Naval Fighters 45 - Douglas A3D Skywarrior part 1

1)1\11.'1' f) NI~ I)I~SICJN / srl'll'J(;rl"Jlll~S

/

rl'l~srl'INCJ

DOUGLAS A3D SKYWARRIOR DEVELOPMENT, TESTING A BACKGROUND

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bruce Cunningham was born in Virginia in 1928 and graduated from high school in June of 1946. Four years later he graduated from the Northrop Aeronautical Institute in Hawthorne, California after a short stint in the Marine Corps. In January 1951, he was drafted into the Army and served as an aircraft crew chief on the Cessna L-19 "Bird Dog" spotter aircraft, while assigned to the 37th Field Artillery in Korea. Upon his return to CONUS he joined Douglas Aircraft Company in March of 1953 as a Liaison Engineer, where he supported design and manufacturing operations on the A2D and AD aircraft. He was transferred to the flight line in 1954, and was assigned to the A3D. In 1958 he was then asked by Roger Conant, the chief A3D pilot, to fly on the airplane "to see what really happens to the airplane in flight". He

Amdo - PrOjea /I

eNachl und Schlechlwe"e~agere IGERMAN PROJECT WW III

flew as a crewman on the last Skwarriors prior to the shutdown of the EI Segundo plant. He was then transferred to Long Beach and loaned to the Flight Test Division to fly on BuNo 138938, which was bailed to Douglas for DECM work. After two years he was transferred Engineering as Bran, Liaison Engineerin' Chief Liaison EnginE and reti red frorr December 1993. EDITOR'S NOTE Another child fifties" was the Skywarrior, affectior the "Whale" or "Kille not the most glamor> arguably the most l based aircraft to corr With Hughes Aircrat of twelve whales, it ' live the few OF-4 d As a test aircraft, si; well as ease of mi kept the Skywarrior i

I

This volume (1 interesting and der mental and testing Pos of Aral whh devi end

tam is ( box exci resh by Pion t M (I -I', Made

In

Czech Republic

y Or Dou las Engineer, Bruce Cunnln h m, and his 20 years of collectin nd Int rvi wing other key players in th progr m. Volume Two will cover the "Fleet Whales" in squadron service and will be released

EVE pGE,

'RRY SENE AIREN,

~

HN,

NER _LER, WNE

NITZ, ALS), ~SCO

I\,RRY

Simi

licain a ny niis-

During World War Two, the Douglas Aircraft Co. became one of the largest producers of airframes in the world. At its peak, Douglas production exceeded that of Germany and Japan combined. In the four years of war, Douglas alone produced more than 1/6th of the total output of military aircraft in the United States. In the first three quarters of 1945, Douglas produced 5,215 airplanes, and only 139 aircraft in the fourth quarter of that year. These facts were mirrored in the military procurement arena. There was only so much money for new weapons and the competition for it became a matter of life and death for the Navy. At the end of World War Two, the U.S. Army Air Forces controlled the few atomic bombs that existed and had the only means of delivering them, the B-29 Superfortress. In September 1947, the U.S. Air Force was formally established and sought to control the nation's nuclear strike capability totally. With this control the Air Force would assume the role of the primary military force in the United States. The Navy would be nothing more than a logistic support group in support of the Air Force. The most aggressive stance against the Air Force controlling the nuclear destiny of the nation came from RADM Daniel Gallery, assistant Chief of Naval Operations (guided missiles), in a report dated 17 December 1947. Interservice rivalry being what it is, ADM Gallery of course believed the Navy could do the job better and outlined why in the "Gallery memorandum." He argued

Top to bottom: "Navy Medium Bomber Study 1A" dated 28 May 1948. Douglas Model 593 as submitted to the Navy on 19 November 1948. Douglas Model 593-2 as submitted on 19 November 1948. Note recessed Atomic Bomb in its underbelly. The final proposal, Douglas Model 593-8, which became the XA3D-1. (MFR)

1

ir I w nt on to say: "The I ned for maximum or one flight; no landing I n c ssary; take-off will be from a carriage running along a Ir ck on the deck; carriage will be sl rted by catapult or assisted by jato; planes will be designed for ditching; airplane dimensions can be greatly increased over present sizes now used on carriers." He further stated: "The major missions of th Navy and Air Force shoul s follows:

A'I!IlV,' tl,,· r~.l\i " /1I·.t 1/ /I' /111 I I!OllIIH" W 0', 'r~ JI til 1\111 I fl' Savage. 1111·, WoO til plane the Skywarrior

would replace. This AJ-2 was assigned to VAH-6. (USN)

delivery of an atomic c pitol and industrial

Air Force: The defense of the United States against air attack. Secondary mission: The delivery of atomic attacks from overseas bases."

Above, twelve P2V-3C Neptunes were built as interim nuclear bombers until the Savages became available. Assigned to VC-5, they were expendable as they could n~t be recovered aboard ship. (Lockheed) Below, a VC-5 P2V-3C launches with aide of JATO from the USS F. D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) on 3 March 1950. (USN)

2

The debate instituted the initial construction of the 65,000 ton USS United States (CVA-58) and the design criterion for a jet power nuclear bomber capable of operating from its deck. In the interim, a design for a nuclear capable aircraft which could operate from existing carriers after modifications. This aircraft would become the North eventually American AJ Savage (see Naval Fighters Number Tw nty-Two North ), a cumberAmerican AJ S v some, hard-to-h I predecessor of the A-3 Skyw rl r. I would be several he Savage would be o Ihe fleet and the Navy n interim carrier-based I r delivery platform. The only I Ie aircraft was the new kheed P2V Neptune. The lune, however, was so large that It would have to be lifted aboard the I rge Midway class c rriers in port, then "jatoed" off, att k the target and ditch at sea. The N vy ordered twelve specially modifi 2V-3Cs. These and utilized to aircraft were t of Composite form the n I u Squadron Flv (VC 5). VC-5's first commandin r would be CAPT John Hayw I

The USS United States was cancelled shortly after its keel was laid in April 1949, but the Navy did eventually get its super carrier which was named in respect for James Forrestal. The USS Forrestal (CVA59) was commissioned on 1 October 1955 and the nuclear bomber, which was built for the cancelled USS United States, would operate from its decks prior to being replaced by the A3D "Skywarrior".

requirements and stay within the 68,000 pound weight limitations of current carriers. By 19 November 1948, he had submitted three proposals for a twin-jet attack bomber. These were Models 593, 593-1 and 593-2, all of which were reviewed and returned for refinement. Designs for Models 593-3, 593-4, 593-5 and 5936 were developed, and for one reason or another were rejected by the Navy or Douglas.

DEVELOPMENT

By 3 December 1948, the Navy had received bids from six of the fourteen companies invitations to bid had been sent to. These were: Douglas, Curtiss, Martin, Consolidated, Fairchild and Republic.

Initially, it was thought that a carrier-based jet bomber capable of a 10,000 pound bomb load and a 1,500 mile range would weigh in at between 130,000 and 200,000 pounds, much too heavy for even the proposed USS United States. Ed Heinemann, genius designer of the Douglas Aircraft Company's EI Segundo Division, did some investigation and came to the conclusion that 68,000 pounds was the maximum weight of an aircraft that the current largest carrier could accept. Even then, certain areas of the decks would have to be strengthened to accept arrested landings by aircraft of this weight. On 13 February 1948, the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) completed a study of a 130,000 pound airplane's take-off, landing and handling problems with undetermined results, except that one proposal to reduce weight would have involved dropping the landing gear after take-off. In March of 1948, Ed Heinemann made a trip to Washington where he presented drawings of an 80,000 pound turboprop and a 70,000 pound turbojet to the Bureau. On 16 August 1948, BuAer sent out an invitation for bids for a 100,000 pound aircraft to fourteen aircraft companies. As late as 13 September Heinemann was sent information on BuAer studies 65A and 65B, both of which involved turboprop powered aircraft, indicating that the Navy did not believe that a turbojet powered aircraft could perform to the Navy's requirements.Regardless, Heinemann was still convinced that he could produce a jet powered attack bomber which would meet the Navy's

Douglas submitted a proposal for Model 593-7 in March of 1949, and a Letter of Intent was received from the Navy on 31 March for Phase I design and manufacture of two X models under contract NOa(s) 10414. Initial delivery schedule specified one aircraft in June and one in July of 1951. A similar letter was also sent to Curtiss. Douglas submitted proposal 5938 on 13 May 1949 and began basic design prior to receipt of authority. In June, Douglas received approval of 593-8 and authority to proceed with design and production. Late in June, the Navy requested the bomb bay width be changed from the original requirement of 57 inches to that of 66 inches in order to accommodate an increase in the diameter of the nuclear weapon. Douglas studies showed no cost increase, but that the empty weight would be increased. By this time the final version of the X model had evolved through eight major, and probably twenty or more minor, proposed configurations in its design process before the Navy accepted Model 593-8. Per Detail Specifications SD-4631, the XA3D-1 was to be a high wing, twin engined bomber powered by two Westinghouse J40-WE-12 axial flow turbojet engines with a rated static thrust of 9,500 pounds at sea level. Take off gross weight was to be 70,000 pounds, maximum speed at

3

40,000 feet at military thrust was to be 507 knots. Among other requirements was an interesting one that stated, "The service life of the airplane shall be 500,000 statute miles." In March of 1952, it became obvious that the engine contractor was experiencing major development difficulties with the J40 engine, and that the performance specification requirements could not be met before late 1954. Due to this situation, serious thought was being given to the replacement of these engines. On 2 April 1952, an order was placed with Pratt and Whitney for the J57-1 engine. Fortunately, progress on producing the XA3D-1 had not reached a stage where it might delay the program and, in addition, the pod type engine installation simplified the conversion as only minor external nacelle structural changes would be required to accept the new engine. In order to not delay the program any more than was absolutely necessary, the two XA3D-1 models were to be equipped with J40 engines. It was further specified that all production A3D aircraft were to be delivered with the J57 engine. In February 1951, Douglas received a Letter of Intent from the Navy advising that consideration was being given to the purchase of production A3D-1 s. Contract NOa(s) 55632 followed with authorization to manufacture twelve A3D-1 airplanes at a total cost of $53,200,000, or $4,430,000 each. These twelve Dash 1's were assigned Bureau Numbers 130352 through 130363. FIRST FLIGHT The first XA3D-1, BuNo 125412, made its first flight on 28 October 1952, not from the factory where it was built but from Edwards Air Force Base some 125 miles north of Los Angeles. Due to concerns about the reliability of the Westinghouse J40 engines, and to some degree, secrecy, the airplane was disassembled at Douglas EI Segundo and trucked to Edwards with the outer wings and the vertical fin and rudder removed, arriving there on 24 September 1952.

At left, the first XA3D-1 being reassembled after being trucked to Edwards AFB from th Douglas EI Segundo pi nt. (M v H rry Gann)

operating at less ximum RPM.

Immediately upon arrival at Edwards, the airplane was reassembled and the instrumentation engineers designed, installed and calibrated the myriad of sensors, actuators, transmitters and recorders necessary to test each part and system of the airplane and to record the results. Douglas test pilot George Jansen was selected to make the first flight, with Test Project Engineer Walter Kent selected by Jansen to ride the right seat. As it turned out, Kent rode the right seat for the first twenty-or-so flights. There were two systems in the XA3D which gave both Jansen and Kent some concern prior to the first flight. The first was the remotely located pneumatically driven air turbine motors which, in turn, drove the hydraulic pumps and generators. These air turbine motors were located in the lower left side of the airplane below the forward fuel tank and were accessible by removing a panel from the side of the tunnel which gave access to the bomb bay in flight. Kent

and Jansen elected to have this panel removed prior to flight. The feeling was that since the ATMs were driven by hot high pressure air from the compressor section of th engines, trouble could be readily spotted if a malfunction were to occur. The skepticism of Jansen and Kent about the performance of the ATMs had developed long before the first flight. As Kent remembers it: "When the J40 engines were selected to power the A3D, no one bothered to find out whether or not the output of the compressors would operate the ATMs at all power settings under ground and flight conditions." A number of pilots and test engineers had questioned it mainly because they didn't understand the concept. How could th accessories be driven by air bled fr the compressor section of th engines when the compression needed for the continued oper tl the engine itself? As a result f doubts, ground tests were CUfllJU~'IUI:l and it was discovered that ti, compressor output at th outlet would not drive th A 4

Int in the program it was 0 0 much about this probI I m nor to th first flight. To counterct this discrepancy, a platform was installed in the bomb bay on which were installed batteries and a DC motor driving an AC generator. Operation of the fi rst XA3D-1 with the J40 engines required that the airplane be taxied to the runway, relying on the batteries to supply all needed electrical power. When ready for take off, the engine power was increased to 90%, the AC generators were turned on, power was increased to take-off RPM and if everything looked good, brakes were released and the take-off roll began. Often as not, during the phase when the J40 engines were in use, things didn't look just right and the flight was aborted. After about twenty minutes of the first flight the ATMs began to smoke, and as a result the flight was cut short after only thirty minutes. Later, after a discussion with the design engineers at EI Segundo, it was decided that the panels had been installed for several reasons, not the Ie st of which was to direct cooling ir round the ATMs.

At right, George Jansen and Walt Kent, after the first flight in XA3D-1, BuNo 125412 on 28 October 1952. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham)

flight. And so, on 28 October 1952, George Jansen and Walt Kent took the first XA3D-1, BuNo 125412, into the air for its first flight, with blocked open slats, landing gear locked down and a jury rigged electrical system. All went well until the ATMs started smoking, causing Jansen to cut short the flight. A very unpretentious beginning for an airplane that was to outlast the airplanes that were supposed to replace it. TESTING After delays, the second flight of Bu No 125412 took place on 4 December 1952, lasting an hour and fifteen minutes. By the end of 1952, only four flights had been completed. Six flights were accomplished in January 1953 and the test program was underway.

Below, the reassembled XA3D-1 prior to its first flight at Edwards AFB. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham)

The s o t worrisome fea1 w s the aerodyture of th r sl ts. The crew namic IIy had n II control over them and, initi II I r Jansen nor Kent trusth 0 work. They had so little I h m that they had the slats r d In the open position for the n Ir first flight. I

Sometime prior to the first flight it was discovered that in the event of a hydraulic failure, wh ther due to a leakage or ATM failur the main landfall from the ing gear would not fr landing gear well (thl was proven to be true later, to th I may of a Navy delivery pilot). A result of this knowledge, th I ing gear was extended an d for the first I

5

J40 - POWERED XA3D-1 udy of XA3D-1, BuNo tober 1952. Slats and deployed and locked J 0 engine and nacelle r than that of the J57 h intakes on this aird forward at the top in u rantee airflow during t ck a feature that was ,h engines also had a r V rt cally split, inlet. (MFR

6

7

C ND XA D 1 IllI A 1, uNo fir t fli ht from Los Int rn tional Airport to dw rds on 2 October 1953, with Douglas Test Pilot Bill Davis at the controls. The two experimental models were almost identical in outward appearance, with the major difference being in the engine inlet cowlings. The inlets on ship number one featured a rather rakish forward slant when viewed from the side. Ship number two had a more conventional straight inlet configuration. Both featured bifurcated, or split, inlet ducts with doors, which could be closed in an effort to reduce drag when an engine failed or was shut down in flight. None of the test pilots who flew the XA3D-1 recall using the doors for

ny r son during the test program Ithough Walt Kent remembers that they were a constant source of trouble in trying to keep them rigged. They were eventually discarded. The reason for designing the slanting inlet cowling on the first XA3D-1 was that since the normal approach attitude of the airplane was nose high, the protruding lip would crate a smoother direction change of air flow to the engine. Comparison of airflow characteristics and engine output between the two duct designs indicated that there was little or no improvement in using the more complicated slanting inlet, so it was discarded and not used on any later models. During the first flight and throughout much of the early portion of the test program, the fuel quantity indicat-

8

Above, the first XA3D-1 touches down at Edwards with the flaps down and the boards (speed brakes) out after a successful test flight. At this angle of attack, the raked-forward intake lips offer a straight in, unblanketed source of air. (via Craig Kaston)

one time, Kent remembers that the gages indicated more fuel than they had taken off with, but this was blamed on a possible system or gage malfunction. Later the gages began to fluctuate, which lowered their credibility and pointed more and more to a system malfunction.

ing system intermittently malfunctioned. On the first flight, Kent had noticed that the fuel quantity had appeared to be increasing, but other concerns kept him from paying too much attention to this anomaly. At

Many meetings and phone conferences later, it was decided that the probable cause was the differential pressure between the inside of the fuel bag and the fuselage cavity. Somehow, the cavity was developing a positive pressure causing the bag to collapse, forcing the fuel higher on the quantity sensing probe, thus giving an erroneous reading on the gage in the cockpit. Since the tanks were vented to atmosphere, it was felt that by installing louvered covers over the cavity vents, the pressure in the cavity would go negative and the bag

Below, the number two XA3D-1, BuNo 125413, at Edwards on 3 March 1954. Both XA3D-1 s had Douglas Testing Division logos on the forward fuselage and the heavily enclosed cockpit area. The number two XA3D-1 featured vertical inlet ducts. (Harry Gann)

would conform to the shape of the cavity. This didn't cure the problem as it repeated itself on the next flight. In the meantime, while the louver development was ongoing, the design engineers were also studying the problem. Their investigation showed that the tank vent outlet had been designed so that it was creating a negative pressure within the bags, which was tending to collapse the bags with such force that in some cases it could pull the bag support straps from their hangers.

