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{{Short description|Carrier-based bomber aircraft}}
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{{Infobox aircraft
|name= AJ (A-2) Savage
|image= File:AJ-1 in flight over California 1950.jpg
|caption= The first production AJ-1 in flight over California, 1950
|type= [[Medium bomber]]
|national_origin= United States
|manufacturer= [[North American Aviation]]
|designer=
|first_flight= 3 July 1948
|introduction= 1950
|retired= 1960
|status= Retired
|primary_user= [[United States Navy]]
|more_users=
|produced=
|number_built= 143
|variants=
|developed_into= [[North American XA2J Super Savage]]
}}
The '''North American AJ Savage''' (later '''A-2 Savage''') is an American [[carrier-based aircraft|carrier-based]] [[medium bomber]] built for the [[United States Navy]] by [[North American Aviation]]. The aircraft was designed shortly after [[World War II]] to carry [[atomic bomb]]s and this meant that the bomber was the heaviest aircraft thus far designed to operate from an aircraft carrier. It was powered by two [[piston engine]]s and a [[turbojet]] buried in the rear [[fuselage]]. The AJ-1 first became operational in 1950 and several were based in [[South Korea]] during 1953 as a deterrent against [[North Korea]]. Of the 140 built, plus three [[prototype]]s, 30 were [[reconnaissance aircraft]]. [[Aerial refueling|Inflight-refueling]] equipment was deployed on the Savage in the mid-1950s. The bomber was replaced by the [[Douglas A3D Skywarrior]] beginning in 1957. The type was used after its military service for some additional experiments including microgravity test flights and to test a new jet engine in the 1960s and 70s.
==Design and development==
[[File:XAJ-1 NAN10-48.jpg|thumb|left|The XAJ-1 prototype first flew in 1948]]
At the end of World War II, the U.S. Navy began a design competition on 13 August 1945 for a carrier-based bomber which could carry a {{convert|10000|lb|kg|0|adj=on}} bomb that was won by North American Aviation. Later that year, the Navy decided that it needed to be able to deliver atomic bombs and that the AJ Savage design would be adapted to accommodate the latest [[Mark 4 nuclear bomb]], the next step in development from the more sophisticated imploding-plutonium-sphere design [[Fat Man]] Mk3 used on [[Nagasaki]]. A contract for three XAJ-1 prototypes and a static test airframe was awarded on 24 June 1946. The first prototype made its [[maiden flight]] two years later on 3 July 1948.<ref>Ginter 1992, pp. 3, 5.</ref>  That same year the US Navy began an interim capability program employing the [[Lockheed P-2 Neptune]] carrying a crash-program reproduction of the smaller, simpler all-uranium 'gun' design [[Little Boy]] nuclear bomb as its first carrier-launched nuclear bomber aircraft until the Savage was in service. The Neptune launched using [[JATO]] assist but could not land on existing carriers; if launched they had to either ditch at sea after the mission or land at a friendly airbase.<ref>Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p. 458</ref>
The AJ-1 was a three-seat, high-wing [[monoplane]] with [[tricycle gear|tricycle landing gear]]. To facilitate carrier operations, the outer wing panels and the tailfin could be manually folded.<ref>Ginter 1992, pp. 5, 7, 38.</ref> It was fitted with two {{convert|2300|bhp|lk=in|adj=on}} [[Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp|Pratt & Whitney R-2800-44W Double Wasp]] piston engines, mounted in [[nacelle]]s under each wing with a large [[turbocharger]] fitted inside each engine nacelle, and a {{convert|4600|lbf|lk=in|adj=on}} [[Allison J33]]-A-10 [[turbojet]] was fitted in the rear fuselage.<ref name="SAC AJ-1"/> The jet engine was only intended for takeoff and maximum speed near the target,<ref name=j3>Johnson 2000, p. 343.</ref> and was fed by an air inlet on top of the fuselage that was normally kept closed to reduce drag.<ref>Ginter 1992, p. 30.</ref> To simplify the fuel system, the jet engine used piston engine [[avgas]] rather than jet fuel. One {{convert|201|USgal|adj=on}} [[self-sealing fuel tank]] was housed in the fuselage, and another {{convert|508|USgal|lk=in|adj=on}} tank was located in each wing. The aircraft usually carried {{convert|300|USgal|adj=on}} [[wing tip|tip]] tanks and it could house three fuel tanks in the [[bomb bay]] with a total capacity of {{convert|1640|USgal}}. Other than its {{convert|12000|lb|adj=on}} bombload, the bomber was unarmed.<ref name="SAC AJ-1"/>
