douglasskywarrior

Standing on the ramp. A-3B Skywarrior 142242 242 on tip of nose Seemingly in overall white paint as part of National Parachute Test Range. The aircraft was lost in 1976. As yet there is no known detailed web based record of its loss if the crew survived. Taken from these webpages: app.razorplanet.com/acct/42440-9650/tmpl/index.php?nid=10... The Aerospace Recovery Facility at El Centro, California supported the space program in a joint role with the US Air Force and US Navy as the National Parachute Test Range. NPTR operated several aircraft including an A3 Skywarrior from the early 1960’s to 1979. Bu No 142242 replaced Bu No 130353 after it crashed at an air show in El Centro around 1964. www.a3skywarrior.com/html_files/a-3production.html A-3B 142242 was operated from NARF until April 1976 when destroyed in a crash landing at Lakehurst, New Jersey, during a test program when the forward and aft fuel cells exploded during off center arresting gear test in April 1976 Some notes on A-3B 142242 Originally built as A3D-2 Number 135 on Skywarrior production line Constructor Number 11568 Accepted by US Navy April 1957 Re-designated A-3B from 1962. There is a personal story involving A3D-2 142242 here: (Use slider to scroll down two thirds of page) Howard "Nick" Nickerson December 7, 2007 at 11:44 pm a3skywarrior.wordpress.com/2006/08/24/welcome-whalers/ The attached photo shows Ltjg Nickerson, Ens Flynn, and Chief Pariani about to celebrate the 93,000 landing on the USS Midway on June 30, 1961 in VAH-8′s A3 Buno 142242. A faulty fire warning light allowed them the opportunity to be the first recovery, thus cutting out of the pattern the planned trap for CAG. (read rest of story…it’s a good tale) [No photo is apparent] Here is a 1961 picture with A3D-2 Skywarrior 142242 included: www.aircraftprofiles.dk/wp-content/gallery/vah-13-bats/13... www.aircraftprofiles.dk/?page_id=351&album=26&gal... VAH-13 Bats. A Flight of three A3D-2s over the SoLant. (600:138906 ; 604: 142242 ; 603: 138955) while deployed aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) from Aug. 11th, 1961 to Nov. 1st, 1961. These three birds are jettison fuel prior to trapping aboard CVA-63. Notice the slight differences in paint scheme even between these birds of the same squadron The nose dome, tip of the vertical stabilizer, BuNo font and modex number font. [Note 142242 wears tail code GP of VAH-13 'Bats' and Modex 604] Three excellent color pictures with the nose of A3D-2 142242 included - identified in captions from this VA-113 web page; a4skyhawk.org/3e/va113/va113p.htm This was when VAH-13 'Bats' was aboard CVA-63 USS Kiitty Hawk between Sept 13, 1962 & April 2, 1963 (WestPac voyage) VAH-13 used its squadron code GP in Modex range 600. a4skyhawk.org/5e/g147669/html/147688a.htm a4skyhawk.org/5e/g147669/html/147688b.htm a4skyhawk.org/5e/g147669/html/147688c.htm USS Kitty Hawk. Bats A3D BuNo 142242, Modex 604. August 1962

Douglas YA3D-1 Skywarrior. Bu No 130352 Side code 352. Midnight blue paint scheme overall YA3D-1 130352 Accepted Oct 1953 Became NA-3A from 1962. Struck off Charge at NARF Alameda following June 1965 inflight accident while operated by Naval Missile Center from Point Mugu, California. Possibly SOC April 1966. As yet there is no record of the incident here: www.a3skywarrior.com/memorial/full_accident_date.htm

Nice!! Yüksel