Above and below, XA3D-1, 125412, in flight with the gear retracted. The excess length of the J40 engines is evident. The teardrop fin-tip housing was mounted for installing the AN/ARC-27 UHF receiver/transmitter antenna. (MFR via Harry Gann)

BuNo's 130353, 135407, both A3D-1 s, were assigned to a program of research and development of the fuel vent negative pressure problem. Initially, a system was developed whereby the cells and the vent ducting were pressurized through utilization of engine compressor bleed air. Through the use of shut-off valves

The original vent outlet had been flush on the lower surface of the horizontal stabilizer, the location of which caused two problems. One, a negative pressure was created in the vent system as described, and two, the plumbing from the tanks to the vent outlet required that a flexible joint be designed and installed at the point at

9

and air pressure regulators, the forward fuel cell was pressurized to a slightly higher pressure than the aft cell to aid in the transfer of fuel from the forward cell to the aft cell.

potentially troublesome bleed air system. TIRE AND BRAKE PROBLEMS

which the duct transited from the fuselage into the moveable horizontal stabilizer. The fact that this joint was required to compensate for large excursions of the stabilizer created the possibility of damage to the joint and fuel fumes entering the fuselage. Nevertheless, the vent outlet was to remain, for the present, on the lower surface of the stabilizer. But to overcome the problem of negative pressure in the vent system, a hollow streamlined mast approximately 10 inches long was installed over the vent outlet projecting downward 90° to the airstream. To create a positive pressure in the vent system, the lower end was scarfed approximately 45° to create a ram effect in flight. This was a step in the right direction, but more development and flight testing contin-

ued in the search for the optimum design. The in-flight critical condition was a combination of low fuel state and idle power descent from altitude, probably the most undesirable situation for any pilot when returning from a long mission. On one flight, with an instrumented vent system including pressure sensors in the vents and gages in the cockpit, it took an hour and thirty minutes to descend from 40,000 feet . To get the airplane down, the landing gear was extended to dump the wing tank pressure into the vent system. The gear was then retracted and the ship dived until the indicators in the cockpit indicated a negative pressure in the tanks, then the airplane leveled off and the whole

Above, A3D-1, BuNo 130353, was utilized to solve the fuel vent and collapsing fuel tank problems along with A3D1, BuNo 135407, seen below. Both aircraft were fitted with a nose instrumentation probe, which was rarely used on the Skywarrior. (via Bruce Cunningham)

process was repeated. BuNos 130352 through 130363 retained the vent pressurizing system utilizing engine compressor bleed air. On BuNos 135407 through 135444, the pressurizing vent mast, which was located on the lower left side of the fuselage under the horizontal stabilizer, was used to maintain vent system pressure and to eliminate the

During the early testing of the A3D, one of the major problems that kept recurring was the blowing of tires on landing. A major contributing factor to this was the narrow tread of the main landing gear. Another factor was that the airplane was heavy and, due to lack of space in the fuselage to store the main gear on retraction, it had only one tire on each main landing gear strut, thus reducing the tire contact area, or footprint. This, coupled with the fact that the air pressure required in the tires, to absorb the impact with the deck of a carrier on arrested landings, was probably half again or even double that of a land based airplane, tended to lower the friction. Lowering the friction, coupled with the narrow tread, reduced the ability of the pilots to feel a skid or locked wheel condition. The Hydro-Aire Company was contacted and developed a system whereby the pilot could apply full brake pressure to the pedals and the brakes would not lock. This system (trade name Hytrol) relieved hydraulic pressure to the brakes any time the deceleration of the wheel exceeded a pre-set value. It worked, and after a relatively short development and testing period, the first anti-skid units were being installed on all production

A3Ds. The narrow tread main landing gear of the A3D was not really liked by the test pilots at first, but after a few flights they didn't really have many complaints. Probably the most frequent complaint about the gear, other than it would not free fallout of the gear well, was that due to friction in the canted strut, the airplane sometimes assumed a wing-low attitude on

------

10

11

Above, blown tire on development YA3D-2Q, BuNo 142257, at Edwards AFB. Emergency bottle to blow the gear down is seen on the wheel well floor. (USAF via Bruce Cunningham)

Below, the first XA3D-1 demonstrates the results of turning too sharply during taxiing. The main gear is stuck in a cocked position which has given the aircraft a drunken look with its wing low attitude. (MFR)

u I n I h pilols less sudden, ur nd 10 swerve the airpi n during taxi when this condition happened. MAIN GEAR PROBLEMS The inability of the main gear to free-fall was of a more serious nature. To help overcome this drawback, an emergency compressed air bottle was added to the system with the necessary piping and valves to direct the air to the proper place at the proper time. The lack of free-fall capability, coupled with an unforeseen deficiency in the design of the emergency air system, caused the loss of A3D-1 BuNo 135424 during an attempt to set a new cross-country speed record. Although this was not a test airplane and the event occurred more than four years after the first flight of the first XA3D-1, the Flight Testing Division was intimately involved, and the event bears description at this point. In an attempt to garner some publicity for the Navy, BuNo 135424 was assigned to make an attempt at setting a new speed record from Los Angeles to New York. The airplane was to take off from Los Angeles International Airport to the west, make a 1800 turn and come back across the field at high speed, at which time the timer would start, and continue on to Floyd Bennett Field in New York.

Y t m I n'l work that way. Once I n in r handle was moved to Ih down position, regardless of what followed, the landing gear would cycle to full down and locked prior to starting a retraction cycle. In this case, with the airplane moving at more than 400 knots, the doors started to open and were immediately ripped off by the airstream, taking the actuating cylinders and some of the associated piping with them. As a result, hydraulic fluid in the utility system was pumped overboard until the system was depleted. By now the pilot realized he was in trouble and he slowed down and contacted Douglas EI Segundo Flight Operations by radio. They advised him to fly to Edwards and contact Douglas Flight Operations there. The A3D-1 arrived over Edwards with five hours of fuel remaining and no utility hydraulics. The pilot of a chase ship sent up from Edwards verified that the main gear doors were gone, and that the landing gear were still in the wells and the hydraulic lines to the door actuators were broken and open ended. The A3D-1 pilot wanted to use the emergency air bottle to blow the gear out of the wells, but was advised against it since there was sufficient fuel remaining to allow the ground crews to try to think of a solution to the problem. The Flight Test personnel took another A3D-1,

put it on jacks, and with the information from the chase pilot, set up a condition similar to the one in the airborne A3D-1, including cutting the door hydraulic lines at the exact location described by the chase pilot. In the meantime, the pilot of the airborne A3D-1 was trying all the other suggestions that were forthcoming. Various maneuvers were suggested and tried, sideslips, positive and negative maneuvers, steep banks, etc., all to no avail. After the test A3D-1 was set up, the air bottle was blown. The nose gear extended, one main gear came out and down, but the other stayed in its well. The pilot was advised of the results and was advised to land gear up. He rejected this idea and elected to use the air bottle. Movies taken by a photographer in a chase plane showed the same results as on the ground simulation. The nose gear came down, one main gear extended and the other one moved outward slightly and settled back in the well. The crew bailed out and the airplane made an almost perfect landing in the desert. It was so undamaged that it

Below, A3D-1, BuNo 135424, was used as a structural airframe after being recovered from its pilotless crash landing in the Mohave Desert. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham)

was brought back to the Douglas plant and used as a static test airframe. As a result of this incident, the pneumatic emergency landing gear system was redesigned. The piping from the original bottle was redeveloped to supply air to the main landing gear only. A second bottle was installed to blow the doors. STRUCTURAL TESTING A major part of the flight testing of any airplane involves the structural integrity limitations, and the A3D-1

Top and at right, the first production A3D-1, BuNo 130352, during its first flight on 2 October 1953. The new J57 engines are installed with new sheet metal fore and aft on the nacelle. Below, A3D-1, BuNo 130359, lands at Edwards on 3 February 1955. This aircraft crashed on 27 October 1959 killing all on board. (MFR)

As the airplane passed over the field at LAX the pilot noticed a "barber pole", or unsafe gear indication, on the main landing gear position indicator. He felt that, since the timer had completed its cycle, by rapidly cycling the selector handle from UP to DOWN to UP, the utility hydraulic pumps would start and, with the handle in the UP position, the pressure in the system would close and latch the landing gear door and the flight could continue as planned. Unfortunately,

12

13

was undergoing a most rigorous and involved program to prove that it would meet or exceed all requirements set forth by the Navy. On 27 October 1959, while performing structural flight testing in preparation for the structural demonstration program, SR-38, for the Navy, A3D-1, BuNo 130359, crashed in the desert near the town of Lancaster. Test pilot Bill Davis and Flight Test Engineer Jack Amick were killed in the crash. Investigation showed that as part of the speed build-up program in preparation for the SR-38 program, the airplane had been put into a dive from which it did not pull out. It had impacted the ground at around 550 knots. As the investigation progressed through months of study, it appeared that the horizontal stabilizer hinges may have failed, allowing the stabilizer to float free, negating any

inputs the pilot may have made. BuNo 135407 was assigned to complete the SR-38 program with Quentin Burden as pilot for the program. As the structural demonstration program was nearing completion, Burden reported that in going almost to the limit at low level over water (high speed, high compressibility) on this particular day, tail buffet had built up to an intense level during a rolling pullout at 590 knots while pulling close to 3 Gs. The buffeting ended coincidentally with the end of the maneuver. On return to the base, the airplane, which was scheduled for another flight the same day, was removed from flight status and the horizontal stabilizer fairings removed for access to the fittings. Inspection of the horizontal stabilizer hinge fittings showed that all four, the two attached to the aircraft structure and the two

attached to the stabilizer, were broken. This verified the suspicions aroused during the investigation of BuNo 130359 and those fittings, originally aluminum, were immediately redesigned to be made of steel. In addition, the stabilizer center section was replaced with a heavy tongue-ingroove installation which negated the "Dutch Roll" tendency of the swept horizontal stabilizer. A "tongue" on the leading edge of the stabilizer moved up and down in a groove of a fitting attached to the aircraft. As the speed build-up program and structural demonstration pro-

Below, A3D-1, BuNo 135407, was originally assigned to structural flight testing after the demise of 130359. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham)

grams progressed, the A3D-1 was actually flown supersonic. Since the plane was not designed to be supersonic in level flight, it had to be taken to thinner air at altitude and dived to speed. BuNos 130359 and 135409 had been taken to Mach 1.01 and Mach 1.02. Later A3D-2P BuNo 142256 was taken to 53,500 feet and dived to Mach 1.07. BOMB BAY DOOR BUFFET One of the major problems discovered during the flight testing program was that unacceptable airframe vibrations developed when the airplane was flown over 200 knots with the bomb bay doors open. Another problem was that the bombs would occasionally just bounce around in the bomb bay and not drop out. Needless to say, the Navy felt this was not acceptable in a bomber which could fly level at 500 knots. On 1 December 1953, the number two XA3D-1, BuNo 125413, was assigned to the bomb bay buffet program. Development of a deflector or "fence" was worked out between the design engineers and flight test and after various shapes were tried in flight, an acceptable design and location were completed. The first fence was attached to the outside of the airplane with new versions showing up every few days as the development of the ideal unit progressed. Once the design of the fence, which now looked like a rake with flat fingers extending aft from the hinge line, was finalized, the lower section of the fuselage was redesigned to accept

14

the rake into streamlined wells. The fence, which conforms to the contour of the lower fuselage skin, is installed just forward of the bomb bay doors and operates in conjunction with the bomb bay doors. A single hydraulic cylinder extends the fence when the bomb bay doors are opened. They do not extend, however, when the bomb bay doors are opened on emergency hydraulic power. On 20 March 1954, the bomb bay buffet tests were satisfactorily completed with the final drop point being at Mach .9 at 26,000 feet. A T62 store had been dropped at 285 knots at 12,800 feet with clean separation of the bomb from the bomb bay.

Above, the final bomb bay air deflector fence as seen from inside the bomb bay of an A3D-2. (Ginter)

INDEPENDENT DOUGLAS TESTS

flight test program. The first program, to be funded by Douglas at no cost to the Navy, was to be conducted to determine the benefits in aircraft performance that could be derived by the use of a suction system boundary layer control flap. The Navy agreed to let Douglas proceed with the test and assigned XA3D-1, BuNo 125413, to the company. The XA3D-1 was replaced with A3D-1, BuNo 135444, and the testing continued. Suction power for the system was supplied by a J69-T25 turbo-jet engine mounted

During the 1955 time frame, two programs were proposed by Douglas, each of which could affect the performance of the Skywarrior, but neither of which would impact the ongoing

Below, A3D-2, BuNo 138938, with the final bomb bay fence and cambered leading edge wing. (via Cunningham)

15

in the bomb bay. Wing and slat leading edges were modified to the configuration tested by NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Testing gathered aircraft and suction performance data to compare it with the performance of a single slotted flap. Forty-five flights later, a report published by Douglas concluded that no significant gains in maximum coefficient of lift were obtained with the suction flap. The anticipated reduction in drag was not realized. The report concluded with a statement that a conventional mechanical flap system using a double or triple slotted flap could give equal or better performance. The second proposal involved the installation of the 15,800 pound static thrust Pratt and Whitney J75 engine. A3D-1, BuNo 130355, was assigned to this program. The engines were installed, testing was begun, but the advantages of the added thrust were not enough to make the installation viable and the program was dropped. BRAKE OVERHEATING

As the flight testing of the Skywarrior progressed, it became evident that overheating of the wheel brakes on landings required study. One proposed solution involved the development of a drag chute to be deployed on landing and dropped after speed was reduced to a level at which it was ineffective. Several safety concerns were presented by the pilots and the flight test engineers. Major requirements presented by the test pilots were that the chute container doors must open only when commanded, the chute must fall clear of the aircraft and, above all, the chute must not be deployable in flight without command. The first two were relatively simple to solve with the third requiring some real study. In the final design, the chute was not to be connected to the airplane until commanded by the pilot. When the pilot threw the switch to deploy the chute, a hook rotated in a ring attached to the chute shroud lines, the doors opened, the chute dropped out of its container, the lanyard was pulled and the chute deployed.

16

Above, BuNo 142257, YA3D-2Q test bed with belly canoe is seen at Edwards after blowing its main gear due to brake overheating. The subsequent roll out ground the main wheel down to the brakes and axle (see page 11). The A3 was designed to incur no damage in the event of a blown tire. Note that neither the engine nacelle or the wing tip are in contact with the ground. (Air Force via Cunningham)

Resetting the cockpit switch to the SAFE position retracted the hook and the chute became disconnected from the airplane. As an aside to the drag chute installation on the Skywarrior, Douglas was considering using an inflight drag chute on the DC-8. BuNo 135410 was authorized by the Navy for use in the development program. After the chute was developed, sever-

Above, the second A3D-2, BuNo 138903, was assigned to system tests involving in-flight refueling at Edwards AFB. The aircraft is overall blue with da-glo fin and wing stripes and photo calibration stripes. Early A3D-2s were fitted with tail guns as in the A3D-1. (via Bruce Cunningham)

al flights were flown during which the chute was deployed in flight. Although the use of an airborne drag chute proved feasible from the safety and functional standpoint, other drawbacks outweighed any advantages and permanent speed brake/spoiler panel installations proved to be more practical and the idea was dropped.

Below, BuNo 138903 is using the iIIconceived flying pipe that the Navy favored to refuel a Grummam F9F-8 Cougar on 27 July 1956. (MFR via Harry Gann)

ARCHAIC AUTOPILOT The Sperry S-3 autopilot specified by the Navy was, at best, marginal. It was pre-World War Two vintage, best suited for the DC-3, not a jet attack bomber. The Navy finally restricted it to use as a pilot relief device, to be used only above 10,000 feet. THE A3D-2 AND AERIAL REFUELING DEVELOPMENT BuNo 138903, the second aircraft in the A3D-2 series and the first to fly, arrived at the test facility at Edwards AFB on 16 August 1956, after two production acceptance flights at EI Segundo, and was immediately assigned to systems test. The A3D-2 was basically the same as the A3D-1 with some important internal differences. One involved structural improvements which raised the maximum structural G loading from 2.67 G to 3.4 G. Another improvement

Below, VAH-1 A3D-1 lands with drag chute at NAS Jacksonville in 1956. (USN)

17

involved the replacement of the 10,000 pound thrust J57-P6 engine with the 10,500 pound thrust J57P10. The addition of 500 pounds of thrust doesn't sound like much in today's world of 50,000 and 60,000 plus pound thrust engines in commercial aircraft, but in 1956 it was a nice cushion to have when needed. The tail pipe outlet temperature of the -10 engine was as much as 160 0 cooler than that of the -6, which often ran right up to red-line on take-off. Flight crews used to the -6 engines felt they were not developing as much thrust in the -10 because of the lower tail pipe temperatures, and consequently a number of flight delays and aborts occurred until the crew accepted the lower temps. In October of 1956, after an eight day trip to the EI Segundo plant, 138903 returned to Edwards with an in-flight refueling hose and reel. Douglas engineers had worked with a company named In-Flight Refueling,

Inc. of Baltimore in an attempt to develop a refueling system that would work at jet aircraft speeds. The design point was 300 knots extension, 325 knots extended and operations at .8 Mach to .84 Mach. What they got as an interim was an electric powered B-29 reel which was good for no more than 200 knots, as the reel designed for the A3D had not been completed. In-Flight Refueling, Inc. had tried to modify the drag and clutch system in order to reach higher speeds but without a lot of success. Douglas liked the probe and drogue system which was compact and stowed well in the lower area of the bomb bay with only a fairing covering the drogue, projecting into the airstream. The Navy initially preferred the "flying pipe" type, which was really two tubes with a flexible joint in the middle. When stowed, it folded up and was retracted into the bomb bay. When extended, the upper section projected vertically below the bomb bay and the lower section, with the receptacle, trailed aft for the receiver aircraft to insert into the probe. This installation required that the bomb bay doors be open for extension of the pipes. When these pipes were retracted, they took up most of the space from the front to rear of the bomb bay.

