The Prop Planes that Shot Down a MiG Fighter Jet - Douglas A1 Skyraider

The US Navy required a single-seat attack aircraft during World War II, but by the time that Douglas Aircraft Company delivered the A1 Skyraider it was too late.
The legendary aircraft would go on to successfully serve in the Korean War, and when it arrived in Vietnam in 1964, officers and pilots alike were hesitant about the effectiveness of the 20-year-old model.
Still, in an era in which fighter aircraft had replaced pistons for turbines and were able to fly faster than Mach 2, the Skyraider won the hearts of all the soldiers who piloted it, earning a prideful spot in the Vietnam War hall of fame.
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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.
As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.
All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.

[@kennethwelty1190]

I had one save my life during a attack on the fire base I was at he was out of ammo so he launched a rocket and speared the NVA rpg man it hit him in the chest it killed him. Later I met the pilot in Ventura Ca. we were in blue print reading class together. Later I met my wife and found out he was my next door neighbor. Who would have this happen in there life time!

[@ne1cup]

cool story

[@oldrabidus2230]

You should play the lotto.

[@starfighter1043]

@@oldrabidus2230 I think he's already WON....🥇

[@hatbpto5180]

Thanks for sharing that incredible story. Things like that do happen. And thank you for serving our country during the Vietman conflict. I have a few families members who went there, and also one who gave their life.

[@catdaddy57]

Wow....

[@kickofftheboot]

I find it ironic the top military brass were concerned the A-1 would have reliability issues because it was 2 decades old. Today we have airframes in combat that are 6 decades old.

[@r.9158]

Metallurgy, maintenance protocol, and designs are all way better now.

[@Westwoodshadowgaming]

ikr. I guess it's because at the time aviation technology advanced so quickly that within 10 years something was obsolete. but now-a-days planes aviation research has become so expensive and complex that it takes longer to make anything new. plus the newer crafts were designed to last longer. plus we're spending so much time and money on each individual plane that they don't wanna replace it.

[@Rick_Sanchez_C137_]

@@r.9158 metallurgy and maintenance were good enough in the sixties or we wouldn’t have those airframes still in use…..

[@zlpatriot11]

The Air Force want to replace the A-10 for the the more costly F-35. As the old saying goes: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

[@Nightdiver20]

@@zlpatriot11 right. But the A-10 doesn't generate any exorbitant defense contracts.

[@Benson_aka_devils_advocate_88]

The fact that it can hold the same amount of ordinance as a B-17 is insane!

[@Itsjustme-Justme]

It can hold the same amount, but it can't carry it as far.

[@hyenahallstrom7034]

Look at the F4, could carry even more

[@jacobmccandles1767]

Actually, many planes could. Even the P-38.

[@hyenahallstrom7034]

@@jacobmccandles1767 uhhh no, p-38 yes could at max carry 4k lbs. B17's was 8k lbs ,but an average mission was round to above 4k lbs.

[@Itsjustme-Justme]

To get things right: The Skyraiders total external load is 8000 lb / 3600 kg. This is the same that a B-17 can carry internally due to limited space in the bomb bay. The B-17's maximum bomb load is 17600 lb / 7800 kg when using additional external bomb racks. These was very rarely used in combat because they heavily reduced speed and range. Typical bomb load of B-17s in Europe was 6000 lb / 2700 kg in order to increase range. Typical external load of Skyraiders in combat also was not 8000 lb / 3600 kg of weapons. A variing amout was used for drop tanks, depending on range requirements. A 300 gallon drop tank weights 2000 lb / 900 kg, a 400 gallon drop tank weights 2660 lb / 1200kg filled with Avgas. There are many pictures of Skyraiders flying in combat with two 300 gallon drop tanks. In that configuration they used half of their external load for fuel. Fun fact: When a Skyraider carries all its load in form of external fuel for a ferry flight (3x 400 gallons) , its range is not limited by fuel capacity but by engine oil capacity.

[@nullterm]

“Proud American” is a Skyraider that still flies at air shows here. It is huge, more like a WW2 medium bomber with a single pilot. Love seeing it fly every year.

[@proudamerican183]

Nice.

[@kellywellington7122]

Yeah....I was surprised to find that some models were fitted to carry passengers, performing the liaison role.

[@scottmoseley5122]

Yes I saw one at flying legends air show in Duxford. Awesome 👍

[@Bagledog5000]

It's a much bigger plane than you'd expect just looking at photos. There's one up at the Hill AFB museum, it's huge for a single seat plane.

[@reckemroysrc3764]

The proud American is based in the Skagit Valley. I see it flying regularly. Definitely a beast in the air. I have videos of it flying on my channel. 👍

[@kurkruk70]

My dad was on the USS Ranger in the late 1950s. A friend of his almost got blown off the back of the carrier, where the A1s were idling, waiting for take off, warming up. His friend's job was to crawl along the flight deck and use hand holds to go along and pull the wheel chocks of the A1s, so they could move up to the catapults for launch. The wind from the props got so bad that he missed a hand hold, and caught the cat walk as he rolled off the deck. Some other flight deck guys saw him go over and helped him back up from the edge of the cat walk, he drank some coffee and then went back to work.

