History
Background
At the end of World War II, the US Navy needed a new and high-performance aircraft capable of carrying a nuclear bomb to be launched from an aircraft carrier and delivering the payload against highly strategic targets. Therefore, on August 13, 1945, the US Navy began a new design competition for a carrier-based attacker capable of carrying a 10,000-pound payload, around the same size as the Fat Man Mark 4 nuclear bomb.
North American Aviation responded with the company model NA-146, powered by two R-2800 piston engines, each driving a large four-bladed propeller. A J33 turbojet was buried in the rear fuselage. The jet engine was to be fed with air through a flush inlet on top of the fuselage, and it would be primarily used during takeoff and dash speed during the engagement. The aircraft was a high-wing monoplane with tricycle landing gear. No offensive and defensive armament was planned, as the aircraft had to rely on its high performance to escape the enemy interception.
North American won the contest with its design proposal, and on June 24, 1946, the Navy awarded a contract for three XAJ-1 prototypes. The first prototype was rolled out in June 1948, and its first flight was on July 3, 1948.
Two of the three prototypes crashed during flight testing, but this did not impact North American’s development of the aircraft, as the Navy urged to receive the nuclear-armed aircraft to establish its nuclear deterrent as an interservice rival for nuclear power against the US Air Force and its several nuclear-armed bombers during the Cold War. This would lead to political controversy regarding the position of the USAF’s sole responsibility for delivering nuclear weapons.
Earlier, the Navy ordered 12 production AJ-1 aircraft on October 6, 1947, and the aircraft was given the name Savage. The Navy later ordered 28 more in May 1948, as it was allowed to develop its nuclear force strike.
The production AJ-1s incorporated changes that differed from the prototypes; the AJ-1 had structural improvements, framed canopies, 300-gallon tip tanks, a crew increase from two to three, and folding wings and vertical tails for carrier stowage.
Design and Development
With the AJ-1s being in active, operational service, the next production variant of the AJ-1 was in development. It was an improved aircraft specialized for the photographic reconnaissance role. It was initially given the AJ-1P designation, in which a production AJ-1 was first converted to the recce, but the designation was changed to AJ-2P. On August 18, 1950, the Navy ordered 26 AJ-2P recce aircraft for the heavy photographic squadrons.
The AJ-2P incorporated many improvements over the AJ-1; the uprated R-2800-48 and J33-A-10 engines were installed, and the tail section was significantly redesigned, with the fin height increased to one foot. The 12-degree horizontal tail dihedral was replaced by a flat tailplane. This change came with increased rudder size, which lengthened the fuselage slightly. A flawed hydraulic system of the AJ-1 was replaced, and an additional internal fuel was installed. The AJ-2P housed camera equipment in a redesigned nose.
The Navy wanted an improved variant of the AJ-1 in the form of the attacker or bomber role, so the subsequent production variant carried with the AJ-2P’s improvements for the new AJ-2 aircraft. This was also introduced with the revised cockpit to house all three crewmen on the upper flight deck, whereas the AJ-1 had a separate compartment for the third crewman. The third crewman was facing aft of the cockpit. The stick and throttle controls located on the pilot’s left on the AJ-1 were replaced by a control wheel, and the throttles were moved to a center position of the cockpit where the co-pilot could assist the pilot if needed.
Operational Service
On February 14, 1951, the Navy ordered an additional 55 built AJ-2s, and on August 14, 1952, the Navy issued the conversion of 42 AJ-1s to the AJ-2 standards. These aircraft were produced in Columbus, Ohio, from early 1953 to early 1954. The delivery of AJ-2s began reaching the Navy squadrons in late 1953. The following heavy attack squadrons that equipped the AJ-2s were VAH-5, VAH-6, VAH-7, VAH-9, VAH-11, VAH-15, and VAH-16.
However, these AJ-2 Savages would serve in a very brief stint as the attack aircraft. Beginning in 1958-1959, the jet-powered A3D Skywarriors became available and arrived to replace the AJ Savages in combat roles. The Navy issued a request to convert some AJ aircraft to in-flight refueling tankers with the jet engine removed. The replacement of these AJ tankers also began in 1959 with the fast A3D tankers due to the emerging presence of more jet-powered aircraft.
By 1960, most of the Savages had been retired from active Navy service as they were replaced by the Skyawrriors. Many AJ Savages in surplus status were sold to civilians and reused as firefighting aircraft. The Savage aircraft never saw any combat before its retirement.
