Image: The A-1E "Skyraider" on display at the Aerospace Museum of California

Description: The Douglas Aircraft Company produced the AD-5 from 1945 to 1957. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps used this aircraft as an attack bomber during the Korean War. In 1962, the US Air Force re-designated the AD-5 as the A-1E “Skyraider”. The A-1E flew for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and the Vietnamese Air Force during the Vietnam War. Skyraiders were attack aircraft, but they also provided close air support for ground operations. They escorted helicopters like the museum’s CH-3 “Jolly Green Giant” during rescue missions. Major Bernard Fisher, a California native, flew an A-1E when he rescued a fellow pilot from behind enemy lines on March 10, 1966. He was the first U.S. Air Force recipient of the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam conflict. Douglas built this A-1E at their plant in El Segundo, California in 1954. This Skyraider served aboard the U.S.S. Shangri-La, U.S.S. Franklin Roosevelt, U.S.S. Intrepid, and U.S.S. Enterprise aircraft carriers. This Skyraider came to the museum in October 1985. Museum staff restored it with markings for the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 14th Special Operations Wing.
Title: The A-1E "Skyraider" on display at the Aerospace Museum of California
Credit: Own work
Author: LEHarrison
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Attribution Required?: Yes