[[File:AJ-1 Savage at NAS Patuxent River in October 1949.jpg|thumb|AJ-1 Savage in October 1949]]
Two of the three prototypes crashed during testing, but their loss did not materially affect the development of the aircraft as the first batch of Savages had been ordered on 6 October 1947. The most significant difference between the XAJ-1 and the production aircraft was the revision of the cockpit to accommodate a third crewman in a separate compartment. The first flight by a production aircraft occurred in May 1949 and Fleet Composite Squadron 5 (VC-5) became the first [[squadron (aviation)|squadron]] to receive a Savage in September.<ref>Ginter 1992, pp. 5, 7, 25, 75.</ref> The squadron participated in testing and evaluating the aircraft together with the [[Naval Air Test Center]] (NATC) in order to expedite the Savage's introduction into the fleet.<ref name=m4>Miller 2001, p. 94</ref> The first carrier takeoff and landing made by the bomber took place from the {{USS|Coral Sea|CV-43|6}} on 21 April and 31 August 1950, respectively. Many, if not most, surviving AJ-1s had their tails upgraded to the improved AJ-2 configuration.<ref>Ginter 1992, pp. 7, 11–12.</ref>
A [[photo-reconnaissance]] version of the Savage, initially known as the AJ-1P, but later designated as the AJ-2P, was ordered on 18 August 1950. It had improved R-2800-48 piston engines and the tail was redesigned to add {{convert|1|ft|cm|0}} of height to the tailfin. The 12° [[dihedral (aircraft)|dihedral]] of the tail stabilizers was eliminated and the [[rudder]] enlarged which slightly lengthened the aircraft. Early AJ-2Ps retained the three-man crew, but late-model aircraft added a fourth aft-facing crewman to the upper [[cockpit]]. The Savage's internal fuel capacity was also increased. The nose of the aircraft was remodeled with a prominent "chin" to accommodate a forward-looking oblique camera and a variety of oblique and vertical cameras could be fitted in the bomb bay. [[Photoflash bomb]]s could be carried for night photography missions.<ref>Ginter 1992, pp. 11, 43, 46, 48–53.</ref>
The AJ-2 incorporated all of the changes made to the late model AJ-2P and 55 aircraft were ordered on 14 February 1951. The AJ-2 deleted the separate compartment for the third crewman, but retained the third seat in the cockpit from the AJ-2P.<ref>Ginter 1992, p. 12.</ref>
Around 1954, NATC modified the sole surviving XAJ-1 to conduct inflight refueling tests using the [[probe and drogue]] configuration. The turbojet engine was removed and the fuel hose and its drogue extended out from the jet's former exhaust opening. Aircraft in service retained the turbojet and had their bomb bay doors modified to accommodate the hose and drogue. They were refueling aircraft during late 1954.<ref>Ginter 1992, p. 59, 75, 85.</ref>
==Operational history==
[[File:North American AJ-1 Savage aboard USS Oriskany (CVA-34), 29 August 1952 (80-G-K-13048).jpg|thumb|right|An AJ-1 aboard the modernized ''Essex''-class carrier {{USS|Oriskany|CV-34|6}} on 29 August 1952]]
[[File:N.A. AJ-2 Savage 134039 VC-7 Blackbushe 07.09.55.jpg|thumb|right|AJ-2 Savage of VC-7 from [[NAS Port Lyautey]], [[Morocco]], at [[Blackbushe Airport]], in September 1955]]
[[File:AJ-2 refuels FJ-3M Fury fighters 1958.jpeg|thumb|An AJ-2 refuels FJ-3M Fury fighter aircraft in 1958]]
