Part 2 DOUGLAS SKYRAIDER: The MASSIVE Single-Engine Heavy Recip

In this PART 2: We cover the Skyraider's service in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, and conclude with 2003 and 2019 airshow performances of restored Skyraiders representing that period. Please enjoy and thanks for watching!
In PART 1 (Separate Video): We summarized the development and early service of the Douglas Skyraider through the 1950's into the early 1960's, culminating with a 2016 airshow performance of a restored AD-5 / A-1E
Please contact me, John A.Reed, with any useful information or simply if you want to discuss vintage aviation topics at: [e-mail]

[@ChasOnErie]

The Douglas … a true legend of work horse of the sky’s!!

[@AeroDinosaur]

Agreed! J.A. Reed

[@hangie65]

Excellent documentary series on the A-1. The A-1 is such an underrated aircraft. Thanks for giving it the credit it deserves.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for watching glad you enjoyed! We appreciate your kind words.

[@KennethPittman-yx6uc]

worked on "Sick O' Sick" 1970 Plieku AFB Plieku, RVN , Always breaking down but dropped a lot of ordinance on the NVA!

[@KennethPittman-yx6uc]

sorry "1969" -Senior Moment ?

[@michaelland9667]

I served at NKP from Oct. '68-Nov. '69 as an Air Traffic Controller working both Tower and GC tA. With 4 squadrons A-1 s , it was always a remarkable event to watch those guys rotate loaded with everything you could imagine . We were probably the closet 'friendly" base coming back across the fence . SARs were a major focus . Although we were a base of 'slow-movers' , many jets found NKP returning with battle damage, etc. the quickest way to get back to safety.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Michael--I greatly value hearing from you guys that "were there" and were part of it. Thanks for checking us out and sharing your front-line experiences at NKP, and thanks for your service! That was a real fraternity out there and a pretty tough one to be part of. Feel free to contact us anytime.

[@yankeeairpirate1799]

Small world Michael.....I was at NKP 68-69 also as Nail13 in the O-2.....no doubt You worked me going or coming.....GCA if needed...only my mothers prayers kept me alive...thanks for you service.

[@peterroberts505]

My Uncle was a Skyraider pilot off the USS Ranger during Vietnam. He was the most awesome man I ever met. He made a real impression on me. A true American hero! I will see him again in heaven.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Your Uncle's character doesn't surprise me for a carrier Skyraider pilot in Vietnam. Thanks for sharing and for watching too! I know he'll be there for you in heaven!

[@chrishopewynne2845]

Dreadful music

[@CS_247]

There are things more important...

[@topturretgunner]

Thank you John A Reed. Former Vietnam era US Navy. Aviation Ordinanceman. The old joke about those Skyraiders was that if that R 3350 W26 Wright Cyclone wasn’t blowing oil all over the place something was wrong with it! She sure was a good airplane and one heck of a bomb truck.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for watching and thanks for your service. My cousin Terry was a USAF ordinanceman at Bien Hoa 1969-1970. Had a few stories about the Skyraider.

[@superdog1964]

Thank you so very, very much for this video. In my family we have pilots that flew in WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Kosovo and Iraq. Thank God they all came home with one exception, my 1st cousin. He was lost in action in Vietnam while flying a mission and I am fairly certain it was in a Skyraider? He would always tell everyone his plane was a "flying dump truck" at the family reunions and this plane fits that description. Thank you again!

[@AeroDinosaur]

I think he was referring to the Skyraider--"Flying Dump Truck" was one of the nicknames. This is sometimes confused with the C-130 transport called the "Flying Garbage Truck". All my best and fullest gratitude to your military aviator family. Thanks for watching!

[@teller1290]

Thank y'all

[@gotchagoing8843]

I flew two tours in Vietnam. US Army, Air Cavalry. I seen a lot of different aircraft while out flying missions, and this includes the venerable 'flying dumptruck', Ad's, sandies, and spads. All were the Skyraiders in different models/configurations. I even seen a B 57 Canberra,(USAF markings), doing very close air support on my first tour in the central highlands. But we mostly just referred to them a "AD's". When they came on site, we would give them plenty of room to do their thing. Then I would go in and do a bda, then if needed, mark with a smoke grenade where to drop next, then boogy up and away so he could have some fun. And when we needed the added fire support, the AD's were pretty much a radio call away. We also worked with all of the branch's fast movers, again, when needed, and who was closer to our AO.

[@grouchydropbear3981]

I was at NKP from May '68 to May '69. I was in RED HORSE (556th CES). We built the first asphalt that the USAF ever built for itself, by itself! It was an experience I would trade for anything. That A1-E with the BLU-76 was also known as the "Pave Pat".

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for watching and for the info on the BLU-76--and thanks for your service too! I guess by now that asphalt has long deteriorated.

