You mean the Martin Mauler? It was bigger than the Spad! But they went with the Douglas design, one of the times they made the right decision.
I saw one of them in a barn in Texas back in 1982! I think it was about the only one left, don't know where it wound up.

Not much but it's a start. Now I have to use my little template/jig thingy to remove material for the 4mm foam and 1/16" balsa skin. Just trace around and cut off.

J

Woody

J, the AD-4N Skyraiders that you see around are most likely aircraft that the the French sold off many years ago. I was offered a job flying one of those back to the USA but I didn't like the idea of crossing the Atlantic in an old single engine airplane that had been sitting for quite awhile. They all made it, though and I sometimes wonder....
As for the difference, the easiest thing to note is the small door in the side of the fuselage, just aft of the wing. Then there are the two the heavy store pylons on either side of the fuselage on the wings. On an AD-4 the pylons are very small and rounded to a degree. On the AD-6/A-1H they are much bigger and come to a point at the front. The AD-6 could carry a heavier load than the AD-4. Probably only I would notice the canopy but on the AD-4 the aft part of the canopy is a bit flatter than on the AD-6, where it was pushed up a little more in that area. On the USS Midway in San Diego, there is an AD-4 dressed up like an A-1H with VA-176 markings (the bumblebee). The first time that I saw it the canopy didn't look right and then I noticed the wrong pylons and no rear landing gear doors. The lack of doors don't catch your attention unless the airplane is flying overhead and maybe I'm the only one that would notice it. There are still some of the AD-4s around. There's another one just 50 miles from my home and based in Madras, OR, as part of an aircraft museum. There is at least one, maybe more, A-1H around too. These were most likely flown out of Vietnam at the last moment and ended up in Thailand. I also flew an A-1E (the fat Spad) at Pensacola, FL for my last year in the Navy and I think that it is still around, too, and maybe a few more.
That was a long winded answer for a simple question but when I start talking about Spads........

Jim

John do you do the trace and cut all the way around the centre "keel"

J, the AM-1 Mauler ended up also at the air museum in Madras. I was told that it is the only one but is not flyable. When I looked at it with its big 4360 engine I could see why the Skyraider was points ahead right there with the very reliable 3350. I had some time flying an old C-119 with 4360s on it and in one fire fighting season I managed to blow two of them. The Air Force when it was flying the C-119 switched over to the 3350s. Good decision too. When you only have one, as on the Spad, you want the best one in front of you. I only had one engine problem with a 3350. One cylinder came off of the block and I flew the airplane 15 minutes back to my base in Pensacola, the best place to go with the problem. Not much oil left, though. It was all on the side of the airplane!

Jim

Subscribed! I just may build this in a reduced scale. Always learn a bunch from your builds Mr. Morgan!! Mel B.

Me too. J. I've decided to that your rendition of the Spad is just going to be too big for me. I already have two giant airplanes in my hangar and I'm running out of room. I found some 1/8 plans on Ebay and had the seller reduce them to 1/9 which will give me about a 5 1/2 foot span, which I can handle better but still has a big feel to it. I also just happened to have a canopy and retracts at that scale for it which will help. I won't start a build until about April, though. By that time I'll have your build to give me some ideas for how I will do the build.

Jim

Hey Woodrow

Jim,
Thanks for the explanation, that helps a lot.
When I saw Mauler in that barn, I was amazed at two things. First the size of it, and then all the dust and bird crap all over it. The barn doors were locked and they allowed me to take a pic through the crack in the doors, still have it somewhere. But as I remember, it didn't have a spinner on it like in the picture. But it was BIG! Pretty sure the CAF was involved in owning it. At that time they had planes stored all over Texas, my wife and I drove a lot of miles just taking pics of their planes.
Those 3350's were good engines. And I know all about the too big deal. I keep getting rid of planes and still don't have room. Won't be long before oneof two of my big ones will need to go too.

NO153Y,
I only trace off the top and bottom ( and then cut off) where the skins will wrap over the middle keel. That keeps the original outline intact.
Of course the formers will need the same treatment.

Thanks Mel!

J

Hows about a vought sea wolf?

The grumman gaurdian...thats the one i was thinking of! Its like a massive avenger!

Tell me thats not cool...plus..its grumman. You know how good that would fly haha

Here is an interesting article about apparently the only real AD-6 to survive; I believe that this is the one that escaped to Thailand and was eventually brought home. As an airshow bird it was marked with both of the USS Intrepid Spad squadrons, VA-176 and VA-165 (mine). This was only time in the Vietnam war that there were two Spad squadrons deployed on the same carrier.

https://www.theloopnewspaper.com/sto...-bob/2980.html


Jim

Nut,
Jerry Bates has a pretty good plan of the Guardian, ws around 110" I believe. But doesn't really trip my trigger. Seawolf either. It sort of looks like the Guardians' older brother.
The Skypirate looks interesting but don't want to tackle the counter rotating props.

Jim,
Great article. The man had his own little air force. I don't think I've even heard of an AD-7 either?
Learning something everyday here.

Got the templates traced and cut out of card stock for the formers today. Just need to cut the excess off so the fuse will retain proper dimensions and then
cut them out of blue 1/2" foam. Once that is done at least I can glue something.

J

Just been watching Jim's 8mm. Amazing. Thanks for sharing it with us. That would be VA165 from 1966?

I have a sorta semi-profile Spad drawn up and I'm getting low on everyday fliers. So I may build along once we get into the New Year.

Alec

Glad to have you build long Alec!
And you will enjoy the stories that Jim tells. Have you read about the two Spads that gunned down the two Mig-17s? Well, Jim has a story about that too. Can't describe how much I enjoyed sitting down with him at St. George and picking his brain. Very, very interesting.

J