Post by flyboy on Jun 22, 2018 7:25:32 GMT
The North American Savage.
Designed by North American Aviation shortly after the conclusion of the Second World War the Savage was a carrier-borne aircraft capable of carrying conventional bomb loads or atomic or nuclear weapons. However, when the aircraft first became operational there were no carriers suitable for the aircraft to operate from and it wasn't until a new class of carrier was introduced having a stronger deck that the aircraft was able to fulfil it's intended roll. Even then it was not popular with the carrier crews as the type was large and heavy to handle on the crowded decks and needed considerable man power to fold the wing tips, tail fin and rudder for storage.
The three prototypes (designated XAJ-1s) and early Savage AJ-1s were powered by 2x 2,300bhp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-44W Double Wasp turbo charged piston engines plus a 4,600 pound force Allison J33-a-10 turbojet fitted in the rear fuselage. Both type of engine used Avgas of the same grade to simplify the fuel system. When additional 1,640 US gallon tanks were fitted in the weapons bay and with modified bomb bay doors to permit the deployment of the hose and drogue equipment the aircraft was able to undertake air-to-air refuelling missions. This variant of the aircraft had the jet engine removed. These tanker aircraft served for several years with the heavy attack squadrons on-board the aircraft carriers.
The first batch of 55 AJ-1 Savages was ordered on October 6th 1947 and carried three crew, the first aircraft first flew in May 1949 and was first delivered to a squadron in the following September. By the early 1950's the squadrons were beginning to receive their full compliment of aircraft. The designation of the AJ-1 Savage was changed to A2A in 1962. The first take-offs and landings took place aboard the USS Coral Sea on April 21st and 31st August 1950. Other than a 12,000lb bomb load the aircraft were unarmed.
Starting in 1951 Savages arrived at NAS Port Lyautey in Morroco and deployed to carriers of the Sixth Fleet in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea where they would be armed with conventional, atomic or nuclear bombs as required. In order to then deliver their bomb load on target the aircraft would depart the carrier and route low level over Bulgaria and Romania and once in the proximity of the target climb at maximum power to the correct altitude to release the bomb. A wing over would then be performed followed by a dive to low altitude, keeping the tail pointing towards the bomb target to avoid damage caused by the shock wave of the explosion. Thankfully it was never necessary to perform this manoeuvre in anger.
The US Navy redesignated all of it's Savage equipped composite squadrons as heavy attack squadrons (VAH) on
November 1st 1955.
Many of the earlier AJ-1 Savages were rebuilt as AJ-2s and a further order followed when the later AJ-2 Savage was re-engined with 2x uprated 2500hp Pratt & Whitney R2800-48 radial engines and also kept the additional power of the rear mounted turbojet, there were 55x AJ-2's ordered. This version being re-designated A-2B in 1962. Incorporated in the AJ-2 design was a taller tail fin, slightly longer fuselage and increased fuel capacity, plus an easing of handling difficulties for the carriers crews.
The AJ-2 was followed by a further 30x of the AJ-2P version which was designed for photo-reconnaissance and mapping duties with an impressive array of cameras for the crews use.
By 1960 most of the Savages had been removed from military service and replaced by A3K Skywarriors. Many of the surplus aircraft found a new roll as fire-fighting conversions.
Specification AJ-1:
Crew 3
Length 63ft 1in (19.2m)
Wingspan 71ft 5in (21.8m)
Height 20ft 5in (6.2m)
Wing Area 836sq ft (78sq m)
Weight Empty 27,558lb (12,500kg)
Weight Loaded 47,000lb (21,363kg)
Weight Max T.O 50,954lb (23,161kg)
Speed Max. 471mph (409kn,758km/h)
Range 1,731mi (1,505nmi,2,787km)
Service Ceiling 40,800ft (12,440m)
Rate of Climb 2,900ft/min (14.7m/s)
Power/Mass Prop 0.091hp/lb (150W/kg)
Thrust/Weight Jet 0.087
Powerplants: 2x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-44W radials >
2,400hp ( 1,790kW) each
1x AllisonJ33-A-10 turbojet, 4,600lbf (20kN)
Bomb Load: 12,000lb (5,400kg) of conventional bombs>
or 1x Atomic bomb or 1x Nuclear bomb.
Known Visitors:
Reg Type C/n Operator Information Sqn Dates Noted
124855 AJ-1 169-6 US Navy VAH-5 6.8.56.
124856 --..-- 169-7 --..-- NC-8 USS Coral Sea 8.1.57,00.12.57.
124860 --..-- 169-11 --..-- --..-- --..-- 00.12.57.
124861 --..-- 169-12 --..-- NC-9 --..-- 8.1.57.
124864 --..-- 169-15 --..-- NB-7 --------------- 00.12.57.
128050 --..-- 175-8 --..-- GB-1 VAP-62 10.7.57,12.7.57.
128051} --..-- 175-9 --..-- TP-2 --..-- {00.9.54,15.5.55,18.5.55>
--..-- } --..-- --..-- --..-- --..-- --..-- {4.6.55,18.6.55.
130406] AJ-2 184-2 --..-- ----- --------------- [00.1.54>
--..-- ] AJ-2P --..-- --..-- TP-16 --------------- [00.12.54,00.4.56.
130424 --..-- 184-20 --..-- TP-3 VAP-62 15.5.55,00.4.56.
134039 AJ-2 184-26 --..-- NH-9 --------------- 7.9.55.
134043} AJ-2P 184-30 --..-- TP-11 VAP-62 {13.5.54,6.9.55>
--..-- } --..-- --..-- --..-- --..-- --------------- {00.4.56.
134050 AJ-2 184-37 --..-- NH-2 VAH-7 6.9.55-7.9.55.
134052 --..-- 184-39 --..-- NB-2 --------------- 19.11.54,6.9.55.
134055 --..-- 184-42 --..-- NH-10 VAH-7 6.9.55-7.9.55.
134063 --..-- 184-50 --..-- NH-8 --..-- 6.9.55-7.9.55.
134064 --..-- 184-51 --..-- NH-7 --..-- 6.9.55-7.9.55.
134065 --..-- 184-52 --..-- NH-12 --..-- 6.9.55-7.9.55.
134066 --..-- 184-53 --..-- NH-6 --..-- 6.9.55-7.9.55.
134067 --..-- 184-54 --..-- NB-7 --------------- 6.9.55.
134069 --..-- 184-56 --..-- NH-9 VAH-7 6.9.55-7.9.55.
134074] AJ-2P 183-6 --..-- TP-9 VAP-62 [15.4.55,18.6.55,12.7.55>
--..-- ] --..-- --..-- --..-- --..-- --..-- [23.7.55,29.7.55,4.8.55>
--..-- ] --..-- --..-- --..-- --..-- --..-- [10.8.55,16.8.55,25.8.55>
--..-- ] --..-- --..-- --..-- --..-- --..-- [16.9.55.
Credits:
Wikipedia
joe bauger
rj for use of his records
The enthusiasts who kept their records.
PB for the photographs.
Complete JSM 24.6.2018.