Aircraft brokerage company Boschung Global has listed a 1951 Douglas AD-4 Skyraider for sale on its platform. Built on October 10, 1951, in El Segundo, California, the aircraft on sale entered service with the US Navy on February 9, 1958. After its time in the US Navy, the aircraft, tail number 27002, was stored at Litchfield Park from February 9, 1958, until March 3, 1960. Then, it was bought by France and made a ferry flight to Norfolk on April 4, 1960. The aircraft was then transported by the French aircraft carrier “Bois Belleau” to France, arriving on April 29, 1960. After that, it underwent an IRAN (Inspect and Repair As Necessary) by SFERMA from April 29, 1960, to January 1, 1961, and served in the French Air Force from January 23, 1961, until January 19, 1977, during the Algerian war and the Tchad conflict.
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On January 19, 1977, the Douglas AD-4 Skyraider was sold to Mr. Tallichet, where it remained until July 17, 1978, during which time it received US registration N91989. Later, the aircraft was sold to Gabon and served in the Presidential Guard from July 8, 1978, until January 1992. In 1992, it returned to France, bought by Michel Gineste, who was also a farmer mechanic in the Presidential Guard. Then, in 1997, the aircraft was acquired by Claude Semenadisse and, in July 2009, by Christophe Brunelière, who owns it to this day. Over the years, this Douglas AD-4 Skyraider has flown in more than 100 air shows across France, the UK, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland. The Skyraider was built in the early 1940s when the US Navy wanted new bombers to replace the aging Douglas SBD Dauntless and the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver.
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The experimental prototype of the AD-1 Skyraider, the BT2D-1, flew for the first time on March 18, 1945. The first production aircraft had its maiden flight on November 5, 1946, and became operational in December 1946. The US Navy received the first aircraft on September 20, 1947. Douglas built a total of 3,180 Skyraiders over 12 years, across 8 different models, and production ended in September 1957. The eight models were the experimental BT2D-1 and AD-1 to AD-7. In 1950, the AD-4 was in production, and it set a new weight-lifting record of 14,941 pounds, exceeding its empty weight of 11,798 pounds. The Douglas AD-4 Skyraider also featured armor plating.
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The Douglas AD-4 Skyraider on sale has a total airframe time of 4,095 hours, and the engine has been overhauled recently, with only 193 hours since its last major maintenance. This aircraft is currently based in France and registered F-AZHK. It is powered by a Wright R3350 26WD engine, which was overhauled by Anderson Airmotive. The aircraft’s propeller is an Aero Products model A642G, with 39 hours of usage since overhaul. The aircraft is equipped with radios and avionics systems, including the Allied Signal KTR 9100 VHF radio and the Allied Signal TRA61A transponder. For tracking, it has a new Trig 91 VHF transponder and a new Trig TT21 transponder. The aircraft also has a Dynon Avionics EFIS D10A for flight information and a Garmin 296 GPS for navigation.
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In 2021, this Douglas AD-4 Skyraider received a new paint job, complete sanding, double protection of all sheets against corrosion (strontium), and all sheet joints redone (PR). The aircraft was painted in a design inspired by the 1st Special Operations Squadron and the 56th Special Operations Wing. The aircraft equipment includes a pre-oil system. Texas-based Aero Accessories overhauled the carburetor and Automatic Mixture Control (AMC) of the aircraft in 2024. The company also serviced the hydraulic system, replacing the main and secondary pumps after their overhaul in 2021.
The aircraft is fitted with an electric standby hydraulic pump, an emergency canopy-blow system, and an emergency landing-gear extension system, along with spare parts and maintenance equipment, including a tow bar and an overhauled Aeroproduct blade, all in a crate. Among the spares are main and secondary hydraulic pumps, a new magneto, an Automatic Mixture Control, and various engine accessories, including new cowl flap actuators, electric actuators, and fuel pumps. For brake parts, it provides hundreds of original brake pads and four brake disks, two new and two used. The aircraft has about 40 hydraulic cylinders used for functions such as gear doors, wing folds, flaps, and ailerons.
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The Douglas AD-4 Skyraider on sale comes with two new engine cylinders and pistons, one for the front and one for the rear. It also includes two rims, five new tires, two tubes, and six new tail wheels. It has five starters that have been overhauled, along with two electrical generators, also in spare. The aircraft also comes with a complete set of new original exhaust pipes and lift cables. Moreover, a variety of electrical components, such as switches and relays, as well as all the Douglas and Wright technical manuals for the aircraft, engine, and propeller, which are essential for proper maintenance and operation, are also available with the aircraft.
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This Douglas AD-4 Skyraider has gone through major maintenance and restoration. All landing gear hoses were replaced in January 2022, and the landing gear valves, selectors, and actuators were overhauled in December 2021. The main and secondary hydraulic pumps were also overhauled at that same time. The firewall-forward section was overhauled in 2011, and the wingfold area was restored in 2021. The aircraft comes with a spare parts inventory, including a carburetor, magnetos, hydraulic pumps, and electric motors. The aircraft includes model rockets, cannons, bomb replicas, drop tanks, and a full set of remanufactured hydraulic seals. Additionally, it includes original maintenance tools, such as an original mold for engine mounts and an engine cover. According to Boschung Global, maintenance of the Douglas AD-4 Skyraider on sale has been thorough, with regular inspections every winter and an airworthiness certificate valid until March 2026. For more information about this aircraft, visit https://www.boschungglobal.com/.
