North American AJ-1 Savage

The North American AJ-1 Savage was a US carrier-borne bomber designed in the 1940s. Its main task was to carry and deliver a nuclear weapon, which at that time, due to its size, had to be deployed by aircraft near the target zone. Series production began in 1949 and continued until 1952 when a greatly improved AJ-2 version appeared. Due to frequent accidents during take-off and landing from aircraft carriers, it was decided to use the AJ-1 mainly for training, or as a bomber with conventional weapons. As the AJ-2 overcame the earlier shortcomings the AJ-1s were retrofitted to AJ-2 configuration and operated again from deck carriers with nuclear weapons. After retirement from the bombing role, they were employed as air-to-air refuellers. The AJ-1 was assigned to aircraft carriers sent to the South-East Asia region after the start of the Korean conflict, but no aircraft of this type were involved in this war or afterwards.

New tooling. Markings for 3 aircraft: (1) AJ-1 BuNo 122591/NB2, USS Coral Sea (CV43) Savage Sons, April 1950; (2) AJ-1 BuNo 174176/NB8, USS Coral Sea (CV43), August 1952; (3) AJ-1 BuNo 124176/NF4, USS Kearsarge (CV-33), July 1952.