When first deployed, the AJ-1 was too large and heavy to be used by any American aircraft carrier except for the {{sclass|Midway|aircraft carrier|4}}. The modernized {{sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier|4}} carriers with reinforced [[deck (ship)|deck]]s and the very large {{sclass|Forrestal|aircraft carrier|4}} could also handle the Savage. The aircraft was not popular aboard ship as "it was so big and cumbersome that it complicated any other flight operations the ship was required to conduct."<ref name=m4/> One problem was that the wings had to be folded one at a time by a crewman on top of the fuselage with a portable hydraulic pump, a time-consuming process, so that the bomber could be moved out of the way to allow other aircraft to land or take off. One pilot reported that the AJ-1 was "a dream to fly and handled like a fighter",<ref>quoted in Miller 2001, p. 96</ref> when everything was working properly. The aircraft, however, was not very reliable, possibly because it was rushed into production before all the problems could be ironed out.<ref>Miller 2001, pp. 95, 97–98.</ref>
Early in the Savage's career, squadrons would typically deploy a detachment to [[Naval Air Station Port Lyautey]], Morocco, for service with the [[United States Sixth Fleet|Sixth Fleet]] and fly the bombers aboard aircraft carriers that were already deployed to the Mediterranean as needed.<ref>Ginter 1992, pp. 60, 71, 75.</ref> The plan was that the Savages would then be loaded with atomic bombs already aboard the carriers and launched once the carriers were in the Eastern [[Mediterranean Sea]]. The tactic to deliver the bombs was to fly at low level through Bulgaria and Romania before climbing at maximum power to the proper altitude to release the bomb. The aircraft would then perform a [[wingover]] maneuver and dive to low altitude, keeping the tail of the aircraft aimed at the target to avoid serious damage from the shock wave of the explosion.<ref>Miller 2001, pp. 95, 98</ref>
Fleet Composite Squadron 5 ([[VC-5]]) made the first of its three deployments from [[Naval Air Station Norfolk]], Virginia to NAS Port Lyautey in February 1951.  Due to homeport changes, VC-5's next two deployments would originate from [[Naval Air Station Jacksonville]], Florida followed by [[Naval Air Station Sanford|Naval Auxiliary Air Station Sanford]], Florida.
[[RVAH-6|Fleet Composite Squadron 6 (VC-6)]] at [[NAS Moffett Field]], California received its first Savages in late 1950 and deployed to NAS Port Lyautey in October 1951 before transferring to the [[United States Pacific Fleet|Pacific Fleet]] in October 1952. In July 1953 it deployed a detachment of two aircraft to [[Pohang Airport|K-3 Air Base]] in Korea to act as a nuclear deterrent.<ref>Ginter 1992, p. 77</ref> [[VC-7]], [[VC-8]], and [[RVAH-9|VC-9]] received their AJ-1s beginning in June 1951 and all remained on the [[East Coast of the United States]].<ref>Ginter 1992, pp. 71, 75, 88, 91, 93</ref> The Navy redesignated all of its Savage-equipped composite squadrons as heavy attack squadrons (VAH) on 1 November 1955.<ref>Grossnick 1995, [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/histories/naval-aviation/dictionary-of-american-naval-aviation-squadrons-volume-1/pdfs/Appendx6.pdf p. 547, Appendix 6.]</ref> The squadrons retained their existing numbers except for VC-8 which became VAH-11 as all East Coast squadrons were odd-numbered.<ref>Ginter 1992, p. 91.</ref>
AJ tankers were used to refuel then-Marine Corps Major [[John Glenn|John Glenn's]] [[Vought F8U Crusader|Vought F8U-1P Crusader]] during the Project Bullet transcontinental speed record flight in July 1957; AJ-2s from VAH-6 on the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] and AJ-1s from VAH-11 on the East Coast. Beginning in 1957 the [[Douglas A3D Skywarrior]] began to replace the Savages in the VAH Squadrons.<ref>Ginter 1992, p. 93, 95, 98, 105–06.</ref> Their refueling role was continued by the formation in January 1958 of [[VAH-15]] on the [[United States East Coast]] and [[VAH-16]] on the [[United States West Coast]]. Both squadrons were equipped with AJ-2s,<ref>Ginter 1992, pp. 110–111.</ref> but both were short-lived and disbanded early the following year.<ref>Grossnick 1995, [http://www.history.navy.mil/download/dictnry/Chapter3.pdf Chapter 3, pp. 298–99]</ref>
[[File:AJ-2P VAP-61 1953.jpg|thumb|right|Two AJ-2Ps of VAP-61 in 1953]]
