In the spring of 1946, a few XBT2D-1s were delivered to the Pacific Fleet Air Headquarters at NAS Alameda for service trials. In December of 1946, VA-19A at NAS Alameda was declared operational with the AD-1. Deliveries to two Atlantic Fleet squadrons, VA-3B and VA-4B, began in April of 1947. These two units completed carrier qualification trials aboard the USS Sicily. They were soon deployed aboard the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Throughout the late 1940s, more and more Navy carrier-based units were equipped with Skyraiders of various versions. As the year 1950 began, it appeared that the production of the Skyraider was going to be winding down quite shortly, with 12 Navy AD attack squadrons, plus two AD-4N night attack and two AD-3W early warning squadrons already in service. Throughout the Korean conflict, the Skyraider was used in a variety of roles--day and night attack against North Korean and Chinese troop concentrations as well as radar jamming and electronic countermeasures. It was able to carry a large variety of offensive loads, and was the only plane capable of delivering 2000-lb bombs with dive-bombing precision against targets such as mountain bridges and hydroelectric dams. Numerous sorties were flown by AD-4N night-attack aircraft. These three-seat aircraft were very effective in night operations, carrying a 500 lb bomb, 6 250 lb bombs and six flares.
After the Korean War ended with an armistice in July of 1953, production of the continued. The peak of Skyraider usage was in 1955, when 29 Navy squadrons and 13 Marine Corps squadrons were flying Skyraiders. The last Skyraider came off the production line in February of 1957, a much longer production run than had been anticipated back in the late 1940s. Although the Skyraider was never intended to be a fighter, it did achieve a couple of MiG "kills" during the Southeast Asian War. On June 20, 1965, Lts Charles Hartman and Clinton Johnson in A-1H BuNo 137523 and 139786 shared in the downing of a MiG-17 by cannon fire. On October 9, 1966, Lt JG William T. Patton of VA-176 flying A-1H BuNo 137543 shot down a MiG-17 near Hanoi.
The last Navy Skyraiders were retired in early 1972. The USAF continued to use Skyraiders throughout most of the Vietnam war. The last USAF A-1 rescue mission was flown on November 7, 1972.
NOTE: These models are designed for FS9, however, they are fully compatible with FSX, BUT they are not FSX based models. Special features common to FSX are not modeled (self shadowing, bumpmaps)but other features, specially those refering to aircraft preview and in-flight views are present.A FSX installer is included to facilitate FSX users.
FS2004/FSX Version
26 high detailed models with 36 different textures covering from the first prototype to the last operative versions used by the french air force
High detailed virtual cockpit with clickable gauges, throtlle, prop pitch, flap lever, gear lever and tail hook lever are animated but not clickable
Custom gauges
Custom Sound package
FSX compatibility
CFS2 version
8 high detailed models with 30 different textures
Multi-res, will work in "Quick Combat" mode and also as AI
Custom DP files & weapons BGL?s
Custom sounds
Strike Figthers/Wings over Vietnam/Wings over Europe version
9 High detailed models with 30 different textures.
High detailed cockpit.
3 high detailed pilots.
Custom sounds.