Douglas A-3 Skywarrior. A photo. Characteristics.
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Douglas A-3 Skywarrior. A photo. Characteristics.

Douglas A-3 Skywarrior. A photo. Characteristics.

USA

A type: Twin-engine jet aircraft electronic countermeasures

Crew: Flight crew of three and four operator systems

Another project by Ed Heinemann, designed and built at the Douglas plant in El Segundo, California. The A3D aircraft (such a designation it received at the beginning) Skyworrior (heavenly warrior), when put into operation by the fleet in December 1954, became the world's first decked strategic bomber *. Designed for the delivery of thermonuclear bombs and possessing a sufficient safety margin and a length that allows its placement on future super-navy carriers of the Forrestal class, the Pratt-Whitney aircraft was distinguished by a large bomb compartment, a radar for "blind" bombing and a remotely controlled A-21V tail turret .

Towering even on larger flight decks of new attack aircraft carriers, the plane quickly received the nickname "Whale" (Whale) from both pilots and other members of the air units. The company Douglas received a contract for the construction of 280 Skyworrior aircraft, the last of which (aircraft A3D-2Q EW) entered the fleet in January 1961. After flying just a little over ten years as a heavy bomber, the Skyworrior aircraft was replaced by the middle of 1960 by this role, for which it was intended, more mobile and therefore more robust by the A-b Intruder aircraft, although The service of the Skyworrior aircraft in the fleet continued for another 25 years. Due to its size, Skyworrior proved to be exceptionally suitable for other tasks, such as refueling in the air (modification of KA-ZV), reconnaissance (RA-3B), training of radar / navigators operators (modification TA-ZV) and electronic countermeasures (modification EA-3B).

Having participated in the Vietnam War, the aircraft "Skayuorrior" finally disappeared from the decks of aircraft carriers at the end of 1980-ies, although several aircraft EA-pollutant lasted so long that took part in the fighting during the Gulf War, performing flights from coastal air bases . Today, more than a dozen aircraft "Skayuorrior" owned and operated by the company "Hughes Aircraft» (Hughes Aircraft), based in California, to perform work related to defense.

* In the United States, unlike the Russian Federation, there is a concept of strategic aviation. In our country, these include aircraft with an intercontinental flight range. - Approx. ed.

Basic data

Dimensions:

  • Length: 23,35 m
  • Wingspan: 22,1 m
  • Height: 7,13 m

The weight:

  • BLANK: 18 685 kg
  • Maximum take-off: 35 380 kg on the ground

Aircraft performance characteristics: 

  • Maximum speed: 1032 km / h
  • Range: 2057 km

Power point: two engines J57-10 companies "Pratt & Whitney"

Power: 111,17 kN thrust

Date of first flight:

  • 28 1952 October, the

The surviving airworthy modifications: EA-SG, NRA-3B and TA-SG

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