[@JuanSanchez-zg7ti]

i worked on that acft in 1969 at pleiku with the 6 sos. my friend guzman was the crew chief. i was an a-1 mechanic with the ar team. happy to see it flying again.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Juan thanks for reaching out and for your Pleiku memories. Glad you like our flying Skyraider sequences, we like to hear from those who "were there" like you!

[@roger4375]

I was at Pleiku and was a bomb loader for the Sky Raider, then we moved to Nakhon Phanom. Shortly after being transferred, I went TDY to DaNang Vietnam and was assigned to the 6th SOS OLAA (Operations Location Alpha Alpha). There wasn’t anything this old war bird couldn’t carry, from Hard Bombs to Cluster bombs, Mini gun pods and yes, Napalm. One pilot stands out in my memory: Major Ditar.... one hell of a pilot.

[@doughudgens9275]

@@roger4375 it’s DeTar, and Dean got an Air Force Cross flying Sandy lead when they successfully extracted Wolf 06A from Laos on the Ho Chi Min trail.

[@nunyabidniz2868]

@@roger4375 You forgot to mention that it's the only single-engine piston prop to be rated for nuclear deliveries [via a special flight profile & ordnance.]

[@geoffreykaye3614]

@@roger4375 7

[@garymckee448]

It's amazing how much ordnance those aircraft could carry.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Hard to believe, more than a B-17! Thanks for checking us out.

[@robh4671]

I was surprised to learn recently the the A1 Skyraider was powered by the same engine as the B29 super fortress..

[@AeroDinosaur]

Yes, correct. The Skyraider had a redesigned variant of the R-3350 that forms the basis of the engines used in that plane plus other postwar transports and patrol aircraft.

[@bradabbott4892]

We worked with A1E type out of Saigon, very cool aircraft we had usaf and vnaf planes . We had a bunch of old aircraft still in service ac 47s ac 119s rb 57s

[@AeroDinosaur]

Glad to hear about your real-life experiences. None of those are in service now! Thanks!

[@cgrant26]

I got to see Mike's A-1H a couple weeks ago in Duluth, MN. Beautiful bird. Pictures never do justice to the sheer size of these planes.

[@tedjohnson9329]

I gave up on this video. He talked about every aircraft BUT the Skyraider. I have a special affinity for this plane and for the A-20. My dad worked at Douglas during the war and specifically helped build those two planes. I remember them being flight tested in early mornings just after the fog lifted. Yup, I'm that old.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Just trying to provide some context--my shortfall is that I like all airplanes and I guess I sometimes get out of control. Thanks for watching and sharing your experiences with the A-20. Really, hardly anybody anymore has firsthand experience like that with the A-20!

[@tomobrien6983]

Hey Ted, did you ever served?

[@toomanyuserids]

A little bit more on the A-26/B-26 Invader and their later conversions would be worthwhile. USAF experience flying Sandy missions with the single-engine A-1 and later the A-7D, not to mention the sheer number of F-105s falling out of the sky, contributed to the "two engines well apart" bit of the A-10.

[@geodot595]

my cousin the late Ted Bronsan flew one of these from texas to buffalo ny for "lunch" , he had the clearance. he was a top gun, in this plane and jets he flew over 1000 missions mainly from the big E. RIP Ted, 2021.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for checking ups out and sharing about your late cousin! Sorry he recently passed.

[@williamkeith8944]

Current low intensity conflicts could still be well served by piston aircraft. It doesn't take too much a stretch of imagination to visualize a Skyraider loitering over firefights in Afghanistan bringing destruction to the enemy.

[@billvoorvaart7206]

i agree still leathal

[@MrRugbylane]

The current peer-to-peer conflict would be a very interesting environment for a Skyraider. Not only ground attack but also as a helicopter killet

[@honey8784]

The music is unnecessary. It interferes with the narration. Great aircraft,,.

[@AeroDinosaur]

So noted, several complaints, no music behind narration going forward.

[@donaldplagge9675]

I was a recip, mechanic trained on A-1s at Hurlburt before a Nov. '69 change of station to Udorn RTAFB. The last A-1s at Udorn had moved to NKP six months earlier, so I was assigned to the 432 ARR Halfmoon RC-47s (radio relay) at Udorn. They flew the trail at night, 2 missions, one after the other, and talked to friendly "road watch" Laos (Hmong usually) on the ground, sometimes US special forces. The radios from our planes were placed on Alley Cat and Moonbeam 130s about September '69, and our 3 Halfmoon aircraft were given to the Thai military. We had a low standing for parts because of the AC-47s, so one of my Udorn jobs, assigned by my E-8 supervisor, was to borrow as many parts from the crippled A-1s that made emergency landings at Udorn during my stay. It usually took 2 or 3 days for a NKP crew to come and pull the engine from the wreck, and sling the airframe and engine back to NKP under a sky crane. The A-1s starter was twice the size of a 47s starter, but our supply just checked the paperwork, and we always had rebuilt parts on hand!

