AD-2
Contents
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
| 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 | 563 | 550 | 8900 | 21.9 | 22.5 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 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 |
Survivability and armour
- 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
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
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 manoeuvrability when they are clean of their ordnance. 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
- Videos
See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
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. | |
| USA strike aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Douglas | A-20G-25 · A-26B-10 · A-26B-50 · A2D-1 · AD-2 · AD-4 · A-1H |
| North American | A-36 · PBJ-1H · PBJ-1J |
| Other | AM-1 · AU-1 · XA-38 |