[@nicwilson89]

It seems like it would have been easier to have those chocks on cables to pull them free from a safe distance or something haha

[@KP-lq2ux]

A1 skyraiders saved the lives of many SOG teams and every pilot loved to fly it. paved the way for the A10 warthog and many other CAS specific aircraft

[@ne1cup]

it did indeed

[@cloakedgt]

i have a feeling they built the A10 off of the idea of the A1

[@ne1cup]

@@cloakedgt oh for sure they had an influence ...

[@philgiglio7922]

My dream aircraft

[@Westwoodshadowgaming]

I love those old school prop planes. It's just so cool because every time we think we've reached the pinnacle of what we can do with a prop we go and build something insane like an attack craft that can outbomb a heavy bomber. Absolutely brilliant.

[@billstrossman1134]

I still am curious as to what "might have been" if Ryan's XF2R-1 had been adopted as well.

[@philstaples8122]

On 8 August 1952, Lieutenant Peter "Hoagy" Carmichael, of 802 Squadron, flying Sea Fury WJ232 from HMS Ocean, was credited with shooting down a MiG-15, marking him as one of only a few pilots of a propeller-driven aircraft to shoot down a jet during the Korean War.

[@828enigma6]

It can be done. I imagine the SPAD went low and slow, it's pilot was highly skilled, and the MIG pilot was careless, cocky, or both. I recall an observation aircraft shot down a MIG with a WP rocket up the tail pipe.

[@billwesley2213]

I don’t know, Carolina, if any Ruskie is falling for a rocket in the tailpipe.

[@Rick_Sanchez_C137_]

@@828enigma6 I heard he shoved a banana in the tailpipe….

[@wastedwhips6077]

While aboard the USS Bataan in March of 1951 VMF-312 became the first piston engine attack squadron to shoot down a jet aircraft when Captain Jesse Folmar shot down a MiG-15 while in his F4U Corsair.

[@496jamesc]

Reminds me of a Chuck Yeager quote regarding his time flying fighters in world war II "The first time I saw a jet I shot it down".

[@marstondavis]

The 10 hour loiter time has to go down as one fine friend for the GI on the ground. It's total weapon load is simply amazing. While this plane is little known by the public, it's deeply loved by the men on the ground. There is no telling how many GI's were saved by the pilots of these planes. They're not pretty by any means, but work horses rarely are. They just got the damn job done.

[@Calilasseia]

I gather quite a few people have good reason to say "thank you" to the Sandy :)

[@leepalmer1210]

I disagree sir about her beauty. The A1 is graceful and svelte. And a fine Belgian or Clydesdale team is a thing of beauty.

[@Svensk7119]

I also disagree. There is an archaic artistry about it, and great utility is its own form of beauty.

[@John-mf6ky]

It's a good looking bird.

[@philgiglio7922]

It's the warbird I wish I owned

[@MartinMizner]

I like how they just strapped that thick engine to even thicker fuselage.

[@ChipmunkRapidsMadMan1869]

Thicc is sexy. Especially when you called in an airstrike.

[@lairdcummings9092]

It worked for the P-47; if it works once...

[@Justanotherconsumer]

“Fat Face” was one of the plane’s nicknames (specifically the two-seat variant).

[@ne1cup]

it was a great design it really wanted to fly

[@truck6859]

And it was effective!🇺🇸

[@Justanotherconsumer]

The thing was basically a single seat B-17.

[@RubyFox_YT]

No, thats the AU-1 Corsair

[@erictaylor5462]

It was, in fact, much better than the B-17.

[@LuciusSullaCornelius]

Nop, B-17 can't dogfight or attack ground with .50s

[@erictaylor5462]

@@LuciusSullaCornelius Realistically, the A-1 couldn't dogfight. Not against a modern jet fighter. Even a MiG-15 would have no trouble shooting it down. The only chance it would have would be to sneak up behind the modern fighter and fill it with HE rounds before the MiG pilot knew it was there. Of course the A-1 would quickly be shot down by the MiG's wingman.

[@soonerfrac4611]

Yet they did shoot down a -17, as even mentioned in this thread.

[@elliotatkinson429]

My uncle Kenneth “Tex” Atkinson was one of the original Tunnel Busters in Korea flying the Skyraider. He wrote a book about his time called From the Cockpit.

[@truck6859]

I'll have to get that for my dad.

[@dominicsanchez2972]

This is one of my favorite stories!!! The P-47 is my favorite aircraft period, but that Skyraider is a close second!

[@guyh.4553]

Personally I believe the Sky Raider is a P-47 on steroids

[@dominicsanchez2972]

@@guyh.4553 Seriously! They both could take a hell of a beating. Not the prettiest, not the fastest, but not a good day for the bad guys when either of them were around. Plus, nothing beats the sound of a radial engine... I'm talking to you Mustang fans 😂

[@jessfrankel5212]

Same here! The Jug could absorb punishment like no other (save maybe the F4F Wildcat) and still pound the hell out of the enemy. It was a flying tank, and the Skyraider could do just about as well. Superior engineering for its time.

