Douglas XBT2D-1 Dauntless II (AD-1 Skyraider)

Douglas XBT2D-1 Dauntless II (AD-1 Skyraider). . , The Skyraider is a single-seat, carrier-born attack bomber designed but not flow during World War II (1939-1945). It applied the operational lessons learned from the wartime service of Curtiss Helldivers and Grumman Avengers. The Skyraider served in the Korean War (1950-1953) and in the Vietnam War (1955-1975)., The Skyraider served at a time when jet-powered aircraft were taking over the attack duties. The piston-engined Skyraider seemed like a throwback to an earlier age of military aviation. It earned the nickname "Spad," after the rugged French airplane from World War I (1914-1918)., Power was provided by the Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone radial engine, one of the most powerful radial engines produced in the United States at that time. It had 18 cylinders in a twin-row configuration and was supercharged for improved performance., The Skyraider was not designed to be a dogfighter, so air-to-air combat was rare. However, on October 9, 1966, in the most famous mission involving an Intrepid Skyraider, Lt. (j.g.) William T. (Tom) Patton shot down a MiG-17 over Vietnam. This victory was an unusual instance where a propeller-driven airplane prevailed over a jet-powered fighter., Eventually 3,180 Skyraiders in several configurations were built. They served in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force, and with 10 other nations., The XBT2D-1 Dauntless II (AD-1 Skyraider) is one of the first 25 operational prototypes built.,

Length: 38 feet 10 inches (11.8 m) , Wingspan: 50 feet (15.2 m) , Height: 15 feet 8 inches (4.7 m) , Empty Weight: 11,968 pounds (5,429 kg) , Max Weight: 25,000 pounds (11,340 kg) , Top Speed: 322 miles per hour (518 kph , Crew: One , Ceiling: 28,500 feet (8,686 m) , Armament: Varies between models but typically is up to four 20mm cannons and up to 8,000 pounds (3,628 kg) of ordnance on 15 external hardpoints, including bombs, torpedoes, mine dispensers, unguided rockets and gun pods

, [Captions:] , Skyraiders of attack squadron VA-176 taxi forward and prepare to be catapulted off Intrepid for another mission over Vietnam., Deck personnel on Intrepid load a variety of bombs on a Skyraider during the ship's deployment to Vietnam in 1966.