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View Full Version : Ah, the good old days!!!!!


John HOLBROOK
06-18-2010, 07:18
We tanked them going in and we tanked them coming off their targets.

The Scooter pilots loved we A3 guys!!!!

Note the ordnace hanging on the A4s. They are on their way in!!!

http://www.fototime.com/%7BDC0E6C5D-B17A-49E7-8E05-83D8606885DA%7D/origpict/Tanking%20A4s.jpg
Oyaji
06-18-2010, 07:33
John,

Those A4F's look like birds from the squadron I was in.....VA-55 embarked in USS Hancock (CVA-19).
John HOLBROOK
06-19-2010, 07:18
Yep, those Skyhawks are from VA-55.........
John HOLBROOK
06-19-2010, 07:47
I have the disposal records for all the A3s. Note that BuNo 142652 still exists. She is in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB . Look at two of her sisters below marked with the red astricks....

http://www.fototime.com/%7B1BCB9B90-4CA6-42FE-A2D7-4B4D8413F2B6%7D/origpict/DSC00279.JPG
Oyaji
06-19-2010, 10:11
John,

If I recall correctly the "whales" we had on the Hancock were initially from Heavy Ten (VAH-10) and later on, one of the VAQ squadrons. This was back around 1968-71. Think they were all out of NAS Whidbey. Also remember many of the A-3's being re-worked at the depot in NAS Alameda back in the "good old days."

Do you have any more detail regarding the loss of BuNo 142655 on Oct 21, 1967?

The A-3 Skywarrior certanly has a long and distinguished service record but, now I'm preaching to the choir, right?

Best,
Mack aka Oyaji

P.S. You still "doing the Puyallup?"
John Sukey
06-19-2010, 10:25
One thing about the A4, you didn't have to worry about bouncing around in the cockpit! As one pilot remarked "I don't get in , I put it on!
John HOLBROOK
06-19-2010, 11:05
Here is the sad fate of most of the remaining A3s, except for 6 that Rayethon is operating out of Van Nuys, CA... We are getting one for display at NAS Whidbey Island and they are trying to get one for NAS Sanford, FL. Most of these are TA-3Bs, trainers or RA-3Bs. I checked my log books, and I have flown in all 12 TA-3Bs!!!!!

When I was down at Raytheon, I spoke to the Flight Operations Manager about maintainng the A3s, and he told me he has a hanger full of spares. However he said they have no main gear tires. They are a unique size and when they need new ones, they have to have them made by Pirelli at $200,000.00 per tire!!!!! That's right, almost a half a million bucks for a set of tires!!!

And yes, I still do the Puyallup!!!!

http://www.fototime.com/%7BF0726052-7806-46C1-BADD-32E6719A347E%7D/origpict/EKA-3B_147659_VAQ-130__NM-616%5B1%5D.jpg
Roadkingtrax
06-19-2010, 11:12
How much gas did you hold? I bet you guys did more take-offs and landings then any other type of aircraft.
John HOLBROOK
06-19-2010, 11:15
This is one of my favorite A3 photos!!!!!!!

http://www.fototime.com/%7BB9ED9160-E782-4A07-883B-0B93DDBEFA60%7D/origpict/two__VQ-2_EA-3B_pass_Gibralter%5B1%5D.jpg
John HOLBROOK
06-19-2010, 12:03
How much gas did you hold? I bet you guys did more take-offs and landings then any other type of aircraft.

We carried over 30,000#s of JP5 in two internal self sealing fuel tanks plus we had "wet wings".... The wings inside of the wing fold were sealed and used for fuel...

http://www.fototime.com/%7B371B03EC-1654-493F-8466-E9FE78B22510%7D/origpict/42440_101817_244873%5B1%5D.jpg
Shooter5
06-19-2010, 04:01
Sir: who ran the rear gun? Was that auto synced to a radar? Interesting history posted.
What platform has replaced its duties?
Thanks for standing watch during the Cold War. BTW, have you received your Cold War certificate?
John HOLBROOK
06-19-2010, 04:43
Sir: who ran the rear gun? Was that auto synced to a radar? Interesting history posted.
What platform has replaced its duties?
Thanks for standing watch during the Cold War. BTW, have you received your Cold War certificate?

