Flight Test
A-1
Skyraider
Starmax
This awesome-looking electric foam warbird is sure to impress
By Kyle Matthew Photos by Mercurio Pusateri
The first time I saw a Douglas A-1 Skyraider, I was a fledgling flight student just starting my journey toward
my gold wings. It was on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL. As I stood there
staring up at the massive, menacing piece of heavy metal, I thought to myself, “Whoever flew this must
be one tough son of a gun.” Little did I know that two years later, the man who flew that same aircraft
(Bureau Number 135300), and was also a participant in the last combat mission of the Skyraider, would be
my father-in-law, Ted Hill Jr. That moment started my admiration for the Skyraider and the men who flew
it into harm’s way. It’s an admiration that has remained strong to this day.