The first inflight evaluation of the "flying pipe" refueling kit took place on 30 July 1956. Considerable buffet was encountered by the receiver aircraft, which was believed caused by the disturbed airflow from the open bomb bay. This lead to a restriction on speed during the refueling process. During a Navy review of the Skywarrior inflight refueling program, Douglas indicated a desire to discontinue work with the "flying pipe" and proceed with the "hose and reel" concept, but BuAer disapproved this proposal and re-emphasized the requirement for an urgent continuance of the "flying pipe" program. Douglas was requested to submit an Engineering Change proposal defining the proposed "hose and reel" installation. Shortly thereafter, the Navy quietly dropped the "flying pipe" concept and Douglas proceeded on the "hose and reel" concept, later known as the Probe and Drogue System. Douglas flight test activity continued on the refueling development program with A3D-2, BuNo 138903, acting as the tanker and A3D-1 , BuNo 130353, as the receiver. These early flights were "dry", with no fuel being transferred. The A3D-1 was equipped with the external probe, but had none of the required plumbing installed.

18

During this period, BuNo 138903 was also involved in the autopilot development program. On 28 January 1958, it crashed in the desert near Barstow, California. The aircraft was conducting a low altitude, high speed autopilot flight when a "hardover" yaw input occurred, followed with the pilot responding automatically with opposite rudder kick which resulted in a second peak load, whereby the entire vertical fin and rudder departed the aircraft at the fin fold line. The pilot, Tom Kilgariff and flight test engineer, Dale Benethum, were killed in the crash. Test pilot Drury Wood was assigned to fly a series of flights on another A3D-2, building up in both speed and rudder input force to the point at which the fin had departed on BuNo 138903, in an attempt to prove or disprove this theory. Fortunately for Wood, as the flights approached the point at which the fin had let go, the design and stress engineers concluded that the initial assumption was now a fact and corrective action would be taken in

Below, A3D-1, BuNo 130353, was fitted with a pipe to simulate a refueling probe. BuNo 138903 was fitted with a test hose and drogue so that dry testing could be conducted. (via Bruce Cunningham)

At right, development of hose and drogue fairing on A3D-1, BuNo 135407. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham)

the form of flight restrictions on the use of the autopilot. After the loss of BuNo 138903, A3D-1 BuNo 135407 joined the refueling program. Then, in early February 1957, A3D-2, BuNo 138918, the first production tanker, was assigned to the program. This airplane had a prototype reel installed at the plant prior to joining the test program at Edwards. In March 1957, BuNo 138928, the first airplane with the total new system installed (reel, hose, drogue, probe and dump chute), joined the program and the real development of a production system began. Later, A3D-2s BuNos 142243 and 138938 also joined the program. At right, the first A3D-2, BuNo 138902, was often used as a chase aircraft during the refueling tests. Seen here after its 1OOth flight on 25 June 1957 with its distinctive white whale's mouth and eyes. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham) Below, A3D-2 tanker, BuNo 138928, conducts hose length testing with A3D-1, BuNo 135407. A3D-2, BuNo 138902, flies chase. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham)

19

-----------TANKER TESTING At left, BuNo 135407 refuels from A3D2, BuNo 138928, at 10,000 feet at 300 knots. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham) At left bottom, 135407 and 138928 in flight with chase aircraft 138902. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham)

Above, tanker A3D-2, BuNo 138928, with da-glo red tail and wing markings. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham) At right, business end of a CVW-5, VAH-4 A3D drogue in July 1967. (USN via Harry Gann) Below, A3D-2, BuNo 142243, with tanker Mod and final hose length in early 1958. Tail and wing markings were da-glo red. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham)

20

21

Initially, reliability of the reel was not as required, which was to be expected when working in the speed and compressibility regimes not previously entered, but which, nevertheless, slowed the program. Hoses were lost while in flight, others were damaged on landing when the reel system malfunctioned, but testing went on and the necessary improvements were developed and incorporated. Hundreds of hook-ups were made, where the receiver inserted its probe into the drogue, backed out and repeated the process at airspeeds to over 300 knots and at altitudes from 350 feet to 42,000 feet. The company test pilots and engineers were finally satisfied that they had the optimum system and contacted the Navy, who agreed to send a Navy Preliminary Evaluation team to the west coast in January 1958,

which, if satisfied, would lead to acceptance of the tanker configuration for the Skywarrior. Initial studies by the Navy had indicated that the hook-ups and fuel transfer met Navy requirements, but a negative report was made on in-flight stability of the hose and drogue. A random oscillation of the drogue at high altitudes, as reported by the Navy evaluation pilots, had been noticed by the Douglas pilots. However, it was felt to be of minor consequence as evidenced by their 98% success rate. Through evaluation of test and visual data, it was discovered that both an increase in altitude and an aft shift of aircraft CG had a detrimental effect on the oscillation. In addition, it was found that the inherent Dutch roll characteristics increased the unsatisfactory reaction.

Once the real cause was discovered, two possible solutions were evolved. The first, a redesign of the yaw damper system; the second involved re-evaluating the hose length. A decision was made to first investigate the effect of change in the length of hose on this oscillation, since development of a new yaw damper could possibly be a long term, expensive proposition. Through a series of flights, the hose, which was originally somewhere between 70 and 90 feet in length, was reduced in length increments until the oscillation was eliminated with a hose length of 61 feet. The flight test series of all speeds and all altitudes was repeated to prove that a hose length of 61 feet was optimum. A second NPE team arrived and after a series of flights, agreed. Thus, development of a

Above, A3D-2, BuNo 138938, configured as a tanker. Overall grey and white with da-glo nose, tail, forward engine nacelle and outer wing panels. (MFA via Bruce Cunningham)

workable in-flight system for the A3D, was one of the most extensive and expensive parts of the flight testing phase. History reveals that the program was worth the expense when one counts the number of damaged

HOSE REEL ASSEMBLY

TANKER FAIRING ASSEMBLY FUEL DUMP BOOM AIR Bonu

IN-FLIGHTFUELING FUEL SHUT -OFF VALVE

LIGHT

RESPONSE ADJUST

FUEL DUMP BOOM (RETRACTED ) SOLENOID SHUT-OFF VALVE LEVEL WIND MECHANISM

HOSE CUT TER ATTACHME NT BOL T

22

TANKER FAIRING

IN -FLIGHT-FUELING FUEL- FLOW TRANSMIT TER

*ON AIRCRAFT MODIFIED BY AYC Z38 PART II

AMBER LIGHT

~p \)p~ ~~

FUEL DUMP BOOM IEXTENDED I

5 IGNAL LI GHT DETAIL

/------~

~

-..J

23

aircraft and the crews saved by the KA-3B and EKA-3B tankers during the Vietnam conflict.

AIR REFUELING EQUIPMENT TANKER TRANSFER CONTROL PANEL

REEL

The tanker fairing, which provides housing and guidance for the refueling drogue and fuel dump boom, is bolted to the fuselage with six bolts at fuselage stations 491, 506, and 523, with one bolt on each side of the fairing at each station. The bomb bay doors were modified to fold around the forward, unsupported hose entrance section of the fairing. The hose, guided by rollers, passed through the forward section of the fairing to the drogue, which was housed in the rear. The fuel dump boom retracted into the fairing on the lower surface. The upper surface of the fairing contained a green, amber and white light. Amber meant "ready to transfer", green means "transferring", and the white light was used in night refueling operations.

lOCI( POSITIO~ INOleATOR R((L

TAAfltSf£R LIGHTS

CO"TROL

BRILLIANCE

fuEL CO""TROL ~OT[:

SWITC ..

SWITCH

SWITCH

FUEL QUANTITY R[PEAT[R '''OICATOR NOT USE 0 ON TYPE m TANKER-REC(IVER

V( R510"5

Concurrently with the tanker development program, design and installation of bomb bay auxiliary fuel tanks, and the resultant vent and fuel transfer systems development program was active. No major difficulties were encountered, but it did take a succession of trial locations and flights to determine the optimum vent shape and location.

As the various test regimes were investigated, resolved and improvements and modifications were incorporated, testing on the A3D slowly phased out. The pilots, flight crews and ground crews moved on to newer and more exciting programs. By 1961, Douglas was no longer the primary Navy aircraft supplier and the plant at EI Segundo was closed, with the remaining personnel either leaving the company or being transferred to other locations, primarily the Long Beach plant where the commercial

REFL[CTIV[ TAP[

STRUT MS35207-264 SCREW

AIR DRIVEN GENERATOR SKID

AIR REFUELING DROGUE

24

25

DC-8 was entering production. Even then, as late as 1964, Douglas was still flying test programs for the Navy on A3D aircraft, two of which, A-3B BuNo 138938 and YEA-3B BuNo 142257, were bailed to the Long Beach plant for development of systems to be used by Skywarriors and other naval aircraft.

Below, outdoor Skywarrior assembly line at EI Segundo, California. (Harry Gann via Bruce Cunningham)

THE The A3D-1 was designed as a three-place, nuclear capable attack bomber that would operate off CVB carriers with or without JATO assistance. The swept-wing monoplane was powered by two Pratt and Whitney J57-P-6A engines installed in under-wing nacelles. The airplane was equipped with retractable tricycle landing gear with a steerable nosewheel. Two 20mm cannon mounted in a remote-controlled tail turret provided defensive armament.

SKYWARRIOR

porary, state-of-the-art design. It was constructed mainly of aluminum alloy, a high percentage of which was 7075ST material. The main load-carrying fuselage members were two heavy keels which extended from the nose to the tail. These keels picked up the catapult loads through the catapult hooks just forward of the bomb bay. They also picked up the arrested landing loads from the arresting hook located at the extreme aft end of the fuselage, and distributed them through the aircraft structure.

STRUCTURE

The airplane structural arrangement was of a conventional, contem-

1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 9.)

As Ed Heinemann remembered, some of the major decisions that had to be made prior to initial design

AN/ASB-1 Radome. 10.) Engine Starter & Connection Port. Pitot Tube. 11.) Wing Fuel Cell. Canteens. 12.) Wing Slats. Bomber-Assistant Pilot's Position. 13.) Wing Navigation Lights. Thermos Bottle. 14.) Bomb Bay. Ditching Hatch. 15.) Exterior Fuselage Lights. Forward Fuel Cell. 16.) Aft Fuselage Cell. Companionway. 17.) Fin Navigation Lights. J57-P-6A engine. 18.) Fin Radome.

19.) 20.) 21.) 22.) 23.) 24.)

involved months of agonizing study and a few sleepless nights. An early Navy requirement was that the airplane have a 1,500 mile operating radius, which pointed to a high aspect ratio wing. The bomb the airplane was to carry was 60 inches in diameter and 183 inches long, which demanded a bomb bay of at least 60 inches in width. Before the design was completed, the Navy revised the bomb bay requirement to 66 inches in width to accommodate the "Tall Boy" bomb. The decision to go with a high wing location meant that the landing gear must have extremely long struts or it must be located far aft of the center of gravity of the airplane. The

Aero 21B Tail Turret. Tail Turret Access Door. Arresting Hook. Speed Brake. Catapult Hold-Back Fitting. JATO Mounting Hooks.

heavy weight of the bomb required it to hang at the center of gravity. Any other location would adversely affect the flight characteristics of the aircraft, particularly on take-off and landing, the two most critical parts of any flight.

25.) 26.) 27.) 28.) 29.) 30.) 31.) 32.)

Fuselage Lights Filter. Aft Compo Access Door. Formation Light. Wing Spoiler (130357 & 130359) Catapult Hook. GTC Starter Unit. ADU External Power Receptacle. ADU Exhaust Ports.

26

33.) 34.) 35.) 36.) 37.) 38.) 40.)

Battery. Gunner-Navigator's Position. Outer Escape Chute Door. Ext. Electrical Power Receptacle. Pilot's Position. Approach Light. Bomb Director Temperature Element.

------t--

~IXF"75.500

Degradation of performance and range, through inclusion of demands by the Navy for pet systems that some pilot or engineering group thought should be in the airplane, was common in the early 1950s, but did not become a problem in the A3D program. Heinemann had few problems with such growth. He had promised the Navy that the maximum weight of the airplane would be 68,000 pounds, as that was the number the Navy assured him its carrier decks could handle. When someone requested something added, he just told the requester that he would gladly do it, but for every pound of weight added, he would take out a pound of fuel and someone in the Navy would have to assume responsibility for explaining any reduction in range to the CNO. After a while, the requests just stopped coming in. WING STRUCTURE

A3D-1 GENERAL ARRANGEMENT

(y)no 500

Final configuration of the wing was arrived at through a compromise between Heinemann and his boss, Arthur Raymond, Corporate Vice President of Engineering. Raymond wanted a high aspect ratio wing, while Heinemann was against it. Heinemann felt that a high aspect ratio wing would be too flexible for an attack bomber. The aspect ratio of 6.75 was arrived at as a compromise between range requirements, wing flutter problems, aerodynamic pitCh-up at high speeds and high speed efficiency versus low speed stability and controllability requirements for landing aboard carriers. Even with the agreed upon aspect ratio, it became evident as the wing design progressed that flutter problems were a distinct possibility, and in fact, a probability. Studies conducted at Cal Tech using their new analog computer indicated that the wing would develop a high-frequency

(XFI195.250

('W)161.250i-':E~~~

ORIGINAL WING STATIONS 1/144 SCALE

(XWI2 6' ·000--'" (XWI2 91.000--'" ('WI12 2.000--'" IXWI152.000-----"'" ('W)175.500--'" (XW) 199·000 --'" IXW)' 2 2. 500--'" (XWI •• 6.000-""" (XWI4 69.500-/' ('W)491000--""'" -(XLl422400 ('W)5'1. 500-"'"./ ---<...--(XLl415 000 (XSI5J 4. 260---""'"

flutter at speeds well below the maximum for which the airplane was being designed. Testing confirmed the computer results for a clean wing. With pylons and engine nacelles installed, flutter still occurred well within the design speed of the airplane. One solution to the flutter problem was the addition of 800 pounds of dead weight to the inner wing to CLE WING STATIONS 1/144 SCALE

dampen some of the flutter. Heinemann's team, recognizing that they did not have the time for a major redesign, simply increased the skin thickness of the inner wing to 3/8 inch which served to stiffen the wing as well as add the 800 pounds of weight. Even with the additional weight and pylon rigidity, flutter became unstable at the design limiting speed with the original J-40 engine installed. Until - - - FUSELAGE PLANE OF SYMMETRY

\

(XH9) 4~.821

(XH9) 516.874

\ ./'

CAMBERED WING SLAT AND SLAT HINGE STATIONS

27

\

SLAT HINGE

was based on wind tunnel tests. Take-off rate-of-climb was less than guaranteed, due to the slat travel restriction. A major improvement in take-off weight to 84,000 pounds was realized due to the installation of the cambered Wing.

A-3A AND A-3B FUSELAGE STATIONS 1/144 SCALE STATIONS SHOWN ON THIS SHEET APPLY TO A-3A AND A-3B AIRCRAFT S TA TlONS ALSO APPLY TO RA-3B,. EA-3B, AND TA-3B AIRCRAFT. EXCEPT FUSELAGE STATIONS 0.000 TO 475.000 WHICH ARE SHOWN ON SHEETS 2 AND 3.

SURFACE CONTROLS

..

II

0 .,.... 0 o 0 00 ., o.. '"0 .,.,0 '" .. OS>

NACELLE AND

PYLON

NACELLE AND PYLON

/""""1
'"''''

"'~'''"''''' lC.NTI

VIEW A EA-3B ONLY

HORIZONTAL

I

o ::u N

o

Z -i J>

r

STABILIZER

the problem could be completely resolved, the A3D-1 was to be airspeed limited during the flight testing phase of its development. In January 1954, the company began installation of a redesigned pylon trailing edge extension to eliminate high speed buffet in this area. On 27 April 1954, after the pylon rework was completed, test instrumentation indicated that the trailing edge fix was successful and the aircraft could now fly at Mach .92 with no buffet. The location of the engines was another compromise, arrived at after studying the advantages and disadvantages of many proposed locations, which included burying them in the wing root, attaching them directly to the lower surface of the, wing and single and multiple engine combinations suspended on pylons. Heinemann wanted them located for ease of maintenance and for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. The final location fit these requirements in that they were low enough for the ground crew to service them without depending on work stands for access, and they were high enough to clear the runway or carrier deck in the event a landing was made with a collapsed strut or a flat tire. They were far enough forward to be located in relatively undisturbed air in flight, and close enough to the fuselage for aircraft controllability if one engine failed. They were located close enough to the wing to keep the weight of the pylon within acceptable limits.