The AJ-2P was flown by [[VAP-61|Photographic Squadron 61 (VJ-61)]] and [[VAP-62|Photographic Squadron 62 (VJ-62)]], both of which were redesignated as Heavy Photographic Squadrons, VAP-61 and VAP-62, respectively, on 2 July 1956. VJ-61 was assigned to the Pacific Fleet and VJ-62 to the [[United States Fleet Forces Command|Atlantic Fleet]]. The squadrons never deployed as complete units, but rather deployed as one to three aircraft detachments. Detachment Queen was formed by VJ-61 during the Korean War at [[Naval Station Sangley Point]], in the Philippines, to fly reconnaissance missions over the People's Republic of China and North Korea. The detachment continued its missions after the war until at least June 1954. Both squadrons frequently provided photographic mapping for agencies outside the Navy like the [[Army Map Service]], [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]], [[United States Coast and Geodetic Survey]], and U.S. [[Department of the Interior|Departments of the Interior]] and [[United States Department of Agriculture|Agriculture]]. The AJ-2s in these squadrons were replaced by Douglas A3D-2P Skywarriors beginning in 1959,<ref>Ginter 1992, pp. 63, 65–67, 70.</ref> although the last month that they were reported in squadron service was January 1960.<ref>Grossnick 1995 [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/histories/naval-aviation/dictionary-of-american-naval-aviation-squadrons-volume-1/pdfs/Chapter3.pdf, p. 458, Appendix 1-1.]</ref> Surviving AJ-1 and AJ-2 aircraft became A-2As and A-2Bs, respectively, when the Department of Defense [[1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system|redesignated all U.S. military aircraft in a common series]] in 1962.<ref name=sb7>Swanborough and Bowers 1990, p. 517.</ref>
Three AJ-2s were loaned to the [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration]] as [[Reduced gravity aircraft|weightlessness simulators]] from January 1960 to September 1964. They were eventually destroyed during firefighting training. Three AJ-1s were purchased by AJ Air Tankers, Inc. in early 1960 for use as [[water bomber]]s. Their turbojets were removed before the delivery flight to California, during which one aircraft crashed. The two surviving aircraft were fully modified for the role after delivery and could carry {{convert|2000|USgal}} of fire retardant. They first flew missions during the 1961 fire season. Another aircraft crashed on takeoff in September 1967 when an engine failed and the sole survivor only made a few more flights before it was [[scrap]]ped in 1968–69.<ref>Ginter 1992, pp. 113, 124.</ref>
[[File:AJ-2 Savage test bed for Lycoming engines in flight.jpeg|thumb|right|The Avco Lycoming Savage with the YF102 extended]]
At least one other AJ-2 was purchased and used as a water bomber before it was purchased in 1970 by [[Avco Lycoming]] for use as an engine testbed for the [[Lycoming ALF 502|YF102 turbofan]] engine. The J33 turbojet had to be reinstalled and the aircraft required almost a year of maintenance before it could be flown to Avco Lycoming's home airfield at [[Stratford, Connecticut]]. The YF102, too fat to fully fit in the bomb bay, was mounted on a retractable mechanism that could be lowered below the aircraft for tests. The testing was conducted from January to July 1972. Another round of testing on the commercial derivative of the F102, the ALF 502, was performed between January 1979 and December 1980. In 1984, routine maintenance discovered several loose rivets on the [[spar (aviation)|spar]] and further examination showed that the skin was starting to separate from the spar. This damage was too uneconomical to repair so Avco Lycoming decided to donate the last surviving Savage to the [[National Museum of Naval Aviation]]. The AJ-2 was flown to [[Naval Air Station Pensacola]] in [[Pensacola, Florida]] on 9 May 1984.<ref>Ginter 1992, pp. 115–123.</ref>
==Variants==
;XAJ-1
:Prototype with two 2,300&nbsp;hp (1,715&nbsp;kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-44 radial engines and one [[Allison J33]]-A-10 turbojet; three built.
