LGLomheim@aol.com wrote:

Gentlemen: My son just forwarded your e-mail concerning the AD Skyraider. I
started flying the AD4N in flight trng at Corpus Christi, Tx 1957 and upon
finishing went to VAW 12 in Rhode Island and flew the AD5W. I flew it off of
several carriers in the anti sub warfare programs. I was on the Valley Forge
(CVS 45) a straight deck and hydraulic cats. The engine did not stand up to
the hydraulic cat shots. (the cat rails where only 115 feet long and with 40
kts of wind over the deck the ship tried to give us 112 kts at end of the
cat) We lost a lot of crews. Engine suffered oil starvation on the cat shots.
The engine was a Wright 3350 with 2 stage blower that we would shift at
10,000 ft but we hardly ever went up that high. It was also fitted with water
injection but we did not use it--only for combat. Max power for carrier ops
was 56.5 "  MAP and for the shore based ops was 54.5". I am not sure if that
was Sqd procedure or NATOPS. I had two engine failures one put me in the bay
and one other at night doing FCLP (field carrier landing practice) in which I
was able to get down on a runway. (only Chan the laundry man knows how
scared...) Years later I flew the Connie's at VX 8 at PaxRiver and VAQ 33 at
Norfolk. I flew for Navoceano -2 world trips (great fun) and Project Jenny in
VN out of Danang going up north. The engines had many overhauls and as a
result we came home on 3 more than we liked. I live in the Denver area and
just today as I was coming home I saw an AD5 (A1E) with Air Force paint
landing at Centennial Airport. I must go get the buno and see if I flew it.
Oh yes I did a 3 year tour at O&R in flight test flying all the re-builts. I
flew the AD over 2000 hours and the Connies over 2000 hours also.  I have not
thought about the AD in years as I retired from the Navy July 1976.  If you
have any questions I might be able to answer then and if not I keep in touch
with some of the old buddies that will know the answers.  I just noticed that
the person requesting the information is Ken Powell and his e-mail address is
not on my page. Please forward if you know him.  All the best to you.  Lou
Lomheim (Lcdr USN Ret)

 
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