28

CLE WING One of the proposals offered for incorporation early in the A3D-2 design and development program was a new, full-span cambered and extended leading edge for the wing, with an additional leading edge slat installed between the fuselage and the engine pylon. Wind tunnel tests and engineering calculations predicted major advantages, including increased combat ceiling, cruise altitude and combat radius, reduced stalling speed and greater allowable take-off gross weight. In mid-1956, a change notice was released authorizing the installation of a cambered wing on production A3D-2s. By late August, the engineering and incorporation of the cambered wing was approved pending approval of the engineering by the Bureau of Aeronautics. A3D-2 BuNos 138918 and 138938 were assigned as prototype cambered wing development aircraft, with first flight scheduled for January 1958. The outcome of the testing program showed that the cambered leading edge would materially improve performance, but with two disadvantages: one was that the inboard slat had to be restricted in travel from the initial 1r to 8.5° due to an unpredicted pitch-up at the stall. Second, higher drag than was expected became evident through flight test data as compared to the original estimated drag data which

The A3D is equipped with conventional controls operated only from the pilot's position in the cockpit. Ailerons are located at the trailing edges of the outboard wing panels and extend from the wing fold to the wing tip. Wing flaps extend from the fuselage to the wing fold area and are hydraulically extended and retracted. Wing spoilers are located just forward of the flaps and extend inboard from the wing fold joint on the inner wing. Aileron control forces are supplied by dual 2,000 psi hydraulic systems to the aileron tandem actuating cylinder. This cylinder, which is basically two independent actuating pistons on one piston rod, is provided pressure to one piston by the aileron control hydraulic system and to the other piston by the surface controls hydraUlic system. Failure of either system will result in some reduction in the roll rate available, partiCUlarly at high speeds. The rudder is controlled by conventional rudder pedal controls from the cockpit. Hydraulic pressure for rudder boost is provided by the surface controls hydraUlic system through a pressure reducer which provides a maximum of 750 psi to the actuator. The elevators are of conventional design and are controlled through the pilot's control column in the cockpit. The surface controls hydraUlic system uses a pressure reducer set at 1,150 psi to provide a 7-to-l boost to the elevators. A controllable horizontal stabilizer provides longitudinal trim through a range of 4° nose down to 6° nose up. Direction of displacement of the stabilizer is controlled by a thumb switch on the pilot's control wheel or by a

knob on the center console. As early as August 1953, during the Navy Preliminary Evaluation, the pilots reported a major deficiency involVing insufficient lateral control at high speeds. During the early phases of the flight testing program, Douglas test pilots investigating this complaint concurred. The real problem was that the rate-of-roll was normally somewhat less than desired, and at higher speeds still below the maximum for the airplane. Studies by design and flight test engineers determined that the condition was due to twist of the flexible wing. Motion of the aileron at high speed caused the wing to twist in the opposite direction at high speeds, thus negating the inputs from the ailerons. Initially, one of the attempts to improve the high speed rate-of-roll was to install wing fences, but there was little or no improvement. The final fix to counteract the effect of wing twist on lateral control was the addition of spoilers, which were added to the outboard section of the inner wing just forward of the flaps, which acted in conjunction with the aileron inputs. The wing spoilers are powered by the aileron hydraulic system, and are controlled by the pilot's control wheel actuation. Rolling the control wheel apprOXimately 20° in either direction will start movement of the corresponding spoiler. The spoilers operate from the faired position in an upward direction only. Movement of the pilot's control wheel to the left of neutral causes the left spoiler to open in proportion to the displacement of the control wheel, while the right spoiler remains in the faired position.

29

Above, A3D wing flap. (USN) Displacement of the wheel to the right causes the same action to take place on the right spoiler. The spoilers are operated by the hydraulically powered ailerons, thus adding no addition to the force required of the pilot when rolling the ailerons. An upward moving aileron must travel a preset distance prior to the spoilers being actuated. The spoilers do not function with the aileron control in the manual mode. The wing spoilers were installed on only two of the first twelve aircraft, BuNos 130357 and 130359. The Skywarrior is equipped with single-slotted type wing flaps which extend from the fuselage to the inboard edge of the ailerons. The flaps are normally extended by utility hydraulic system pressure. A "blowback" relief valve in the flap control system allows the flaps to blow back when the air loads against the flaps exceeds the hydraulic pressure extending them. With the flaps fully extended (36°), blowback begins at approximately 187 knots indicated air speed. In normal operation, the flaps require approximately 10 seconds to fully extend and 25 seconds to retract from the full down position. A 3,000 psi air bottle is located in the hydraulic compartment for extension of the flaps under emergency conditions. After extension of the flaps through use of the emergency air bottle, the flaps cannot be retracted until utility hydraulic system pressure is restored and the system bled of all air pressure.

SPEED

BRAKES A-III

142630

~-

"""a.U\ ""~ ..'

.-

CONTROL

-----;\

----~Q~

Sf" 657

el :

To enable the pilot to make carrier approaches with higher engine power settings, and to provide the capability of rapid deceleration, two speed brakes were installed on the sides of the fuselage aft of the main landing gear wells. These were little more than heavy flat plates, of which the outer surface forms a portion of the fuselage skin when retracted. These were hinged at the forward end, and through use of hydraulic power can be extended to provide for an approach to the runway or the carrier with higher than normal engine thrust and can be retracted rapidly in the event of a bolter or a wave-off from the LSO. Actuation was through the use of a two-position switch (fully open or fully closed) located on the

J

---4~=-

.

BRAKE

V~LV£

,,'

BEARING PLATE

HINGE BOLT

WELL

GUIDE TONGUE GUIDE PLATE

UPPER HINGE (LOOKING INBOARO)

STA 657

\

~

'I

L'J

LATCH ROLLER

SPEED BRAKE

1

WELL

left throttle. Above the speed brake blowback speed, the brakes will extend to a point where the extending hydraulic pressure and the air load against the brakes counterbalance. There are no airspeed restrictions on opening or closing the speed brakes. Three lift-enhancing slats are installed on the leading edge of each wing, one on the inner wing between the engine pylon and the wing fold joint and two on the outer wing extending from the wing fold joint to the wing tip. The slats are independent of each other and are controlled solely by aerodynamic forces, their position depending on airspeed and aircraft attitude. At high angles of attack and slow speeds, the slats automatically extend, and they retract as the angle-of-attack is reduced and airspeed is increased. At Mach .45 and above, the slats will not extend regardless of aircraft attitude. To pre-

vent damage to the wing and the slat, the inboard slat on the outer wing is mechanically extended when the wings are folded. FOLDING WINGS AND TAIL

To enable the A3D to fit aboard carriers in the space allotted, the wings and vertical fin are required to fold. The GUST and WING PIN LOCK handle on the center console controls the gust locks and the wing and fin locking pin safety latches. The horizontal position of this handle mechanically engages the gust locks and releases the wing and fin safety latches, allowing the wings and fin to be folded. While in the horizontal position, this forms a barrier to prevent the throttles from being moved into the take-off power range. For engine run-up with the wings and fin folded, the spring-loaded barrier tab may be lifted manually to make full-

WELL

LATCH HOOK

ACTUATING CYLINDER

f:;"" \ ~.~ -BOLT

CYLINDER ROO onA,""ENT

,,-:l ei":::l~~B£ARING PLATE "y' LOWER HINGE (LOOKING INBOARD)

SPEED BRAKE INSTALLATION 30

31

Above, A3D-1, BuNo 135440, on 14 April 1956 with wings folded. (MFR)

power level travel possible. The wing fold control lever on the center console controls the hydraulic folding and spreading of the wings and vertical fin. Placing the wing fold lever in the vertical position causes the unlatched locking pins to be pulled and the wings and fin to be folded. When the lever is positioned horizontally, the wings and fin are extended and the locking pins are engaged. HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS A 3,000 psi hydraulic system for utility use, and two 2,000 psi hydraulic systems for flight controls only, were

Below, A3D-1, BuNo 135421, at NAS Miramar on 30 October 1955 with folded wings and tail. (William Swisher)

WING

FOLD

developed. Two pumps for the utility system were located on, and driven by, the air turbine motors to provide for landing gear extension and retraction, flap and speed brake extension and retraction, wing and tail fold operations and wheel brakes. Each of the two 2,000 psi pumps was driven by a separate ATM. Each of these hydraulic systems was independent of the others with no fluid exchange or mechanical interconnection between them. The flight control hydraulic system maintained a constant pressure. The utility system pumps were designed to feather and allow system pressure to drop to zero when it was no longer needed. A timer caused the pumps to feather after a preset time after all utility system control handles were placed in the in-flight cruise configuration. Selection of any of these control handles to any other position caused the utility pumps to unfeather and remain so until the handles were again in the proper position and the timer ran through its cycle.

MECHANISM

LINE COOING 0W1NG FOcD nWING L:.JSPREAD

WING FOLD CYLINDER CYLINDER ROD ATTACHING BOL T

REAR HINGE PIN

An electrically driven emergency hydraulic pump supplied pressure for operation of the wheel brakes and emergency operation of the bomb bay doors. For emergency operation of the bomb bay doors, the pump was energized when the EMER BOMB REL handle on the lower center console was pulled out to the first detent and, for emergency operation of the brakes, when the emergency landing gear system was actuated. The system utilized hydraulic fluid from an emergency supply standpipe in the utility system reservoir. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM The DC electrical power supply

FRONT SPAR LOWER CAP ASSEMBLY ACTUA TlNG CYLINDER LINES AND CLUSTER FITTING

FORWARD HINGE PIN

UIIl'L..==----._

--~®-@

V!J;~PIN 32

FAC TORY:

EFFECTIVITY - BUNO. NONE

S ERV CHG: ALL AIRPLANES REWORKED TO A-3/ASC NO. 312. STOP

Top right, left hand wing-fold mechanism. Slat ends were red. (Ginter 1084) Top middle, right hand Wing-fold mechanism. Note construction of the wing flap hinges. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham) Lower middle, vertical fin fold forward half. (Ginter) Bottom, vertical fin fold aft half, showing forward hinge. (Ginter)

33

AIRCRAFT INGRESS AND EGRESS system was composed of two 28 volt, 300 ampere DC generators and a 28 volt, 34 volt-ampere battery, all of which utilized five buses for power distribution. The AC electrical power system is composed of two 115/200 volt, three phase, 400 cycle AC alternators supplying two buses. One DC generator and one alternator were located on each of the Air Turbine Motors located in the fuselage of the aircraft.

STEP 1 Unlatch the outer escape chute door by turning the latch handle aft of the hatch. Manually depress the outer escape chute door to the extended position. STEP 2 Unlatch the inner escape chute door by turning the latch release handle on the lefthand side of the escape chute liner. Manually depress the inner escape chute door until it latches in the extended position. Enter the cockpit. STEP 3 Close the outer escape chute door by pUlling up on the D-ring on the right-hand side of the escape chute liner. STEP 4 Before releasing the door closing control, latch the outer escape chute door by turning the latch handle aft of the D·ring on the right·hand side of the escape chute liner. Stow the D·ring in the clip provided in the recess. STEP 5 Close the inner escape chute door by depressing the release latch in the upper step of the door and manually raise the door to the closed position. STEP 6 Before releasing the inner door, latch the door by operating the latch handle on the inboard side of the gunner/navigator's seat. Entrance to the ALTERNATE ENTRANCE cockpit may also be gained through the ditching hatch. Steps built into the fuselage over the left main landing gear provide access to the top of the fuselage. The hatch is unlocked by a latch handle recessed in the forward center section of the hatch. The hatch may then be opened manually by sliding it aft.

A3D-1/A-3A AND A3D-2/A-3B/KA-3B/EKA-3B UPPER AND LOWER ENTRANCE/EXIT DOORS WITH INSIDE DOOR SKIN REMOVED UPPER ENTRANCE DOOR

CHANNEL •. 040

:~c~~~·.:..-....:.T_--!~~~~

AIRCRAFT INGRESS & EGRESS The cockpit, originally long enough to carry three crew members facing forward, evolved into a smaller compartment with the pilot and bombardier/navigator facing forward and the third crew member facing aft in a seat installed tight against the pilot's seat. With this installation, the use of ejection seats was ruled out as the crew members had to face forward for ejection. Normal cockpit entrance and exit was through the use of steps built into the inner surface of the access doors built into the cockpit floor and the lower fuselage skin. During normal operations, these doors opened independently of each other and could be opened or closed from outside or inside the airplane. In case of emergency, the doors were forced open through the use of electrically fired cartridges fired into two cylinders. A piston in each cylinder forced the lower door open and locked it open as a slide and wind screen for the crewmen as they bailed out. A connecting tube between the cylinders allowed the hot gases to flow between the cartridges and to fire the cartridge in the event one was not blown by the electrical charge. A cable system concurrently pulled the upper door down and held it in the open position. The decision to use the escape chute instead of ejection seats was not arrived at without study. First, a weight savings of at least 550 pounds was effected. The canopy would have to be designed to blow off and the

CHANNEL •. 040

AL 2024·r ALClAO

LATCH PLATE, 4130 STEEL (TYPICAl) --------'~_::J:.::::;:: SUPPQRT. AL

r~·----WEB•.040

AL 2024-T ALCLAD

707~-T

ALLOY (EXTRUDED ANGLE) (TYPICAll----./

A3D-1/A3-2 (A-3A1A-3B) ENTRANCE

CHANNEL . . 060 AL

707~-T

LOWER ENTRANCE DOOR

CHANNEL. .063 AL

707~ -

T ALCLAD

ALCLAO

-C~TA (Y' 16&.643

o .032 AL 7075-T ALCLAD

o

o

CHANNEL, .063 AL 7075-T ALCLAO

INSIDE SKIN·

CHANNEL. .063 AL 107~-T ALCLAQ CriANNEL.

AL

ILOWER

.080

707~-T

ALCLAD

LATCH PLATE. 4130STEEL ( TYPICAl)

seats, with the ejection equipment, would have to be heavier. Second, the third crew member seat would have to face forward, which would require moving the aft cockpit bulkhead further aft thus reducing the size of the forward fuel cell, with a resultant reduction in maximum range of 34

CHANNEL •. 060 AL 7075-T ALCLAD

the airplane. Third, Heinemann felt that there were no good ejection seats available. The state of the art ejection seats then in use were using an explosive device which imposed a 22 to 23 G force on the personnel using them. At least half of those crew members using them were sustaining

At right, Douglas test pilot George Jansen climbing the entrance/escape hatch of an early A3D-1. (MFR) At right bottom, VAH-5 crew preflights A3D-2. Maintenance man climbs the narrow lower entrance/exit door while pilot inspects a hydraulic pressure gage in the forward left hand equipmenUbattery bay. Note bomb bay buffet fence aft of the entrance hatch. (MFR via Bruce Cuningham)

major injuries to their backs due to the impact loads imposed during ejection. The escape chute seNed as a normal entrance and exit route; it was an emergency exit and it provided access to the bomb bay during flight. At the time the airplane was designed, the nuclear devices of the period required that certain functions be performed on them after take-off and prior to bomb release, thus the need for a method of access by a crew member enroute to the target. The escape chute resolved that requirement. By lowering the upper door and rotating the companionway safety door forward and down, the crew gained access to the bomb bay to permit them to enter in flight.

35

A-3A1A-3B BOMB BAY ACCESS AND SECONDARY EMERGENCY EXIT

RA-38/EA-38ITA-38 & VARIANTS ENTRANCE DOOR AND ESCAPE RAMP The RA-3B/EA-3BfTA-3B all utilized portions, if not all, of the bomb bay as equipment and personnel space. This fact necessitated the redesign of the entrance/exit door so that it would fit flush with the fuselage deck when closed. The redesign created a much thicker and substantial looking door whose pathway, when open, flowed smoothly into the cockpit via a short metal ramp between the fuselage floor and the cockpit's floor.

1. I nner escape chute door latch release

5. Companionway safety door 6. Companionway 7. Bomb bay spoiler

2. Inner escape chute door 3. Companionway safety door latch release 4. Companionway emergency exit T -handle

A Navy requirement of the time was for carrier capable aircraft to have a canopy or escape hatch that could be opened for take off and landing. To meet this requirement, an aft sliding hatch was designed into the canopy structure to provide normal and emergency entrance and exit. The upper hatch could be operated manually by rotating the locking handle and sliding the hatch aft. Emergency operation was by a compressed air bottle which could be fired from both inside and outside the cockpit. At least one crew was known to have bailed out of a stricken A3D through this hatch while airborne after the lower door escape system had failed.

At right, the extra thick entrance, exit and escape door as seen on a RA-3B. (Cunningham / Ginter)

PIANO HINGE

COCKPIT CHUTE DOOR

COMPANIONWAY SAFETY DOOR STEPS

, -.

RAMP

\>,

~8

1. 2. J. ... 5. 6.

E.ergency escape ha tcb Emergency escape hatch control handle Pilots assist handle Pilote: e_er-ceney batch T-bandle Emergency escape chute control handle Baro-release lanyard

7. Emergency escape chute

8. Compa.nionway omergency e)[lt T_bandle

RAMP SLIDE PLATE

/ /

'

....

EMERGENCY EXITS /

RAMP AND SLIDE PLATE

36

37

COCKPIT CHUTE

RAMP AND DOOR

ALIGNED

CANOPIES AND ESCAPE HATCHES

Aft left canopy panel was replaced during ':::;;liiiiiiiiiiiill.--- rework with the framed version at left on most A-3B, RA-3B, EA-3B, & TA-3B airframes

A-3A AND A-3B CREW ARRANGEMENT 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 9.)