[@dominicsanchez2972]

@@ne1cup I'm sure it did, it was designed and built a few years after the Thunderbolt. But the Thunderbolts record speaks for itself.

[@The_Dudester]

You can see actual skyraiders in action in the movie Flight of the Intruder.

[@sulufest]

Also check out the opening scene of Firefox, when Clint Eastwood’s character has a PTSD flashback to Vietnam.

[@tidycat4004]

Great movie! The flight scenes are some of the best. And the Sandy's coming in is beautiful

[@lscene3968]

AQA

[@SpearFisher85]

Love me a Skyraider! Wanna be the guy in the rear compartment. 😆

[@The_Dudester]

Alpha mikee foxtrot.

[@thomasb1889]

We have a plane with the A1's abilities in spades called the A-10 Warthog. Tough as nails, doesn't fly fast, and has a long linger time and the ground troops are always happy when one is supporting them. I met an air force veteran of Vietnam that told a story, they are always at least humorous for some reason, that told about an NVA colonel that walked up to the gate of their base mumbling in a dialect that no one there under stood. Once someone that could understand him showed up it seems he was repeating over and over "I was with them in basic training and told them to never shoot at helicopters or old airplanes. I was with them in advanced training and told them to never shoot at helicopters or old airplanes. I was with them on the way south and told them do not shoot at helicopters or old airplanes. We were in the south and they shot at the old airplane." I don't know if it was Puff or the Skyraider but either way hell rained down.

[@RuralTowner]

Perhaps the colonel was a student of Yamamoto's advice against attacking the US at Pearl. In neither case were the words heeded. The end result was the same.

[@user-dd8vo7or2d]

The A-10 only thrive against insurgents.

[@thomasb1889]

@@user-dd8vo7or2d She has a good defensive suit and the front lines are not where they AA that they really have to worry about is going to be.

[@JohnDoe-xz9uo]

@@user-dd8vo7or2d It's almost like that's exactly what the A1 was too, literally the whole point of this video and multiple statements made within the video were based on it being surrounded by better and faster tech. However, the A10 is probably still too expensive for that role something made to replace it would preform the same duties. Used in low risk areas where they can provide constant support while taking minor ground fire.

[@truck6859]

That's an awesome story.

[@mytmousemalibu]

The Skyraider is one of my favorite aircraft! I had the pleasure of seeing "Sandy", and AD-1 flying this past weekend! She's no thoroughbred like a Mustang, Spit, or Tiffy but it is a legendary plane none the less! Just a beautiful machine!

[@RubyFox_YT]

I remember the pilots talking about this on the history channel. One of my EAA young egles pilots flew F-4 Phantom II's in Vietnam and he told me the story of how you never turn fight a MiG of any type, it's all boom-and-zoom if you want to live.

[@jtjames79]

Even if you can out turn, if boom and zoom is an option, it's generally the best option. Just my opinion based on video games. I find fighting target fixation mentally strenuous, and not fighting it it's deadly. Boom and zoom helps with that a lot, so I can focus on maintaining strategic advantages, since video games tend to be a target rich environment.

[@RubyFox_YT]

@@jtjames79 yep

[@DieselRamcharger]

@@jtjames79 jesus fucking christ.

[@pudge2187]

@@DieselRamcharger ?

[@AdMan-The-LabRat]

@Diesel Ramcharger - Whiskey? Tango? Foxtrot?

[@bartfoster1311]

Can we bring back this with some titanium skin and armor? This would be a great complement to the A-10 with most of the operations the US actually does nowadays.

[@Justanotherconsumer]

There have been a lot of discussions on COIN aircraft that are basically updated versions of this concept. The MQ-1 may not have the firepower but it does have the loiter time. UCAVs do these jobs now.

[@Artessnow]

@@Justanotherconsumer the Brazilian Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano is the closest modern aircraft to the old A-1

[@sarjim4381]

@@Artessnow The EMB 314 has an ordnance load less than half that of the Skyraider. Just it's built in armament of four 20 mm cannons is devastating compared to 314's two 12.7 mm machine guns. The 314 is a good light attack plane but it's nowhere near the equal of the Spad. A redesigned turbine powered Skyraider would be the only real replacement of the old girl.

[@Yeeter_Inbound]

@@sarjim4381 theres always the turboprop A2D-1Skyshark. it was cancelled prototype but it had more than double the shaft horsepower than the AD1 and it has a radar in the nose

[@soonerfrac4611]

No, the Super Tucano isn’t the closest thing to the Sky Raider. That distinction falls to the armed and armored AT-802. Heavier loads, slightly bigger engine, and one variation was even designated the Sky Warden to keep up with the “Sky” nicknames.

[@tomflynn8265]

Great video!! You guys give voices to those who would otherwise be silent, or worse, forgotten. 👌👍👏

[@truck6859]

The men as well as the machines.🇺🇸

[@paulheitkemper1559]

When they first started talking about the Super Tacano and the specs needed for that light attack role, the first thing I did was check the specs for the A1. It would've come very close. What an incredible plane.

