AJ Savage

infobox Aircraft


name= AJ (A-2) Savage
type=Bomber
national origin=United States
manufacturer= North American Aviation
caption=
designer=
first flight= May 1949
introduced= September 13 1949
retired=
status=
primary user= United States Navy
more users=
produced=
number built=143
unit cost=
variants with their own articles = A2J Super Savage

The North American AJ Savage (later A-2 Savage) was a carrier-based bomber aircraft built for the United States Navy by North American Aviation. The original contract was awarded in June 1946, first flight 3 July 1948, and the plane entered service in 1949. [http://www.history.navy.mil/download/app1-1.pdf US Navy History: "AJ Savage"] p.458]

Design and development

The AJ Savage was a large composite-powered carrier-borne Attack Bomber designed to deliver nuclear ordnance. It also performed photo reconnaissance duties and later on was used as an aerial refuelling platform. The North American AJ-1/2 and AJ-1/2P Savage aircraft were in a number of USN Heavy Attack Composite squadrons from 1948–1956, as well as in several Photographic Reconnaissance squadrons. The Heavy Attack versions were the first nuclear bomb carrying bombers able to be launched from and recovered on aircraft carriers. The date of its inception was a time where the US Navy was faced with procuring the nascent jet engine, while still having to rely upon the simple yet well proven reciprocating engine. Jets at this time were unreliable and used large quantities of fuel, however, once they were developed, they produced performance that no piston engine could ever provide. A compromise was made to include in the Savage two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 piston engines, with a large turbocharger fitted inside each engine nacelle. This combination made it possible for the P&W engines to produce rated power (2500 HP) up to 42,000 feet altitude. An Allison J33 turbojet was fitted in the rear fuselage. Interestingly, both engine types used the same fuel. The piston-turbojet arrangement was intended to give added power on take-off and extra dash speed while in combat. At high altitude, this 'boxy' looking (but aerodynamically very clean) airplane was remarkably fast -- Greater than 400 knots, when the jets of that era were not very much faster. The first production Savage flew in May 1949, with the first carrier landing of the type taking place on the USS "Coral Sea" (CV-43) on 1950-08-31.

Early model Savages (AJ-1) were converted to the air tanker role, with the bomb bay filled with all the necessary equipment, including hoses, fuel pumps, electric power drive, and the drogue. Additional fuel was provided in drop tanks.

The AJ-2 first flew on 19 February 1953 and had uprated engines and a taller vertical stabilizer and non-dihedral tailplane.

The AJ-2P was the photographic reconnaissance version of the Savage. It carried photo-flash bombs for night missions, with most of the plane's 18 cameras being operated automatically. It was capable of night and low-level reconnaissance. The -2P also had additional fuel capacity.

Variants

;XAJ-1:Prototype with two 2300hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-44 radial engines and one Allison J33-A-19 turbojet, three built.;AJ-1 (A-2A):Initial production version with two 2400hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-44W radial engines and one Allison J33-A-10 turbojet, 40 built survivors re-designated A-2A in 1962.;AJ-2 (A-2B):Updated production version with two 2500hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-48 radial engines and one Allison J33-A-10, taller fin slightly longer fuselage and increased fuel capacity, 70 built survivors re-designated A-2B in 1962.;AJ-2P:Photo-reconnaissance version of the AJ-2 with a redesigned nose for cameras, 30 built.

Operators

;USA
* United States Navy
**VAH-15 13 July 49
**VAH-16
**VJ-61/VAP-61
**VJ-62/VAP-62
**VC-5/VAH-5
**VC-6/VAH-6
**VC-9/VAH-9
**VC-7/VAH-7
**VC-8/VAH-11

urvivors

;A-2B Savage [http://www.aero-web.org/database/museums/getimage.htm?id=4933 s/n 130418] :Displayed at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Naval Air Station Pensacola at Pensacola, Florida

pecifications (AJ-1)

:"Source: USN"aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=both

crew=3
length main=63 ft 1 in
length alt=19.2 m
span main=71 ft 5 in
span alt=21.8 m
height main=20 ft 5 in
height alt=6.2 m
area main=836 ft²
area alt=78 m²
empty weight main=27,558 lb
empty weight alt=12,500 kg
loaded weight main=47,000 lb
loaded weight alt=21,363 kg
max takeoff weight main=50,954 lb
max takeoff weight alt=23,161 kg
engine (prop)=Pratt & Whitney R-2800-44W
type of prop=radial engines
number of props=2
power main=2,400 hp
power alt=1,800 kW (on wings)
engine (jet)=Allison J33-A-1
type of jet=turbojet
number of jets=1
thrust main=4,600 lbf
thrust alt=20 kN (in tail)

max speed main=409 knots
max speed alt=471 mph, 758 km/h
range main= 1,416 nm
range alt= mi, km
ceiling main=43,000 ft
ceiling alt=13,100 m
climb rate main= ft/min
climb rate alt= m/s
loading main=63.2 lb/ft²
loading alt=309 kg/m²
thrust/weight=0.087
power/mass main=0.091 hp/lb
power/mass alt=150 W/kg

bombs=12,000 lb (5,400 kg)

ee also

aircontent
related=
* A2J Super Savage

similar aircraft=
* Ryan FR Fireball

sequence=
* Navy sequence (before 1962):
** AJ - A2J - A3J
* Unified sequence (after 1962):
** A-1 - A-2 - A-3 - A-4 - A-5

lists=
* List of military aircraft of the United States

see also=

References

External links

* [http://www.aero-web.org/locator/manufact/northam/a-2.htm AeroWeb: "List of A-2s"]
* [http://home.att.net/~jbaugher4/newa2.html Baugher's: "Index of AJ Savages"]