Above left, the original canopy as used on the two XA3D-1 prototypes was tank-like in construction. (Harry Gann via Bruce Cunningham) Above, finalized canopy as installed on production A3D-1 (A-3A) and A3D-2 (A-3B) Skywarriors as seen on this early A3D1. (Harry Gann via Bruce Cunningham) At left, third crewman stands in the open sliding hatch of a VAH-5 A3D-1 at NAS Sanford, Florida on 20 November 1957. (MFR) At left bottom, view through the open sliding canopy hatch looking forward in an early A3D-1. Pilot is suited up in a high altitude full pressure suit. (MFR)

Radome Pitot Tube Ditching Hatch Escape Chute Door External AC/DC Hook-up Battery Angle-Of-Attack Light Taxi/Landing Light Air Refueling Probe Light

9

EA-3B AND TA-3B CANOPY AND FUSELAGE ESCAPE HATCHES

/

/

RA-3B/EA-3B CANOPY FRAMES

\ TA-3B CANOPY FRAMES

38

1.) Upper Ditching Hatch Pushbutton 2.) Typical Rescue Arrows 3.) Middle & Rear Section of Enclosure 4.) Lower Escape Chute, External Door 5.) External Lower Escape Chute Handle 6.) First Aid Kit 7.) Side Escape Door Handle

6

39

EA-3B AND TA-3B BAILOUT AND DITCHING

JATO SYSTEM A twelve bottle JATO system was available to provide the airplane with additional thrust during takeoff from carriers or short fields. Six 4,500 pound thrust bottles could be mounted on each side of the fuselage aft of the bomb bay. These bottles were fired electrically and jettisoned hydraulically through control switches located adjacent to the throttles in the cockpit. The JATO system was designed for operation with two, four, six, eight or twelve bottles depending on such factors as gross weight, outside air temperature and runway length.

-

THROT TlE

HANDLES

---

~------

At left, EA-3BfTA-3B fuselage compartment bailout door on a TA-3B. Door has aerodynamic baffles and plates to eliminate buffet. (Hughes) At right, cockpit forward ditching hatch as used on RA-3B, EA-3B & TA-3B aircraft. A similar fuselage door opens sideways.

~C.NT~~S

.N CENTER CONSOLE

~--AfT

DITCHING HATCH

JATO BOTTLES ( SHEET 2 I

---fORWARD DITCHING HATCH

NOTE DOTTED LINES INDICATE OPEN POSITION.

EA-3B AND TA-3B ENTRANCES & EXITS

TREADLE

40

41

SKYWARRIOR LANDING GEAR The use of tricycle landing gear caused some major design and development concerns for the Douglas team. Tricycle landing gear had been in use by the Navy, but the A3D brought some new problems to the forefront. Rotation of the nose gear proved to be no problem as it rotated forward into the fuselage just aft of the nose radome. Installation of the main landing gear was not so simple.

LEFT HAND MAIN GEAR RETRACTED

Location of the wing high on the fuselage, and the fact that most of the inner wing was used as an integral fuel tank, precluded retracting the gear into that area. Location of the long bomb bay directly below the center of lift of the wing meant that if the gear was to be retracted into the fuselage, it had to be located aft of the aft end of the bay. This created some concern that it might cause difficulty in rotating the airplane on take-off and could impose excess loads on the nose gear during arrested landings. These concerns were proven to be unfounded.

LEFT HAND MAIN LANDING GEAR AND GEAR WELL

speed, high compressibility and in the pattern during preparation for landing. Gapping of the doors at high speed allowed the wheel well to become pressurized by ram air. At the same time a negative pressure was developed on the external surface which coupled with the positive pressure i~ the side wheel well, had a tendency to try to rip the doors off. Pilots had to be extremely cautious about extension of the landing gear at higher than pattern speeds to prevent departure of the doors. It was this tendency to shed doors in the landing pattern that earned the airplane the reputation of "often arriving before the doors did". A relatively simple fix was to stiffen the doors, strengthen the upper hinge and revise the forward latch to pull the leading edge of the door tighter to the door jamb. The skin of the doors then had a tendency to assume a wrinkled appearance when in the closed and latched position. Apparently, this had no detrimental effect on the fatigue life of the door skin, and it worked.

Above, I~ft-hand mai~ gear door interior detail. (USAF via Bruce Cunningham) Below, right-hand ~am gear and well looking forward. (Ginter) At left top, right wheel outboard. (Gmter) At left bottom, right main wheel inboard. (Ginter)

Attaching the main landing gear to the fuselage and having it retract into a small space within the fuselage precluded having a very wide tread for the main wheels. Even slanting the struts outboard as much as possible resulted in a tread of only 10 feet 5 inches. Design of the main landing gear doors was relatively simple, although problems arose during the flight testing phase of the aircraft development. A "piano hinge" was installed along the top of the door and a latch was located on the keel to keep the door closed after the hydraulic system timer feathered the hydraulic pumps and pressure bled off to zero. During the flight testing phase, and during one cross-country speed attempt, the loss of main landing gear doors indicated that a fairiy serious design problem existed, not only with the doors but also with the hydraulic system design. The most critical parts of the flight regime were at high

42

43

RIGHT - HAND MAIN LANDING GEAR INSTALLATION LOOKING AFT

NOSE LANDING GEAR INSTALLATION NOSE GEAR DOOR INTERIOR

GEAR - DOWN LINE

FORWARD. DOOR ACTUATING CYLINDER

30

APPROACH LIGHT

24

DOOR HINGE ARM 13PLACESI

22

NOTE

TAXI LIGHT

INSPECT SHADED AREAS FOR CORROSION (SEE PARAGRAPH 2 -944)

OOOR LATCH ROLLER 12 PLACES)

The steerable nose wheel provides directional control through 79° either side of center during ground operation of the airplane. The control handle is located on the pilot's left hand console. When the arresting hook is extended a centering detent in the nose wheel steering linkage is engaged to prevent nose wheel swivel during arrested landings.

IS

21

DONN LATCH CYLINDER HYDRAULIC LINE

22

GEAR ACTUATING CYUNDER EYEBOLT ATTACH POINT

SHOCK STRUT SUPPORT STRUCTURE

23

ACTUATING MECHANISM, LOWER UNK

GEAR ACTUATING CYLINDER 4 4A RUBBER RETRACTION STOPS

24

ACTUATING MECHANISM DOWN LOCK ARM ASSE

25

DONN LATCH CYLINDER

21>

ACTUA TlNG MECHANISM, UPPER UNK

3

13

SHOCK STRUT FILLER VALVE

DOOR ACTUA TING CYLINDER

WARNING PLATE

--

,........

Mll LY NOSE WHEEL TORQUE LINK ASSEMBLY (DISCONNECT BEFORE TOWING)

5

DOOR AND LATCH SEQUENCE VALVES

I> 7 B

EXTENSION BOOST CYLINDER HINGE PIN

27

DOWN LATCH CYLINOBI ATTACH POINT

SHOCK STRUT ATTACHING STRUCTURE

28

ACTUATING MECHANISM LOWER UNIVERSAL PIVOT

2. snact Strut 'istOI

9

GROUND SAFETY SWITCH AND SKID DETECTDR WIRING

29

ACTUATING MECHANISM UPPER UNIVERSAL PIVOT DOOR ACTUATING UNKAGE

3. Shott Stnl

c,_

4. ShOCk Strut

So~

31

UNIVERSAL JOINT ASSEMBLY RING

5. Nost Gt. Acbutlll Cyllndrr

32

UNIVERSAL JOINT RETAINING PIN

I. Sback Strut Pitton Take

Ar.

10

UPPER TORQUE LINK

11

GROUND SAFETY SWITCH SUPPORT BRACKET

12

ANTISKID DETECTOR CABLE

13

LONER TORQUE LINK

14

BRAKE OPERA TlNG LINES

1S

BRAKE SHUTTLE VALVES; SUPPORT BRACKET

9 lower Act,atiltl Lilt.

16

~:~~~~~HEEL BRAKE

10. Whul Wtfl Support Slruc!Ufe

17

SHOCK STRUT

18

TIE DOWN SPRING

19

TIE DOWN RING

20

ACTUATING MECHANISM LOWER PIVOT

30

33

,

GROUND SAFETV SWITCH

a

DOLLY WHEEL

FORWARD'

44

Ohln·LJtc1l Cylinder

7. U"er Actultillrllnk

45

DOWII latcll MuhnlSIl

NOSE GEAR DETAILS

TAIL GEAR BUMPER WHEEL INSTALLATION A heavy, hinged, triangular structure carrying a single small wheel with a solid rubber tire was located on the fuselage centerline aft of the main landing gear and acted as a shock absorbing bumper to take the impact of tail low touchdowns. This bumper s extended when the main landing gear is extended and originally remained extended until the gear was again retracted. But due to interference with deck cables when the aircraft was moved about the carrier deck, a timer was installed which commanded the retraction at a predetermined time interval after the actuation of the switch by the main gear oleo strut upon landing.

1'-+---,(1

fllr-I-----t- S ~...---_+-IO

IIlIJ~~..;)--t-1I

W---~-'z

6

1rr:.~~~~rl-l3

4 5

4 11--1--15

Above, nose gear door interior. The door is white on both ~i~es with red edges. The LSO approach light box and a small taxI hg~t are mounted on the front of the door. Below, the nose gear as viewed from the right side. (Ginter) 1.) Tail wheel 2.) Tail wheel yoke 3.) Yoke fairing 4.) Up switch 5.) Up switch plunger 6.) Shock strut 7.) Fluid & air filler valve 8.) Gear support structure 9.) Actuating link 10.) Waterproof boot 11.) Down line 12.) Actuating cylinder 13.) Down switch 14.) Up line 15.) Support fitting 16.) Shock strut yoke

Above, forward nose gear well. Below, aft nose gear well and scissors mechanism. (Ginter)

Originally, on the early A3D-1s, the catapult hooks were located on each side of the fuselage at about the center of the bomb bay. As the bomb bay size changed during design redevelopment, the hooks were relocated to a position just forward of the bomb bay doors. Hook extension is accomplished by manually releasing the hook uplatches. They are retracted hydraulically in conjunction with the landing gear and remain in the upand-latched position once retracted. The catapult holdback fitting is located at the bottom center of the fuselage surface at the aft end of the main gear well.

46

2 - -_ _..

k-+--16

EFFECTIVITY - 8 UNO. FACTORY, 130352-130363; 135407-

'35444, 138902-1389711, 1422311142255, 142400-142407.142630_ 1421165,1441126-144629.147648_ 147668 EXCEPT AS NOTED SERV CHG, NONE

At left, A3D tailhook. Below, catapUlt bridle attached to the Skywarrior's retractable catapUlt hooks in preparation of launch on this EKA-3B. (USN)

47

POWER PLANT AND FUEL SYSTEM J57-P-10

POWER PLANT The Pratt and Whitney J57 turbojet engine was a continuous flow, gas turbine engine consisting of two multistage, axial flow compressors, eight combustion chambers and a split, three stage turbine assembly. The J57-P-6 installed in earlier aircraft was rated at 8,250 pounds thrust for normal operations, and 9,500 pounds for both military and maximum, or take-off, thrust. The J57-P-10 was rated at 10,500 pounds thrust for both military and maximum thrust. After delivery of the first A3D-1 s to squadrons, a serious problem involving engine compressor stalls on catapult shots was reported to Douglas. Immediately, a test program was instigated which, after a series of flights, indicated that overrotation after catapulting was the problem. The result of testing enabled Douglas engineers to develop a heavy-lipped engine inlet cowling with a slightly flattened area at the lower part of the inlet. This new inlet design, together with a Pratt and Whitney redeveloped acceleration curve for the the engine fuel control and a change to the compressor bleed range, cured the problem. Compressed air was bled from the high pressure compressor section of the engines to power the ATMs, air conditioning and cabin pressurization system, Aero-21 turret and gun chargers, generator ground cooling ejector pump and the turn-and-bank indicator. It also pressurizes the fuel cells, hydraulic reservoirs, ditching hatch seal, inner and outer escape chute door seals, ASB-1 receivertransmitter and the ASB-1 modulator.

located in the inboard section of each wing as an integral part of the wing structure. Fueling was accomplished through three pressure refueling receptacles, one for each of the fuselage tanks and one for the two wing tanks. The forward fuselage tank had a capacity of 1,214 gallons, the aft fuselage tank held 1,909 gallons and the wing tanks each took 649 gallons.

1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.)

Oil cooler fairing Breather pressure valve Oil vent line Oil temperature control adapter Oil temperature regulator

6.) Anti-icing valve 7.) Fuel heater 8.) Compressor bleed valve 9.) Automatic oil-drum valve 10.) Oil pressure switch

BASIC ENGINE RIGHT - HAND SIDE

DIFFUSER SECTION

ANTI-ICING VALVE Rkit-lT HAND SIDE

FUEL SYSTEM Bomber versions of the A3D-1 and A3D-2 fuel systems consisted of four fuel tanks with a combined total of 4,421 usable gallons installed in the fuselage and wings. Two selfsealing main fuselage tanks were located in the fuselage. A tank was

At right, Ed Heinemann stands next to the inboard side of the left J57. The engine oil cooler is fitted in the center of the intake. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham) At right bottom, two views of the left engine from the cockpit. (Ginter)

ENGINE ACCESSOR'!' SECTION

flAE SEAL

TURBINE AND EXHAUST SECTION

48

Location of the fuel tanks within the fuselage was almost as critical to the center of gravity as is the location of the stores carried within the bomb bay, therefore the tanks must be located as close to the center-of-lift as was possible. The obvious choice for location of fuel tanks, other than the bomb bay, was just forward and just aft of the bomb bay. All fuel for consumption by the engines was supplied from the aft fuselage tank with fuel from the forward fuselage tank being gravity fed to the aft tank through a CG control valve located in the supply line between the forward and aft tanks. This CG control valve was opened and closed by electrical signals from the fuel balancing system which kept the ratio of fuel in the aft tank to the forward tank within preset limits to keep the aircraft centerof-gravity within design limits. Fuel was transferred from the wing tanks into the fore and aft transfer line upstream of the CG valve and into the forward tank, where the center-of-gravity system controls the flow from the wings and to the aft tank. Initially, the transfer from the wings was through the employment of compressed C02, which was to purge the tanks and create a non-explosive atmosphere, since the wing tanks were not self-sealing. The use of C02 was to accomplish two purposes: transfer the fuel and purge the tanks immediately in case of penetration of the tank by enemy bullets. Due to the

49

At left, view of aft engine after the aft cowling blew off in flight. (via Bruce Cunningham)

affinity of JP-4 fuel for C02, which caused the fuel to absorb the C02, an electric fuel pump was installed in each wing tank to ensure adequate transfer of fuel when demanded. The C02 was retained, but used only to purge the tanks after wing tank fuel was used or dumped. The fuel from the forward tank flows by gravity to the aft tank through

1.) Engine Oil Reservoirs 2.) Wing Fuel Tanks 3.) Upper Bomb Bay Auxiliary Fuel Cell 4.) Aft Fuel Cell 5.) Liquid Oxygen Converters (A-3B/KA-3B) 6.) Nacelle Access Door 7.) Forward Fuel Cell 8.) Utility Hydraulic Reservoir 9.) Auxiliary Turbine Motors Exhaust 10.) Portable Gaseous Oxygen Unit 11.) Liquid Oxygen Converter (A-3A)

a shut-off, or center-of-gravity, control valve. The power plant design group recognized the importance of the proper operation of this valve, so they provided three methods of operation for it: electrical, controlled by the fuel level in the forward and aft tanks; cable, providing a manual control for the pilot; and a handle on the shaft of the valve which could be rotated by hand in the bomb bay.

All fuel tanks were pressurized in flight by engine compressor bleed air, except when the landing gear was in the DOWN position, at which time the entire system was vented to ambient pressure. The aft cell was pressurized to a differential of 2 psi over the pressure within the cavity surrounding the cell. A pressure switch sensed the differential in pressures and opened and closed the fuselage vent valve to maintain the required pressure. A forward fuel cell differential pressure switch regulated the forward cell pressure from a to 1.5 psi greater than that of the aft cell by opening and closing the forward cell pressurizing vent valve. The center-of-gravity was controlled manually or automatically by controlling the flow of fuel from the forward and wing tanks to the aft fuselage tank. The automatic mode of CG control was accomplished through a system of float switches, a

CG control valve and related wIring and relays controlled by signals from the fuel quantity system balancing amplifier. This balancing amplifier was designed to maintain the fuel quantity in the aft fuselage cell at 1.5 times the quantity in the forward cell plus 1,000 to 2,000 pounds by opening or closing the CG valve to permit or stop the flow of fuel to the aft tank. Flow of fuel to the aft tank was by gravity alone as there were no transfer pumps in the forward or wing tanks. Fuel from the wing tanks is normally pumped to the forward fuselage 'cell when the CG valve was closed and to the aft tank when it was open: Air pressure from the engine compressor bleed air system was required. Concurrently, the wing dump valve was opened and fuel was forced into the dump chute at the outboard end of each wing tank.

BOMB BAY AUXILIARY FUEL TANK

PRESSURE fUELING VALV£

PRESSURE-fUELING DUAL FLOAT Cl:WTRa. VALVE

RA-3B, EA-3B AND TA-3B FUEL SYSTEM

A-3A AND A-3B FUEL CELLS 4

2

11

50

51

A-3A AND A-3B ARMAMENT SYSTEM Ed Heinemann did not like the idea of installing guns in the A3D. Considering the speed of the airplane and the rapid development in the electronics, electronic countermeasures and missile fields, he felt that the weight saved by disposal of the guns and ammunition could be better utilized for fuel or bomb load. Some of the early A3D proposals showed a radar installation in this area, but the Navy held fast to the requirement for guns and Heinemann gave in and included them.