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for sharing your interesting recollections in SEA. You are the prime audience we want to reach--those who were there (unlike me). We benefit such valuable information we get and we build a giant database that we may draw on later--with permission from and credit to those who share like you. Thank you for serving, especially in such disgustingly ungrateful times back then. Glad you found us.

[@Daniel_Callie]

Great information but fellow I gotta tell you the relentless droning of facts without so much as a breath or break or chance to appreciate the context is exhausting! Consider please a better method of presentation.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for watching and your constructive input. Will tone it down in the future!

[@michaelbandeko3519]

My favorite recip aircraft. These were being sent to Davis-Monthan when I joined the Navy. Another one of Ed Heinemans great designs.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for watching! One of my favorites too, Heineman was a genius!

[@michaelmartinez1345]

What a great video!!! That authentic Skyraider that was in action in Vietnam was a real joy to see it flying again... It is so sad to hear about the owner/pilot of this plane, dieing in another aircraft, coming in for a landing... Hopefully, this plane will remind everybody of the people who paid the ultimate sacrifice in combat, and of Dr. Schloss , Who was instrumental in bringing this amazing part of history back to life...

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for the nice complement. Did not know that the owner/pilot since died--shocking and very sad.

[@ozarksbackroads5484]

You can switch your audio time line in your video editor from stereo to mono and have audio on both channels... :)

[@jjojo2004]

I was wondering if there was something wrong with MY audio! 🤣🤣🤣

[@chrissinclair4442]

Yeah, now how do I switch android or YT to mono instead of stereo.

[@ozarksbackroads5484]

@@chrissinclair4442 On your audio time line or track in what ever video editor software you are using look to see if there is an option for stereo/mono. Switching to mono will bridge both left and right channels together giving you audio on both channels. :)

[@n228sk]

Thanks so much for these two impressive videos on the Skyraider. Outfits like AeroDinosaur keep my aviation juices flowing!

[@AeroDinosaur]

Glad to help, thanks a million for watching and your interest!

[@joelong599]

Thanks for covering the Skyraider.

[@AeroDinosaur]

You bet and thanks for watching and reaching out!

[@joehinojosa24]

Flying Sopwith Camels in the Jet Age

[@davef.2811]

Great research and presentation. Thanks, John.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thank you Sir! Glad you enjoyed.

[@wildcolonialman]

Fabulous effort, fabulous men, harrowing history.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Agreed! J.A. Reed

[@teller1290]

Amazing how small the 20mm guns look compared to overall plane size depicted at 3:52!

[@AeroDinosaur]

Agreed, they almost look like 22's sticking out of there.

[@gijsbert.de.slagmulder]

Sandy is a beautiful plane

[@alexkupkovic7695]

Good ground attack aircraft

[@jeanbailliez6199]

The best plane i flew,at least my favorite.i am probably the last to have fire live ordnances in combat mission,as the other pilot of the pair die 2 years ago,Chad 1979

[@AeroDinosaur]

Jean thanks for reaching out--glad to hear from French Skyraider veterans! Makes it all worthwhile. I remember the 1979 war in Chad with Libya. Sorry to hear about the passing of your wing man.

[@teller1290]

In support of Legion Etrangere in Chad? Love the FFL.

[@ozzy7763]

Would be perfect air support for ground troops in Afghanistan today !

[@jurgenblick5491]

That beautiful bird was engineering to the finest

[@AeroDinosaur]

That cannot be argued! Thanks!

[@danilorainone406]

um from the navy purchasing dep,,. we;ll take a thousand,, can ya mount 2 300 rds/min 30cals on the wings? and a saw in the hub? 2 500 LB bomb racks too,

[@tommynikon2283]

My dad/USAF was stationed at NKP ("Naked Fanny") in the late 60's; flew A1-E's w/ the SOS; Sandy, close air support, rescues, etc. High loss rate in squadron; they got shot up pretty good. Dad volunteered, couldn't get a (jet) fighter, but was psyched to be flying a piston again. He LOVED the A1..."the original A-10 Hog"!

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for the background on your dad. They loved flying them even though the mortality was not very good and a lot of sad endings to deal with. Also, thanks for watching!

[@garyechols9458]

C130, that was a Marine KC130J from VMGR252 tail code QB, air refuel squadron.

[@rotorheadv8]

I wonder what the Germans would have made of this in 1944?

