Douglas A-3 Skywarrior: Four Decades on the Deck

Entering service with the US Navy in the mid-1950s, the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior flew off its carriers throughout the rest of the Cold War, becoming one of the longest-serving carrier-based aircraft ever. It even outserved its intended replacement, the North American A-5 Vigilante. During those four decades in service the mighty Skywarrior also remained the heaviest operational aircraft to fly from an aircraft carrier.