TAIL TURRET GUNNER'S EQUIPMENT

/

GU'lN(R'S CONrnoL CONSOLE

HOOO

~'---srA

7'8

CONSOLE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS

CON sou: A(),JUSTM(NTS

~1.>---:"--n....r

~_-r---GUNNER'S CONTROL HANDLE

ON RH AFT AMMUNITiON BOOSTER BEND ANTI-ROLLBACK LEVER AS SHOWN IF LEVER INTERFERES WITH ELECTRICAL HARNESS TO lH BOOS TER.

The armament system consisted of a twin-gun turret mounted in the tail section of the airplane and controlled by electrical gun-laying equipment. Fire control of the 20mm guns in the tail was provided through the Aero 21 B gun-laying system. The Aero 21 B tail turret system was a radar controlled automatic gun laying system incorporating a tail turret armed with two M-3 20mm guns. The system searched for targets to the rear of the airplane, automatically tracking a selected target and supplied gun order information to properly positon the guns. All operating controls for the turret system were located either on the gunner's turret control handle or on the Aero 21 B control console. The controls on the gunner's control console were the gun trigger switch, the ACTION switch, the ACCEPT TARGET switch and the REJECT TARGET control.

TWIN 20MM TAIL GUN INSTALLATION

ESC:r.Pf

C...uTE 0000

NOTE: AERO 21 ANO 218-1 FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM REMOVED FROM ALL A-)8 AIRPlANES BY A-J/ASC 211 AHO 184 JeRIVN£.t:' 1,/,/
PAOOME .--/

PULL TO ~ELe:ASE ANTI. ROLLBACK

.I/)·oo·GJ

ELECTRIC AMMUNITION BOOSTER

RAOOME

AMMUNITION CHUTE GUARDS

·TURRET

BALL

LOADING DIAGRAM 20 MM ~ aRE AI(

CAPACITY ~OO ROUNOS BELT "'iEA[

-ilif:~""

The internal bomb bay had provisions for carrying a primary load of 8,700 pounds on a single center shackle, or an alternate load of 12,800 pounds on removable bomb ejector racks. Stores could be released automatically by the ANASB-1 Bomb Director set or electrically by the pilot. The bomb bay doors, which opened and closed in 1.5 seconds, were hydraulically operated and automatically controlled by the ANI ASB-1 Bomb Director, or manually by the bombardier through use of the BOMB DOORS switch.

liZ ~out"os 110 QO~05

110 ROUNDS

VIEW LOOKING OUTBOARD

I

I

I

I LOAD AMMUNITION CHUTE (16B ROUNDS) 2 PLACE BOXES TOGETHER AND LOAD AS SHOWN 3 BREAK BELT AT POINTS NOTED 4 INSTALL LOADED BOXES AND CONNECT BELTS

~==============~ LOADING

(DECAL-ALL

INSTRUCTIONS

AMMUNITION

BOXES)

EJECTOR CHUTE (2 PLACES)

NOTE AERO 21 ANO 216-1 FIRE CONTROL SYSTEMREMOVEO FROM All A-36AIRPLANES BY A-3/ASC 211 ANO 264

EFFEC TIVI TY • BUNO. FACTORY,

ATA-2-7

At right, gunner's control console.

52

130353,135 4 07.135410.

SERV CHG, 130352,130354-1)0363. 135 4 0B.135 4 11-135 ••• REWORKEO TO A-3 ASC 117

53

P-8532-2B

A-3A AND A-3B BOMB BAY DETAILS

AN/ASB-1 A RADAR

ALTERNATE WEAPONS LOADS

!SOO LB MINE

lEEl 1000 LB MINE

2000LBMINE

.---

ALTERNATE WEAPONS LOADS

2000 LB GP BOMB

2000 LB MINE

1100 LB TORPEDO

e--

A-3A AND A·3B ANTI BUFFET FENCE (FINAL VERSION)

!SOO LB GP BOMB

1000 LB GP BOMB

I

1600 LB AP BOMB

1000LB BOMB

2000 LB BOMB

!SOO LB BOMB I

~ BOMB BAY DOOR

FAIRING, .0603 Al 2024-1 ALCLAD

STA IV} 2b9 875 _ _ •

Above left, original bomb bay on a test A3D-1 (A-3A) with single shackle for fitting a single nuclear weapon. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham)

At right top, MX-1293/ASB-1A radar periscope sight with its C-852B/ASB1A radar control panel at right. Modified version was equipped with a double eyesight piece and an Ip· 187A1ASB-1A auxiliary indicator. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham) At right bottom, right and left side views of the AN/ASB-1A radar with the nose cone in the open position. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham)

HOTE: BOM8 BAY ANTIBUFFET FENCE IS REMOVEO FROM KA·3B AIRCRAFT REWORKED PER A-J AFe '119-1. AND EKA-38 AIRCRAFT REWORKED PER ... -3 AFe 420.

54

55

BOMBER/NAVIGATOR'S STATION (LATE TYPICAL)

A-3A AND A-3B BOMBER/NAVIGATOR'S RIGHT-HAND CONSOLE

PILOT'S LEFT-HAND CONSOLE

ABOVE: 1.) Standby Magnetic Compass 2.) Drag Chute Switch 3.) Glareshield 4.) MK 97 Modified Computer Control 5.) Console 6.) Seat 7.) Antiexposure Suit Blower Motor 8.) Antiexposure Suit Blower Switch 9.) Relief Tube 10.) Antiexposure Suit Blower Air Hose 11.) Oxygen Connection 12.) Seat Control 13.) Shoulder Harness Control 14.) ASB-1A Equipment 15.) ICS Microphone Switch 16.) ATM Monitor Panel AT LEFT: 1.) Modified MK-97 Computer 2.) MX-1295/ASB-1 Periscope 3.) C-582B/ASB-1 Bomb Director Control 4.) Periscope Cover Control Switch 6.) MX-1295/ASB-1A Tracking Recorder 7.) IP-187A1ASB-1 Auxiliary Indicator

56

57

A-3A1A-3B PLANE CAPTAIN'S STATION (TAIL GUNS REMOVED) 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 9.) 10.) 11.) 12.) 13.) 14.) 15.) 16.) 17.) 18.) 19.) 20.) 21.) 22.) 23.) 24.) 25.)

A-3A AND A-38 PILOT'S INSTRUMENT PANEL

Aft Power Panel Aft Power Panel Floodlight Bailout Assist Bungee Escape Hatch Control Handle DECM Equipment Panel Seat Lap Belt and Shoulder Harness Antiexposure Suit Blower Air Hose Antiexposure Suit Blower Switch Console Oxygen Hose Inner Emergency Escape Chute Door Lock Shoulder Harness Lock Storage Compartment Radio Foot Microphone Switch (late A-3B) ICS Switch (early A-3B) Fourth Seat Oxygen Hose Fourth Man's Antiexposure Suit Blower Switch Fourth Man's Antiexposure Suit Blower Air Hose Fourth Man's Oxygen Regulator Fourth Man's Seat Fourth Man's Seat Shoulder Harness Lock Control Boost Latch Test Panel ASB Pressure Monitor Panel Power Distribution Panel

31

A-3B PILOT'S INSTRUMENT PANEL 1981

AT LEFT: 1.) Angle-ot-Attack Indexer 2.) LF Fire Warning Light & Circuit Test Switch 3.) Utility Hydraulic System Pressure Indicator 4.) Lateral Control Warning Light 5.) Windshield Wiper Switch 6.) RH Fire Warning Light & Circuit Test Switch 7.) Dual Fuel Flowmeter 8.) Angle-ot-Attack Indicator 9.) ATM Compartment Temperature Warning Light 10.) Fuel Low Level Warning Lights 11.) Accelerometer 12.) Vertical Gyro Indicator (VGI) 13.) Airspeed Indicator 14.) Standby Gyro Attitude Ind. 15.) 1O-249A1ARN Course Ind. 16.) ID-257/APN-22 Radar Altimeter 17.) ID-250AlARN Radio Magnetic Ind. 18.) AAU-21/A Altimeter Encoder 19.) Vertical Velocity Indicator 20.) 1O-310/ARN-21 Range Indicator 21.) Dual Oil Pressure Gage 22.) Left Engine Turbine Tachometer

PILOT'S CENTER CONSOLE 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 9.) 10.) 11.) 12.) 13.) 14.) 15.) 16.) 17.) 18.) 19.) 22.) 23.) 24.) 25.) 26.) 27.) 28.) A.) 29.) 30.) 31.) 32.) 33.) 34.) 35.) 36.) 37.) 38.) 39.)

ATM Compartment Temp. Indicator DC Generator Warning Lights Flaps Position Indicator Deleted Catapult Handgrip Gust and Wing Pin Lock Control Exterior Lights Master Switch Throttles Master Engine Switches Rudder Trim Control Switch Aileron Trim Control Switch Landing Gear Control Landing Gear Warning Light Emergency Brake Control Wing Flap Control Switch Bomb Bay Door Switch Bomb Bay Doors Warning Light Deleted, also # 20, 21 . Navigator's Microphone Foot SWitch Elevator/Aileron Autopilot Switch Rudder Autopilot Engaging SW.itch Bomb Doors Warning Horn SWitch Manual CG Control Horizontal Stabilizer Trim Knob Throttle Friction Knob Speedbrake Switch Antiskid Switch Arresting Hook Control Wing and Fin Fold Control Throttle Radio/ICS Switch Emergency Hydraulic Pump Switch Engine Starter Switch Battery Switch Engine Oil Cooler Switches Horizontal Stab. Actuator Gangbar Gear Position Indicators Emergency Brake Release Control Center Console Floodlight

7

..1----=::::==--: 8

42

43

31-rw-.J __

44

30 29

28 28A 27

26--:-----:=--~..,...----j

25 --;......---''---\

temperature .ing lights

40.) 41.) 42.) 43.) 44.)

Pressure Test Switch Elapsed Time Clock ASB to Autopilot Knob Temperature Switch Engage-Stby-OFF Switch 45.) Trim Adjust Knob

/QliI'i:"------19

2.

58

2J

59

23.) 24.) 25.) 26.) 27.) 28.) 29.)

Right Engine Turbine Tach. Aileron Trim Position Indicator Fuel Quantity Indicator Dual Engine Oil Temp Indicator Rudder & Elevator Trim Position Ind. Dual Fuel Boost Pressure Indicator Left Engine Turbine Outlet Temperature Gage 30.) Right Engine Turbine Outlet 31.) Bleed Air Shutoff Rotary Switch .. 32.) Liquid Oxygen Quantity Gage 33.) Free Air Temperature Gage 34.) Turn and Slip Indicator 35.) Cabin Pressure Altimeter 36.) Aileron Power Boost Release Handle 37.) Rudder Pedal Adjust Knob 38.) Rudder & Elevator Boost Release Handle 39.) Deleted 40.) Horizontal Stabilizer AC Control Switch 41.) Autopilot Release Switch 42.) Radio-ICS Switch Bleed air shutoff rotary switch to be replaced with toggle switches when available.

ITHIRD

CREWMAN'S SEAT ARRANGEMENT ALL AIRCRAFT EXCEPT TA-3B I

A-3A, A-3B/KA-3B AFT COCKPIT AND OBSERVER'S SEAT 1.) 2.)

Dome Light R-101/ARN-6 Radio Compass Unit 3.) RT/ARC-1 VHF ReceiverTransmitter 4.) Automatic Pilot Amplifier 5.) Power Distribution Panel 6.) Time Meter 7.) Aft Power Panel 8.) Fourth Man's Seat 9.) Fourth Man's Seat Shoulder Harness and Lap Belt 10.) Fourth Man's Oxygen Control Panel 11.) Fourth Man's Antiexposure Suit Blower Switch 12.) Fourth Man's Antiexposure Suit Blower air Hose 13.) Fourth Man's Seat Shoulder Harness Lock 14.) Companionway Emergency Exit T-Handle (RH side of companionway aft of station 204) 15.) Inner Emergency Escape Chute Door 16.) Relief Tube 17.) Navigator's Antiexposure Suit Blower Switch 18.) Navigator's Antiexposure Suit Blower Air Hose 19.) Navigator's Oxygen Hose 20.) Navigator'S Seat 21.) Canteens 22.) Navigator's Right-Hand Console

18

17

/

/

*REMOVED ON KA-38 AIRCRAFT REWORKED PER A-3 AFC 419-1, AND ALL EKA-38 AIRCRAFT REWORKED PER A-3 AFC 420. **APPlIES TO A-3A AIRCRAFT *** APPLIES TO A -3B, KA-38, AND EKA-3B AIRCRAFT EFFECTIVITY-8UNC.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 • 9 10 11

FIRST AID KIT CHART INSTALLATION - ENGINE TRIM CARD SEAT INSTALLATION' ECM OPERATCR SEAT INSTAUATlCN • PILOT EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION - PILOT'S CONSOLI STRUCTURE INSTALLATION - PILOT'S CONSOLI CONTROL WHm INSTRUMENT PANEL STANDBY MAGNETIC COMPASS SWITCH INSTAllATION - DECElERATION CHUTE RUDDER PEDALS

12 13 14 15 16 17 II 19 20 21 22

FACTCRY: NONE SERV CHG: 130352-130363, 135407135444, 131902-138976, BOMB INDICATOR PANEL * 142236-142255, 142401, GYRO. PILOT PEDESTAL CONTROlLIR 142630-142632, 142634, PORTABLI OXYGEN 80mE 142636-142639, 142640, ECM OPERATOR'S FOOTREST 142641. 142643, 142645, COCKPIT STRUCTURE INSTALLATION - ECM OPERATOR 142648, 142650-142665, ESCAPE STEP 144626-144629, REWORKED ESCAPE HANDGR IP PER A- 3 ASC 253, 259, PROTECTIVE SHIELD m. AND A-3 AFC 419-1 ANTI-EXPOSURE SUIT VENTILATION PROVISICNS AND 420 AS NOTED OXYGEN HOSE ** OXYGEN HOSE u*

60

15

I.

Below, A3D-1, BuNo 135422, with a natural metal sliding canopy hatch. Painted blue, the Skywarrior looked much larger than in the later grey & white scheme. (Harry Gann)

NOTE

/

16

61

PRODUCTION

A3D-1,

BuNo

135440

PHOTO

ESSAY

At left top, good view of original wing slats prior to the development of the CLE wing. The first production sliding canopy is also noteworthy. Below, slots between the National Insignia and Navy are for the installation of JATO bottles, which the Navy felt was necessary to catapult a fully-loaded, nuclear bomb laden Skywarrior from a carrier deck. Note also the original tail turret. All photos taken on 14 April 1956. (MFR)

62

63

A3D-2 BuNo 138915 IN - FLIGHT STUDY

A3D-2/A-3B MODERNIZATION The A3D-2 was modified with a boat-tail when the tail turret was eliminated during rework, and the original pointed nose cone was replaced with a lengthened snub nose version. At right, A-3B, BuNo 142244, from the RAG squadron, VAH-123, after modernization. (via Burger) Below, BuNo 142630, snub nose (Kaston) Bottom, BuNo 142242, with boat tail in 1974 at China Lake. Aircraft is overall white. (Harry Gann)

64

NJ 142244

65

A3D-2P (RA-3B)/ERA-3B/NRA-3B PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE VERSION The Navy requested that Douglas develop a photo kit, which could be inserted into the bomb bay of a basic A3D overnight to convert it to a photographic aircraft. When that proved to be an insurmountable problem, the logical follow-on decision was to create a photo version of the Skywarrior. Starting in October 1954, Douglas received a series of Letters of Intent for the A3D-2P. The A3D-2P was generally similar to the basic A3D in external appearance, with some specific noticeable differences. When looking at the airplane from a distance, the camera windows located on the lower section of the fuselage aft of the cockpit are the most noticeable difference and are the easiest method of identification. Two viewfinder windows in the lower portion of the nose radome, and a fairing over the number two oblique camera on the belly, were also unique to the A3D-2P.

Above, the prototype A3D-2P, BuNo 142256, on 25 March 1958. Note the radome viewfinder windows and #2 oblique camera faring on the belly. (MFR)

Due to the location of the photo compartment, the forward fuel tank, avionics and ATM/hydraulics compartments had to be relocated. The ATMs were relocated to one each side, below the cockpit. The forward fuel cell was relocated to the aft end of the bomb bay. A smaller 68-inch bomb bay was located forward of the fuel cell for dispensing flares and flash bombs during night photographic missions. The new bomb bay was configured to accept and drop or eject combinations of the following:

tration). The cabin had to be de-pressurized before opening the hatch. The emergency escape chute was redesigned because the aft compartment eliminated the requirement for a closing bulkhead at the aft end of the cockpit. The lower door, which remained as part of the external surface of the lower fuselage when closed, was redesigned to take the additional load of the 7.5 psi differential pressure of the cockpit and camera compartment. Under emergency conditions, the door was still blown open as in the A3D-2, but only a lower door was used. A small pressure relief door was installed in the lower door to relieve cabin pressure at a slightly slower schedule prior to the door being blown open. This depressurization door was unlatched when the escape chute emergency handle was pulled and was allowed to swing free. After a two second delay, which allowed the cabin to depressurize, a time delay actuating cylinder charge fired, initiating a series of events terminating in the opening and locking of the door open, much as in the A3D2 (see page 37). The air conditioning and pressurization system in the A3D-2P functioned much the same as the basic airplane, with the exception of the cabin pressure schedule. In the A3D2P, with the pressurization selector switch in NORMAL, the cockpit pressure remained at ambient from a to 8,000 feet altitude. From 8,000 feet to 35,000 feet, the cockpit pressure was maintained at the equivalent of 8,000 feet. Above 35,000 feet, a differential of 7.5 psi was maintained. The COMBAT position of the selector switch, when selected, revised the pressurization schedule so that the 8,000 foot altitude pressure was maintained from 8,000 feet to 17,000 feet flight altitude, and a differential of 3.3 psi was maintained above that altitude.

