Douglas AD-3 Skyraider – VMA-121 Wolf Raiders, US Marine Corps, South Korea, 1951

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA2918: Douglas AD-3 Skyraider AK21 of VMA-121 Wolf Raiders, US Marine Corps, Pyongtaek AB, South Korea, 1951. Production run of 700 models.

Length 6.5 inches Wingspan 8.25 inches

VMF-121 “Green Knights” was activated in 1941 and renamed VMA-121 in 1951. On October 19, 1951 VMA-121 deployed to Pyongtaek, South Korea where they became the “Wolf Raiders” completing their first mission on the 27th. Their mission was to destroy airfields, supply depots, bridges and railroads and by doing this the squadron dropped more tonnage than any other USN or USMC unit and earned them the nickname “Heavy Haulers”. One of the 125 AD-3s built was BuNo. 122743 21/AK made it through the Korean War but was written off in December 1955.

Designed by Douglas’ chief engineer Ed Heinemann, the A1 was first flown on March 18th, 1945. Used in Vietnam for close air support and for providing cover for combat rescue missions, the Skyraider was valued for its ability to devastate enemy ground targets. It had four 20-mm guns installed in the wings, and could be equipped with additional combinations of bombs, mines, gun pods and rockets. The Skyraider was large for a single-engine, single-seat low monoplane-its bigger-than-average fuselage had plenty of space for modification and could be used for carrying passengers, medical provisions or heavy cargo.