A-3 Skywarrior

Call sign “Blackey”A-3 Skywarrior Plane Captain

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3D Skywarrior

Cold War

Weapons

Race

Larger A C

Carriers

A-3

Nuclear

Weapons

USS Forrestal

"Supercarrier” 1955

A-3 Skywarrior

1947

• Navy commissioned Douglas Aircraft to determine if possible to overcome weight problems & build carrier-based strategic (nuclear) bomber

• Internal bomb bay had to be accessible from cockpit so crew could arm during flight

• Challenging project because anything to do with nuclear armament was TOP SECRET– Designers guessed at appearance & weight of nuclear

bombs.

A-3 Skywarrior

• Oct. 28, 1952: Prototype, XA3D/A3D-1 (BuNo125412), flown @ Edwards AFB.

A-3D Skywarrior

A-3 Skywarrior

• March 31, 1956: Delivered to active duty• 283 Built.

A-3D Skywarrior

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3D Skywarrior

• Sept. 30, 1991: Decommissioned @ NAS Key West, Fl (39 yrs.)– Designer, Ed Heinemann, present*– Replaced by EA-6B Prowler.

*Also designed A-4 Skyhawk

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3D Skywarrior

• 2006: All airworthy Skywarriors now operated by Raytheon. (54 yrs.)

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3D Skywarrior

• Douglas Aircraft• Two Pratt & Whitney J57-P-10 turbojet

engines rated at 10,500 lb thrust• L: 76’, H: 22’, Wingspan: 72’• Empty: 39,409 lb, Max Takeoff: 70,000 lb• Speed: 610 mph• Ceiling: 41,000 ft• Range: 2,100 mi.

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3 Name Game

• Official: Skywarrior• Unofficial

– ‘Whale’: Most popular– ‘Heavy’: Largest carrier based aircraft– A3-D ‘All Three Dead’: No ejection

seats to save weight.

• A-3, KA-3B, RA-3, NA-3B & NRA-3B, VA-3B, EA-3A/B.

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3 Bomber

• Nuclear weapons (12,000 lb)• Two 20mm cannons in rear• World's largest and heaviest carrier-borne

aircraft• Only strategic bomber ever built for USN• Nuclear strike role went to USAF B-66

Destroyer.

A-3 Skywarrior

KA-3B Aerial Refueling.

A-3 Skywarrior

RA-3 Infrared/Photoreconnaissance

• Up to 12 oblique and/or vertical cameras.

A-3 Skywarrior

NA-3B & NRA-3B R & D.

A-3 Skywarrior

VA-3B VIPChief of Naval Operations’ Private Plane.

A-3 Skywarrior

EA-3A/B Spy Plane.

A-3 Skywarrior

Raytheon Flight Test A-3 on final to Pt. Mugu, May 16, 2006

A-3 Skywarrior

Flight Suite

A-3 Skywarrior

NAS Cubi Point, Philippines

NAS Agana, Guam

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3 Skywarrior

NAS Rota, Spain

A-3 Skywarrior

Incirlik AFB, Turkey

A-3 Skywarrior

NAS Atsugi, Japan

A-3 Skywarrior

Shimya, AK

A-3 Skywarrior

DaNang, SVN

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3 Skywarrior Largest aircraft to routinely operate from carriers.

USS Saratoga (CVA-60*)

*CVA = Attack Aircraft Carrier, CV = Multi-purpose Aircraft Carrier.

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Forrestal (CVA-59)

A-3 Skywarrior

USS FDR (CVA-42)

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) Hurricane tie down configuration

A-3 Skywarrior

USS America (CV-66)

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Oriskany (CVA-34)

A-3 Skywarrior

U.S.S. Ranger (CVA-61)

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31)

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Forrestal (CV-59)*

*May go on permanent display in Baltimore, MD.

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Hancock (CV-19)

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Oriskany (CVA-34)

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Hancock (CV-19)

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Independence (CV-62)

A-3 Skywarrior

JATO

A-3 Skywarrior

10 miles south of Pleiku

Nha Trang, SVN

Off USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14)Over Mekong River

A-3 Skywarrior

DaNang, SVN

A-3 Skywarrior

Mediterranean

USS America (CV-66)

A-3 Skywarrior

Mediterranean

VP George Bush signed during trip to mustersupport for action against Libya's Quaddaffi.