The rear turret was controlled by the Third Crewman who sat behind the pilot facing aft. They were aimed by a MK 21 Fire Control Radar system... They were removed early in service as they were not effective and replaced with ECM gear...

The A3 was so versitile that it went through several versions. From Nuclear Weapons Bomber, to recon, photographic misisons, ECM, both active and passive, plus they made a great tanker!!!!!

They are one of the unsung heros of the Cold War...... The last one was taken out of military service in 1991....

So they served from 1955 to 1991, and are still flying. Raytheon operates 6 in Van Nuys, CA!!!!! The first time I flew in one was at the Naval Air Special Weapons Facility at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM BuNo 130357 which was the 9th A3 built. I was the Plane Captain (Crew Chief) of that A/C..

Yes, I do have my Certificate....
Oyaji
06-19-2010, 05:51
John,

Those A4F's look like birds from the squadron I was in.....VA-55 embarked in USS Hancock (CVA-19).

Found a couple photos of when I was in VA-55. I'm in the back row standing behind the C.O.
Weasel
06-19-2010, 08:39
The big joke now is they are going to use FA-18's for tankers. That's a laugh, no legs trying to refuel another no legs. My old W-30 442 Olds had more range than the FA-18's.
dryheat
06-20-2010, 04:42
Maybe some of those A-4 pilots trained at the base I was stationed at; NAS Kingsville, TX. I was an Aviation Hydraulics Mate in VT-23 back in the early 70's. I went up in our planes a couple of times and it was quite the thrill. Of coourse these were two seaters and they didn't have the avionics dome.
John Sukey
06-20-2010, 09:37
One question that has always puzzled me. I was asked to check out the radio in a A4 that landed on a cross country. The Navy has a DIFFERENT connector for the headset than the air force!
Oyaji
06-20-2010, 10:07
One question that has always puzzled me. I was asked to check out the radio in a A4 that landed on a cross country. The Navy has a DIFFERENT connector for the headset than the air force!

Can't help on that one John. All I ever did with the Scooter was to hump ordnance. Maybe some of the avionics or electrical types can chime in.
John HOLBROOK
06-20-2010, 10:33
Not only was the connector different, the impedence of the earphones was different.

GO FIGURE!!!!

We in the Navy used an ARC 28 for UHF communications....
John HOLBROOK
06-22-2010, 11:05
Here is one of the A3s still flying with Raytheon at Van Nuys...

She sure is pretty. And a side note, the Manager of Flight Operations told me that one of the A3s had a crack in the forward section of the wheel wells, so they cut the fuselage in half and added 2" the the length of the A/C!!

http://www.fototime.com/%7B9B1DF350-005E-4438-B4FE-B9A1F93B3254%7D/origpict/A3%201.JPG
Shooter5
06-22-2010, 11:08
What does Raytheon use them for now?
John HOLBROOK
06-22-2010, 11:27
As test beds for electronic equipment. They took one A3 and transplanted a complete F15 nose on it to test the fire controll system!!!! Raytheon loves them!!!!!!

Here is a photo of the remaining A3s at Van Nuys mixed in with other A/C..

http://www.fototime.com/%7BB9CE0B61-0A62-4AC4-A737-05D4E020742D%7D/origpict/DSC00280.JPG
John Sukey
06-22-2010, 12:00
Not only was the connector different, the impedence of the earphones was different.

GO FIGURE!!!!

We in the Navy used an ARC 28 for UHF communications....

Arc 28? ANTIQUE! We used ARC 34's in the 100's then moved to Arc 51's in the SLUF's and finally to ARC164's. The FM was 622's until replaced by ARC 186's. Funny story about that On the FM, we heard someone break into a pilots conversation telling him to get off the freq, as it was restricted. Found out he was an army type in Missouri. Pilot replied "this is an A7 over Tucson! Heard no more from the army. Skip can be odd, we once picked up a fire engine in NEW YORK!

