north american savage later savage carrier based medium bomber built united_states navy aircraft designed shortly world war carry atomic bombs meant bomber heaviest aircraft far designed operate aircraft carrier powered engines buried rear fuselage operational based south_korea communists built plus prototypes reconnaissance aircraft equipment deployed savage mid-1950s bomber replaced douglas beginning design development end world war began design competition august carrier based bomber carry pound bomb won later year navy decided needed able deliver atomic bombs savage design modified accommodate latest mark nuclear bomb contract prototypes static test airframe awarded june prototype maiden flight years later july year navy began interim capability program employing lockheed neptune carrier launched nuclear bomber aircraft savage service neptune launched assist land existing carriers launched ditch sea mission land friendly seat high wing landing gear facilitate carrier operations outer wing panels manually folded fitted brake horsepower double wasp engines mounted wing large fitted inside engine pound force fitted rear fuselage intended takeoff maximum speed near target jet fed air inlet fuselage normally kept closed reduce drag fuel system types engines grade imp gal self sealing fuel tank housed fuselage imp gal tank located wing aircraft usually carried imp gal tip tanks house fuel tanks bomb bay total capacity gallons imp gal pound bomber unarmed prototypes crashed testing loss affect development aircraft batch ordered october significant difference production aircraft revision cockpit accommodate separate compartment flight production aircraft occurred squadron receive savage september squadron participated testing evaluating aircraft order savage introduction fleet carrier takeoff landing bomber took place uss coral sea april august respectively surviving tails upgraded improved configuration photo reconnaissance version savage initially known later designated ordered august improved engines tail redesigned add foot height tail eliminated rudder enlarged slightly lengthened aircraft early retained man crew late model aircraft added fourth upper cockpit facing aft savage internal fuel capacity increased nose aircraft prominent chin accommodate forward looking oblique camera variety oblique vertical cameras fitted bomb bay photo flash bombs carried night photography missions incorporated changes late model aircraft ordered february deleted separate compartment retained seat cockpit modified sole surviving conduct tests probe configuration engine removed fuel extended jet exhaust opening aircraft service retained bomb bay doors modified accommodate aircraft late operational history deployed large heavy american aircraft carrier midway class modernized essex class carriers reinforced decks large class handle savage aircraft popular aboard ship big complicated flight operations ship required conduct problem wings folded time fuselage portable hydraulic pump time consuming process bomber moved way allow aircraft land pilot reported dream fly handled like fighter working properly aircraft reliable possibly rushed production bugs worked early savage career squadrons typically deploy detachment naval air station port morocco service fly bombers aboard aircraft carriers deployed mediterranean needed plan loaded atomic bombs aboard carriers launched carriers tactic deliver bombs fly low level bulgaria romania climbing maximum power proper altitude release bomb aircraft perform maneuver dive low altitude keeping tail aircraft aimed target avoid damage shock wave explosion deployments february fleet composite squadron received late deployed october transferring october july deployed detachment aircraft air base korea act nuclear received beginning june remained east_coast united_states navy redesignated savage equipped composite squadrons heavy attack squadrons november squadrons retained existing numbers east_coast squadrons odd numbered refuel project bullet speed record flight july west_coast east_coast beginning began replace role continued formation january east_coast west_coast squadrons equipped short lived disbanded early following year flown photographic squadron redesignated respectively july assigned squadrons deployed complete units deployed aircraft detachments detachment queen formed korean war naval station point philippines fly reconnaissance missions north_korea detachment continued missions war june squadrons frequently provided photographic mapping agencies outside navy like squadrons replaced beginning month reported squadron service january surviving aircraft respectively redesignated military aircraft common series loaned january september eventually destroyed training purchased early use water bombers removed delivery flight california aircraft crashed surviving aircraft fully modified role delivery carry gallons imp gal fire flew missions fire season aircraft crashed takeoff september engine failed sole survivor flights scrapped purchased water bomber purchased use engine aircraft required year maintenance flown home airfield connecticut fat fully fit bomb bay mounted retractable mechanism lowered aircraft tests testing conducted january july round testing commercial derivative performed january december routine maintenance discovered loose examination showed skin starting separate damage repair decided donate surviving savage flown pensacola florida variants prototype radial engines built initial production version radial engines built survivors redesignated updated production version radial engines taller slightly longer fuselage increased fuel capacity built survivors redesignated version array cameras built company designation prototypes delivered development built production variant delivered built production variant delivered built production variant delivered built photo variant delivered built photo variant delivered built improved production variant delivered built operators united_states united_states aircraft display preserved savage exists today bureau number displayed florida specifications data general characteristics crew length wingspan height wing area weight loaded weight max takeoff weight powerplant lbf radial engines performance maximum speed mph range nmi service ceiling rate climb min wing loading power mass prop thrust weight jet armament bombs conventional bombs nuclear bomb
North American AJ Savage