A-1 Combat Journal
Appendix 6
"Bet You Didn't Know" Skyraider Facts
- The single engine Skyraider had a heavier maximum external
store capacity (7,500 lbs.) than the four engine B-17
Flying Fortress (4,800 lbs.).
- The Wright
Cyclone R-3350-26WD was the largest radial engine ever used on a successfully
produced single engine US military aircraft*. The B-29 Super Fortress,
BTD-1 Destroyer, P2V Neptune, and the P-5 Marlin also used the Wright R-3350
engine. The R-3350 was second in size only to the R-4360 which was used
on the B-36
Peacemaker and the B-50. For you motor heads, you can buy your own
R-3350 pistons and/or valves here.
- The limiting factor on the duration on a Skyraider mission
was the oil supply. Despite having a 38.5 gallon oil sump, auxiliary oil
tanks were fitted for long ferry missions.
- The Skyraider had a total of 15 external stations on
which external fuel tanks and weapons were carried.
- The Skyraider carried sufficient ordnance to deliver
ordnance on over 100 passes on a single sortie.
- Due to its heavy gross weight, the Skyraider cruised
to the target at 140 knots indicated airspeed at a maximum altitude of
approximately 10,000 ft. This equated to approximately three miles per
minute over the ground.
- The four M-3 20mm cannons used percussion primed (as
opposed to electric primed) ammo which had to be drawn from Korean war
surplus since it was no longer produced during the Vietnam War era.
- The Skyraider typically carried more fuel in external
tanks (3,000 lbs.) than was carried internally (2,000 lbs.).
- The ordnance carried for a search and rescue (SAR) mission
was: 720 rounds of 20 mm for the M-3 cannons, 1,500 rounds of 7.62 ammo
for the SUU-11 minigun, 4 x CBU-25 canisters with high explosive bomblets,
2 x CBU-22 canisters with smoke bomblets, 2 x AN-M47 white phosphorus smoke
bombs, 2 x LAU-3 pods with 19 HE (high explosive) rockets each, 2 x LAU-59/68
pods with 7 WP (white phosphorus) marking rockets each.
* The Martin Am-1 Mauler was fitted with the R-4360 but
was produced only in limited numbers.