You can find plans for the 100" wingspan rc Skyraider pictured above for sale from Nick Ziroli plans.
RC Skyraider from NitroPlanes.
The 40" wingspan rc Skyraider for sale by NitroPlanes is an ARF model. It can be powered either by electric motor or engine power and weighs about 2 1/2 lbs. all up.
RC Skyraider built by Tom Burdin.
Pictured are Tom Burdin and his rc Skyraider that was scratch built. Tom is with the Greater Cincinnati Radio Control Airplane Club.
RC Skyraider by Paul Janssens.
Picture just above is the 53" wingspan rc Skyraider slope soaring rc airplane scratch built by Paul Janssens.
RC Skyraider by Kondor Model Products.
The great looking rc Skyraider from Kondor Model Products - KMP, comes as a ARF. Its wingspan is 71" and length is 51".
The fuselage is fiberglass and wings are balsa b/u. It takes a 1.50 four stroke or 26 cc gas engine for power. Weight is around 12 lbs.
RC Skyraider by Kenneth Lawson.
This rc Skyraider scratch built by Kenneth Lawson has a 120" wingspan, is powered by a Moki R225 engine, and weighs around 55 lbs.
RC Skyraider built by Ali Machinchy.
This is the largest rc Skyraider we know about. It was built by Ali Machinchy and has a 15 foot wingspan. Power comes from a 400 cc radial engine. Weight
is around 182 lbs.
Skyshark RC has a rc Skyraider - 45 kit for sale with a 60" wingspan for glow power.
At one time Great Planes had a rc Skyraider kit, but it appears to have been discontinued. However it has appeared for sale on eBay from time to time.
Anglia Model Centre has a 62 1/2" wingspan rc Skyraider kit. The rc model airplane uses a .60 engine.
Jim Bell of Waukesha, WI writes: "Completion of the Skyshark kit for my rc Skyraider was the result of a long Wisconsin winter!
Noting that the rc Skyraider prototypes required a fair amount of weight to balance, I made two changes to it: ( 1 ) Reducing the solid sections of wood
in the tail feathers and achieving stiffness with carbon fiber reinforced spars, and ( 2 ) Turning the tank sideways so I could locate
the servos ahead of the C/G on removable rails. With an OS .60 up front, I obtained the correct balance for the rc Skyraider.
Covering is in Navy gray Easytex fabric. The panel lines are from Ultrakote and insignias are hand cut Easytex. I used a Precision Fiberglass cowl on the front of the rc Skyraider.
I certainly enjoyed building the Skyshark kit. It is a super flyer!"
ground attack
one
Wright R3350
2,800
10,550 lbs.
25,000 lbs.
8,000 lbs.
4 - 20 mm
38' 10"
50' 9"
204 mph
312 mph
2,300 fpm
25,500 feet
3,050 miles
March 19, 1945
1946
The Skyraider, manufactured by Douglas, is considered one of the best attack aircraft ever to fly. Its origins trace back to World War II,
as an upgrade for older aircraft. A prototype Skyraider first took to the sky on March 19, 1945 with deployment in December of 1946.
During WW II the US Navy wanted a new torpedo dive bomber. In response a number of aircraft in the SB2D/BTD class were proposed. Engineering
difficulties and weight problems ended the project. Ultimately, a different aircraft was proposed utilizing the worthwhile properties from the prior design and omitting its negative features.
The Skyraider kept its weight down with advanced engineering and the use of light weight materials. A unique feature that saved a great deal of weight was its weapons delivery system. It used propelled charges to launch bombs away from the aircraft.
When compared with the latest dive bombers of its day, the Skyraider had an 80 mph higher maximum speed and a 25% greater ordnance payload.
No single engine attack aircraft built was larger than the Skyraider. It flew the bulk of all ground support missions between 1959 and 1968. The Skyraider was the United States Navy's last propeller driven aircraft.
Skyraider during the Korean War.
Although larger single crew jet powered aircraft have since been built, when the Skyraider was first introduced, no single crew aircraft driven by a single engine was
larger. Its Wright R-3350 engine, producing some 2,800 h.p., gave the aircraft a low maintenance, reliable power plant, with the ability to haul large ordnance loads.
The extensive combat experience of its predecessors ensured that the Skyraider would be able to absorb battle damage, deliver the widest range of ordnance, and bring its pilot home safely.
The Skyraider has a total of fifteen hard points which enabled it to carry a large variety of weapons. The wings folded so that the aircraft could be stored more easily aboard aircraft carriers.
Skyraider during the Vietnam War.
Throughout the twelve years Skyraider aircraft were produced, they continually received upgrades. They were built in some 22 different variants.
The AD-2 featured additional fuel capacity and an engine producing more power. The AD-3 had a canopy with increased visibility, a propeller
producing more torque, and a stronger under carriage. The AD-4W Skyraider carried a crew of three and featured an early-warning radar. An AD-5 model had a crew of four and could be adapted for the transportation of up to twelve troops.
Skyraider with early warning pod.
Some 3,180 Skyraider aircraft were built. They entered service after WW II, but saw combat in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars where they were invaluable. Their weapons load and endurance combined to far surpass all other aircraft of the time.
The French used the Skyraider in Algeria in the ground attack role through 1965. When the U.S. became involved in Vietnam, Skyraider aircraft
were often used against the most heavily armed enemy positions. In addition to attack, Skyraider aircraft were used for forward air control, helicopter escort, and SAR. Vietnam Skyraider pilots are credited with the downing of two enemy jets.
While serving from just after World War II and well into the jet age, the Skyraider, a propeller driven aircraft, remained a highly valued
member of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marines, plus the military of France, Great Britain, Chad, and a host of other allies.
RC Skyraider
