a6

Another classic

IBM APS-116 sensor installation in the radome for the Grumman A-6B Intruder. See more in comments here:

The above aircraft may also be seen in these four 'flickr' pics from contributor ‘jodyburbank’ In his two page photostream here www.flickr.com/photos/va-304_firebirds/ www.flickr.com/photos/va-304_firebirds/page2/ Individual pictures of KA-6D Intruder 149486 may also be viewed here: www.flickr.com/photos/va-304_firebirds/405403794/ www.flickr.com/photos/va-304_firebirds/405438138/ www.flickr.com/photos/va-304_firebirds/405427238/ www.flickr.com/photos/va-304_firebirds/405418854/ KA-6D Intruder 149486, Modex 421 tail code ND maneuvering/manoeuvring on on the flight deck of CV-62 USS Independence. Assigned to US Navy Reserve Attack Squadron VA-304 ‘Firebirds’, in light gull gray and white with black anti glare panel over nose.. Ancient Greek style code ND of Carrier Air Wing Reserve Thirty (CVWR-30) on tail. Four under wing fuel tanks. Probable date of picture; 1989. Built as an A-6A all weather day & night attack bomber, Bu No 149486 was later stripped of its sophisticated systems and permanently converted to a KA-6D aerial tanker with hose and drogue reel mounted in rear fuselage plus modifications to internal plumbing and cockpit instruments. 1967 picture of A-6A 149486 elsewhere and on ‘flickr’: www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/265735.html www.flickr.com/photos/52882109@N07/4986410263/ Brand new with no marks other than Weapons Test unit marking W on tail. NAS Patuxent River air show July 1967. 1976 picture of A-6A 149486 with the Pacific Missile Test Center, NAS China Lake, California: www.chinalakealumni.org/1976.htm www.chinalakealumni.org/1976/1976mo.htm PMTC A-6A Bu No 149486. Modex 57, Dated 13 July 1976. Photo by Joe Cupido. Blue band across tail with Pacific Missile Test Center insignia. (use slider on right to scroll down two thirds of page to view) 1979 picture of A-6A 149486 still as Modex 57 with the PMTC: www.aircraftprofiles.dk/wp-content/gallery/a-6-intruder-p... A-6A 149486 of PMTC (Pacific Missile Test Center) at NAS Point Mugu on Aug. 22nd, 1979. (Photo: Paul Minert Collection via Bruce Trombecky) A-6A & KA-6D info courtesy of Professor Joe Baugher: www.joebaugher.com/usattack/newa6_1.html www.joebaugher.com/usattack/newa6_4.html Here is a 1984 record of KA-6D 149486 with US Marine squadron VMA(AW)-533 ‘Hawks’ as Modex 524. This was when it was part of Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) using code AA embarked on CV-60 USS SARATOGA for a Mediterranean theater cruise between April 2 & October 20, 1984: www.gonavy.jp/CVW-AAf.html www.gonavy.jp/CVW17-AA1984.html The next year KA-6D 149486 sailed again on CV-60 USS SARATOGA for an important Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Sirte confrontation with Libya. This time the tanker plane was with VA-85 ’Black Falcons’, but still as Modex 524. The air wing was again CVW-17 (code AA) The deployment lasted between August 26, 1985 & April 16, 1986: www.gonavy.jp/CVW-AAf.html www.gonavy.jp/CVW17-AA1985.html (Info on the GO!NAVY' website is gathered on a purely voluntary basis and may be fragmentary. It's extremely fortunate when records of individual aircraft and serial numbers are available to match squadrons. Thus recognition & appreciation to Takafumi Hiroe, citizen of Japan and naval air historian for all ‘GO!NAVY’ references is well deserved) 1985-1986 record for KA-6D 149486: www.gonavy.jp/CVW-AAf.html www.gonavy.jp/CVW17-AA1985.html Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) code AA was embarked on CV-60 USS SARATOGA between August 26, 1985 & April 16, 1986 for a Mediterranean Sea and Libya patrol KA-6D 149486 is recorded as Modex 524 of VA-85 during the deployment , note serial number for Modex 522 is not logged. (Appreciation and thanks to Takafumi Hiroe, citizen of Japan and naval air historian for all ‘GO!NAVY’ info) 1986 picture of KA-6D 149486: jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6495217&nseq=0 www.aero-web.org/database/aircraft/getimage.htm?id=19747 VA-85 Modex 522. Tail code AA of CVW-17. ‘USS SARATOGA’ Overview of the VA-85 flight line with a KA-6D in the foreground, NAS Oceana, Virginia. Picture dated April 21 1986. This internet reference to KA-6D 149486 during late 1986 provides a clue to its immediate transfer of service to VA-35 straight after the Mediterranean voyage; CM34865. 149486/AJ522. KA-6D. VA-35 on CV68. 86. Click here and input CM34865 to Search for item: www.mar.co.uk/search-results.asp This is interpreted as KA-6D 149486 of VA-35 'Black Panthers' Modex 522 tail code AJ of CVW-8 was pictured on CVN-68 USS Nimitz during 1986. These ‘GO!NAVY’ web pages indicate that VA-35 ‘Black Panthers’ was part of CVW-8 tail code AJ aboard CVN-68 USS Nimitz on a North Atlantic exercise between August 15 & October 16, 1986: www.gonavy.jp/CVW-AJf.html www.gonavy.jp/CVW8-AJ1986-1.html Unfortunately the record does not as yet categorically confirm KA-6D 149486 was there. KA-6D 149486 may have spent its final operational existence with VA-304 until retirement for the KA-6D fleet from 1990 onward. There is as yet no known info on the fate of KA-6D 149486. There is no known record of it being stored at AMARC/AMARG so may have been kept at a Naval Air Depot until eventual disposal and scrapping.