skyraider

Love those Spads! Just ask any old grunt..........

Possibly three US Navy Grumman AD-6 Skyraider in overall Gloss Sea Blue Possibly from VA-175 ‘Devils Diplomats’ of Carrier Air Group Seventeen (CVG-17) circa 1955 - 1956, from Modex side codes in 400 range when the squadron was deployed aboard CVA-43 USS Coral Sea or CVA-42 Franklin D Roosevelt. www.gonavy.jp/CVG-CVG17f.html www.gonavy.jp/navy/sqn/VA175.html (above info courtesy Takafumi Hiroe, citizen of Japan and naval aviation historian) Codes 410, 412 & 416. Also carrying what may be small radar pods below wings. VA-175 was based at NAS Jacksonville Texas.

spectacular!

Color picture of Douglas EA-1F Skyraider turning out of formation. In Light Gull Gray and Insignia White with squadron code GD of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron Thirty-Three (VAW-33) on tail plus Modex number 809 on engine cowling. Below that are individual markings on nose, a chess game knight and possible black bird symbol plus some unreadable italic script across at a diagonal angle. Unfortunately the ‘last five’ of serial number on base of tail is entirely obscured. Image resolution is insufficient to read full serial number in shadow below horizontal tail This EA-1F was one of 53 AD-5Ns converted and redesignated AD-5Q as a four-seat electronic countermeasures aircraft fitted with search radar and under wing ECM pods . The two electronics operators were seated facing aft underneath a bulged aluminum rear canopy with small semi-circular window. APS-31 radar pod installed on the starboard underwing pylon. Other antenna protrude from the aft ventral fuselage and extreme tail. Auxiliary fuel tank on centerline station. All AD-5Qs were redesignated EA-1F from September 1962. Dedicated VA(AW)-33 / VAW-33 / VAQ-33 website: www.reenactor.net/vaq-33/vaq-33_history.html