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Description
| Manufacturer: | North American |
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| Base model: | AJ | ||
| Designation: | AJ | ||
| Version: | -1 | ||
| Nickname: | Savage | ||
| Designation System: | U.S. Navy / Marines | ||
| Designation Period: | 1946-1962 | ||
| Basic role: | Attack | ||
| See Also: |
Specifications
| Length: | 63' | 19.2 m | |
| Wingspan: | 75' 2" | 22.9 m | |
| Gross Weight: | 52,862 lb | 23,973 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 2 | ||
| Powerplant: | Pratt & Whitney R-2800-44W | ||
| Horsepower (each): | 2400 | ||
Performance
| Max Speed: | 471 mph | 758 km/h | 409 kt |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Kenneth S. \\ Virginia Beach, VA | Second shot at " Comments" I joined VC-8 January 1952 at PaxRiv in the old VR-3 Hangar All the secrecy w/ Special ID card was finally clear after all the speculation. I had been at Pax since Aug 1948 w/ a short tour at Armament Test in the Hyd Shop, the AM's had been assigned the hydraulic duties, the AMM's had it during WWII. Having High Altitude Equipment Training as a side specialty I was trans to Physiological Test Section at Service Test. As a Tinbender I mfg'd all sorts of weird stuff for testing of anything that effected pilots and crew. We even flew many hours in a B-29(the Navy had three) testing diff O2 (pressure breathing) and heated flight suits. Just before I left ST I installed a Fire Suppression system in the plenum chamber of the AJ assigned to ST.That was my only experience with an AJ until joining VC-8.
The next four and a half years was spent fighting the hydraulic systems in that bird. During those years the Hyd Shop only had one CPO worth a damn,R.E."Chromedome" Pritchard(sp). As Senior PO and Section Leader I was saddled with a lot of resp. when the Chief wasn't around. I did two tours in the Med on the Coral Sea,Intrepid and the Randolph. The last tour was memorable because one AJ wound up in the catwalk and then the Skipper(B.K.Lloyd) landed with both tiptanks full and collapsed both outer wing panels.Thats another long story. I made Chief June 1956 and headed for Shore Duty. I wound up back in VAH-15 (Tankers) in Norfolk. The Sqdn was decommissioned Jan 1959.The AJ was a "Cadillac" in the air but bitch to get it there. Thanks for listening. Ken "Red Rider" Reightler,Sr. 09/11/2007 @ 07:59 [ref: 17895] |
| Bob Stengl New Orleans, LA | Lycoming used an AJ as a flying platform for their engine tests. It was based at the Stratford CT Airport during the late 70's and early 80's. 08/17/2007 @ 08:43 [ref: 17645] |
| Guy E. Franklin Montgomery, AL | The AJ Savage was the first U.S. bomber designed especially to carry the atomic bomb. It was North American's first attack bomber for the U.S. Navy and was designed shortly after the end of World War II. It was a large twin-engine Heavy Attack aircraft for the Navy, as big as the Air Force medium bombers of the time, such as the B-45 Tornado.
In those early years of jet aircraft development, manufacturers were exploring ways to provide power using piston engines and a jet engine on the same airframe. The AJ-1 attack bomber used two 2,400 horsepower piston engines to power four-bladed propellers for long-range cruise. It then fired a 4,600-pound-thrust turbojet engine for extra speed over the target. The AJ Savage had a crew of three and a single tail unit. Its folding wings allowed it to be stored on an aircraft carrier. After building three XAJ-1 prototypes and a static test model, North American began delivering the AJ-1. The Savage entered service in September 1949 and carrier operations began in April 1950 on the USS Coral Sea. North American built more than 140 in the series. Later, some AJ models were converted into aerial tankers. Others, the AJ-2Ps, with a modified radome, carried 18 cameras. Their night shots were illuminated by a photo-flash unit in the fuselage. These models were standard equipment for the Navy heavy photographic squadrons until the early 1960s. 08/22/2005 @ 12:15 [ref: 11056] |
| jerry mcdonough austin, TX | sewrved from 51 to 55 in vc-8. ae3 under chief gibbons. two tours in med at port lyautey. rode out hurricane in north atlantic off norfolk on midway. memorable med fam trip in p2v neptune losing oil on port engine over the alps on leg from naples to venice. returned to naples to await delivery of new engine from lyautey. other highlights of tour. bounced landing by lieut quitmeyer in madrid and being buzzed within yards at treviso airfield by italian fighter pilot celebrating his discharge. would appreciate hearing from other vc8 vets who remember me or any these or other events. 12/22/2004 @ 16:29 [ref: 8936] |
| Kenneth Jennings Wooster Cortland, NY | Unfortunatelely my URL was not displayed as I intended in the message that I just sent.
