DOCTOR MICHAEL SCHLOSS' DOUGLAS SKYRAIDER HONORS THE HEROES OF THE VIETNAM WAR Under a clouded sky and over a lush fresh landscape.

DOCTOR MICHAEL SCHLOSS' DOUGLAS SKYRAIDER HONORS THE HEROES OF THE VIETNAM WAR

Under a clouded sky and over a lush fresh landscape, two drab gray Cessna O-2 FACs (Forward Air Controllers) circled an design on the ground. Coming in from the west was the distinctive roar of a Wright R-3350 betimes followed by the menacing shape of an aircraft - a camouflaged Douglas Skyraider carrying an intimidating array of underwing weapons.

Entering a precipitous dive, the Skyraider picked without the ground target identified by the agency of the FACs. In a momentum the ground erupted in explosions and vanity while the Skyraider pulled up in a drench climb - condensation trails streaming from the wing tips and screw-steamer in the humid air.

While it appear to beed to be a scene not at home of Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, it wasn't. Doctor Michael Schlos was demonstrating, in company with the O-2 what the SEA air war was like to spectators at the 2003 alarming threat Over Michigan airshow at Willow hurry "We have found that many of our attendees really have sexual delight with seeing the aircraft of the Vietnam War," stated airshow director Michael Luther. "They are fascinated to diocese how the FACs operated in conjunction with attack aircraft like the Skyraider."

The camouflaged Skyraider is have a title toed and operated by the modern York City-based Schloss who, besides being a confirmed Warbird fanatic, is also president of the EAA's Warbirds of America. "Over the past not many years, I have seen by what means many of our Vietnam veterans have reacted to the Skyraider at airshows with equal reason I decided to add the underwing armament and start doing a SEA-style show" said Schloss

The doctor's Skyraider started public life at the Douglas factory as BuNo 126959 a three-seat AD-4N night attack version of the famous ed Heinemann design (see sidebar). However, it wasn't protracted before the aircraft was twitched for conversion to AD4NA status. All the night attack gear was plucked from the airframe to enable the Skyraider to carry a greater weapons load. The brace wing-mounted 20mm cannons were correlativeed by the addition of brace more of the effective weapons. All this was done for a like reason the aircraft could be rushed to the world's modern hot spot: Korea.

On 25 June 1950 communist forces from North Korea poured into southerly Korea - catching the clear world by surprise. The US Navy's Seventh squadron was patrolling the Formosa Straits and quickly locate course for the Korean peninsula. upon 3 july, AD-4 N| Skyraiders from the USS Valley Forge's VA-55 attacked Pyongyang airfield, thus becoming the first of their emblem to see combat.

At Douglas, Skyraider production was quickly upp and the AD (which gained the nickname "Able Dog") would papal court action through the three years of the Korean War. The US Navy operated twelve attack (VA) squadrons, four composite (VC) squadrons, and brace fighter squadrons (VF) of Skyraiders against the communists - extracting heavy tolls from the enemy for their aggression. In addition, the US Marine Corps operated sum of two units attack squadrons and one composite reconnaissance squadron from land bases.

The Skyraider quickly prov itself to be extremely effective against heavily-defended industrial targets and was the barely aircraft capable of delivering 2000-lb bomb upon enemy targets with dive-bombing precision. This was particularly vital since the enemy many times built installations in tunnels or in difficult valley areas that were hard to reach by means of conventional attack.

After Korea, the Skyraider saw action in many of the world's grieve spots and in the early 1960 the US Air Force began to acquire Skyraiders from the Navy for the counter-insurgency part while also training South Vietnamese pilots in the operation of their A-IH Skyraiders. In the skies athwart Southeast Asia, American pilots would make combat history flying the Skyraider against a deadly and aggressive enemy.

It did not take America's Allies lengthy to notice the benefits of the Skyraider. In the 1950 France was fighting a brutal war in Algeria against the fore-rank de Liberation Nationale. Flying aging Republic P-47 denunciations in the harsh environment against the rebels, the Armee de l'Air realized they exigencyed a more efficient and recent aircraft with which to attack the enemy.

After quick negotiations with the American conduct France obtained 93 Navy Skyraiders in 1959 The aircraft comprised 40 AD-4NAs and 53 AD-4Ns and these aircraft would be used to equip the 20th Escadre which was flying the P-47 The planes were shipped to France where they were transferred to the SFERNA facility at Bordeaux-Merignac where the aircraft were assembled, inspected, and the -4N were changeed to -4NAs. Included in these aircraft was BuNo 126959

Since time was critical, this work was quickly performed and the first Armee de l'Air Skyraider was delivered in February 1960 with the first planes going to Escadron II/20 and then to 1/20 and III/20 of the 20th Escadre. In Algerian combat, the Skyraider formerly again proved to he a strong weapon but, as in hido-China, France was fighting a losing battle and Algeria was eventually granted independence.