ad5skyraider

AD-5 (A-1E), BuNo 133921. Transferred to USAF as 52-133921. Written off 1968 after a hard landing. Salvaged at Tan Son Nhut AB, SVN.

One of our NAF China Lake AD-5N/A-1G Skyraiders taken between August 1962 and August 1965, probably in the earlier part of that range. Armitage Field, NAF China Lake. Pilot is CDR Abele. Ordnance is two MK-8x iron bombs with Snakeye retarded fin assemblies.

Douglas AD-5 / A-1E Skyraider 132545 PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE across center tail. 545 on engine cowl. Possibly in white and dayglo red/orange. Somewhere along the line this aircraft was modified into an electronic countermeasures aircraft for fleet protection use. 1968 picture of Bu No 132545 distinctly as an EA-1F: www.gonavy.jp/bbs2-a1.html (look for picture with following words below, to view) EA-1F 132545/AK-601 CVS-11 Intrepid (Sep.1, 1968) MACH3 No.3211 EA-1F 132545. VAQ-33 DET 11 Modex 601. CVW-10 code AK ‘GO!NAVY” internet record for EA-1F 132545 during 1968: www.gonavy.jp/CVW-AK1f.html www.gonavy.jp/CVW10-AK1968.html EA-1F 132545 is recorded with VAQ-33 DET 11 as Modex 601 part of CVW-10 code AK during a June 4 1968 to February 8,1969 Vietnam war deployment. (above info courtesy Takafumi Hiroe, citizen of Japan and naval aviation historian) EA-1F 132545 was retired to desert storage at the then MASDC near Tucson Arizona on 18 July 1969. Fate unknown. Dedicated VA(AW)-33 / VAW-33 / VAQ-33 website: www.reenactor.net/vaq-33/vaq-33_history.html On 1 February 1968, VAW-33 was redesignated "Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron Thirty-Three (VAQ-33). " Then, in June 1969, VAQ-33 relinquished all its aircraft and prepared for disestablishment

From 1960 through 1962, I was stationed at Pacific Missile Range, Pt. Mugu, California and assigned as an ECM opperator on this aircraft; 132545. At that time she was painted with the dayglo orange nose and tail configuration with Pacific Missile Range across the tail. A sister craft, 132506, was also assigned to Pt. Mugu but retained the typical gray Navy paint. Our mission was missile launch support for Vandenburg AFB and Pt. Mugu.