The Douglas A-1/AD-1 Skyraider conducted its inaugural flight on 18 March 1945, during the ongoing WWII conflict.
If you notice a resemblance to another renowned aircraft from the Douglas Aircraft Company, which later merged with McDonnell Douglas and then with Boeing, you’re not mistaken; the Skyraider is directly linked to the esteemed Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber, known for its devastating impact on Imperial Japanese shipping during WWII. In fact, the prototype that undertook the maiden flight was initially named the XBT2D-1 Dauntless II.
However, upon its delivery to the U.S. Navy in December 1946, the official designation was changed to Skyraider for reasons unknown. (As the original Dauntless holds a special place as my favorite WWII airplane, this alteration disappoints me just a bit.)
The A-1 quickly garnered interest from the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps, as well as the British Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, the French Air Force, and the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF). It featured a fuselage length of 38 feet 10 inches, a wingspan of 50 feet, and a height of 15 feet 8.25 inches. Its empty weight stood at 12,094 pounds, with a maximum takeoff weight of 25,000 pounds. Powered by a single 2,700 horsepower Wright R-3350-26W engine, it achieved a maximum airspeed of 343 miles per hour at 20,000 feet. Armament included four 20mm fixed forward-firing cannon and 8,000 lb. of ordnance.
Triple-S: from “Skyraider” to “Spad” to “Sandy”
As the Korean War unfolded, the Skyraider promptly responded to the call of duty. As highlighted by the National Naval Aviation Museum, the “Able Dog” or “Spad,” as it was affectionately known, established itself as one of the most formidable attack aircraft ever to grace the skies over Korea.
Their tasks encompassed a wide array, ranging from assaulting heavily fortified industrial targets like power plants and bridges to disabling the Hwachon Dam with aerial torpedoes and winning the admiration of many ground troops with its adeptness in close air support. Operations in Korea also showcased the adaptability of the Skyraider, with the platform being modified to carry out various missions including electronic countermeasures and night attack. In the aftermath of the Korean War, some AD pilots trained for the prospect of nuclear conflict, undertaking what were dubbed Sandblower missions—long-range sorties aimed at delivering nuclear bombs at low altitudes, which demanded such prolonged periods in the cockpit that aviators whimsically dubbed them “Butt Busters.”
The designation “Spad” paid homage to the French fighter plane of World War I. However, it was during the tumultuous era of the Vietnam War that the Skyraider would acquire another renowned unofficial title: “Sandy.”
By the time the United States escalated its air campaign in Vietnam in earnest in 1964, the A-4 Skyhawk, another Douglas-built warplane, had become increasingly prominent in the Navy’s carrier-based attack arsenal. Nevertheless, the venerable A-1 managed to etch its name firmly in Naval Aviation history by participating in the initial strikes against North Vietnam following the Tonkin Gulf Incident in August 1964. The Navy continued employing the “Spad” in attack missions until 1968.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force utilized the A-1 for combat search and rescue as well as air commando missions, depicted in the 1991 film Flight of the Intruder, adapted from the bestselling novel by Stephen Coonts.
It was during these combat search and rescue missions that the nickname “Sandy” emerged, as recounted by Dario Leone of The Aviation Geek Club:
“In late 1965, Capt. J.W. ‘Doc’ George established the famous callsign ‘Sandy’ during an A-1 replacement flight to one of the several A-1 groups rotating through Udorn. Initially used as George’s departure callsign from Bine Hoa, it was retained by his replacement and eventually became the callsign for any Skyraider tasked with search and rescue missions.”
The subsequent year, a “Sandy” pilot earned a distinction greater than a mere callsign, receiving the Medal of Honor. On 19 March 1966, Major Bernard Fisher executed a daring rescue of a fellow pilot shot down over South Vietnam, landing in enemy territory under heavy fire and safely evacuating him.
Douglas Skyraider: Where Are They Now?
A total of 3,180 Skyraiders were manufactured between 1945 and 1967. They were retired from U.S. military service in 1973, yet remained operational in the Gabonese Air Force/Armée de l’air Gabonaise until 1985.
Presently, approximately 15 airworthy Skyraiders are still in existence, including examples housed at the Warbird Heritage Foundation in Waukegan, Illinois, and the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Additionally, there are roughly twice that number of airframes on static display; the specific “Sandy” piloted by Maj. Fisher during his Medal of Honor-winning mission, bearing serial number 52-132649, is located within the Southeast East War Gallery of the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, near Dayton, Ohio.
