Trumpeter A1-j Skyraider Tiny Tim
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 10:51 am
Oh well here we are again the start of the next GB Yeah 
I have chosen to do the A1-j Skyraider as 1 of my builds due to its use as a rescue escort plane in the Vietnam era.
The smile it must have put on downed airmen to see 2 of these aircraft appear and to know the Jolly Green wasn't far behind to pick them up.
So here we go on with the plastic pawnography.
here is the kit.
as you can see from the last photo she is going to be a large kit.
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider (formerly AD) was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. With its propeller it was a unique aircraft between all the jets, and was nicknamed 'Spad', after a French World War I fighter. The Skyraider had a remarkably long and successful career, and was eventually superceded by the A-6 Intruder, a two engined, two seater, carrier based strike bomber.
The Skyraider came too late to see action in World War II, but in Korea the aircraft was the backbone of the US Navy and the Marines. But the Skyraider really became famous during the Vietnam conflict. Although by then Navy squadrons were already transferring to the heavier A-6 Intruder, the Skyraider continued to operate from the smaller Essex class carriers. The A-1 was famous for being able to take hits and keep flying. There was added armor plating around the cockpit area for added pilot protection.
The Skyraider in Vietnam pioneered the concept of a tough, survivable aircraft with long loiter times and large ordnance loads. The USAF lost 201 Skyraiders to all causes in Southeast Asia, while the Navy lost 65 to all causes. Of the 266 lost A-1s, five were shot down by surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and three were shot down in air-to-air combat; two by North Vietnamese MiG-17s, and one by a North Vietnamese MiG-19.
Air Force Skyraiders in Southeast Asia are probably best remembered for their support of search and air rescue missions. Operating under the call sign Sandy, the A-1's ability to fly over a downed Airman for an extended period complemented by its massive firepower. Where as jet aircraft often had to leave an area for refueling or rearming, the Sandies provided nearly continuous suppressing fire until helicopters could extract downed Airmen.
I have chosen to do the A1-j Skyraider as 1 of my builds due to its use as a rescue escort plane in the Vietnam era.
The smile it must have put on downed airmen to see 2 of these aircraft appear and to know the Jolly Green wasn't far behind to pick them up.
So here we go on with the plastic pawnography.
here is the kit.
as you can see from the last photo she is going to be a large kit.
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider (formerly AD) was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. With its propeller it was a unique aircraft between all the jets, and was nicknamed 'Spad', after a French World War I fighter. The Skyraider had a remarkably long and successful career, and was eventually superceded by the A-6 Intruder, a two engined, two seater, carrier based strike bomber.
The Skyraider came too late to see action in World War II, but in Korea the aircraft was the backbone of the US Navy and the Marines. But the Skyraider really became famous during the Vietnam conflict. Although by then Navy squadrons were already transferring to the heavier A-6 Intruder, the Skyraider continued to operate from the smaller Essex class carriers. The A-1 was famous for being able to take hits and keep flying. There was added armor plating around the cockpit area for added pilot protection.
The Skyraider in Vietnam pioneered the concept of a tough, survivable aircraft with long loiter times and large ordnance loads. The USAF lost 201 Skyraiders to all causes in Southeast Asia, while the Navy lost 65 to all causes. Of the 266 lost A-1s, five were shot down by surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and three were shot down in air-to-air combat; two by North Vietnamese MiG-17s, and one by a North Vietnamese MiG-19.
Air Force Skyraiders in Southeast Asia are probably best remembered for their support of search and air rescue missions. Operating under the call sign Sandy, the A-1's ability to fly over a downed Airman for an extended period complemented by its massive firepower. Where as jet aircraft often had to leave an area for refueling or rearming, the Sandies provided nearly continuous suppressing fire until helicopters could extract downed Airmen.
