skyraider

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.

This shot is at NAWS China Lake the back ground aircraft are McDonald Douglas F4C Phantom and a North American F-100 Super Saber one of 8 that was bailed to the USN by the USAF for weapons testing

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, south side of the NAF Line Shack. The Phantom in the background looks to be one of our (NAF) F-4B's. The F-4 and the F-100 are not parked in a location that they would have operated from. VX-5 hangar 1 is the building in the left background. The BuNo from the original print could narrow the time frame.

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.