page_title: Douglas A-1 Skyraider
section_title: Variants
hierarchical_section_title: Douglas A-1 Skyraider / Variants
caption_attribution_description: English: A U.S. Navy Douglas AD-4W Skyraider of Composite Squadron 12 (VC-12), Det.3, piloted by LT(JG) Richard G. Greenwood, lands on the aircraft carrier USS Leyte (CVA-32). VC-12, Det.3 was assigned to Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3) aboard the Leyte for a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea from 28 August 1952 to 16 February 1953.
context_page_description: The Douglas A-1 Skyraider is an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. The Skyraider had a remarkably long and successful career; it became a piston-powered, propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, and was nicknamed "Spad", after the French World War I fighter.
  It was operated by the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, and the United States Air Force, and also saw service with the British Royal Navy, the French Air Force, the Republic of Vietnam Air Force, and others. It remained in U.S. service until the early 1970s.
context_section_description: XBT2D-1
  Single-seat dive-bomber, torpedo-bomber prototype for the U.S. Navy.
  XBT2D-1N
  Three-seat night attack prototypes; only three aircraft built.
  XBT2D-1P
  Photographic reconnaissance prototype; only one built.
  XBT2D-1Q
  Two-seat electronics countermeasures prototype; one aircraft only.
  BT2D-2 (XAD-2)
  Upgraded attack aircraft; one prototype only.
  AD-1
  The first production model; 242 built.
  AD-1Q
  Two-seat electronic countermeasures version of the AD-1; 35 built.
  AD-1U
  AD-1 with radar countermeasures and tow target equipment, no armament and no water injection equipment.
  XAD-1W
  Three-seat airborne early warning prototype. AD-3W prototype; one aircraft only.
  AD-2
  Improved model, powered by 2,700 hp (2,000 kW) Wright R-3350-26W engine; 156 built.
  AD-2D
  Unofficial designation for AD-2s used as remote-control aircraft, to collect and gather radioactive material in the air after nuclear tests.
  AD-2Q
  Two-seat electronics countermeasures version of the AD-2; 21 built.
  AD-2QU
  AD-2 with radar countermeasures and target towing equipment, no armament and no water injection equipment; one aircraft only.
  XAD-2
  Similar to XBT2D-1 except engine, increased fuel capacity.
  AD-3
  Proposed turboprop version, initial designation of A2D Skyshark.
  AD-3
  Stronger fuselage, improved landing gear, new canopy design; 125 built.
  AD-3S
  Anti-submarine warfare model; only two prototypes were built.
  AD-3N
  Three-seat night attack version; 15 built.
  AD-3Q
  Electronics countermeasures version, countermeasures equipment relocated for better crew comfort; 23 built.
  AD-3QU
  Target towing aircraft, but most were delivered as the AD-3Q.
  AD-3W
  Airborne early warning version; 31 built.
  XAD-3E
  AD-3W modified for ASW with Aeroproducts propellor
  AD-4
  Strengthened landing gear, improved radar, G-2 compass, anti-G suit provisions, four 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon and 14 Aero rocket launchers, capable of carrying up to 50 lb (23 kg) of bombs; 372 built.
  AD-4B
  Specialized version designed to carry nuclear weapons, also armed with four 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon; 165 built plus 28 conversions.
  AD-4L
  Equipped for winter operations in Korea; 63 conversions.
  AD-4N (A-1D)
  Three-seat night attack version; 307 built.
  AD-4NA
  Designation of 100 AD-4Ns without their night-attack equipment, but fitted with four 20mm cannon, for service in Korea as ground-attack aircraft.
  AD-4NL
  Winterized version of the AD-4N; 36 conversions.
  AD-4Q
  Two-seat electronic countermeasures version of the AD-4; 39 built.
  AD-4W
  Three-seat airborne early warning version; 168 built. A total of 50 AD-4Ws were transferred to the Royal Navy as Skyraider AEW Mk 1.
  AD-5 (A-1E)
  Side-by-side seating for pilot and co-pilot, without dive brakes; 212 built.
  AD-5N (A-1G)
  Four-seat night attack version, with radar countermeasures; 239 built.
  AD-5Q (EA-1F)
  Four-seat electronics countermeasures version; 54 conversions.
  AD-5S
  One prototype to test Magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) anti-submarine equipment.
  AD-5U
  The AD-5 when modified for target towing became UA-1E in 1962. The same model converted as a transport was sometimes referred to as AD-5R.
  AD-5W (EA-1E)
  Three-seat airborne early warning version with an AN/APS-20 radar installed; 218 were buil.
  UA-1E
  Utility version of the AD-5.
  AD-6 (A-1H)
  Single-seat attack aircraft with three dive brakes, centerline station stressed for 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) of ordnance, 30 in (760 mm) in diameter, combination 14 in (360 mm) and 30 in (760 mm) bomb ejector and low/high altitude bomb director; 713 built.
  AD-7 (A-1J)
  The final production model, powered by a R-3350-26WB engine, with structural improvements to increase wing fatigue life; 72 built.
caption: AD-4W AEW aircraft landing on USS Leyte
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