Skyraider info

[otftch]

Anyone have any information on this AD Skyraider? I've never seen one in overall orange ?
Ed

[evangilder]

That overall color was typically used for target drones, although I was not aware of any Skyraiders used for that. They also used skyraiders for drone tugs and in nuclear testing. Here are some Hellcat shots of Hellcats that were target drones. These were also taken at China Lake, which is likely where the shot you posted was.

[mikewint]

I'm no expert but saw lots of skyraiders in vietnam. the pic looks like an air show and that is a Navy plane in the backround
so my guess is that is NAS Corpus Christi, Texas where skyraider pilots were trained. Aviation Training Unit 301
training skyraiders were painted in orange and white, though i don't see any white in the pic

[Airframes]

Wasn't China Lake a gunnery school? As the 'watermark' states 'China lake Alumni', I think the pic might have been taken there, probably in the 1950s, judging by the Phantom 1 or Banshee in the background, and I think the Skyraider is more than likely a tug.

[Capt. Vick]

Just by chance this was in this years Paralzed Veterans of America Calendar...

[mikewint]

this time i see the white under the wings and on the tail so i would say that these are trainers

[evangilder]

A-1s were not used as trainers. China Lake was not a gunnery school, but a place to research, develop, and test weapons systems for the US Navy. Aircraft used for testing and evaluation often carry that orange to provide high contrast visibility. Judging by the color scheme and history of the Skyraider and China Lake, it was most likely a target tug, with the high visibility scheme in place so that the target would get shot at, instead of the tug.

[mikewint]

evangilder, by trainer i did not mean "learn-to-fly" trainer but a plane used to train pilots who were going to fly A-1s in combat how to fly the A-1. they were based in Corpus Christi, Texas, Avaition Training Unit 301

[evangilder]

Ok, gotcha. I don't know the details of that unit, or their markings, but I do know the orange highlights and overall orange are used a lot at China Lake.

[mikewint]

evangilder, i'm definitely no expert but skyraider pilots saved our bacon more times then i can remember so i did talk to several of them and i remember them saying texas and remarking on the camo paint

[Airframes]

Thanks for the clarification Erich. I knew China Lake had something to do with weapons and research, but wasn't sure if it was the Test and Evaluation Centre, or a Weapons Training School.