Douglas AD-4 Skyraider

(Hobby Master HA2905)

Engine: One 2,300 h.p. Wright R-3350-26WA radial
Span: 50 ft 0 in
Length: 38 ft 11 in
Height: 15 ft 8 in
Weight: 11,712 lb empty / 16,700 lb gross / 24,000 lb max
Crew: One
Max Speed: 363 mph
Service Ceiling: 36,500 ft
Max Range: 1,265 miles
Armament: Four 20 mm cannons in wings; up to three 2,000 lb bombs, or equivalent

Notes: The A-1 Skyraider originated as a carrier-based torpedo and dive bomber. Deliveries as the AD-1 to the Navy began in November 1946 and in 1962 it was renamed A-1. It was the first single-seat torpedo/dive bomber to serve with the Navy. The primary mission of the A-1 was close air support for ground troops because of its heavy ordnance load and accuracy. The aircraft had great success in Korea and Vietnam. There were 3,180 Skyraiders bilt in seven major models and 28 different versions. There were 266 A-1s lost in Vietnam.
VA-195 upgraded to the AD-4 in July 1950, and served in the Korean War while embarked on USS Princeton (CV-37). On 5 December 1950, the squadron flew its first combat mission since the end of World War II, flying close air support missions for U.S. Marines near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. On May 1, 1951, the squadron's Skyraiders, making precise low level runs, delivered aerial torpedoes on the heavily defended and strategically positioned Hwa Chon Dam in North Korea. Destruction of the dam had been attempted by the Air Force and Navy bombers but was finally accomplished by VA-195, earning them the nickname "Dambusters."