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    The Douglas AD "Skyraider" was built to replace the SB2C Helldiver, but did not participate in any WWII operations before the war ended. As the most powerful carrier-based attack plane ever built, this single-engine aircraft with its three fuselage stations and six racks on each wing could carry a varied assortment of ordnance including bombs, rockets, mines, torpedoes and napalm at weights greater than that of the four-engine B-17 Flying Fortress. More than 3100 were built and operated in the attack role over a 23 year lifespan (1945-1968).
    Used with great success throughout the Korean conflict by the Navy and Marine Corps, it was described as the best and most effective close-support and interdiction aircraft in the world. On one occasion, ADs destroyed the floodgates of Hwachon Dam using torpedoes. This denied the enemy the ability to flood the two valleys and hold back the American advance.
      In contrast, the AD's participation as a strike aircraft in North Vietnam was of a limited duration due to heavy losses and damages incurred from sophisticated AAA and guided missiles (48 carrier-based Skyraiders were lost in combat). As a result, it was relegated to a SAR (Search and Rescue) role by both the Navy and Air Force. Many pilots and aircrew shot down in Southeast Asia owe their lives to the cover provided by this work horse. Because so much of its SAR operations were conducted at low altitudes in a hostile AAA and SAM environment, a crude but effective ejection seat was incorporated in the aircraft to assure safe egress of the pilot in the event that a bailout was required. A-1Hs were credited with downing 2 MiG-17 aircraft during the conflict.
    One of the early missions assigned to the AD was nuclear weapon delivery.  With 2 external 300 gallon drop tanks and a nuclear weapon, the Skyraider was capable of remaining airborne for 13 hours. Its only limitation in this configuration was consumption of oil beyond its 50 gallon capacity. Multi-seat configurations were built for airborne early warning (AEW), electronic counter-measures (ECM), and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations as well for transport of passengers and cargo.

See: A-1H Air Force Version