It is at: http://skaneateles.org/navy/allsavages.html 07/27/2003 @ 08:49 [ref: 6596] |
| Kenneth Jennings Wooster Cortland, NY | A young Ensign, I reported to VC-9 in Sanford as a Bombardier/Navigator in October 1953 after having completed four months training at HATULANT in Norfolk. My first deployment to Lyautey (in AJ-2s) was with VC-9 from April 15 to September 15 of 1954. As I recall my "wetting down" party as LTJG was in Lyautey. The majority of our time was spent ashore in Lyautey, but during the latter half of the deployment we had detachments aboard Coral Sea and the Lake Champlain(?) for extended periods. Shortly after VC-5 replaced VC-9 in September, VC-5 had a fatal accident off the catapult of the Coral Sea. I and the rest of my crew immediately transferred as replacements to VC-5. As a result I essentially spent two deployments back to back. VC-5 had detachments aboard Lake Champlain(?) and Coral Sea and then switched to Randolph and Midway when the ships rotated. On this second deployment I spent my entire time aboard the carriers, relieved only by a day or two in Lyautey when the switch of ships was made around Christmas. Returning to Sanford in February 1955, I had about one year left of active duty. This made me pretty much of a "lame duck" since I wasn't going to be around long enough for another deployment and elected not to extend. So while the rest of the squadron trained for their next deployment my crew was assigned to all the "stunt work." By this I mean we were sent out on all the refuelling missions for anyone trying to set a cross-country record, we were sent to the west coast to particiapate in the atomic test "Teapot" at Frenchman's Flat, Nevada, and we were selected to be launched from the Ticonderoga while the ship sat at anchor in the Delaware River during the International Air Show on Labor Day weekend of 1955. The Navy had just installed the steam cats on the "Ti" and wanted to demonstrate their power. We were launched in three different AJs on three consecutive days of Labor Day weeekend. (Possibly we still hold the record for the heaviest plane ever launched from a ship at anchor.) By then the summer of fun was over and my plane driver was about to leave the squadron. Now completely useless to the squadron, I was sent TAD as an instructor to HATULANT which had moved to Sanford just a short time before that. There I spent my last few months on active duty. My time in the Navy, almost entirely in heavy attack, was a glorious experience that I shall never regret. The friends with whom I worked were beyond compare.
But my MAJOR REASON FOR POSTING here is to tell you of a file that I have been working on and that I have online. You will find it at Kenneth Jennings Wooster (aka "Bertie" or "Benny") 27 Abdallah Avenue Cortland, NY 13045-3302 (607) 753-3558 http://skaneateles.org http://web.cortland.edu/woosterk 07/27/2003 @ 08:42 [ref: 6595] |
| Pastor Jeffrey W.Clemens Bedford, VA | On 22 June 1950, the first production model AJ-1 was lost in Huddleston, Virginia on a cross-country ferry flight from Edwards AFB to the NATC at NAS Pax River, Maryland. The Savage (aircraft number 122590) was piloted by LTCDR Willard Sampson, and was crewed by James Moore, Jr. from North American Aviation, and Holiday Lee Turner from the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics. Due to a mechanical failure in the right engine, this Savage exploded and fell in flames, killing these three brave men. This Veterans Day the American Legion Post #54 of Bedford will be honoring these men who perished here 52 years ago. A stone marker will be placed in the general area where the Savage was lost to share their story for years to come. Anyone having an interest in this memorial project is welcomed to contact me. Thanks so much! Yours In Flight, Pastor Jeff. 09/10/2002 @ 22:51 [ref: 5673] |
| phil sienia woodstock, GA | I joined vc-8 in 1955,went to pt lyaudy and ended up as seamanguard. next went aboard uss coral sea as mess cook finally as ad striker. got my bird and entered third crewman school. flew from sanford fla to pt lyaudy as crewman on aj-2.then got stationed on uss intrepit. served as tanker operator with many scarry moments. one of our birds went down on a night flight and all were lost. one morning during my pre-flight check, walking the wing and checking tip tanks,i found a engine nacelle broken off the wing. good thing the pilot didn't start that engine! that aj went over the side after they pulled the engines and asb gear. got lots of tales to tell about the savage. email me, we might know each other. 08/25/2002 @ 20:19 [ref: 5550] |
| Chuck Huber St. Augustine, FL | The AJ Savages joined the fleet with the Heavy Attack Squadrons, VC-5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. For the history of the first carrier capable atomic bombers go to: http://community.webtv.net/charles379/USNComposite
History, personnel, photos, and anecdotes of squadron members. Chuck Huber, VC-8, VAH-1, FAITC, VQ-2 1953 to 1963 07/06/2002 @ 10:24 [ref: 5254] |
| Leroy Atkins Richmond, IN | Joined VC-8 December,1951(plankholder?). I was AN out of bootcamp in September, 1951, and just completed "hanger duty" under BMC Connick, & was assigned to the Aircraft maintenance office in December, 1951, to help set up maintenance library & keep aircraft log books. I held on to this job until end of May, 1955. I recorded about every entry made in aircraft, engine & prop log books of VC-8. Tracked flight hours towards maintenance checks (30-60-90-120 Hour mainentance) and recorded on blackboard of maintenance office. Ray Meadows,AD2,was my immediate supervisor, under LCDR Baldwin & LCDR Daugherty. I was a "hunt & peck" typist and did a lot of RUDM's(report of unsatisfactory or defective material) for LCDR Baldwin. He would get a lot of laughs when he needed me by calling out "Leroy" (as the Great Gildersleeve would do when calling for his nephew). I always wanted to be around airplanes & this was the best I ever did except on duty days when I worked out of the line shack. Made both VC-8 tours to Port Lyautey. On one, I talked Mr.Baldwin into letting me make a short tour on the FDR in the Med (Naples to Barcelona via 4 days in Genoa) my only shipboard sea duty of about 2 weeks. About April or May, 1955, I made a P2V MedFam Flight to Rome, Munich, Amsterdam, Venice & Barcelona. Both of these experiences made my 4 years in the Navy worth while. After all,we all joined the Navy to "see the world". The end of May, 1955, my 4 years was up & I returned to States for discharge. From what I have read, many things happened before VC-8 returned to PaxRiver and on to Sanford. I presently volunteer at the WrightPatterson AFB Museum and have seen my first A3D, and wonder how the crew got in an out of that aircraft safely. In 1953 Cruise Book I'm listed under first name of Arthur, but always went by Leroy. Would like to hear from any former ship mates. Phone (765-966-3686) e-mail mrleroy@infocom.com, Richmond, IN. 05/19/2002 @ 10:59 [ref: 4955] |
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