16 M-120 or M-122 photo-flash bombs 4 B-4 ejectors with Mk. 123 cartridges 4 A-6 ejectors with Mk. 112 cartridges

The emergency escape system on the -2P differed from the -2 in both the ditching hatch and the escape chute areas. The sliding overhead hatch of the -2 was replaced with a smaller, manually operated hatch which swung down and aft when opened (see page 40 for hatch illus-

Above, VAP-52 RA-3B shows its camera layout as it banks away on 2 October 1964. (USN) Below, VAP-52 crew poses with different types of cameras that can be fitted in the fuselage of the RA-3B. One crewman holds up a poster size high resolution photo. (USN via Bruce Cunningham)

A3D-2P/RA-3B CAMERA LAYOUT

The -2P was equipped with a Sperry S-5 autopilot, similar to that installed in the -2, with the exception that a skid-turn mode was added for use during photo missions. Since most of the camera mounts in the -2P were not gyro-stabilized, the airplane has to be flown in such a manner as

At right, the prototype photo bird was not fitted with cannons. Tail markings and fuselage stripes were red. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham)

66

67

A3D-2P (RA-3B) PHOTO FLASH BOMB INSTALLATION

to compensate for this. The skid-turn system as developed for the autopilot in the -2P is capable of maintaining, in the speed range of 200 to 400 KIAS above 10,000 feet altitude, with a roll angle of less than 2°, and a roll rate of less than 1° per second, with a turn rate of 6° per minute maximum. The A3D-2P photographic system consists of twelve camera positions, and the associated cameras and camera mounts, two photo-navigational viewfinders in the cockpit, electrical components necessary to operate the cameras and the night photographic equipment including flash bombs and cartridges. The camera windows are made of precision, optically ground glass and are protected by metal sliding doors which are manually operated by hand cranks. Photo equipment carried in the A3D-2P included the following: K-17C, 6",12" & 24" focal length camera K-38, 24" & 36" focal length camera K-47, 12" focal length camera CAS-2-100mm, 7",12" & 20" focal length T-11 , 6" focal length camera T-12, 6" focal length camera Forward oblique cameras: KF-8 35mm movie camera, 2", 4", & 6" K-38 case drive with DAC 24" or 36" bent edge cone A-8S magazines (for the K-38) A-9A magazines (for the K-17C) MA-10A magazines (for the K-17C) CAS-2A cassettes

fuel from the forward or wing tanks until the aft tank fuel had been consumed down to the 1,000 gallon level and maintained this level for the duration of the flight. A3D-2P, BuNo 142256 made its first flight on 22 July 1958, with Drury Wood as pilot and Dave Beaver, flight test engineer, in the right seat. This airplane was to perform the major part of the structural demonstration flight testing for the subsequent A3D versions. During the testing, test pilot Carl Shoemaker took the aircraft to 43,500 feet and dived it to Mach 1.07.

In the A3D-2P, with the cameras fixed in position, banking the airplane while shooting a series of photographs results in skewed pictures, unusable for precision, detailed studies of the resulting photos. As a result the -2P had to be skidded through turns by operating the ailerons in the opposite direction from the turn in order to prevent the aerodynamic reaction on the rudder from banking the airplane. A3D-2P BuNos 142256 and 142666-142668 were bailed to Douglas upon acceptance by the Navy for assignment to flight test. As previously noted, BuNo 142256 performed many of the SR-38 Structural Demonstration flights for the A3D-2P, -20 and -2T versions. SR-38 parts I and II and formal SR-38 Part II demonstration took almost a year, from July 1958 until the end of June 1959. Miscellaneous testing continued until December 1959, at which time the airplane was converted back to delivery configuration and delivered to the Navy in May of 1960. BuNos 142666 and 142667 prepared for, and performed the photo demonstrations and the equipment and fuel vent portion of SR-38 and were then

An unexpected problem encountered during testing involved the manually operated sliding doors which protected the windows when the cameras are not in use. At altitude under extreme pressure and temperature differentials, the doors refused to open, regardless of the strength of the operator. It was back to the drafting board where the engineers reviewed tolerances and the process engineering group developed a permanent lubricant to be applied to the window track. This problem was resolved while the autopilot skid-turn development was still underway and did not delay the program.

returned to delivery configuration. BuNo 142668 was modified and used for the BIS (Board of Inspection and Survey) service trials prior to being delivered to the Navy. Most of the flight testing involved development of photographic systems, including design and modification of the autopilot system into the skid-turn system. A total of thirty A3D-2P aircraft were ordered by the Navy, five by contract NOa(s) 55-205 and twentyfive by contract NOa(s) 57-181, the last two of which were to have the cambered leading edge wing installed. Toward the end of the testing phase of the A2D-2P program, a Douglas crew was assigned the task of photo mapping the proposed path of the Air Force X-15. The high altitude mapping of the planned route from Wendover AFB in Utah to Edwards AFB in California included photographs of mountain peaks, dry lakes and landmarks which the X-15 pilot might need as reference points. The mapping run covered 450 miles with horizon to horizon coverage and the films were used for pre-flight orientation of the X-15 pilot.

STATION DIAGRAMS A3D-1/RE-3B

NOTES ALL STATIONS ARE CYl STATIONS. FOR DEFINITION SEE SHEET l.

HUMBER. lO[Hfl,t[S THE "[LEAS!

S[QUENCE 0' ROW'

BOJiolB BAY LOOKING AFT

A3D-2P PHOTO FLASH CARTRIDGE EJECTOR INSTALLATION

68

The fuel system on the A3D-2P is similar to the basic A3D with one major exception. Due to the required space in the forward section of the fuselage for the photographic equipment, the forward fuel cell was redeveloped and relocated aft to just forward of the aft fuel cell, which located it just forward of the main landing gear and in the area which was originally the aft section of the bomb bay. Due to the change in CG location caused by this shift of a major portion of fuel weight, the fuel transfer schedule was revised, which, incidentally, simplified this transfer function as well as maintenance of the center of gravity. To compensate for the effect of the forward tank relocation, a fuel level control float switch was added to the aft tank at the 1,000 gallon level. This switch then prevented the transfer of

FOR STATION LOCATIONS, AFT OF STATION CYl475.000 AND ON WINGS NACELLESJ HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND VERTICAL STABILIZER ' SEE SHEE I 1. . . DENOTES POINT OF STATION ORIGIN.

1/144 SCALE

ZFUSEL~

REFERENCE PLANE

§ -

I

t

~I

"~ll.

~

!~

~

'"

N

~

.

.

:e ...

"' "''''

111111111 I I 10 10 0 -- 10 l - I-irl 0 IfoJ

~ :;~::i~;:~:~

1111111111 -

~-

BonOM VIEW

RIGHT-HAND SIDE VIEW

69

RA-3B/NRA-3B PHOTO-TECHNICIAN'S STATION 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 5A.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 8A.) 10.) 11.) 12.) 13.) 14.) 15.) 16.) 17.) 18.) 19.) 21.) 22.) 23.) 24.) 25.) A.) 26.)

2

3

Vaulting Bar Companionway Circuit Breaker & Fuse Panel Forward Tank Fuel Pump Circuit Breakers ECM Circuit Breaker Panel Ditching Hatch Handle Cabin Pressure Warning Sensing Unit Cockpit Dome Light Switch DECM Control Panel Cockpit Dome Light Sextant Installation Overhead Assist Handle Ditching Hatch Release Handle Bailout Warning Horn Handle Antiexposure Suit Blower Air Hose Antiexposure Suit Blower Switch Antiexposure Suit Blower Pilot's Antiexposure Suit Blower Switch Pilot's Antiexposure Suit Blower Air Hose Relief Tube Photo-Technician's Oxygen Outlet Baro-Release Lanyard Attachment Eyebolt Aft Power Panel Photo-Technician's Mic-Rad Switch Photo-Technician's Mic-ICS Switch Camera Compo Dome Lights Switch ICS Local Remote Switch Control Boost Latch Test Light & Button

RA-3B/NRA-3B RIGHT HAND AFT COCKPIT LOOKING AFT INTO THE CAMERA BAY 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.)

Radar Recorder IP-333 Azimuth and Range Indicator Camera Vacuum Gage Bailout Warning Horn Bottle and Pressure Gage Bailout Warning Horn

Above left, the first production version A3D-2P, BuNo 142666, was bailed back to Douglas to complete the test program. The metal camera doors are in the open position. (via Bruce Cunn-ingham) At left middle, RA-3B, BuNo 144832, after modification with It's pug nose and boat tail. ___ Note reduced size of bomb bay doors. (via Burger) At left bottom, RA-3B with DECM fin tip pod fitted. (Harry Gann)

70

71

4

S

SA

6

B BA

10

11

12

RA-3B/NRA-3B PILOT'S INSTRUMENT PANEL

13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 36A. 37. 3& 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44.

1. ANGLE-OF-ATTACK INDEXER lA. CABIN PRESSURE WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT 1B. APR-27 CONTROL MONITOR PANEL 2. ANGLE-OF-ATTACK INDICATOR 2A. SECTOR WARNING INDICATOR 3. TAKEOFF CHECKLIST 4. MASTER GENEBATOR WARNING LIGHT 5. FUEL LOW LEVEL WARNING LIGHT 6. WINDSHiELD WIPER SWITCH 7. FLIGHT CONTROLS HYD PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT 8. UT-l L1TY HYD PRESSURE WARNING INDICATOR 9. DUAL FUEL FLOWMETER 10. TRIM POSITION INDICATOR 11. WHEEL POSITION INDICATORS 12. TRI-MET CAMERA INDICATING LIGHT 12A. THREAT WARNING LIGHTS PANEL

45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52.

·AIRCRAFT REWORKED PER AFC 463

ID-250/ARN INDICATOR (RMI) A'RSPEED AND MACH INDICATOR VERTICAL VELOCITY INDICATOR ENGINE BLEED AIR DUCT WARNING LIGHTS DELETED LANDING CHECKLIST FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR VIEWFINDER VERTICAL GYRO ATTITUDE INDICATOR (VGIl AL T1METER/ AAU-21/A ALTIMETER ENCODER STANDBY GYRO LEFT-HAND ENGINE PERFORMANCE INDICATOR RIGHT-HAND ENGINE PERFORMANCE INDICATOR ENGINE FIRE WARNING LIGHTS FIRE WARNING LIGHTS TEST SWITCH AILERON TRIM POSITION INDICATOR 1D-310/ARN RANGE INDICATOR ID-249A/ARN COURSE INDICATOR ID-257/APN-22 INDICATOR COCKPIT PRESSURE ALTIMETER LEFT-HAND PRESSURE RATIO INDICATOR RIGHT-HAND PRESSURE RATIO INDICATOR LEFT AND RIGHT-HAND ATM COMPARTMENTS OVERTEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHTS ATM BLEED AIR SHUTOFF SWITCHES EMERGENCY CROSSOVER DUCT VALVE CONTRO L SWITCH TURN AND SLIP INDICATOR ACCELEROMETER FLAP POSITION INDICATOR OXYGEN QUANTITY INDICATOR CAMERA OPERATE SWITCHES AILERON POWER BOOST RELEASE HANDLE RUDDER PEDAL ADJUST KNOB RUDDER AND ELEVATOR BOOST RELE:ASE HANDLE EMERGENCY AIR BRAKE HANDLE ANTISKID SWITCH FREE AIR TEMPERATURE INDICATOR LEFT-HAND ATM COMPARTMENT TEMPERATURE INDICATOR RIGHT-HAND ATM COMPARTMENT TEMPERATURE INDICATOR DELETED ATM COMPARTMENT OVERTEMPERATURE TEST SWITCH ATM OVERPRESSURE TEST SWITCH N1/81

A3D-2P PILOT'S INSTRUMENT PANEL, EAGLE MISSILE MOD, 12-60

9.) 10.) 11.) 12.) 15.) 16.)

Anticollision Light Flap Spoiler Aileron Slats Wing Fuel Tank 17.) Engine 18.) ECM Compartment 19.) Aft Escape Hatch 20.) Forward Escape Hatch 21.) Plane Captain's Position 22.) Pilot's Position 23.) External Electrical Power Receptacle 24.) Temperature Sensing Probe 25.) Pitot Tube 26.) Air Refueling Probe Light 27.) Air Refueling Probe 28.) LH Equipment Compartment 29.) Nose Radome 30.) Taxi Light 31.) Approach Lights 32.) Jack Pad Container 33.) Static Vent 34.) RH Equipment Compartment 35.) Navigators Position 36.) Emergency Wind Driven Generator 37.) Entrance Door 38.) ECM Evaluator #1 Position

ERA~B

11

1-l,t_-61

Above, standard A3D-2P viewfinder )Iocated above the wheel) has been replaced with a ground speed and drift angle indicator. (via Craig Kaston)

10

17

39.) 40.) 41.) 42.) 43.) 51.) 61.)

ECM Evaluator #2 Position Canoe Radome ECM Equipment Racks ECM Rat Generator (4-positions) Fuselage Lights Bat Wing ECM Antenna ALQ-76 Pod

28

43

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT 29

72

73

ERA-3B ELECTRONIC AGGRESSOR

TAILCONE CHAFF DISPENSER

In the early 1970s after the disestablishment of the photo reconnanisance squadrons, four RA-3Bs were converted into ERA-3B Aggressors. These were BuNos 144827, 144832, 146446 and 146447. In the early 1980s four more RA-3Bs were converted for use by VAQ-34, these were BuNos 142668, 144838, 144841 and 144846. The modification program saw the installation of wing hard points, a electronic canoe compartment, antenna blades, four external RATs to power the equipment and two additional crewmen located in the former photo bay, to operate it. The additional crewmen were ECM evaluators one and two. Chaff dispensers in a lengthened boat tail unique to the ERA-3B were also installed.

Above, ERA-3B, BuNo 142668, from VAQ-34 lands at NAS Point Mugu in July 1990. Note the location of the right side RATs and shape of canoe. (Steve Ginter) DECM EQUIPMENT LOCATION

AFT RADOME

FORWARD RADOME MOUNTING SUPPORT BAR

Microwave/Omni-Directional Antenna Countermeasures Receiving System AN/ALR-43(V) 3.) Pulse Analyzer AN/ULA-2 4.) Countermeasures Transmitting System AN/ALT-32H 5.) Antenna & Power Receptacle Instal. 6.) Countermeasures Transmitting System AN/ALT-27(V) 7.) Countermeasures Transmitting System AN/ALQ-76 8.) Target Missile Launcher AN/AQM-37A 9.) Chaff Dispensing System AN/ALE-2 10.) Chaff Dispensing System AN/ALE-25 11.) Countermeasures System AN/ALQ-41 12.) Navigation System AN/ASN-50 13.) Radar Navigation System AN/APN-153 14.) Navigation Computer Sys. AN/ASN-41 15.) AN/APN-70 16.) Radio Compass System AN/ARN-6 17.) Direction Finding System AN/ARA-50 & NLG Door Radome 18.) Dual UHF Com. System AN/ARC-51A 19.) Intercommunication System 20.) Pilot Console 21.) Pilot and Navigation Instrument Panel 22.) Navigation Console 23.) ECM Evaluator Support & Equipment 24.) ECM Evaluator Console Installation 25.) RAM Air Turbine 26.) Temp. Indicator & Fire Warning Speed 27.) Transformer & Cover Plate Installation 28.) ECM Evaluator Oxygen Installation 29.) ECM Evaluator Air Condition 30.) Camera Compartment Hydraulic Inst. 31.) Forward Equipment Bay Door Rework 32.) Equip. Rack & Displacement Gyro 33.) ECM Compartment Equipment Rack 34.) ALT-27 Antenna Support & Canoe 35.) Forward Equipment Bay Rack & Vent 36.) ECM Compo Rack & Seats 37.) Aft Compo Door Doppler Installation 38.) Tailcone Chaff 39.) Upper Ditching Hatch Installation

Above right, tailcone chaff dispenser on VAQ034 ERA3B. BuNo 144838, in August 1988. (Steve Ginter)

1.) 2.)

31.()11202.()1 PREAMP (4)

FIN TIP ASSEMBLY

21.()14794.()1/APR·25 ANTANNA (4)

Ram Air Turbines on ERA-3B, BuNo 142668, in October 1988. At left, left hand fuselage with bomb bay door open. Above and below, right hand fuselage RATs. (Steve Ginter)

74

75

ERA-3B PILOT AND NAVIGATOR INSTRUMENT PANEL

ERA-3B PLANE CAPTAINS PANEL & CONSOLE

6

DC Volt Ampmeter AC Ampmeter AC Voltmeter AC Voltmeter Phase Selector Switch 5.) Cabin Pressure Altimeter 6.) LORAN Radio Receiver AN/APN-70 7.) LORAN Indicator AN/APN-70 8.) LORAN Antenna Coupler 9.) UHF Transfer Panel 10.) Interphone Console

, I',I /

5

ERA-3B ESM/ECM CONSOLE

~'

85

2

1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.)