[@leefithian3704]

Well , the ground folk certainly would not like it , lol , the A26 was insane too ,

[@bruceinoz8002]

Post the fall of SVN, the "new management" looked at integrating a lot of resources into their own forces. It worked for a lot of gear, but the Skyraiders, though highly appreciated for their capability, did not feature prominently. Apparently, from conversations with ex PAVN aviation types, they "bent a lot during flight training, losing instructors and trainees alike. The story goes that most of this happened on take-off and the problem eventually turned out to teh failure to correctly compensate for engine torque at "rotation. Wings would suddenly clip the ground, sending the aircraft and pilot cart-wheeling down the strip. NOT a good look. They had a LOT more success with the cute little Cessna "Tweets" and these were kept i operation until spares ran out. As an aside, what was the story with the Douglas "Skyshark", a turbo-prop Skyraider with a long nose and a contra-rotating prop with a huge, streamlined spinner

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thank you sir for the interesting info!

[@ezrabrooks12]

Good Video/Info !!!!!......BEAUTIFUL PLANE!!!!!!

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thank you very much and thanks for checking us out! J A Reed

[@philkelly8031]

What an Aircraft

[@NBZW]

One hellava fine old bird for its day.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Yes it was! Thank you very much for watching.

[@glennmurray.]

Magnificent plane.Lots of fire power⚜⚔

[@AeroDinosaur]

Yep--thanks for watching. A great machine.

[@michaelland9667]

And , I am still in contact with one of my hootch mates ,and a couple of other controllers from there. I also volunteer at Cavanaugh Flight Museum - Addison Airport .We have several air-worthy vintage aircraft. A little over 2 years ago, I treated myself to a ride in the A1 -E. What a great experince. A Harley on steroids, as one of the Sandy pilot put it.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Glad you guys staying in touch over 50 years later. In my bucket list is a ride in a Skyraider if the opportunity arises. I did catch a ride on the CAF B-29 Fifi about 6 years ago in the navigator seat, but a run in an A1-E would be tops!

[@jamesc9674]

I really enjoyed visiting the Cavanaugh in late 2019. The Skyraider was my favorite. It's much larger in person than I imagined. Great museum!

[@donaldclark8692]

Restored one,That 3350 is held on by a Aluminum motor mount.

[@diecastdungeon8970]

Thank you John for an extremely interesting video on the A-1 .... Also really appreciate that TWA B-707-331 on the shelf behind you.

[@jafo766]

Heard a few battlefield commander's say the A-1 is what they wanted inbound , not fast movers.

[@taketimeout2share]

My goodness. Even 2003 seems like a long time ago. Someone needs to tie old father Time's shoelaces together. As always, without exception, your uploads are soaked with authenticity and character. I spend so much of the short time left to me watching your creations.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Wow, hard to say anything nicer than that! I really do appreciate your comments--makes it all worthwhile for us! Thanks for your visits to AeroDinosaur!

[@มดดํา-ภ5ต]

เราไม่มีตัวเลือกมากสำหรับการแก้เกมอากาศยานไร้นักบินของฝ่ายรัสเซียซึ่งมีมากมายเต็มท้องฟ้าทหารฝ่ายยูเครนให้สามารถเคลื่อนทัพได้ยานพาหนะเสียหายเป็นจำนวนมาก

[@keithrosen1139]

I no this plane, I was a navy crash fireman 1964 to 1968,. Worked with A1's a lot. Bad as plane. Cary anything,

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for watching and sharing your experience!

[@williamhemsley2828]

An extraordinary service of historical précision and cinematic évocation. As an 0-3 2nd. Battn Force Recon off the Ranger, call signs and Tail designation/ data were as shockingly impactful as the day they were shot into memory 54 years ago. I had supposed we were all fully forgotten in the prop backwash of history for "inconvenient times". Wonderful sounds to again hear.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thank you!

[@chuckallen9778]

The A1 Sky raider says I'm big and I'm bad and I will take you out! The men and women who flew them had nerves of steel.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for watching--we agree with you!

[@lbh002]

My dad was a radio maintenance troop that worked on the Skyraider at NKP AB in Thailand. I say troop, but he was the NCOIC. He loved that bird.

[@daveblevins3322]

I remember seeing those in that very place 👍 I was a 462-- based at Takhli, and had to make a trip one day to salvage a box off an F-111 that had freak damage when refueling. Skyraiders were very cool 😎👍🇺🇸 I believe it was in '72. Maybe '73. I had two TDY's and they were close together.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Loved it like all of us--sorry I did not catch your comment until just now. Glad to reach all members of the Skyraider familiy.

[@tomspahr3013]

Great video on the A-1's. Check out Skyraider Stories and the story "Belly Landing at Ubon," by Jon Ewing," to see A-1H 577's last flight with the 602nd SOS and the Vietnam War December 20th, 1968. I was the crew chief for a short time before it was damaged. I met Jon Ewing in October of 2019 at the Skyraider Association Reunion at Fort Walton Beach, Florida. God Bless Tommy

[@AeroDinosaur]

Hi Tom, thanks for the compliment and for referring me to Skyraider Stories and the Jon Ewing piece. Will check it out for sure. We always like to reach people like you who were there. Thanks for your service! Another Skyraider veteran and author (and Skyraider Stories contributor) Byron Hukee, also contacted me. Thanks again! JA Reed.

