| The AD was there for one reason and one reason only -- it was a flying dumptruck. The aircraft could carry up to (maximum overload!) 15,000 pounds of ordnance but most missions seem to have used around 3,000-6,000 plus drop tanks. As the liaison officer notes in "Men of the Fighting Lady" it carried more than a B-17 Flying Fortress. It also carred out more varied missions -- night attack/bombing, night fighter, all-weather search, ASW, ELINT and radar jamming -- the list is long. 210 were lost in action in Korea, of which 133 were in combat and the others in accidents. F4Us were either ground attack, night fighter or photo, and could not carry as much ordnance nor loiter as long as the Skyraider. Cookie Sewell AMPS |