Code from EdC070

France bought over one hundred AD-4N/NA Skyraiders for its air force. The Skyraiders served in Algeria for a short time and remained in service until the 1970s. Many found their way to African air forces, but this example with serial 126979 is preserved at Le Bourget.

A Douglas AD-4 Skyraider when delivered to the US Navy (123827) circa 1949. Assigned to several Navy Attack Squadrons until the US Marines took the aircraft over for training with VMAT-20 in 1956. Retired circa 1959 when it became a gate guard at DeKalb County airport , GA around the time the Navy returned control of the airport back to the county. Acquired by a collector in 1966, first registered N54162 and N23827 after restoration with first flight in 1978. The aircraft is based at Virginia Beach, VA associated with the Military Aviation Museum at the time of uploading.

Photo by Henk Shakelaar.

The French AF bought 20 ex-USN AD-4s as well as 88 ex-USN AD-4Ns and five ex-USN AD-4NAs with the former three-seaters modified to single-seat aircraft with removal of the radar equipment and the two operator stations from the rear fuselage. The AD-4N/NAs were initially acquired in 1956 to replace aging Republic P-47 Thunderbolts in Algeria. The Skyraiders had only a short career in Algeria, but they nonetheless proved to be the most successful of all the ad hoc counter-insurgency aircraft deployed there. The Skyraider remained in limited French service until the 1970s.

In the storage area for the Bourget museum