AD-4

AD-4

AD-2

AM-1

AD-4

AD-2

AM-1

USA

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.7	6.0	5.7

Class:

Strike aircraft

Torpedo bomber

Research:31 000

Purchase:200 000

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This page is about the American attacker AD-4. For the French version, see AD-4 (France).

Description

The AD-4 Skyraider is a rank IV American attacker with a battle rating of 5.7 (AB/SB) and 6.0 (RB). It was introduced in Update 1.75 "La Résistance".

The AD-4 is a thorough-bred ground attacker. It can be armed with a slew of deadly anti-ground weaponry ranging from several high payload bombs and HVAR rockets to a massive 56 Hydra rockets, capable of pinpoint precision and deadly effect. Though lacking in flight performance, the AD-4's armament allows the pilot to annihilate anything that ends up in front of his guns; destroying enemy planes in very few hits and being able to destroy even light pillboxes and light tanks with the right ammunition. If there are ground targets to be destroyed, the American tree can offer no better attacker aircraft.

The AD-4 is generally a sluggish aircraft, which should come to no surprise considering the engine output and weight of the aircraft. In sustained horizontal turn fights and all energy fights, the AD-4 will be out-manoeuvred quickly. Whilst it has speed, the AD-4 has a surprisingly high turn rate, though the high weight causes energy retention to be perhaps one of the worst of any aircraft in War Thunder.

General info

Flight performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the plane.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 5,822 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
558	545	8900	24.3	24.6	9.3	11.5	600
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 5,822 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
621	587	8900	22.1	23.0	24.7	15.5	600

Details

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

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		378	~10	~4

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

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
1,128 m	2,700 hp	3,200 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
4,920 m	2,170 hp	2,679 hp

Survivability and armour

• 40 mm Bulletproof glass - Pilot's windscreen
• 9.5 mm Steel - Armor plate under the engine
• 9.5 mm Steel - Armor plate behind the pilot

Armaments

Offensive armament

The AD-4 is armed with:

• 4 x 20 mm AN/M3 cannons, wing-mounted (200 rpg = 800 total)

Suspended armament

The AD-4 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

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

Usage in battles

AD-4 Skyraider, Performing ground attack role.

In an air match, you need to know where the most important targets are and immediately make a beeline for them. Using your weight and air-spawn, you can reach a relatively high speed for your airframe of 500 - 600 km/h in an extended shallow dive. Once at the objective area, your mission is to destroy as many vehicles that contribute to your team's victory as possible before enemy interceptors reach you. If possible, use your FFAR rocket payload, as they are incredibly accurate and are able to destroy light pillboxes and all ground vehicles in one direct hit. You can also use your AN/M3 cannons' API-T rounds to penetrate and destroy light pillboxes and light tanks. If this is your goal, use the Universal ammo belt if unlocked, as it means every other round is API-T. Ground targets use two API-T, then a HE-T and a P round, so it is not as effective versus aircraft while being no more effective against ground targets than Universal.

Specific enemies worth noting

ALL fighter aircraft have a massive advantage they can exploit against you to easily defeat you. Jets, especially the Me 262, have speed, energy retention and heavy armament that make it hard for you to win in a head-on or get your guns on target outside of one. If you're fighting against one, you don't have much of a chance other than to try and snipe them in a head-on before they get their rounds down range. Remember that the Me 262's guns have a notably low muzzle velocity. For propeller fighters, your tactic is the same and has a higher chance of succeeding thanks to your opponents generally weaker armaments and slower speed.

Counter-tactics

The AD-4 has a great burst horizontal turn rate, and can even compete with some of the poorer turning fighters when not laden with armament, though bleeds energy incredibly fast. When attempting to engage an AD-4, use the vertical to your advantage, the AD-4's incredibly high weight makes it almost impossible for it to fire on anyone above them as they will almost immediately lose all momentum.

The most important piece of information to keep in mind while attacking an AD-4; do NOT go into a head-on versus the plane. The AD-4's inability to get guns on target easily is mitigated if they can commit to a head-on, and with four AN/M3 cannons alongside a relatively tanky structure the AD-4 will have a high chance of critically damaging you and escaping to repair.

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

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 20 mm	SBC mk.I
II		Compressor	Airframe		TBC mk.I	LFRC mk.12
III	Wings repair	Engine		New 20 mm cannons	MBC mk.I
IV		Engine injection	Cover		LBC mk.I	FFAR Mighty Mouse

As an attacker, your priority is on obtaining more effective ground attack ordinance.

Start off with Offensive 20 mm, to unlock Universal belts with a higher composition of API-T shells for ground attack.
Then, research SBC mk.I, to unlock the 12 x HVAR & 500 lb bomb combination.

The following depends on whether your preferred play style will be either Air or Ground attack:

Air

1. Research TC mk.I to unlock the 12 x HVAR & Torpedo combination for maps with mainly naval targets and few ground targets, such as Norway.
2. Next, select LFRC mk.12 to unlock the path to FFAR later.
3. With tier 3 unlocked, research the New 20 mm Cannons to fix the AN/M3's terribly accuracy problems and to make the ground strike more effective.
4. As we're going to be using exclusively FFAR's later, research Engine and Wings Repair to unlock tier 4 modules.
5. Finally, with tier 4 open, get FFAR Mighty Mouse as soon as you can.

56 Mighty Mouse rockets can be potentially used to destroy 23 tanks or light pillboxes, no other ordnance can compete. This makes it the obvious and only choice for grinding with the AD-4 in Air.

Ground

1. Research TC mk.I to open up the path to MBC mk.I.
2. Then research Compressor for the extra engine power.
3. With tier 3 open, research MBC mk.I, then Engine and New 20 mm cannons.
   
4. Finally, with tier 4 open, research LBC mk.I.
   

FFARs may be accurate, but their post-penetration damage versus ground forces vehicles is pathetic. The large 2,000 lb and 1,000 lb bombs available to the AD-4 are much more reliable at destroying in general, and HVARs have far superior destruction power when they hit.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Incredibly large and powerful anti-ground armament selection
• Strong cannons for both air-to-ground and air-to-air
• Relatively strong structure and armour
• Faster than its predecessor, the AD-2
• High burst turn rate for its size
• Can carry 56 FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets, with high-penetration HEAT warheads

Cons:

• Slower than nearly all planes it meets
• Matchmaker allows it to face jets
• Extremely poor energy retention
• Low sustained turn rate
• Terrible stock aircraft (inaccurate cannons, slow, less effective payload options)

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the plane and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(plane-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the plane's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

• War Thunder Live - User created AD-4 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-2 Skyraider

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Aichi B7A
• Martin AM Mauler
• Westland Wyvern

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.

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.