[@JuanSanchez-zg7ti]

I worked on that acft. at Pleiku Vietnam with the 6th SOS. I should have mentioned that the Crew Chief then was A1C Gutierrez; not Guzman. Sorry.

[@AeroDinosaur]

No problem--you are reaching back 50 years! Thank you for your service. As I've said before, I'm glad to reach the guys that were actually there--the most personally rewarding part of my channel. J.A. Reed.

[@stevewhalen6973]

Skyraiders , prop planes at their finest. The Wright R3350 was a very versatile engine used also in DC7 4 engine commercial passenger service aircraft good for up to 3600hp in some applications.

[@JARREGULUS]

Agreed! Also used in the Constellation, Neptune, Marlin, Argus, and others! A great (sometimes troublesome) engine.

[@kennethbolton951]

I was stationed in Udorn in 1969. It was a primary recovery base for damaged aircraft and we would go out to watch them land (or crash land). We were watching one day an A1 come in with landing gear that wouldn't come down. SOP was to foam the runway, The Vietnamese pilot apparently didn't know what the white stuff was , flew by it and made a perfect belly landing just past the foam. They also sent in planes with Hung ordinance which probably wasn't smart to watch. A K-9 troop came into the barracks white as a sheet. He was guarding some parked Spookies and a plane came in with a stuck 250lb bomb that broke loose and bounced down the runway and stuck itself in the dirt about 20 ft away. No boom. He said his dog looked at him unconcerned with a whatever look on his face. Ah, ignorance is bliss. Air American had a stable of all the planes you mentioned plus Beavers and Pilatus, short takeoff for Laos and points unk.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Kenneth thanks for your recollections, we really like hearing from people who were there (unlike me). Sounds like you could write a book on it! I may be wrong but I hear that VNAF Skyraider pilots were pretty good and had a lot of heroics under their belts, surprised the guy didn't know what the foam was for even after stuck gear! J.A. Reed

[@mrivantchernegovski3869]

The invader with 8 cal 50 in the nose lol thats a wall of hot lead

[@adriaanboogaard8571]

The Best $ 300 I ever spent was a half hour Joy ride in the Co pilot seat at a local Aitshow in a four seater . I was offered stick time and took lots of pictures. My Uncle John worked on them from a Aircraft Carrier in the 1960's. The Owner took us on a mole steighfing dive on a Barn yard . I figured the Chickens stopped laying and or fell dead of the perch 😁

[@AeroDinosaur]

Sounds like a great experience that I was never able to have (yet)! Thanks for watching and sharing your interesting time with the Skyraider.

[@ronjon7942]

I thought this was a great overview of the disparate aircraft types that ate their lunch with the A-1; the brief descriptions of the functionality of each craft really helps with building a mind map of the Spad and its many friends. It helps when the author makes the time to construct a little mental ecosystem to see how all the pieces and functionality interrelate. Describing a particular topic as a standalone entity has its place, but a documentary that can tie discrete elements together in order to give context is much richer.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thank you very much for your compliments! Glad you liked and appreciated it. I have always admired the bravery of truck busters at NKP, regardless of what they flew, and they were all ONE team. J.A. Reed.

[@tomfolkes4997]

Your content and editing are fine, but I would suggest getting rid of the music. It isn't needed and only distracts from your narration. Also, listening on my computer headphones, I was getting narration on the left side, and music on the other... very irksome. Thanks for the videos and keep up the good work.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for watching--we've been aware of the annoying music issue for well over a year--which impacts mainly high-end systems that some viewers have. About 7 of our 30 videos on the channel have the problem which traces back to our microphone where we found a dead channel--coupled with the background music which was mixed in too loud (it was OK on my system, but proved too loud for many viewers when played back on KZbin). We just stopped the music altogether on all subsequent uploads and fixed the microphone problem. We cannot correct and re-upload the bad videos because it screws up the analytics and we still have 94% "like" ratio. Glad you otherwise enjoyed the video and thanks for being polite about it--most are not too nice even though it's all free.

[@Mike-01234]

Can tell how massive the Skyraider is when you see the pilot in it looks so tiny. I imagine the Skyraider didn't have too much trouble with rifle fire where the Helicopters were easier targets for the B-40 rockets.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Yes, the Skyraider was a rugged monster! Small arms fire was probably a minor annoyance (in most cases that is, not always!). Thanks for checking us out!

[@shoominati23]

There's some good Skyraider footage in the film Rescue Dawn .. It's not the main focus of the film, but it's a good watch!

