1952 AD-4N Skyraider
Durable and capable, the Skyraider was the backbone of Marine Corps night attack operations during the Korean War. With a storied history of continents, climates, and conflicts behind it, today this propeller-powered aircraft honors Marine aviation while keeping history in motion.
Fast Facts
Service & Assignment
Performance & Features
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Combat History
First serving about the USS Essex, this AD-4N Skyraider transferred to Marine Corps VMC-1 based in Pohang during the Korean War. After U.S. service, it entered French Air Force combat operations in North and Central Africa, later flying with the Republic of Chadin active conflict.
Combat Highlights
Logged over 500 combat hours across more than 65 strike missions with VMC-1
Close-air support and strike missions in French service during the Algerian conflict
Flew with the Chadian Air Force during the 1970s, operated by French mercenary pilots
Combat Retirement
Abandoned at N'Djamena Air Base, Republic of Chad
Restoration Story
Recovered in 1988 by members of the French association AMPAA, this Skyraider was ferried across Africa and the Mediterranean before being restored to airworthy condition in France. For decades it thrilled European airshow spectators while wearing its French military markings. Acquired by Soaring by the Sea Foundation in 2022, the aircraft returned to the U.S. in 2025 and is now restored in authentic USMC VMC-1 combat colors to honor its Korean War service.
Restoration Team
- Members of the Association for the Maintenance of Planes in Airworthy Condition (AMPAA)
- Additional restoration overseen by Soaring by the Sea Foundation and volunteers
Restoration Highlights
- Recovered from abandonment and returned to airworthy condition by French aviation preservation specialists
- Transported from Zeebrugge, Belgium by cargo ship to Galveston, Texas before hopscotching to Arizona, California, and Oregon
- Painted in VMC-1 combat markings to reflect its Korean War service
Modern Mission
Today, this Skyraider flies not in combat but in service of memory and mission. As a rare, airworthy USMC attack aircraft, it appears at air shows and public events to connect new generations to Korean War aviation through sight, sound, and flight.
Mission in Motion
No longer grounded in the past, this aircraft serves the present through:
Airshow demonstrations
Living history reenactments
Veteran recognition events and commemorative flyovers
A Story That Soars
Backbone of USN and USMC strike aircraft sorties in the Korean War
Assigned to VF-92 at Miramar in 1955 before being sold to the French military in 1958
Flew in combat across Asia and Africa
Built to Serve. Rebuilt to Inspire.
Forged for combat and proven across multiple theaters, this Skyraider represents the grit and resolve of those who flew and maintained it. Today, restored and flying once more, it serves a new mission of honoring Marine aviation, educating the public, and reminding future generations what flight looks like when history refuses to stay grounded.
Whether you're hands-on or high-altitude, there’s a place for you in the Soaring by the Sea Foundation mission.