We (that would be us Zoomies) flew a modified version of the A3D...The B-66.
"Eventually, it reached a pitch where serious review and correction was required. Tapped for this job was CAPT J.D. Ramage. As head of the heavy attack wing, Ramage set about correcting deficiencies in pilot and bombardier/navigator training and experience and community morale."
Poor Tommy Blackburn of "Jolly Rogers" fame was driven to drink by this fiasco. In his autobiography he notes that he lost his chance at flag due to his drinking but does not elaborate why.
He had been told by the Powers That Be that since he had experience in getting difficult aircaft aboard-the F4U-he needed to go to Sanford as wing commander of the Lant A-3s and honcho the stand up of the follow on squadrons to Heavy-1 into the A-3.
Problem was that VAdm Pirie, DCNO Air, pushed a whole host of VP and VR retreads into the community. Most were good, but some (in senior leadership roles unfortunately) not so. The mishap rate(of course NAVAIR as a whole was suffering an average of one class A accident a day during that era) suffered, as did performance around the boat.
To his credit, Pirie took responsiblity for the problem and brought in Jig Dog to fix it.
Unfortunaltely, the A-3 gained a bit of an undeserved reputation of being a beast around the boat which was further exacerbated by some carrier skippers (fighter pukes-raised in F6Fs-for the most part) who simply did not like having the big b-satards on their boats.
"Since 12 A3D’s on one carrier would be rather overwhelming, the squadron was split with six each going to the new supercarriers – the USS Forrestal (CV-59) and USS Saratoga (CV-60)."
As can be seen in this pic...
http://www.history.navy.mil/phot...7000/
h97716.jpg
...the numbers embarked grew dramatically in just 4 years (the pic was taken in nov. 1960)
It was on this cruise that VAH-1 deployed aboard the Independence with 18 aircraft for her first operational deployment in Aug. 1960. Ten can be seen on deck here. Also note that "Heavy 9" has eight of 12 embarked on deck aboard the Sara.
God only knows how many nukes these 3 ships were carrying when this photo was shot...
...and a highly modified version the B-66 was, to the point it was a new aircaft unto itself w/a superficial resemblance to the Whale. Besides the ejection seats and crew member locations, the B-66 had an entirely new center wing section, nose and later variants even had "stretched" wings for high(er) altitude performance. Although intitally bought as a "tactical" jet bomber, the B-66 went on to more fame/noteriety as the E/RB-66, collecting against the Soviets primarily in Central Europe and, of course, service in SEA. IIRC, one was shot down IVO East Germany around 1964 and the crew captured by the Sovs. Unlike the Powers incident some couple of years earlier, the Sovs kept the whole deal relatively quiet, returning the crew as they did not want to "embarass" Johnson who at the time was engaged in an election campaign vs. Barry Goldwater.
- SJS
All I know is I got 5 looks at the boat in one, one night. Riding backwards in the seat that sat behind the pilot. As an extra added bonus two trips to the tanker.
Aloha from Hawaii and Terminal Futility
Ah yes, TF -- add in GL and VS and our fun meters are pegged out here too. Got your JOPES quals signed off yet? 
- SJS
"All I know is I got 5 looks at the boat in one, one night. Riding backwards in the seat that sat behind the pilot. As an extra added bonus two trips to the tanker."
I will opine part of that may have been because the "Queer Birds" didn't spend near as much time around the boat after the bomber versions and the EKA-3s went away. As big as it was, it demanded peak proficiency
I know that issue had tragic consequences in '87.
Designed as they were by guess and by slide rule, all those '50s generation aircraft had warts of some kind.
The A-3(at least the bomber versions anyway) was better behaved behind the boat than this old favorite:
http://www.parlier.com/web_resou...es/
rampstr1.jpg
The "rest of the story" on that link above...
http://www.cloudnet.com/~djohnso...on/
rampstrk.htm
Also, a little fun and games involving a Whale, a 27 Charlie, a cold ocean, and a far far away bingo...
http://www.a3skywarrior.com/pg17...tos/
Adams11.jpg
http://www.a3skywarrior.com/pg17...tos/
Adams12.jpg
Sid:
I was one of (if not the) last E-2 NFO's to fly in the back of a Whale as the mishap crew on the Nimitz were originally (well, half at least, including the PAC)with us on JFK. We hosted the VQ det, partly because none of the jet squadrons wanted to be bothered dealing with the Whale, but more so because we saw real synergy between what we did and what the 'lectric Whale could do. Turned out they were a real great group to go to sea with as well...
- SJS
I have my JOPES, TBMCS and duty whipping boy quals well signed off. Friends don't let friends join the Air Force!
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