[@Potayto0]

I am a person that loves planes and the A1 had been my favorite

[@garrygames7115]

When they starting looking for a new light attack aircraft i was praying they would bring it back

[@davidclemens1578]

The A1 could complement the A-10 at a cheaper cost

[@galacticthreat1236]

Me too. I always loved how in games, it looked like just another monoplane, but when I saw it in person, it was HUGE!!! What I’m saying is, Holy Crap! Wow! It could carry so much ordinance and it was so loud!!

[@vaporhtrail4350]

I'm just gonna say this. It is quite the aircraft and I'm glad we had it.

[@davidclemens1578]

Today we have the F-15 and the F-16 which were designs from the late 60s to the 70s and which are still formidable aircraft. Sometimes old designs are still better. It looks like the attitude from the top brass for the A1 was the same as for the A10.

[@jtjames79]

Physics dictates certain solutions. In many ways we have moved past optimal. It might have been better to just continuously upgrade some older designs.

[@Justanotherconsumer]

There hasn’t been a lot of pressure on aircraft design for decades. The Cold War stayed cold and the major military powers haven’t done much since the fall of the Berlin Wall. When China starts really challenging US air superiority, we might see a bit more development, but that war is still cold. The F-35 and the Su-57 are both lingering in slow development for decades - in the Century Series era they would have been pushed out, problems be damned, and likely obsolete by now as a new generation replaced them.

[@royweyant4382]

My favorite plane is the OV10 Bronco. They had pretty close to the same missions as the Skyraider. I have always felt that Box tail configurations are Bas Asses. P38 an Cessna Skymaster also.

[@tyberious3023]

Those men were fearless I can’t imagine strapping into something like that and flying over a country that would skin you alive if that engine failed and you had to bail out or just get shot down. Pure ice cold pilots

[@ne1cup]

mostly 1LT same for OV-10, not sure why but capt and Majors flew goony birds(DC-3) the young guns liked their Sky Raiders and were proud I watched them from the taxi way maybe higher officer flew them, but I did not see them. they told me the chopper pilots were the mission commanders

[@davidoltmans2725]

There is a Dogfights where two A1’s took down a MIG 17 in a head on pass.

[@benmccullough7820]

I was actually about to reference that myself

[@blazerocker1734]

Yeah. 'Dogfights' actually took the time to tell you the story about how it happened while Dark Skies simply mentioned it and moved on. Narrator even missed where perhaps an A1 dropped the first ever toilet bomb in combat during the Vietnam war. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJu6foiHnLyDoMU The full story is out there somewhere but the short version is that there was a toilet intended to be junked when someone got the idea to drop it on the enemy.

[@sylvesterstewart868]

"Make history or die!"

[@DavidSmith-ss1cg]

@@blazerocker1734 - you're right; I've seen photos of it online.

[@harryfaber]

@@blazerocker1734 RAF crews dropped enough 'cans' over Germany during missions that the Germans accused the RAF of chemical/biological warfare. During WW2.

[@rustedcage6178]

I was a kid in that era. I'd ay that the F-4 was probably the most iconic from that era, although my favorite would have to be the F-8 Crusader. Honorable mentions to the F-100 Super Sabre, and the F-104 Starfighter. Those pilots had to be a different breed.

[@Rick_Sanchez_C137_]

104 was a beautiful design that didn’t do anything but go fast…. Silly Air Force generals only asked the builder to design it for speed, nothing else….

[@ne1cup]

F4 was a Navy bird adopted by the Air Force?

[@rustedcage6178]

@@ne1cup Also adopted by the Marines according to Wikipedia.

[@PandaMan-xy1he]

@@Rick_Sanchez_C137_ To be fair, Mach 2 with Aim 9Bs in 1954 is pretty damn good. Especially when essentially nothing can catch it.

[@Rick_Sanchez_C137_]

@@PandaMan-xy1he going faster than everyone else is great….. as long as you can slow down to stay behind them and maneuver as well as them, the Starfighter could do neither.

[@Mondo762]

I met a Navy A1 Skyraider pilot a few weeks ago and talked to him for quite a while. We were exchanging our experiences over on the China coast from half a century ago.

[@divermike]

Great video on the A-1! I hope you haven't forgotten the offspring of the A-1 is the USAF A-10. Keep up the great work here!

[@TheGoddamnBacon]

I thought the A-10s predecessor was the F-105 from Fairchilds but point well taken.....

[@divermike]

@@TheGoddamnBacon no the F-105 was a fighter bomber. the A-10 is an attack and close air support. One can fly at almost Mach 2 and the other is lucky to make 400 mph down hill with the wind blowing!

[@TheGoddamnBacon]

@@divermike you missed my point. The Thud was often used in CAS roles but wasn't exactly designed for that, therefore many wee lost to enemy fire. To make up for that, Fairchild (the company responsible for both aircraft) went back to the drawing board and designed the A-10 the way they did, to rectify the issues that plagued their previous aircraft. That is what I meant by predecessor. Not that your point on the role itself was wrong with the Skyraider.

