Sandy.

This is coolbert:

Here with a comment to the blog by Steiner:

"The American ground-attack aircraft of choice during the Vietnam War was the Douglas Skyraider, which served with distinction. Over 3000 of these radial piston-engined ships were built for the Navy and Air Force, and the type is featured prominently in the films 'Bat*21', 'Flight of the Intruder' and 'Rescue Dawn'."

Sandy!

Before there was "Warthog" there was "Sandy"!

American ground attack aircraft of the era 1950's through 1970's.

The Douglas A-1 Skyraider.



Ground-attack aircraft providing close-air-support [CAS] to American troops during the Korean and Vietnam War.

Single-seat, single-engine [internal combustion] combat aircraft of rugged design and reliability, carrying an impressive amount of ordnance, being able to "dish out" punishment while able to survive in low-level aerial combat, taking hits from enemy ground fire [small arms and anti-aircraft-artillery] and "keep going"!!

A versatile warplane originally developed as a dive bomber or torpedo bomber for the U.S. Navy during World War Two [WW2]. Flown rather in the CAS capacity and carrying an impressive array of weaponry:

"Armament"

"Guns: 4 × 20 mm (0.79 in) M2 cannon"
"Other: Up to 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) of ordnance on 15 external hardpoints including bombs, torpedoes, mine dispensers, unguided rockets, or gun pods"

NOT specifically designed with the ground-attack CAS role in mind, nonetheless having formidable characteristics to include:

* Immense loiter time.
* Carry a lot of ordnance.
* Attack using cannon fire or drop bombs.
* Able to sustain damage and "keep going"!
* Operate out of unimproved airfields.

"The piston-engined AD Skyraider was designed during World War II to meet requirements for a carrier-based, single-seat, long-range, high performance dive/torpedo bomber, and was a follow-on to earlier dive bombers and torpedo bombers used by the Navy such as the Helldiver and Avenger."

"the aircraft excellent low-speed maneuverability, and enabled it to carry a tremendous amount of ordnance over a considerable combat radius and loiter time for its size . . . The aircraft was optimized for the ground-attack mission and was armored against ground fire in key locations"

"The A-1 was famous for being able to take hits and keep flying. Battle damage images from the Korean and Vietnam wars speak for themselves. There was added armor plating around the cockpit area for added pilot protection."

Flown most successfully so in combat by the U.S. Navy [USN], U.S. Air Force [USAF] and Vietnamese Air Force [VNAF]! Especially during the Vietnam War, the Skyraider proved to be almost the perfect combat aircraft for the counter-insurgency [COIN] role! Some of those South Vietnamese pilots in particular saw YEARS of combat flying the Skyraider. Contrary to popular opinion in the U.S., the South Vietnamese were not gutless cowards who refused to fight. Quite often very brave and excellent combat veterans of amazing tenacity and courage. NOT persons who shirked their duty! The opposite!

Incidentally, the famous pilot of the Vietnam War Dieter Dengler was flying a Skyraider on his FIRST mission when shot down. Please see the documentary by the famous German movie director Werner Herzog about Dieter and his exploits.

coolbert.