AD-2

AD-2

A-26B-50

AD-4

360://https://wiki.warthunder.com/images/8/81/Cockpit_douglas_ad_2.jpg

AD-2

A-26B-50

AD-4

USA

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.0	5.7	5.7

Class:

Strike aircraft

Torpedo bomber

Research:54 000

Purchase:185 000

Show in game

Description

The AD-2 Skyraider is a rank IV American strike aircraft with a battle rating of 5.0 (AB) and 5.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.49 "Weapons of Victory".

The Skyraider is one of the most iconic propeller driven ground attack aircraft of the Korean and Vietnam wars. Likewise, it's armament certainly lives up to that. Even early on, the 12 HVARs you have can be devastating when used against light pillboxes and medium tanks, quickly turning a very tidy profit with a total of 8 possible launches. Generally your job is to inflict as much damage on the enemy tickets as possible, through pillboxes, ships and tanks.

The AD-2 Skyraider is a high rank American monoplane strike aircraft with a perfect combination of flight performance and payload. It has decent performance and guns, and can carry a massive payload of well over 4,000 lb of equipment, including rockets, bombs, and torpedoes. The Skyraider has a far forward cockpit, improving visibility and an airbrake capable enough of dealing with steep dives for maximum time on target.

General info

Flight performance

Arrestor gear

Accelerates braking by grabbing the brake cable on the deck of the aircraft carrier

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Max speed

at 5 821 m593 km/h

Turn time21 s

Max altitude8 900 m

EngineWright R-3350-26W

TypeRadial

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight9 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 5,822 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	504	498	8900	24.3	24.8	4.9	6.9	600
Upgraded	628	593		20.6	21.0	22.9	17.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
X	✓	✓	✓	✓

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
0	680	N/A	345	252	~12	~5

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 460	< 480	< 410	> 300

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
1,890 m	2,300 hp	2,617 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
4,800 m	1,900 hp	2,162 hp

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear680 km/h

• 9.5 mm Steel - Armour plating lower engine cowling
• 9.5 mm Steel - Armour plating behind pilot's seat
• 40 mm Bulletproof glass - Windshield

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB2 239 → 2 812

RB3 745 → 4 703

SB7 401 → 9 295

Total cost of modifications47 100

85 600

Talisman cost1 500

Crew training52 000

Experts185 000

Aces940

Research Aces480 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

100 / 170 / 600 %

166 / 166 / 166 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 1 900 Cost: 3 500 160 Radiator Research: 1 900 Cost: 3 500 160 Airframe Research: 2 600 Cost: 4 700 220 Compressor Research: 2 600 Cost: 4 700 220 Wings repair Research: 3 900 Cost: 7 100 330 Engine Research: 3 900 Cost: 7 100 330 Cover Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 260 Engine injection Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 260		Mk78 Research: 1 900 Cost: 3 500 160 SBC mk.I Research: 1 900 Cost: 3 500 160 TC mk.I Research: 1 900 Cost: 3 500 160 anm3_belt_pack Research: 2 600 Cost: 4 700 220 LFRC mk.12 Research: 2 600 Cost: 4 700 220 MBC mk.I Research: 3 900 Cost: 7 100 330 anm3_new_gun Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 260 Mk 13 Mod 0 Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 260 LBC mk.I Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 600 260

Armaments

Offensive armament

The AD-2 is armed with:

• 2 x 20 mm M3 cannons, wing-mounted (200 rpg = 400 total)

Suspended armament

The AD-2 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 12 x HVAR rockets
• 12 x HVAR rockets + 1 x 1,927 lb Mk.13-1 Case torpedo
• 12 x HVAR rockets + 2 x Tiny Tim rockets
• 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,000 lb total)
• 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
• 1 x 2,000 lb AN-M66A2 bomb (2,000 lb total)
• 1 x 2,000 lb AN-M66A2 bomb + 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (3,000 lb total)
• 1 x 2,000 lb AN-M66A2 bomb + 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (4,000 lb total)
• 12 x HVAR rockets + 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,000 lb total)
• 12 x HVAR rockets + 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
• 12 x HVAR rockets + 1 x 2,000 lb AN-M66A2 bomb + 2 x Tiny Tim rockets (2,000 lb total)
• 12 x HVAR rockets + 1 x 2,000 lb AN-M66A2 bomb + 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (3,000 lb total)
• 12 x HVAR rockets + 1 x 2,000 lb AN-M66A2 bomb + 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (4,000 lb total)

