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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art and Artists Modern Era Aircraft More Aircraft Initials P - Z  Skyraider |
[UP] - Panther - Paradak - PBM - Peacemaker - Phantom (RAF) - Sabre - Saro SR45 Princess - Saro SR53 - Saro SRA1 - Sea Fury - Sea Harrier - Sea Vixen - Sentry - Shackleton - Skyhawk - Skyraider - Space Shuttle - Spearfish - Starfighter - Stratofortress - Strikemaster - SU27 - Swift - T-Bird - Tomcat (F-14) - Tristar - Twin Pioneer - Typhoon Eurofighter - U2 - Valiant - Valkyrie - Vampire - VC10 - Venom - Victor - Vigilante - Viper - Wyvern - X-15 |
| Skyraider Aviation Prints |
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Downed but not Forgotten by Stan Stokes. Douglas Aircraft delivered to the Navy Test Center an aircraft for testing in April 1945. This aircraft would prove to be the last of the great single engine propeller driven warbirds. Its simplicity of maintenance, excellent flight characteristics, and overall performance were all rated very good to excellent. In May, with WW II still underway the Navy entered a production order for 600 aircraft. In 1946 the aircraft was renamed the Skyraider. Powered by a 2,500 HP R-3350-24W engine turning a 4-bladed 13.5 foot prop the AD-1 Skyraider was capable of carrying 4,000 pounds of bombs and/or wing loaded rockets. Improvements continued with future variants, and when equipped with a 3,020 HP power plant, the Skyraiders payload capacity increased to a whopping 6,500 pounds, with a top speed of 328 knots. As one of the largest single engine propeller aircraft ever built, the Skyraider saw plenty of action during the Korean conflict. The AD-6 variant was produced in quantity (713), and saw plenty of service in Vietnam with the Navy, Marine Corps., USAF, and Vietnam Air Force. Despite the availability of high performance jet aircraft, the Skyraider proved its value on numerous occasions in Vietnam by providing close in support of ground troops. Colonel Bernard Fisher is depicted in Stan Stokes painting during a mission in the A Shau Valley on March 10, 1966. A US Special Forces camp had faced several days of heavy attack by a large force of North Vietnamese troops, who had brought in ack-ack guns in anticipation of Air Force support. The monsoon season was still underway, and the North Vietnamese knew that this would also hinder American air support. Jet aircraft were of little use due to the low ceilings, and an AC-47 gunship and helicopter had both been downed while making low passes. A1-E Skyraiders from the 1st Air Commando Squadron at Pleiku were scrambled to support the Special Forces. During the second day in support of the A Shau battle, one Skyraider, piloted by Col. Dafford Jump Myers, was severely damaged, and in flames. The only alternative was an emergency landing on the airstrip in the lower-valley camp. Fisher, guided the stricken aircraft in for a belly landing. Failing to jettison his 300 gallon drop tank, Myers Skyraider landed in a ball of flame as it skidded down the make shift runway. Myers successfully escaped the burning wreckage, but was within yards of enemy ground forces. Fisher and several other Skyraiders made several low passes laying down strafing fire and dropping ordnance. With any chance of helicopter rescue many minutes away, Col. Fisher took matters into his own hands and landed his own aircraft on the damaged and refuse-laden landing strip, successfully rescuing his downed comrade. Fishers Skyraider received 19 bullet holes, and for his heroic efforts Col. Fisher became the first USAF officer to receive the Medal of Honor in Southeast Asia. Col. Fisher now resides in Idaho. |
Watchful Sandy by Ivan Berryman. Playing a crucial role in the Vietnam conflict, the HH.53 'Jolly Green Giant' helicopters flew frequent courageous missions deep into North Vietnam to rescue even single US aircrew that were known to be still alive, always supported by the capable A-1H Skyraiders - or Sandy's - whose long endurance and low-speed, low-altitude capability made it the ideal guardian for the helicopter missions. |
Home at Dusk by Stan Stokes. A USN Skyraider returns to its floating home during the Vietnam War. |
| Skyraider Pilot and aircrew signature details |
Major General Carl D Peterson Our estimated value of this signature : £50 Died : 2010 | Major General Carl D Peterson Carl D. Peterson was born on January 19, 1924. After attending St. John's University, Peterson enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp. in October 1942. He commenced pilot training in April of 1943, and in early 1944 was commissioned as a second lieutenant. After completing B-17 training at Hobbs, New Mexico, and combat crew training at Sioux City, Iowa, Peterson was assigned to the 549th Bomb Squadron of the 385th Bomb Group based at Great Ashfield, England. The 385th was part of the Eighth Air Force, which was under the command of General james Doolittle, the great aviation pioneer who had led the daring B-25 raid on Tokyo only a few short months after Pearl Harbor. Peterson arrived in England in late September 1944 in time for the 200th mission celebration. While undergoing his final training the 549th lost eleven aircraft on a single mission to Berlin during an all out attack by 75 German fighters. Peterson's rookie crew became the fifth oldest in the squadron before they had flown their first mission. Peterson participated in a bombing raid of the Cologne rail yards during his third mission. On this mission, Peterson's aircraft lost two engines because of flak hits. A third engine was lost on return and he was forced to make a crash landing in Belgium, only two miles behind the front. In November Peterson took part in the largest air battle of all time when 1100 bombers and 900 fighters of the Eighth Air Force took on 500 Luftwaffe fighters during an attack on Meresberg. Peterson flew a total of thirty-five B-17 missions. On more than half of those missions he lost one or more engines. On four of those missions they were attacked by German fighters, and on four occasions they were forced down on the European Continent due to battle damage. Carl Peterson flew Ruby's Raiders as a back-up aircraft on more than one occasion. Peterson was also present when Cpl. Ruby Newell visited the 385th for the dedication of the aircraft, named in her honor. Peterson also served in Korea as Squadron Commander of the 339th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, which flew the F-94B. In 1961 while stationed in Saudi Arabia, Peterson organized an acrobatic team flying the F-86. General Peterson served in Vietnam where he piloted the A-1 Skyraider. In 1973 Peterson was promoted to Brigadier General and put in command of the USAF Defense Weapons Center at Tyndall Air Force Base. General Peterson flew his last operational flight in an F-106 in May of 1977. This was the culmination of more than 5,400 hours of military flying in 28 different aircraft. For two years prior to his retirement in 1979 General Peterson was third in command of land, air, and naval forces assigned to the NATO mission. Peterson received more than 20 decorations during his distinguished career. He and his wife Twy-la Jean have been married for more than 44 years, and have seven children and 16 grandchildren. Carl Peterson died on 23rd December 2010. A Clipped Signature is Available |
| Skyraider Squadron details |
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