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF), and others. It remained in U.S. service until the early 1970s.