A-1 (AD) Skyraider, A2D Skyshark, SB2D-1 (BTD-1) Destroyer

[GTX]

EDIT: I take that back.  I did a quick Google Image search for "turboprop Skyraider" and turned up the webpage of the artist, Greg Plummer.

http://www.gregplummer.com/planes/planes.html

He's also got a Corsair floatplane, a Shinden racer and some other whiffs.

Some damn fine stuff there - his non-aircraft stuff is great too.  Has an invite been sent?

Regards,

Greg

[GTX]

Mindless play:



Regards,

Greg

[icchan]

Mindless play:

Reminds me of the Skyly from Sky Crawlers, the Teacher's airplane.  Nice job.

[Jschmus]

It's prettier than the Skyshark, that's for sure.

[sequoiaranger]

Somehow I forgot to come back to this thread with my completed Douglas Decimator that "we" talked about a few posts below.

The backstory is the fun part--briefly, a two-place Douglas super-dive-and-torpedo-bomber is arriving in Hawaii for use of the Fleet in Spring of 1944. A "command" three-seater is wanted for Bert Earnest, now commander of a re-constituted Torpedo 8 aboard the new CV-12 Hornet, and "the boys" on the airfield part out an old TBD trainer and rig up a new three-seat cockpit area for the Decimator. They painted it blue-gray like at Midway, even putting Earnest's old number "8-T-1" on the side. "The Revenge of Torpedo 8" takes shape as the whole squadron is allowed to paint their Decimators as Midway-era craft, and add a new stinging Hornet motif to the tail. For the big Philippine Sea battle (after the defensive "wall" of US Navy fighters decimates the Japanese aerial attack) Torpedo 8 goes on the offensive carrying *THREE* ship-killing "Whopper" torpedoes—Whitehead-Howell Ordnance, Oxygen-ProPelled, Exploder Rectified--per aircraft! Earnest has invited his old Midway gunner, Harry Ferrier, back on board, and his deceased partner from Midway, Jay Manning, is along "in spirit" with a Navy blanket that his blood had dripped upon. Together again, they ride to battle against the Japanese fleet, leading Torpedo 8 on its long-awaited revenge mission. (There is lots more to the story, but you get the idea!)

Here is one pic of the front quarter:


Here is a picture of the cockpit area (the major whiffery on an otherwise "stock" Skyraider):

[GTX]

I just learnt that Sweden actually operated the Skyraider...in the target tug role.  Apparently 12 ex-RN machines were supplied between 1962 and 1974 (see below for pic of one of them):



Now moving into the land of whiff...what if instead of target tugs, Sweden actually purchased some full blown attack machines earlier and used them in the CAS role.  Maybe for use in the Congo Crisis?

Regards,

Greg

[sequoiaranger]

I don't quite know what the left wing leading-edge projection above the drop tank is on the Swedish Skyraider, but it caught my eye!

An experimental Skyraider was equipped with "Rocket Guns" in that same location, about the same size, and I put them in my whiffed "Douglas Decimator" (a post or two below). The Swedish Skyraider's projection (none on the right wing) looks like it has a louvre in the leading edge---some sort of cooler, maybe??

[Scooterman]

My guess something for the tug role.  I've never seen that fairing on any attack or jammer Spad.

[GTX]

Possibly a light with a grill in front of it - see here.



Regards,

Greg

[pyro-manic]

My first reaction was that it looks like an oil cooler (I've been fiddling about with similar from a Beaufighter recently), but obviously not for the Skyraider. Interestingly, this one has it, while this one doesn't. Perhaps something as simple as a light or a camera mount?

[rickshaw]

Weren't the Swedish tugs modified from AEW Skyraiders?   Perhaps a hang over from that?

[sequoiaranger]

A little off-subject, but the thing with possible "lights" and "Target Tug" got me thinking (uh-oh!)--towing a "sleeve" during the day is fine for day-practice, but how do night-fighter pilots practice gunnery?? Is there a metallic mesh put in the sleeve to reflect radar??

[NARSES2]

Weren't the Swedish tugs modified from AEW Skyraiders?   Perhaps a hang over that?

I think so plus I think they were operated by an outside agency rather then the Swedish AF ?

[rickshaw]

Weren't the Swedish tugs modified from AEW Skyraiders?   Perhaps a hang over that?

I think so plus I think they were operated by an outside agency rather then the Swedish AF ?

Thats my understanding as well.  Some sort of civil defence support agency or something like that?

[Maverick]

They were definitely flown in Swedish civilian regos.  This link shows the basic configuration.

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww3/a/593/5313/0/1

Regards,

Mav