;AJ-1 (A-2A)
:Initial production version with two 2,400&nbsp;hp (1,790&nbsp;kW) R-2800-44W radial engines and one J33-A-10 turbojet; 55 built, survivors redesignated A-2A in 1962.<ref name=j3/>
;AJ-2 (A-2B)
:Updated production version with two 2,500&nbsp;hp (1,864&nbsp;kW) R-2800-48 radial engines and one J33-A-10, taller tailfin, slightly longer fuselage, increased fuel capacity; 55 built, survivors redesignated A-2B in 1962.<ref name=j3/>
;AJ-2P
:Photo-reconnaissance version of the AJ-2 with array of cameras; 30 built.<ref>Ginter 1992, p. 1.</ref>
;NA-146
:Company designation for three prototypes delivered to the USN as XAJ-1.<ref name="na">Chorlton 2013, pp.124–129.</ref>
;NA-155
:Development of the XAJ-1; mockup only, not built.<ref name="na" />
[[File:AJ-2 Savage refueling F8U-1 VX-3.jpeg|thumb|right|An AJ-2 refueling a [[Vought F8U-1 Crusader]] fighter during the 1950s]]
;NA-156
:Production variant delivered to the USN as AJ-1; 12 built.<ref name="na" />
;NA-160
:Production variant delivered to the USN as AJ-1; 28 built.<ref name="na" />
;NA-169
:Production variant delivered to the USN as AJ-1; 15 built.<ref name="na" />
;NA-175
:Photo-reconnaissance variant delivered to the USN as AJ-2P; 23 built.<ref name="na" />
;NA-183
:Photo-reconnaissance variant delivered to the USN as AJ-2P; 7 built.<ref name="na" />
;NA-184
:Improved production variant delivered to the USN as AJ-2; 55 built.<ref name="na" />
;XSSM-N-4 Taurus
:Proposed unmanned variant as a [[surface-to-surface missile]]. Cancelled in 1948, none built.<ref>Parsch 2003</ref>
==Operators==
[[File:AJ-2P VAP-61 in flight near Guam.jpg|thumb|An AJ-2P of VAP-61]]
[[File:C-47 AIRPLANE IN FLIGHT - P-61 BLACK WIDOW AIRPLANE IN FLIGHT - F-106 AIRPLANE TOUCH DOWN - B-57 AIRPLANE ON APRON - AJ-2 AIRPLANE IN FLIGHT - NAVION L-17 AIRPLANE IN FLIGHT - NARA - 17446761.jpg|thumb|The NASA AJ-2 for microgravity flights]]
;{{USA}}
* United States Navy
**[[RVAH-5|VC-5 / VAH-5]] - September 1949 to September 1957<ref name="aba904p98">Kernahan 1990, p. 98</ref>
**[[RVAH-6|VC-6 / VAH-6]] - January 1950 to January 1957<ref name="aba904p99">Kernahan 1990, p. 99</ref>
**[[RVAH-7|VC-7 / VAH-7]] - June 1951 to February 1959<ref name="aba904p99"/>
**[[RVAH-11|VC-8 / VAH-11]] - December 1951 to January 1958<ref name="aba904p99"/>
**[[RVAH-9|VC-9 / VAH-9]] - April 1953 to April 1957<ref name="aba904p99"/>
**[[VAH-15]] - March 1958 to January 1959<ref name="aba904p99"/>
**[[VAH-16]] - January 1958 to January 1959<ref name="aba904p100">Kernahan 1990, p. 100</ref>
**[[VAP-61|VJ-61 / VAP-61]] - September 1952 to February 1960<ref name="aba904p100"/>
**[[VAP-62|VJ-62 / VAP-62]] - August 1952 to December 1959<ref name="aba904p100"/>
**Heavy Attack Training Unit - November 1953 to March 1956<ref name="aba904p100"/>
* National Aeronautics and Space Administration
**1960-1964 (3)
==Aircraft on display==
<!-- [[File:1953 North American AJ-2 Savage BuNo 130418 (National Naval Aviation Museum) (8756563620).jpg|thumb|left|AJ-2 Savage at a museum]] -->
Only one preserved Savage exists today:
* A-2B Savage, Bureau Number ''130418'', which is displayed at the [[National Naval Aviation Museum]] at [[Naval Air Station Pensacola]], Florida.<ref>[http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attractions/aircraft-exhibits/item/?item=aj_savage "A-2 Savage/130418"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626103136/http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attractions/aircraft-exhibits/item/?item=aj_savage |date=2015-06-26 }}. ''National Naval Aviation Museum.'' Retrieved: 24 June 2015.</ref>
==Specifications (AJ-1)==
[[File:North American AJ-2P Savage 3-view line drawing.png|frameless|right|3-view line drawing of the North American AJ-2P Savage]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref= ''U.S. Navy Standard Aircraft Characteristics'',<ref name="SAC AJ-1">Standard Aircraft Characteristics</ref> ''American Attack Aircraft Since 1926''<ref name=j3/> and ''United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911''<ref name=sb7/>
|prime units?=imp
<!--   General characteristics
-->
|crew=3
|length ft=63
|length in=0.72
|length note=
|span ft=71
|span in=4.56
|span note=without tip tanks
:::{{cvt|75|ft}} with tip tanks
|width ft=50
|width in=6
|width note=wings folded
|height ft=20
|height in=6.24
|height note=<br/>
:::{{cvt|16|ft}} fin folded
|wing area sqft=835.45
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=[[NACA airfoil|NACA 64-212]]<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>
|empty weight lb=27558