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for the tip, will check it out!

[@chrisloomis1489]

Thank You for producing this historic acknowledgement of the men , who flew, and the air craft types chief among them the SKYRAIDER in Vietnam War. I have seen the SKYRAIDER that is on display in HUE , Vietnam in the PALACE compound. 2016.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for your good comment. Vietnam must be an interesting place to visit these days. I remember the battle of Hue as it was covered each day in the news. I was 13.

[@assessor1276]

This looks to be a great video but it is unwatchable because the music louder than the narration. My suggestion: loose the music and turn up the sound level on your mic.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks and we agree with you. We have known about this problem for a year but cannot edit uploaded videos with this kind of problem. Music has not been used in any of our subsequent videos we have uploaded since. Sorry for the annoyance.

[@drush525]

Was initially interested in the video until you began talking and your background music was louder than you and it never stopped.

[@AeroDinosaur]

I understand, a few complaints on that--remedied in subsequent videos. Will never do that again.

[@loverhood2016]

Our UK fleet Air arm flew them too in AEW role off carriers,wonderful video,,,,,

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thank you sir--sorry I missed your comment from over 6 months ago--my bad! I do have some data on your UK fleet!

[@daveblevins3322]

Thank you for sharing this 👍🇺🇸 (former USAF Sgt at Takhli)

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thank you sir--but mostly for your service! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@mikevallee3916]

I have watched these strafing while we patrolled the hills between Dong Ha and Camp Carroll. I was a 2531 MOS Marine field radioman E-3 Lance with 12th Marine Arty. The noise they made was a hell-of-racket because they were so close. They flew in pairs and were painted camouflage. I don't recall if they were Viet or USA. I'm glad I just ran into this video. Thanks So Very Much, Mike Vallee in Montana

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for watching and sharing your interesting Skyraider experiences in the field. It is important we reach people like you who were there. I know you hear it a lot but thanks for your service!

[@mikevallee3916]

@@AeroDinosaur I was too busy with radio traffic and keeping up with Sergeant Inboden to really watch. They were very close to us, west heading an low and loud. Doc Rice remembered them too, he was wounded a week or so latter. He died of Covid last Nov 10th 2020 (coincidentally USMC birthday) at the Cincinnati VA,.

[@AeroDinosaur]

@@mikevallee3916 I guess hardly anyone in combat has time to enjoy aircraft flying overhead. Sorry to hear about your friend Doc Rice.

[@ivicamilosavljevic4706]

I enjoyed planes flying over me in Kosovo...

[@briancarbone419]

I enjoyed that Sir, great photos and info.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thank you much--glad you enjoyed and thanks for checking us out.

[@awuma]

1:40 Left hand side: that's a Bristol Britannia model. I still have one, after some 65 years.

[@AeroDinosaur]

You are correct! That is a contemporary Roden (Ukraine) 1/144 scale plastic model. Yours must be an old Frog model or something like that if it is 65 years old.

[@rickerb7196]

I was an air force a1 crew chief stationed at NKP. NKP was pronounce " naa kom phanom".

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for watching. I do have a poor habit of pronouncing the "m" as an "n" when articulating "NKP". Also, thank you for your service.

[@manuelvillamil9809]

…. Also referred to as “Naked Fanny” by those stationed there…

[@yankeeairpirate1799]

Great production John, many memories...I was at NKP 68-69 as Nail FaC, Nail13...O-2. Worked with Sandy, nimrod, misty and more

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for checking us out--glad you liked it and glad to reach servicemen like you with nerve who were real FACs. Also glad to juggle the memories--means a lot to us. Thanks for serving a then ungrateful nation--I can't possibly imagine how difficult that might have been.

[@nor0845]

They should just have converted the Thunderbolt, it was bloody big enough 😉😁

[@AeroDinosaur]

Agreed! I believe that the old Discovery series Wings rated the Jug ("Jabo"--as the nervous German infantry called it) as the #1 most effective and accomplished ground attack machine ever.

[@teller1290]

Skyraider had a considerably heavier bomb / rocket capacity and markedly more powerful engine. I'd guess there was probably armor in places that 'bolt didn't have.

[@daveblevins3322]

I remember seeing those at Udorn in Thailand.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Unlike you I was never in SE Asia, but I undersand there were A-1s in and out of Udorn back then. I hear it was a primary recovery base for damaged A-1s and other combat aircraft such as the A-26A. J.A. Reed

[@chipbaker2025]

Just about the same BS as part 1. I didn't come here for nomenclature and contemporary trash. Sandy's covered my A-- several times in Nam. I even had a flight in one in 1966. They were far superior to the wizzers for covering. My favorite aircraft, Skyraider, F4 Phantom and the C130.