A-3 Skywarrior

Golden Gate Bridge

A-3 Skywarrior

Blue Angel

A-3 Skywarrior

Mt. Shasta

A-3 Skywarrior

NAS Alameda

A-3 Skywarrior

Landing

A-3 Skywarrior

"Coming Aboard"

USS Nimitz (CVN-68)• Nimitz class was largest warships ever built• 6,000 personnel.

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Hancock (CV-19)

A-3 Skywarrior

USS Midway (CVA-41)

A-3 Skywarrior

30th Anniversary

A-3 Skywarrior

50th AnniversaryRaytheon Flight Test Operations, Van Nuys, CA

A-3 Skywarrior

50th Anniversary (2002)Raytheon Flight Test Operations, Van Nuys, CA

A-3 Skywarrior

50th Anniversary (2002)Raytheon Flight Test Operations, Van Nuys, CA

A-3 Skywarrior

50th Anniversary (2002)

Raytheon Flight Test Operations, Van Nuys, CA Donald Douglas Jr.

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3 Skywarriors On Display

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3 Skywarriors On Display

1. National Museum of Naval Aviation, N.A.S. Pensacola, FL

2. Fulton County Airport, Johnstown, NY3. New England Air Museum, Windsor

Locks, CT4. Pima Air Museum, Tucson, AZ5. USS Lexington, Corpus Christi, TX6. Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ7. NAS Rota, Spain8. USS Midway, San Diego Aircraft Carrier

Museum9. NAS Sanford, FL10. Edwards Air Force Base – First Flights

Museum

1. Mojave Airport, CA2. Raytheon Flight Test Operations, Van

Nuys, CA3. NAS Lakehurst, NJ4. NAS Key West, FL5. Barry M. Goldwater Range, Gila Bend

Air Force Auxiliary Field, Gila Bend, AZ

6. Yanks Air Museum, Chino, CA7. Southern Utah Air Museum,

Washington, UT8. Western Aerospace Museum, North

Field Oakland International Airport9. National Vigilance Park, NSA, Fort

Meade, MD

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3 Skywarriors On Display

• National Museum of Naval Aviation, N.A.S. Pensacola, FL

• Fulton County Airport, Johnstown, NY• New England Air Museum, Windsor

Locks, CT• Pima Air Museum, Tucson, AZ• USS Lexington, Corpus Christi, TX• Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ• NAS Rota, Spain• USS Midway, San Diego Aircraft Carrier

Museum• NAS Sanford, FL• Edwards Air Force Base – First Flights

Museum, CA

• Mojave Airport, CA• Raytheon Flight Test Operations, Van

Nuys, CA• NAS Lakehurst, NJ• NAS Key West, FL• Barry M. Goldwater Range, Gila Bend

Air Force Auxiliary Field, Gila Bend, AZ

• Yanks Air Museum, Chino, CA• Southern Utah Air Museum,

Washington, UT• Western Aerospace Museum, North

Field Oakland International Airport• National Vigilance Park, NSA, Fort

Meade, MD

A-3 Skywarrior

Western Aerospace MuseumNorth Field Oakland International Airport

A-3 Skywarrior

July 13, 2004

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3 Skywarrior

National Vigilance Park

A-3 Skywarrior

A-3 Skywarrior Crew Lost In Service

2-Oct-58VAH 1AD2ZinnJames228

25-Aug-67VAP 62 (TAD VAP 61)LT JGZavockyJames227

2-Jan-61 VAH 2YoungJackie226

9-Jul-74VQ 2LCDRWorrellDwight225

13-Jan-62VAH 2LT JGBeadlesThomas8

25-Jan-87VQ 2LTBatchelderStephan7

19-Jul-64VAH 11CDRBartholomewB6

21-Mar-61VAH 11AE2BarsnessLowell5

26-May-66VQ 1ATCAubin 4

18-Sep-59VAH 2LT JGAtkinsonGerald3

28-Dec-62VAH 5LCDRAndrews, IIICharles2

27-Nov-63VAH 123LT JGAldrichWilliam1

DateSquadronRankLastFirst

A-3 Skywarrior

EKA-3B (BuNo 142251)

• Loaded aboard USS Midway's flight deck on the morning of May 26, 2006.

Downtown San Diego at Navy Pier, Midway

A-3 Skywarrior

Call sign “Blackey”A-3 Skywarrior Plane Captain