[@leonswan6733]

If My memory serves me correctly, Before the NAA F-86 Sabre got to Korea in the early times of that war, The first shoot downs of MIG-15s over Korea was done by NAA F-82s ( 2 conjoined P-51D mustangs with one wing ). So with the right machine and pilot, It does happen. I think he did a episode on his channel a wile back were a Grumman OV ??? twin turboprop ground attacker recon plane shot down a MIG in Vietnam.

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

OV-1 MOHAWK

[@leonswan6733]

@@patrickgriffitt6551 You got it.

[@leonswan6733]

Again The first shootdowns of the Messerschmitt me 262 in WW2 was with NAA P-51 C or D Mustangs, The " Red Tails " The Tuskegee Airman. Good Job Guys

[@lancenetworkv5938]

One of your best! Really well done, loved the closing.

[@Jedi.Toby.M]

Dark plus anything is bloody fantastic mate! Anytime I see a notification from Dark, followed by blank, it makes my day!

[@ljessecusterl]

From one of my favorite episodes of Dogfights: Gun Kills of Vietnam.

[@johnweems4586]

I've always been partial to the A6 Intruder as far as Vietnam era planes go.

[@johnwilliamson2276]

Of all of the planes in our history the A1-Skyraider is by far my favorite!

[@russellmcphee72]

I love your narration, always to the point and matches your channel name. :)

[@chuckokelley2448]

Spades and thuds did the heavy lifting of the Vietnam War

[@jacobmccandles1767]

Sending in the Thuds was tantamount to murder.

[@ClearedHot470]

My most favorite plane! Just an absolute monster of an aircraft

[@joshuariddensdale2126]

I saw a Skyraider flying at our local air show a few years ago. Incredible that a piston-engined aircraft saw service as close-air support in Vietnam, and from seeing an episode of Dogfights, even took on a Mig-17.

[@richardhoover7569]

Goes to show with all the new technology, don't forget what works. Low, slow and tough as hell like the Skyraider and A-10 always has a place in combat

[@solewindxii]

The Skyraider is basically a P-47, B-17 and SBD combined into one plane

[@RuralTowner]

Basically a B-25J in role.

[@w.reidripley1968]

Had air-brakes too. There's the SBD part.

[@that_hatchbak_civic]

this guy sounds like he's making his last video before being drafted into Vietnam in a couple mins

[@that_hatchbak_civic]

@@ne1cup yeah sure did

[@Chilly_Billy]

You guys have some weird auditory issues.

[@ssnydess6787]

Nice clips, thanks!

[@javiermandujano4316]

Damn you putting in work. Been following for at least 8 years

[@thoxbui]

5:49 …that’s an unusual looking sky raider 🤣

[@tunder975]

This one is still kid, he will grow up into full size skyraider one day 😄😁

[@agwhitaker]

and 9:08 - a Skyraider camouflaged to look like an SBD Dauntless.

[@t-bertholstein6722]

@@agwhitaker lol its got the three seat cockpit camoflauge and they painted the the hinges on the wings in a different spot too, good eye that camo, it's good.

[@user-qw2tr8yc5q]

Its a corsair

[@ne1cup]

@@agwhitaker I painted that camo pattern on all our planes except the OV-10s

[@adamdubin1276]

It was the AD Skyraider long before it was the A-1, it shall forever be a venerable USN workhorse!

[@badian37]

My father (RIP) flew helos with the USMC in Korea and Vietnam. The Skyraider was the 1st aircraft he crewed on....later crewing helos in Vietnam he said...."In a bad situation we would call a couple of A-1E Skyraiders for air support. I've seen these amazing aircraft get dirtied up, in a dive, pop the speed brakes, reduce the air speed to idle, drop flaps and landing gear... that aircraft would damn near stand still in mid air in a dive...then all of sudden the pilot would let loose on the cannons and use the rudder to pivot the aircraft a few degrees to left and the right to saturate an area with withering cannon fire! It was something you had to witness!"

[@philgiglio7922]

Only issue was the guns weren't harmonized. They fired straight ahead; so it was necessary to walk the rudder pedals to spread your fire out

[@terrygardner3031]

As a 14 year old kid there was an airshow in a nearby town, there were few planes that you could actually climb in and look at everything. The Jets were all sealed up as they had "secret" things that weren't to be seen by russian spies. They had a A1 E which had space for more people and as a Kid I fell in love with it at first site. If I could afford a warbird the A1 would be my first pick, followed by a P47 N. Jets would be first F106,then the F15.

[@crispycritterz]

This was one of the toughest planes ever made.

[@darson100]

The only problem with the Skyraider was they didn't make enough of them

[@ne1cup]

we had them in surplus towards the end, it is a shame what South Vietnam did to them

[@elaviador3597]

Good video, i love your videos

[@gorflunk]

Bravo! Very well done. Adding that human aspect worked great!

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

I think this was the bird that dropped the infamous "toliet bomb,"

[@gp-vl3gk]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/kF7Qepmpr9Ghl5o

[@edstoutenburg3990]

Didn't a squadron in Vietnam also drop a kitchen sink once?