[@dennisdecker3231]

Thanks for the video John. Well done. I was stationed at NKP (56 SOW) from April 1968 to May 1969 working in operational intelligence. Briefed & debriefed many air crews during my tour. And sadly, many paid the ultimate price.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Yes, I understand they had a big top secret electronic warfare room at NKP to work the ADSIDS on the trail and things like that. Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for watching, Dennis. We always like to hear from veterans who were "there"--the high casualty rates took the glamour out of it for sure.

[@dishdoggiegaming7254]

I agree Great Video Sadly I can't spend much time watching it. If I may Please ask for permission to say with deep respect. I have a issue with my Hearing so when a Video Content provider makes a video with the Talking sound tranck on only one channel right or left I myself can not get a quality amount of hearing from the given content. It would be a good approach to use bothe tracks for voice tracks in a sterio or mono but both ears enviornment. Thank You hope I was not unkind in any way. Please forgive me if I was.

[@AeroDinosaur]

No problem, sorry for the annoyance. This audio problem came to our attention last year and we fixed it with the 6 subsequent videos we produced since then, but but we cannot go back and change previous videos with this kind of problem, which impacts another 5 or so of our other previous videos.

[@dishdoggiegaming7254]

@@AeroDinosaur Thank You I see that. Please Forgive me for bringing it up. Thank You Again.

[@AeroDinosaur]

@@dishdoggiegaming7254 No problem--no "forgiveness" necessary! JAR

[@Jammer0825]

Hi my Father was an A-1E pilot in Vietnam. Won the silver star but I can’t find any information on the award and the story or circumstances regarding that award. I was hoping you could help me find out what happened? Thanks

[@AeroDinosaur]

What was your dads' first name? Do you know the timeframe he flew there, and the airbase and unit he flew with. I'd love to check around and help.

[@Jammer0825]

@@AeroDinosaur I will get the information. Do you have an email address I can send the info to?

[@AeroDinosaur]

@@Jammer0825 Hi Randy, sorry for the delayed reply--I was out of town a lot over the last few weeks with few breaks. If you get the information e-mail address is [e-mail]. Thanks again! JA Reed

[@edwardhuett7924]

Been there done that NKP Danang 69-70

[@AeroDinosaur]

One of my cherished goals is to reach you guys. I admire you greatly and thank you for your service. My cousin was USAF at Bien Hoa during the same timeframe you were there. J. A. Reed

[@raywhitehead730]

This IS the airplane the USAF should have for its light attack role not that tiny Winnie turbo prop they are going with,..

[@leefithian3704]

Would the sky raider support weight of real ordinance in folded wing position?

[@AeroDinosaur]

Good question, I'm not exactly sure. As you know the ordnance on Dr. Schloss' folded-wing A-4 was fake in order to be legal.

[@doughudgens9275]

Yes. The ordinance was loaded onboard ships, and the aircraft taxied to the catapult wings up. In the process of getting hooked up, the pilot lowered the wings.

[@leefithian3704]

@@doughudgens9275 impressive machinery

[@MyMRT1]

Very interesting.... Thank you.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thank you for your nice comment and thanks for watching! J.A. Reed

[@fernandofierro7958]

Big.....

[@michaelasher3307]

Nice Ozark F-27 Friendship on the Shell Back behind you. My Dad worked "OZ" from 1960-1986 before going with TWA after the merger. Where did you Find "Gear Down" Model? I could only find a 1/48 Scale Die Cast in "Chicago Air colors which I repainted with the Ozark Airlines Livery and I got it from Fokker Aircraft in New York back in 1985 for $100

[@AeroDinosaur]

That F-27 is a 1/200 pre-built die cast model I got years ago. Pretty small compared to 1/48. The brand name is not on the plane but I think it is either Herpa or Corgi. I have a soft spot for Ozark because I was their primary banking officer at the time they were absorbed by TWA.

[@billirvin9057]

I was stationed at NKP from Jun 72 - Sep 73, working in the communications centers. Thank you for bringing attention to NKP and those of us that served there. I used to watch those A-1s taking off on SAR missions and wondering how they got airborne because of all the ordnance they carried. I loved my 3 1/2 years in Thailand (also Udorn and Don Muang) and have the best memories of NKP.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Bill, thanks, glad to reach people who were there and thanks for sharing your memories and for serving.

[@mattosullivan9687]

I fly RC planes I bought a version of this that was flown off of the old Oriskiny carrier. I was doing set up to fly. As I was prepping to fly, an older gent rolls up on me, he was on that carrier in Korea and tells me the error on the squadron markings IT WAS EPIC COOL

[@AeroDinosaur]

I fly RC too and had a Skyraider with a 180 Saito engine in it. Great flyer, but exploded in the air due to a midair after about 50 flights. Unfortunatel,y before that, no actual squadron member found me. Thanks for watching!