Usage in battles

When used in all battle modes, be sure to steer clear of enemy fighters, pick the ground targets that are farthest away from the usual dogfight zones, for example, the far left base on Alternate History Krysmk has plenty of targets and is seldom visited by Russian aircraft. One of the first weapon modifications you can unlock are torpedoes, a weapon which while seldom used, can turn a very quick profit when aiming for a light cruiser, destroyer or a Japanese aircraft carrier (as British and American ones are far more difficult to sink). With that, you can quickly grind down the payload line until you can carry your maximum ordnance. Once fully upgraded, choose your payload based on your skills in bombing and rockets. If you find you're better at rockets, load Tiny Tims and aim for heavy targets once your HVARs are used. Otherwise load up the 3,000 lb of bombs and obliterate any position you feel.

Counter-tactics

The Skyraiders have a surprising level of maneuverability when they are clean of their ordinance. When engaging keep your energy at all cost, because if that AD dumps his load, all he has to do is drain you of your ability to run to be able to gain the advantage and take you out.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Easy to fly
• Low stall speed
• Handles well at low speed
• Excellent payload options
• Well armoured
• Very efficient at killing ground units especially when escorted by friendly fighters
• Cheap and reasonable repair costs in all modes

Cons

• Very sluggish with full payload
• Poor offensive armament compared to contemporaries
• Cannons overheat quickly when not upgraded
• Large target, easy prey for fighters
• Slow in level flight
• High turn time
• Air brakes can be damaged on touchdown if deployed during landing

History

The piston-engine Skyraider was designed during World War II to meet United States Navy requirements for a carrier-based, single-seat, long-range, high-performance dive/torpedo bomber. It was equipped with the 2,700 HP Wright 3350 Duplex-Cyclone Engine, the same engine that equipped to the B-29 Superfortress Bomber. It was designed to replace the Helldiver and the Avenger torpedo bombers as the Navy's primary attack craft. Unfortunately, it didn't serve in WWII due to the program being delayed. It went on to serve with distinction in later wars such as Korea and Vietnam.

Media

• War Thunder Live - User created AD-2 camouflage

Videos

The Shooting Range #185 - Pages of History section at 04:10 discusses the Douglas Skyraider.

See also

Related development

• Douglas A2D Skyshark
• Douglas AD-4 Skyraider

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Aichi B7A
• Martin AM Mauler
• Westland Wyvern

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance

• [History Net] Able Dog: Was the AD Skyraider the Best Attack Bomber Ever Built? (Web Archive)
• [Boeing] AD/A-1 SKYRAIDER ATTACK BOMBER (Web Archive)
• [Air Vectors] The Douglas AD / A-1 Skyraider (Web Archive)

Douglas Aircraft Company
Strike Aircraft	A-20G-25 · A-26B-10 · A-26B-50 · AD-2 · AD-4 · A-1H
Bombers	TBD-1 · B-18A · SBD-3 · BTD-1 · A-26C-45 · A-26C-45DT
Turboprops	A2D-1
Jet Aircraft	F3D-1 · F4D-1
A-4 Skyhawk	A-4B · A-4E Early
Export	▄Havoc Mk I · ▄Boston Mk I · ▄DB-7 · ▂A-20G-30 · ▄AD-4 · ▄AD-4NA
A-4 Skyhawk	A-4H · A-4E Early (M) · Ayit · A-4E
	The Douglas Aircraft Company merged with McDonnell Aircraft Corporation in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas.