Ken Powell wrote:

This is off topic but is still airplane stuff, so:
Can anyone provide me with general info in the engine used on
the A1 Skyraider as used in Vietnam?
Cubic Inches?
No. of Rows?
No. of Cylinders per Row?
Was it Turbo-Compound Supercharged?
Other Interesting Info?

Thanks,
Ken Powell

I think they used the P&W R4360 four row corncob engine. Not sure.
For sure not turbo compound. May have been a Curtis Wright R3350.

Paul Lamar

Bill Freeman wrote:

  It was the Wright 3350, not the PW.  The 3350 is a two
row radial of 3350 cubic inches, I think two rows of 9 each, for 18 cyls,
and the Navy nearly always used supercharged engines, very rarely turbo'd.
The AD (A-1 is the Air Force stealing the AD and renaming it; typical) used
the 26W, 26WA or 26WB version of the 3350. Rated at 3050 hp.  This
class of engines was typically manually shifted for at least two supercharger
speeds, sometimes three, shifted as altitude increased.  Not sure if this was
true for the R3350-26W, but I'd guess "probably".

The AD was called the Spad by most Navy pilots since if flew far into the
jet age, but was operational at the very end of WW2.  The AF took Navy
ADs and rebuilt them to use as SAR close air support birds,  code named
Sandy for Vietnam.  The Navy did a lot with them in 'Nam off carriers.
Tremendous load & range and time on target, very useful for close air support.
Super tough, hard to kill and bad to have mad at you.  A truly historic
bird.  Designed by the legendary Ed Heinemann, also of A4 Skyhawk
fame.

Bill

 
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