[@gp-vl3gk]

@@edstoutenburg3990 Same aircraft but that was in korea tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2018/04/things-under-wings-va-195-kitchen-sink.html

[@uncbadguy]

I was a brand new Airedale to VA-122 in 1968 when I first heard about that. Two years previously VA-122 had switched from being the training squadron for A-1's to A-7's.

[@DrSpoon-iu4hs]

Love this plane I never realized it was 1945 that’s amazing!

[@marvwatkins7029]

Another great vid.

[@subdawg1331]

awesome video thank you

[@thedungeondelver]

Isn't it incredible that the Spad can carry five passengers in some variants!

[@terenfro1975]

You can only imagine modern avionics on a similar design made from modern materials. Armored crop duster.

[@RuralTowner]

Now if Casey Jones had 1 of these instead of a Camel...they would've kept it in the original cut of ID4. "Hello boys! I'm baaaaack!" As he proceeds to send 8 tons of high explosives up the alien ship's cloaca.

[@chuck.reichert83]

Sandy, SPAD, Skyraider is my favorite of Vietnam and Korea. Thanks for the video. Favorite plane of WW2 is the Westland Lysander

[@dannybolman7739]

What about Flying Dump Truck? I've heard it called that too.

[@N-Scale]

To me the Skyraider and the OV-10 were two aircraft that should be inducted into the aircraft Hall of Fame !!!!!!

[@bobwitkowski6410]

I watched this video and as it was advised on the description there was no mention about that Mig that was shot by that Skyraider. No gun camera footage of the event or names of the pilots involved.

[@ne1cup]

I was looking for that too, the MIG was looking for an easy kill on the Ch-53 rescue birds and was probably ignoring the Sandy the helicopter was worth 10 A-1 D/E dive-bombers...

[@goneutt]

It’s like having a truck when they want a car

[@inthemaze7441]

Love the plane. When I was listening and watching, my thoughts went straight too the A10.

[@NinjaZXRR]

This channel brings a lot of content that would of been forgotten.

[@TheWorld-hv6xm]

The dogfights episode was really good.

[@m.pearce3273]

I would really love to see the Vought F4U Corsair's role in The Korean war as it was the only prop driven fighter to down several MIGs. When you did the story about this plane you woefully forgot to add this salient fact.

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

My. Guy P. Bordelon Korean War. Only Navy Ace, only prop driven Ace, only night fighter Ace!

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

Not so sure about Mugs unless they were prop driven. I expect there were Lavochkin props though and he got a PO-2.

[@paulofurbringer4232]

Marvelous video !! 🥰

[@MisteriosGloriosos922]

*Thanks for informative video!!!. Liked&Subcribed!!!*

[@ParaglidingManiac]

This is the aircraft that was in We were soldiers by Mal Gibson, right?

[@ratagris21]

Yes they staffed and dropped napalm.

[@alepepperoni2563]

Thank you. I couldn't figure out the name of that movie for weeks, been wanting to rewatch it.

[@dennissvitak5475]

@@alepepperoni2563 -GREAT movie. One of my all time favorites.

[@stevenbaker8184]

@@ratagris21 alongside. It was also shown during the "Broken Arrow sequence. " along side an F100 and f4 and an f5.

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

One of them. They also have footage of F 100 Super Sabers.

[@dandare2586]

An updated 2021 version would save the USAF loads of money in long run, where the A10 would be to expensive or fast to deploy 😀 I expect even if you bought 3000 skyraiders made from the old jigs with updated avionics etc, plus 10 spare engines, it would still be a fraction of the F35 cost.

[@mrmophead1860]

Possibly, but the cost of reinstating all the infrastructure, spare parts, mechanic training, different fuel and such would just make it in practice when the a-10 is perfectly serviceable

[@Radienleo]

Its not about quantity and fielding lots of air frames, it about technology and sensors. See them before they see you. You can see a basketball at 30 miles away in the air.

[@dandare2586]

@@Radienleo Is the basketball a Russian weapon ?

[@robertheinkel6225]

But their life expectancy would be zero, unless the F-35 cleared the way first. They would be good against ground troops, but helpless against air defenses.

[@Seatux]

@@mrmophead1860 Realistically because the 2021 AD would need to be re-engined with Turboprop so it can draw the same kersone supply as jets, mind as well just get a Super Tucano or something.

[@donbruce8234]

As an aircraft e-nav tech at Ton Son Nhut I worked on every aircraft that came thru. I've worked F4's AC130's, AC47's, C124's, F100's, F105's, and many more. But my favorite was the AC119. It came home, every night. Saw one come back with only one tail. Fell in love with the plane on "Flight Of The Phoenix", the original with Jimmy Stewart. I thought the gunships in general were awesome, but The Shadow was the best.

[@hollandmajors6141]

My grandad flew an AD Skyraider off of the USS Forestall! I gotta go through our attic to find some of his old photos and documents from when he was aboard.

[@trentdabs5245]

She's Not Old She's Experienced

[@barretblake]

Uh, the SkyRaider didn't carry nuclear payloads....

[@sammuller8331]

How many times have we used a nuke in war? 2 This was ground pounders dream and an enemy’s nightmare especially the napalm.

