Douglas A-3 Skywarrior
Douglas · United States · first flew 1952 · bomber
The Douglas A-3 Skywarrior was a large, carrier-based twin-jet bomber, the heaviest aircraft ever to routinely operate from US Navy carriers.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turbojet, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | bulbous, glazed nose and a long unbroken fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- large swept wings with pod-mounted engines slung well below and ahead of the wing
- bulbous, glazed nose and a long unbroken fuselage
- tail-mounted defensive gun position with a rounded fairing
Its size dwarfs other carrier jets of its generation, with swept wings, underslung podded engines, and a tail-mounted gun position with a distinctive rounded fairing.
Specifications
- The Douglas A-3 Skywarrior has a length of 23.27 m (76 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 22.1 m (73 ft).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed to deliver nuclear weapons from carrier decks, the Skywarrior first flew in 1952 and went on to serve far longer in reconnaissance, electronic warfare and aerial-refuelling roles than in its original bombing mission.
Variants
Bomber A-3B, reconnaissance RA-3B, electronic warfare EA-3B and tanker KA-3B variants all served alongside each other.
Where you'll see it
It flew with the US Navy from the 1950s into the early 1990s, one of the longest carrier-aircraft service careers in naval aviation history.
Related aircraft
- Douglas C-117D Skytrooper
- Douglas C-118B Liftmaster
- Douglas DC-7
- A-4 Skyhawk
- Avro Vulcan
- Avro Vulcan B.1
- Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
- Boeing XB-52 Stratofortress
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