However When I was in Panama just before taking out pineapple face, they STILL had some ARC 5's for ground comm.
John HOLBROOK
06-22-2010, 01:49
Hey John, the ARC 28 used vacuum tubes!!!!!!! As did the AN-ASB 1 radar bombing system, also the optical bombing system we used was taken from the Norden Bomb Sight!!!!!!!!!!

Remember, I am from the Stone Age of Naval Aviation!!!!
Weasel
06-22-2010, 08:23
We don't have real Navy now days. What was once the US Navy is now "Carnival Cruse Lines".
CTMC(ret)
06-23-2010, 02:48
Bring on the EMP!! We'll who still has comms!!
Weasel
06-23-2010, 08:24
Some of the old times might find this amusing. Myself I find it disgusting that the military has gotten in this shape for no good reason other than lack of discipline and pride.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmoral/articles/20100622.aspx
Critch
06-23-2010, 08:46
Great pictures. Isn't that pretty much the same plane the AF called an RB-66?
John HOLBROOK
06-23-2010, 10:58
There was only about 3% interchangability between the RB-66 and the A3D.....
Viking68
06-28-2010, 11:11
I just found this forum by accident. I am an ex AQ in the original Heavy Ten at Whiidby. I need to make a couple of corrections. I was an Avionics shift supervisor and Avionics QA. The UHF radio was the ARC 27 vice 28. The VHF radio was the ARC - 38. Both types were tube types. The A-3 carried two ARC- 27's back in the hell hole under the tail. The ARC -38 was mounted right below the 27's.
The bombing system was the ASB-1/1A or ASB-7. The gear in the -1 was all vacuum tube and the 7 was mostly transisters.
rstbkt69
06-30-2010, 09:22
Weasel LOL. I have been in the F-18 community since 85. I'm out of the Navy now but still involved with the F-18's. That F-18 tanker joke is always passed around by people that work on different platforms. Never has been considered.
Weasel
07-01-2010, 05:56
Weasel LOL. I have been in the F-18 community since 85. I'm out of the Navy now but still involved with the F-18's. That F-18 tanker joke is always passed around by people that work on different platforms. Never has been considered.

I love fairytale's and sea stories but some times they are based on facts. Check out this link rstbkt69, you might learn something new.
http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/military_photos_200492323
PhillipM
07-04-2010, 07:45
I love fairytale's and sea stories but some times they are based on facts. Check out this link rstbkt69, you might learn something new.
http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/military_photos_200492323

Bad link, Weasel
Weasel
07-05-2010, 09:17
This one should work. I don't like to post pictures from other sights because of the possibility of copyright infringement. One board I use to go to some people got nailed for that.

http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/military_photos_200492323.aspx
hink441
08-15-2010, 05:02
Hi John
This is a great thread. I am a retired ATC mainly with A-6E's and RH-53D's. I know an old salt from the early whales who was a pilot. He retired as a Captain and spent alot of time at Sanford. His name is Don Munday, do you know him?
John HOLBROOK
08-27-2010, 08:02
Yep, I remember him!!! I was in VAH-11 from 1958 to 1962 when I was transferred to VAH-123 at Whidbey as an Instructor B/N.. I actually spent twelve years flying in A3s..

Here is a shot of my graduating B/N class taken in 1961 in VAH-3 at Sanford. We were one of the few all enlisted B/N classes and we were all Aviation Machinist Mates (AD) I am the White Hat on the left.. The other three are gone. Two of them were shot down in RA3Bs over North Vietnam and the other died while in VAH-7 in an A3J in South Florida. They had a complete hydralic failure, and he did not survive the ejection. So I am the only survivor and the only one who stayed in the A3s.

http://www.fototime.com/%7B13FA0EAC-0AE2-4C24-ADE5-506C363B6BAD%7D/origpict/BN%20Grad%20Class%20copy.jpg