[@Icepacalapse]

Yes it did. It carried the mk79 bomb like the A4.

[@kaliguladx4085]

THE Embraer Super Tucano is a worthy successor of this Great plane...

[@ne1cup]

not even close, the Tucano is high on avionic and low on weapons

[@chris_hisss]

Great story! Well done!

[@chesspiece81]

I realize the engine had 18 cylinders and large displacement but at 2500hp is a total of 139hp per cylinder. A V8 would make 1100hp. Which today isn't as impressive but when this engine was developed and manufactured that is a very impressive number especially to be as reliable as an aircraft engine has to be from that era.

[@SUPRAMIKE18]

Yeah these things were impressively tough for their size running at or near full throttle for hours on end.

[@chesspiece81]

@@SUPRAMIKE18 certainly not a turbine engine but impressive nonetheless for an ICE engine. They made anywhere from 2200 to 3700hp over the production run. Granted they were 46-55 liters in displacement but that's very impressive still. One of these in top HP trim in that truck that was modified to be powered by a radial engine would an awful lot of fun I bet. But unfortunately the Merlin and Meteor engines make a much easier automotive transplant proposition but the radial engines obviously present their own challenges because of their size. Maybe one in an older cab over style truck would be easier to keep the stock body without having to destroy the vehicle to make it fit. That is if you could get significant enough airflow over the cylinders given most COE lack of grills and access on the front of the truck for airflow.

[@SUPRAMIKE18]

@@chesspiece81 there are some highly tuned up Radial engines still out there making well over 3,500hp here's a good example kzbin.info/www/bejne/o37Ufo2ia5mgnNU

[@SUPRAMIKE18]

@@chesspiece81 and if you wanna see them in some land vehicles the only thing I can think of effectively using the full potential are pulling tractors kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYPNYXarrbx8ftk

[@philgiglio7922]

Aircraft engine production/design is unlike automotive. The crankcase is one casting, the cylinders are a second and the heads a third. Live Oak Florida has a fire engine from the 20's that still runs. The engine' an inline 6 is made in that fashion.

[@blue2sco]

Hawker Sea Furies shot down Mig's in Korea so title is misleading.

[@paulqueripel3493]

I thought it was going to be about the sea fury, except dark skies doesn't seem to know any other countries produce anything.

[@yellowboxster06]

The A1E Skyraider was the A10 of its day. It did have some maintenance quirks though. It used a lot of oil on engine start and a lot of it wound up saturating the electronic equipment bays. As I recall from my Vietnam aircraft maintenance days the most common problem with the TACAN was almost always caused because the RT unit was soaked in engine oil. For most of us though during the 68 Tet offensive there were 2 aircraft we really appreciated: the Skyraider and the Cobra Attack Helicopter.

[@jimbo2900]

My father flew on B-52's in Nam, B-29's in Korea, and B-25' in WW-2. He loved it.

[@ChipmunkRapidsMadMan1869]

My Dad was a radio operator in Vietnam. Those radial engines were like a chorus of angels .

[@RenegadeADV]

Totally missed the time A1 Pilots dropped a Toilet on the Vietkong!!!

[@blackthorne1497]

I am fascinated by this powerful old beast of a fighter. I just completed a 1/48 scale model of an A-1, and am looking forward to visiting an air museum that includes this plane. I hope someone somewhere keeps it flying.

[@truck6859]

The Skyraider was built like the P-47 Thunderbolt- - tough, strong, effective.

[@VivyX2]

they say that we are in need of a slow flying aircraft with similar capabilities to the spad has everyone forgotten about the a10?

[@2ravenrick]

The loitering time for a piston plane is much much longer than jet engines. Plus the maintenance, training, etc. is lower making it a better alternative for low tech allies.

[@VivyX2]

@@2ravenrick then might aswell just bring back an upgraded spad

[@2ravenrick]

@@VivyX2 They are looking at Super Tucanos (A-29) and an attack version of the T-6 Texan trainer (AT-6). They have purchased several and are running trials.

[@fredo0084]

That statement from that pilot at the end idk it just sounded cool/badass

[@edwardhuett7924]

Crewed A-1 skyraiders in NKP and Danang in 69-70. 56sow zorros and SPADS OLAA. Great acft had run up license and was great to chain them down and run to max power. 52 inches of manifold pressure. I was 19 and very impressed with that powerful radial. Tough airframe. Brought em back with big holes and missing wing tips. Pilots were 25 and lieutenants.

