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

KA-3B Skywarrior 138973 air refueling tanker. Tail code AE of Carrier Air Wing Six (CVW-6) VAH-10 'Vikings' Modex side code 020. On final approach for a carrier arrested landing. This webpage courtesy of 'GO!NAVY' by Takafumi Hiroe of Japan, records that KA-3B Modex 020 was part of CVW-6 (code AE) www.gonavy.jp/CVW-AEf.html embarked aboard CVA-66 USS AMERICA before or between Jan.10 & Sept 20, 1967 on a Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean deployment. Partial quote refering to KA-3B 138973 in text of comments for this webpage: www.aero-web.org/specs/douglas/ka-3b.htm "I was in VAH13 on Whidbey from 1962-64. I was crew chief (Plane captain ) on Bu No 138973 (608)- Kitty Hawk. I'm trying to track down what happened to that bird. so far I know that it was converted to a KA3B tanker and sent to VAH10 as (610). Then retired in about 1970 to SARDIP. ..." L B Wing Oldsmar, FL A little info on KA-3B Skywarrior 142659 Originally built as A3D-2. Accepted by US Navy Sept 1957. Re-designated A-3B from 1962. Converted by NARF Alameda to KA-3B in June 1967. Retired to the then MASDC as AN2A0052 Dec 13, 1970. To SARDIP status. Still there May 1975 (Stricken Aircraft Reclamation and Disposal Program) Reference may be found here recording KA-3B 138973 as Modex 101 of VAH-10 Detachment 64 aboard CVA-64 USS CONSTELLATION: www.gonavy.jp/CVW14-NK1968.html This was some time during the period between May 29, 1968 & Jan.31, 1969 with CVW-14 (code NK) for a Vietnam War deployment. (My thanks to Takafumi Hiroe, citizen of Japan and naval aviation historian) Another picture of KA-3B 138973 on 'flickr' may be found here: www.flickr.com/photos/19369790@N02/2571170605/ Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, Puerto Rico. 1970 KA-3B Skywarrior 138973 of CVW-8 tail code 'AJ' with squadron Modex code '610'. Again courtesy of the pages of 'GO!NAVY' website: www.gonavy.jp/ And its webpages: www.gonavy.jp/CVW-AJf.html www.gonavy.jp/CVW8-AJ1970.html KA-3B Bu No 138973 is recorded as belonging to VAH-10 DET.38 'Vikings' Modex 610. CVW-8 was deployed aboard CVS-38 USS Shangri-La before or between March 5th & Dec.17th 1970 on a Vietnam War cruise. VAH-10 was re-designated VAQ-129 on Sept 1, 1970 whilst still with air refueling detachments deployed aboard carriers. Here's a picture of 138973 in 1970 when assigned to USS Shangri-La: (There are details of its service if the Japanese is translated) geta-o.maxs.jp/USMIL/A/A-3/KA-3B/KA-3B.htm The pic is here: geta-o.maxs.jp/USMIL/A/A-3/KA-3B/Ka-3b(aj610)138973-0730.jpg A picture of KA-3B 138973 may be purchased here: www.transportphotos.com/air?page=47&sort=desc&ord... (Input MIL14330 in 'Advanced search' for details) KA-3B Skywarrior 138973. VAQ-129 USN [AJ:610] formerly of USS Shangri-La at Davis Monthan AFB (MSDAC) April 1971 By year 2010 it will have long been salvaged and scrapped.

135418 was assigned to an A3D-1 which later became an A-3A in 1962 Stig