[@davidwiley3440]

I was the only ADR to fire up a big ol Spad in "A" school at Millington Tenn....in the late 60's...yep it bakfired but only a small one instructor said don't worry bout fire it on up...

[@AeroDinosaur]

Yes, I remember that Millington had a Skyraider used in procedures training for recips. In the 60's and '70's they ferried Navy reservists between Millington and St. Louis each weekend. Their C-118's and P2V Neptunes flew over my St. Louis house regularly.

[@sw227x6]

I walked around the VNAF A1H at Ton Son Nhut in '66/'67. Never got to see them in action but loved to look at them. 377th Security Police Sqd., "C" shift, Delta Sector, main flight line.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Yes, the contributions of VNAF and their Skyraiders are often overlooked. They were fierce, brave fighters. Glad to reach people like you who got a taste of it and thanks for your service!

[@glennlee6274]

If Ukraine had a few hundred of these and fifty A-10's with some high air cover this would be over quick!

[@AeroDinosaur]

Agreed!

[@boblohof4579]

In 1967 I made my first (of three) West pack cruise aboard the USS Kitty Hawk CVA 63. There was a squadron aboard and I was too young to know the differences of the various models. I remember going up to vulture row to watch flight landings. Here comes a "Spad". It was a two person model and the guy in the back seat saw someone on deck. Since the cockpit canopy was slid back he waved to the guy on deck. Just out for a joy ride! The A-1s were replaced the next cruise by the A-4 Skyhawk. Fun to watch tho!

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for your service and for watching. We love to hear the experiences of those who were "there", unlike me!

[@russell8968]

The Spade or Sandy was a hell of a bird got closer air support from them several times during my 18 month tour in SEA

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for sharing your memories and for serving!

[@destroytheilluminati770]

those 1st few super fortress engines during ww2 were built by General Motors and had a very high failure rate until Chrysler took over the manufacturing duties, they had come up with a special manufacturing process just for those engines that vastly improved reliability and subsequently fewer losses of super fortresses from engine failures

[@AeroDinosaur]

Yeah, the cast heads in the B-29's Duplex Cyclone engines didn't help, especially the rear cylinders. The Skyraider's Cyclone 18's had forged heads which increased reliability drastically (but not perfectly).

[@densealloy]

27:18 is there a more beautiful makeup than the exhaust soot smeared down the fuselage on a big ol radial? Just thought of a great warbird name "Mommie Dearest"....catchy, dated and a bit of an inside joke. I may have build a model just to do that nose art !!

[@AeroDinosaur]

No, nothing more beautiful for sure. Thanks for watching and your comment!

[@rogerhuber3133]

Awesome video and information. Could you do one on the Grumman C-1a trader?

[@AeroDinosaur]

Thanks for watching and your positive comment. We would do a video the C-1a if we could get our hands on some footage!

[@huskergator9479]

An A-26 video would be very cool, too. Excellent work sir!

[@AeroDinosaur]

We have an informative /operational video on the A-26 / B26K in our inventory, check our AeroDinosaur Channel release October 2019. Thanks for watching and for your nice complement!

[@goldwinger5434]

Never before have I heard someone pronounce the "dash" in A-6 or E-2.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Yeah, just a bad habit I guess. "Dash" often articulated when the speaker is leaving out the prefix.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

I remember reading somewhere that the Air Force had A-1s had wiring for which the documentation had been lost over the years making maintenance a nightmare.

[@dunruden9720]

Not only list, but also lost!

[@johnmarlin4661]

I have over 900 hrs flying rightseat in EA1F's from Yankee Station carriers from 1966-67 with VAW-13 Dets. My squadron lost one up north shotdown in 1965 and the 4 aircrew. From my time we lost 4 AC ditching and one pilot . The SVAF shown Buno 132683 was our VR774 demils from ECM and turned over to the Vietnamese AF . Painted in Glossy paint, wrong LOL. Thanks for the video !!

[@มดดํา-ภ5ต]

ใช่เราต้องการอย่างนี้มันใหญ่แล้วก็กินน้ำมันมากไป มันสำหรับอินโดนีเซียเครื่องบินใหญ่กินน้ำมันมากบินได้ไกล

[@estellemelodimitchell8259]

The sound of the A1 engine running idling is like a Diesel engine. This aircraft is so good that even the AF wanted to fly them. Defence companies should develop a modern day A1 with advance optics as a lower cost aircraft for CAS missions.

[@AeroDinosaur]

We concur! Thanks for watching. US defense contractors have tried to sell such concepts you mention, but to no avail.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

There are plenty of small two-seater turbo-prop CAS aircraft coming into service. It's something that keeps coming around.

[@ronalddownham6470]

I was stationed at NKP Thailand 70-71.

[@AeroDinosaur]

Glad to hear from you who has been there. Hope we could bring back some memories which is one of our goals.