[@brha5058]

I was a member of the 602nd Air Commando Squadron in 65-66 in 'Nam. My commanding officer was "Jump Meyers" who was shot down in his A-1 at A Shau Valley. Bernie Fisher landed and picked him up in the middle of a pitched battle. The PSP runway was covered with lots of debris from the battle, but the ol' warhorse made it through ok. Fisher's plane was shot up pretty badly by the NVA troops from the time he was on the ground. He received the CMH for his actions and my commanding officers' undying gratitude. The Army firebase was overrun the next day. Weather prevented us from giving further air support to the Green Berets. This airplane would stay up for 8 hours straight while loitering over the Ho Chi Minh Trail waiting for targets to show up. We launched our planes with full fuel and OIL tanks for the 8 hr. mission. The machines would return with fuel left but the 38 gallon oil tank would always be invariably and dangerously low on oil. I personally flew to the Philipines (Subic Bay) twice, once from Vietnam and once from Thailand to pick up replacements from Davis-Monthan AFB arriving on Navy jeep carriers. We picked up 6 & 7 planes respectively. It took us 2 hrs. to de-cocoon each plane. Then the fun of getting to go along on the maintenance flight check. The A-1 had no ejection seats and if you needed to bail out, you crawled over the side just like pilots did in WWI & WWII. I felt a special thrill flying along with my arm on the cockpit railing with the canopy open. All I needed was a scarf. That's how the old bird got it's nickname. The Super Spad.

[@wrathroc]

They should bring it back. Totally control the combat zone in ground fighting. To bad

[@FinalLugiaGuardian]

The military has the OV-10 Bronco for that type of mission now.

[@wrathroc]

Ov-10. Wasnt in the same class of ground attack. But its just my thought. Ov-10 is good.

[@robbybee70]

must have been his second or third video of the day....talking at normal speed

[@stephengroeschel6898]

Too short, did well. It's a world of information, from a "by-gone", past. One of my favorite's.

[@robertwaid3579]

Yeah what a plane, and it's History! My cousin was USNAVY from 68-72, on three tours SEAsia, on The USS Connie, and USS America, they worked on the A6 Intruder's. Great video Thanks, Dark Doc's, Wyo, Robert, 🇨🇦🇺🇸🇨🇦🇺🇸🤓🤓💬💭👍👍💓💓💓

[@hossmcgregor3853]

The US Air Force currently has a turboprop plane, AT-6, that's similar.

[@ommsterlitz1805]

Not as good as a Po-2 shooting down a Sabre F-86 😉😅

[@TheFinSeppo]

I WANT TO KNOW THE STORY NOW

[@halodude4481]

It was an F-94 starfire actually

[@yurisv7315]

F-94 Starfire of the USAF spotted a Po-2, it tried to slow down to get a solution on the Po-2 but it ended up stalling and crashing.

[@yurisv7315]

This happened during the Korean War, mind you.

[@TheFinSeppo]

@@yurisv7315 aka just stupidity (Or maneuvering kill) not an actual kill :( me disappointed.

[@danelkington3808]

The SkyRaider was the last of the piston bad boys to operate in combat...I love them alot!!

[@b2tall239]

My father began his 30 yr naval career in the late '40s as a naval aviator flying Skyraiders. Mildly deteriorating eyesight eventually grounded him and he moved to surface warfare. He told me that when he heard the news that an "Able Dog" had downed a N. Vietnamese jet fighter he was ecstatic. Great story related in this video.

[@jingjieong2260]

"...capable of dropping 8000lb nuclear payloads with dive bombing precision..." - yes, because that's what you worry about when dropping a nuke....precision.... DISCLAIMER: yes I know Dark Skies didn't mean nukes as in a Hiroshima Fat-boy, it is a joke, don't crucify me.

[@8oliverraymond]

I caught that too. did a little research. "The AD-4B (skyraider) could deliver nuclear bombs using the “toss-bombing” or “over-the-shoulder” bombing technique."

[@Artessnow]

Whoever Dark Skies is he probably has never been in the military. Airmen fly Air Force planes and Aviators fly Navy planes. None of this soldiers flying planes nonsense.

[@victorfranco6457]

@@Artessnow Every video has an issue. Pronunciations, appropriate names and titles, etc...you'd think they'd do better research...

[@AndrewBeals]

@@victorfranco6457 it's part of what makes me wonder whether they are Americans in the first place and what the purpose (aside from the obvious raking in of that sweet, sweet YT cash) of the Dark* channels is.

[@Artessnow]

@@AndrewBeals the errors make a 10 year military veteran cringe…..

[@keithallver2450]

Its only a matter of time until somebody's going to comment on how their dad or grandpa flew a Skyraider in Korea or Vietnam.

[@Critical-Thinker895]

... and ...? It's bad enough you're a troll, but to post a comment specifying what type of post you would like to troll and complaining it's not been posted yet is the height of stupidity. Why don't you just visit another video and look for your victims there? Get out of your basement much?

[@dj33036]

This guy thinks he's never going to get old, and with his attitude he's probably right.

[@keithallver2450]

@@Critical-Thinker895 If you think I'm a Troll than you definitely know nothing about your username.

[@571951rhoehn1]

Long live the Spad, aka Sandy I wouldn’t be here if not for the pilots who flew that beautiful bird!!!

[@ne1cup]

they be gone now stripped of their parts and dignity by the Vietnamese

[@loganholmberg2295]

What was also cool about the Skyraider was all the variants. The was an ECW version, a passenger version, and even a medivac version. There was ALLOT of room behind the pilot in that hull. IMO it was better than the A-10 with its versatility before the A-10 was even dreamed of.

[@Icepacalapse]

There was a nuke version.

[@philgiglio7922]

Up to 5 stretcher casualties or 10 seated troops. Probably pretty crowded