In the 1949, a whole new class of aircraft carrier was under development by the US Navy: the Forrestal-class "Supercarrier." To capitalize on the enormous size and launching capability of these new ship, a huge new attack bomber was developed by Douglas Aircraft. The world's largest and heaviest carrier-borne aircraft when it was designed, the A3D first flew in October 1952, and entered service in 1954. Because of its size, it was quickly christened "The Whale" by its crews. In its vast internal bomb bay it could carry up to 12,000 lbs. of various weapons, and it carried radar for blind bombing.