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=47000
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=50954
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--   Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name=[[Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp|Pratt & Whitney R-2800-44W Double Wasp]]
|eng1 type=18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines
|eng1 hp=2400
|eng2 number=1
|eng2 name=[[Allison J33-A-10]]
|eng2 type=[[turbojet]] engine
|eng2 lbf=4600
|prop blade number=4
|prop name=Hamilton Standard
|prop dia ft=14
|prop dia in=6
|prop dia note=constant-speed propellers
<!--   Performance
-->
|max speed mph=471
|max speed note=
|max speed mach=<!-- supersonic aircraft -->
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed note=
|range miles=1731
|range note=
|combat range miles=
|combat range note=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling ft=40800
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ftmin=2900
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading lb/sqft=63.2
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass={{cvt|0.091|hp/lb|kW/kg}} (R-2800s only)
|thrust/weight=0.087 (J33 only)
|more performance=
<!--   Armament
-->
|bombs={{cvt|12000|lb}} of conventional bombs or 1 × [[Mark 4 nuclear bomb]]
|avionics=
}}
==See also==
{{aircontent
|see also=
|related=
* [[North American XA2J Super Savage]]
|lists=
* [[List of military aircraft of the United States]]
}}
==Citations==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==Bibliography==
* Chorlton, Martyn. ''North American – Company Profile 1928–1996''. Cudham, Kent, United Kingdom: Kelsey Publishing, 2013. {{ISBN|978-1-907426-61-2}}.
* Ginter, Steve. ''North American AJ-1 Savage'' (Naval Fighters Number 22). Simi Valley, California: Steve Ginter, 1992. {{ISBN|0-942612-22-1}}.
* {{cite book |last=Grossnick |first=Roy A. |title=Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons: Volume 1 The History of VA, VAH, VAK, VAL, VAP and VFA Squadrons |year=1995 |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy |isbn=0-945274-29-7 |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/naval-aviation-history/dictionary-of-american-naval-aviation-squadrons-volume-1.html |access-date=26 November 2021}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Kernahan |first=George |title=North American AJ Savage |magazine=Aeromilitaria |publisher=[[Air-Britain]] |year=1990 |issue=4 |pages=95–102 }}
* Johnson, E.R. ''American Attack Aircraft Since 1926''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2008. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-3464-0}}.
* Miller, Jerry. ''Nuclear Weapons and Aircraft Carriers: How the Bomb Saved Naval Aviation''. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2001. {{ISBN|1-56098-944-0}}.
* Parsch, Andreas. ''[http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app1/ssm-n-4.html North American SSM-N-4 Taurus]''. Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones. Designation-Systems. Accessed 17 December 2017.
* [http://www.alternatewars.com/SAC/AJ-1_Savage_SAC_-_30_June_1957.pdf ''Standard Aircraft Characteristics: AJ-1 "Savage".''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232237/http://www.alternatewars.com/SAC/AJ-1_Savage_SAC_-_30_June_1957.pdf |date=2016-03-03 }} Washington, D.C.: United States Navy, 30 June 1957.
* Swanborough, Gordon and Peter M. Bowers. ''United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911''. London: Putnam, 3rd ed., 1990. {{ISBN|0-85177-838-0}}.
* Wilson, Stewart. ''Combat Aircraft Since 1945''. Fyshwick, Australia: Aerospace Publications, 2000. {{ISBN|1-875671-50-1}}.
==External links==
{{Commons category|North American AJ Savage}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20000920032635/http://www.aero-web.org/locator/manufact/northam/a-2.htm  List of A-2s on AeroWeb]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090126022501/http://www.skaneateles.org/navy/allsavages.html Wooster's Comprehensive list]
{{North American Aviation aircraft}}
{{US attack aircraft}}
{{USN attack aircraft}}
{{USN missiles}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:North American Aviation aircraft|A1J]]
[[Category:1940s United States attack aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft with auxiliary jet engines]]
[[Category:High-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Carrier-based aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1948]]
[[Category:Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear]]