Radar Control AN/ASB-18 Transponder Control AN/APX-72 UHF Transfer Switch Panel Interphone Amplifier Control HF Radio Set Control AN/ARC-119 LF Receiver Control AN/ARN-6 Interior Lights Control

ECM EVALUATOR NO.2

31--'~"'"

HARNESS

ECM EVALUATOR NO.2 SEAT

I

25.) Pulse Analyzer Power Supply AN/ULA-2 26.) Pulse Analyzer AN/ULA-2 27.) Azimuth Indicator IP-81 AlAPA69 28.) ESM Receiver & Control Display AN/ALR-43 29.) DF Control WJ/APA-69 30.) Frequency Measuring Unit AN/ALR-43 31.) UHF Transfer Panel (2) 32.) ICS Panel (2) 33.) ICS Switch (2) 34.) ECM Console Light Control Panel 35.) BDHI Selector Switch Control Panel ASN-50/ASN-41 36.) BDHI

40.) Clock 41.) ECM Evaluator Oxygen Control (2)

76

77

A3D-1Q ELECTRONIC RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT Five of the earliest A3D-1 s (Bu Nos 130356, 130360-130363) were delivered to NAS Norfolk, shortly after acceptance by the Navy, for conversion into A3D-1 Q electronic reconnaissance aircraft. The bomb bay was sealed and the area used for electronic equipment and ECM evaluators. Unlike the A3D-2Qs which followed, the four ECM evaluators in the unpressurized bomb bay of the A3D1Q did not have oxygen masks installed. The first A3D-1Q, BuNo 130356, made its first flight on 29 July 1954 and was accepted by the Navy the next day. On 21 August 1954, it was delivered to overhaul and repair at NAS Norfolk, VA, for A3D-1 Q development. On 16 April 1958, the aircraft was assigned to VQ-2 at NAF Port Lyautey as a replacement for the aging P4M Mercator (see Naval Fighters #37). On 16 October, with only 230.2 hours on the airframe, 130356 crashed following a downwind turn to landing at Adana, Turkey, with the loss of all hands. A3D-1 Q, BuNo 130360, made its first flight on 7 March 1955 and was accepted on 31 March. On 16 April, the aircraft was delivered to Norfolk for conversion to the -1 Q configuration. This aircraft set an unofficial speed record of 4 hours, 4 and 1/2 minutes, for the non-stop unrefueled cross country flight. After rework was completed, the aircraft was assigned to NAF Port Lyautey. Then, on 30 September 1957, after losing a landing gear door in flight, it overran the runway and received strike damage

with only 286 hours on the airframe. Upon landing, both the drogue chute and brakes failed, causing the crash. BuNo 130361 made its first flight on 26 March 1955, and was accepted by the Navy on 31 March. It was delivered to Norfolk for conversion on 28 April 1955. It arrived at VQ-2 on 10 September 1956, and operated out of NAF Port Lyautey and NAF Rota Spain. On 18 March 1960, it was reassigned to the Naval Air Test Center at NAS Patuxent River, MD. The Army took control of it from 9 April 1963 until 12 September 1968 for use by Westinghouse in developing and testing its SLAR pod for use in the OV-1 Mohawk. In addition to the side looking radar work, the aircraft was fitted with a Westinghouse AN/APQ-97 (XE-1) mapping radar for use in a NASA sponsored program. Westinghouse flights 122 through 130 were used, starting in July 1966 and ending in August of 1966. Westinghouse and the Army released the aircraft on 12 September 1968 and it was assigned to NATC Lakehurst, NJ. It was then briefly assigned to NATC Pax River on 27 March 1969, before going to Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition

VEA-3A (A3D-1 Q) WESTINGHOUSE RADAR TESTBED

Above, one of the A3D-1Qs assigned to VQ-2 as an interim electronic warfare aircraft. Tail code is JQ. (MFR)

Center (MAS DC) at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. It was subsequently donated to the Tucson Air Museum Foundation on 30 July 1971, where it resides to this day. BuNo 130362 made its first flight on 24 June 1955 and was accepted by the Navy on 13 July. On 19 July, it arrived at Norfolk for conversion into an A3D-1 Q. With the modifications completed, it was flown to NAS Iwakuni, Japan, for assignment with VQ-1, arriving on 7 November 1956. On 8 May 1959, the aircraft was lost due to unknown causes during a practice jet penetration and crew checkout flight. Total time on the airframe was 340 hours. BuNo 130363 was the last Skywarrior of the first contract and first flew on 19 April 1955. It was accepted by the Navy on 23 August, and arrived at Norfolk for conversion on 25 August 1955. It was flown along with 130362 to Iwakuni on 7 November 1956. After being replaced

Above, A3D-1 Q, BuNo 130361, at Westinghouse with a SLAR pod attached to its belly. The stylized "W" on the tail was red and the side and nose radomes were black. The aircraft carries the post 1962 YEA-3A designation. (Kristen Tedesco, Pima Air & Space Museum) At right, 130361 in 1976 at the Pima Museum. (Ginter)

by the more capable A3D-2Qs, it was assigned to the Pacific Missile Range, NAS Point Mugu, CA., in 1961. It proved a valuable test platform for various test programs until 5 March 1979, when it was scrapped at Point Mugu.

At right, 130361 refurbished in 1997. (Ginter) Below, 130361 during its NASA usage with ARMY/NASA on the aft fuselage and a Westinghouse logo on the nose. (via Kristen Tedesco)

.v

.

78

~

.........

. ..

~

79

A3D-1 Q (NA-3A) BuNo 130363

A3D-2Q (EA-3B) ELECTRONIC RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT The A3D-2Q differed from the A3D-2 in several areas. the bomb bay doors were replaced with a permanent structure and what was the bomb bay became the ECM compartment housing 4 Evaluators. The forward fuel tank was relocated to a compartment just forward of the aft tank, as in the A3D-2P. A long canoe radome was located along the belly centerline, approximately the length of the original bomb bay.

Top, A3D-1Q, 130363 when assigned to VQ1. Above, with da-glo red nose, tail & wings. Note ECM canoe and tail guns. At left, with Naval Missile Center added to the tail. (MFR) Below, still designated A3D-1 Q on 10-21-62 with its da-glo scheme so faded it doesn't show. (Swisher) Bottom, as NA-3A with side radome blisters removed and new paint job applied. (Roos)

BuNo 142257 became the prototype A3D-2Q, and was instrumented for electronic demonstrations for the Navy. BuNo 142670 was assigned to the SR-38 equipment and electronic demonstration program, assisted by 142671 during Part II of the SR-38 demonstrations. By February 1960, all of the flight testing was complete except for specific modification programs requested by the Navy.

-

-,. _ - - 7"-

Above, the prototype A3D-2Q electric whale, BuNo 142257 at Edwards AFB on 29 March 1962 after a tire failure. (via Bruce Cunningham)

Twenty-five Skywarriors were completed as A3D-2Qs (EA-3Bs). These were: BuNos 142257, 142670142673, 144848-144855, and 146448-146459.

RIGHT-HAND HORIIZ:~

LONG WIRE ANTENNA]

Sf'BllIZl'

ANItN~!

'-------------~~~

EA-3B SYSTEM ANTENNA LOCATION

lfFT-HAND HOft IZONTAL STAB I L1ZER ANltNNA ---....::a"'-.J AS-25011ALR-411 ANTENNA IHlEM£NT SPIRAL ARRAY' AS-~JlAlR-40

AS-25OVALR-40 ANTfNNA UHLEM£NT SPIRAL ARRAY I

AfllJENNA (llNOENBLADI

AS-2422/AlR-411 ANltNNA (liNOENBlADI AS-2503lAlR-4Q ANTENNA (DUAL SPIRAU

AS-Z5UlrALR-40 ANIINNA (DUAL CONICAl SPIRAU AS-Z4ZIIAlR-411 ANTENNA (SWASTIKAI

VHF INTECRATED ANTINNA /WHIP' A5-241&'AlR-40 ANTENNA 1015CONEI S-2419JALR-40 ANTENNA IDI5COHEI

ARN-6 ANTtNNA AS-25lWAlR-«I (Nar PART OF ANlAlR..ooI ANltNNA (QUAD-RIDGED HORNI AS-242frAlR-«I ANltNHA (SWASTIKAI

A$-2l125iALR-40 ANTENNA !lOOP!

15

80

-

-c-

o 81

-------~~::--

---R-E AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER ANTENNAS LONG WI

:::;:~<

1.)----:---:-=----l!. Altimeter #1 2.) Blank Panel C-8306/AIR-40 3.) Interior Light Cont. AR-200 Signal Data Wideband Recorder 4.) C-8256/ALR-40 5.) Attenu ator Control C-8260/ALR-40 Recorder Control 6.) IP-471/ULA-2 Pulse 7.) Analyzer Indicator -3780/ALQ41 or C· 8.) Monitor C-4379/ALQ-55 Countermeasues 9.) Set Controls ) Spare Lamps 14. SA-1861/ALR-40 15.) Video Signal Selec.

EVALUA

TOR'S 3POSITION 4 5

~467/ALQ-51Control

HORIZONTAL STABILIZER ANTENNA

16.) C-527/APA-69 CM OF Control

/

17.)

t==~=:;;~==~~~

a Selector SA-16221ALR-40 Antenn VHF/ R-1645/ALR-40. r 1-_ _........... 18.) UHF Main Receive •

/

/

19) IP-81/APA-69. th . Panoramic AZlmu AN/APA69 Ant. 20.) Drive Control

LH INSTAAt~ RH INST

SHOWN r.8NN OPPOSITE

Control 21.) oxygen/ALR_40 VHF/ 2) R-1645 . 2. UHF Main Receiver SA-1659/ALR-40 23.) Video/Audio Select. ) Intercom Control 24. AN/FR-185U Pulse 25.) Extractor Cabin Temp Cont. 26.) TS-810/U Cry. Cal. 27.)

1.) 2.) ) 3. 4.) ) 5. 6.)

Data c~setor's Console #1 Evaluator's Console #2 Eva . uaEscape Hatch Ditchlnlgator's Console #3 Eva u Rungs D.tching Escape Circuit Breaker

#2 EVALUATOR' S POSITION

1.

E~M

7.)

Panel 157 Console #4 Evaluators 8.) ECM Circuit Breaker 9.) Panel (DECM) t CM Compartmen 14.) E Light Switch Dome dlWideband 15.) NarroWba;ootswitches Recorder (Typical) . 16.) ICS Footswltch

OPERATOR'S POSITIONS, EA-3B ERC~UGH FOUR ONE TH

15

14

82

15) IP-81/APA-69. uth . Panoramic AZlm Indicator

Intercom C-8258/ALR-40 I t Contro Attenua or ) AN/ALR-36 (XAN-l. Indicator Panoramic

Ban/APA_69 Antenna 18.) (X C-527 trol Con 40 Video SA-1663/ALR19.) Signal Selector.

AFT ECM SEATS

Rack Patch Panel 22.) Recorder

----

Receiver (S Band) 14.) AN/APR-69 Antenna Drive Control

C·8307/ALR·40Control Interior Lights B C·8259/AL lank R• 4 0 Recorder Control I A 3 Pulse P-264/AL r Indicator Analyze Set Controls

n Control 16) . Oxyge AN/ALR- 36 CM Reciver 17.) d)

AN/ALR-36 CM nd) 20.) SA-1660/ALR-40 Audio Receiver (L or C Ba Visual Signal Selector AN/ALR-36 CM

(Typical) tor's Seat 17. ) ECM Opera ) (Typical, ork Table 18.) Operator s W (Typical) . el Release 9) Seat SWIV 1. die (Typical) . Han SUIt 20 ) Antiexposure . I er Motor B ow d Recorder 21.) Wideban 16

)

83

#3 EVALUATOR'S POSITION

#5 EVALUATOR'S STATION 1.)

61-~

~~ ~

o.a::.tP

0

~lg;I I

~ ~

••

t

•

t

• o~

t t

4t ~

'O:@f .. _~/.

DiJ

[fr]

o / /," -/--

a

a

0_ _ ,-.,

° [fr] 0

5.)

/

DiJ

13.)

0 ..

16.) 17.) 18.)

14.) 15.)

13

"

III

aO

/

.....'

2.) 3.) 4.)

6.) 7.) 11.) 12.)

/

0

VI

/

19.) 20.) 21.) 22.)

19

C-8307/ALR-40 Interior Lights Control Blank Panel C-8259/;ALR-40 Recorder Control SA-1667/ALR-40 Antenna Polarization Selector IP-264/ALA-3 Pulse Analyzer Indicator Intercom Set Control C-8363/ALR-40 Attenuator Control AN/131/APR-9 RF Tuning Unit AN/ALR-36 CM Receiver (L or P Band) AN/ALR-36 Panoramic Display (X Band) AN/ALR-36 CM Receiver (X Band) IP-81/APA-69 Panoramic Azimuth Indicator AN/APA-69 Antenna Drive Control Oxygen Control AN/ALR-36 Panoramic Display (S Band) AN/ALR-36 CM Receiver (S Band) C-527/APA-69 CM OF Control SA-1670/ALR-40 Video Signal Selector SA-1668/ALR-40 AudioNideo Signal Selector

14

#4 EVALUATOR'S POSITION 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.)

7.) 8.) 9.) 10.) 14.) 18.) 19.) 20.) 21.) 22.) 23.) 24.) 25.) 26.)

84

Blank Panel Spare Lamp Box C-8307/ALR-40 Interior Light Control C-8259/ALR-40 Recorder Control SA-1672/ALR-40 Antenna Selector IP-264/ALA-3 Pulse Analyzer Indicator or TS-2929/ALR-40 Spectrum Analyzer SA-1666/ALR-40 Video Signal Selector Intercom Set Control C-8265/ALR-40 Attenuator Control C-8265/ALR-40 Antenna Tuning Control IP-9821ALR-40 Multitrace Display R-1630/ALR-40 VHF Panoramic Receiver R-1645/ALR-40 VHF/UHF Receiver AN/APA-69 Antenna Drive Control IP-81/APA-69 Panoramic Azimuth Indicator Oxygen Control Panel C-527/APA-69 CM of Control SA-1671/ALR-40 Video Signal Selector SA-1669/ALR-40 AudioNideo Selector RD-301 Status Indicator

12.) Hand Rail 13.) Upper Hatch Latch Release 14.) Companionway Fuse/Circuit Breaker Panel 15.) Forward Tank Pump Switch/Circuit Breakers 16.) Upper Hatch Handle 17.) Cabin Pressure Warning Sensing Unit 18.) Cockpit Dome Light Switch 19.) ECM Operator No.5 Panel 20.) Cockpit Dome Light 21.) Sun Screen 22.) Overhead Assist Handle 23.) Upper Hatch Release Handle 24.) ECM Operator No.5 Panel Floodlight 25.) Console Floodlight 26.) ECM Operator NO.5 Right-Hand Console 27.) Pilot's Seat 28.) Pilot's and ECM Operator No.5 Relief Tube 29.) Antiexposure Suit Blower Switch 30.) Antiexposure Suit Blower Motor 31.) First Aid Kit 32.) Autopilot Pedestal Control (Stowed) 33.) Antiexposure Suit Ventilation Hose 34.) ECM Operator NO.5 Oxygen Connection 35.) Shoulder Harness Inertia Reel Lock 36.) Baro-Release Lanyard Attachment Eyebolt 37.) Thermos Bottles Stowage 38.) Blank 39.) Hydraulic Handpump Handle (Stowed) 40.) ECM Operator No.5 MIC-RAD Switch 41.) ECM Operator No.5 MIC-ICS Switch 42.) Controls Boost Latch Test Light and Button

12

13 14

15

41

33 32 31

PORT SIDE AFT COCKPIT #5 EVALUATOR'S EQUIPMENT STARBOARD SIDE AFT COCKPIT

85

30

Above, A3D-2Q, BuNo 144849, in unmodified form with tail guns installed at NAS Alameda on 21 May 1960. (Larry Smalley via Swisher) At left, A3D-2Q takes off on its acceptance flight. Because antennas were mounted in the horizontal stabilizer tips, all A3D-2Qs left the factory with black horizontal tail tips. (MFR) At left and below, A3D-2Q, BuNo 146449, was fitted with a one-of-a-kind forward fuselage ensemble which included side-mounted comint antennas. Four blade antennas were also mounted above the upper left wing shoulder. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham) At right top, unmarked EA-3B with original small belly canoe and ECM pod on the wing pylon tanks from a VA-216 A-4C from the USS Saratoga in 1964. (USN) At right above, unmarked EA-3B assigned to VQ-1 at NAS Atsugi. The newer snub nose has been added, but the original tail sans guns were still installed. Compare the original small canoe with the latter enlarged version seen below. (Nick Williams) At right, aft compartment hatch and steps and close-up of the large belly canoe. (Bruce Cunningham) At right bottom, unmarked EA-3B with large canoe boat tail and open tail hatch. (Williams)

86

(

-II..... ,

'A-U

'11'12'104

87

A3D-2T (TA-3B) BOMBARDIER/NAVIGATOR TRAINER The last factory version of the A3D line was the A3D-2T, of which only twelve were built. It was basically a variation of the A3D-20, with the same lower and side entrance/exit doors. No SR-38 program was implemented on this version as the A3D-2P and A3D-20 had completed all structural demonstrations of the configuration into which the A3D-2T fit. Structurally, the A3D-2T was virtually identical to the A3D-20, with the exception of having wing pylons fitted to the wing outboard of the engines. Since the primary mission for which the A3D-2T was made was that of a bombardier/navigator trainer, these pylons were to be fitted with either a T-65 Training Shape or a 750 pound Aero 8A practice bomb. The aircraft carried a crew of eight, consisting of a pilot, an instructor and six bombardier/navigator trainees.

20.) 21.) 22.) 23.) 20 24.)

Station 3 Pilot's Station External Electrical Power Receptacle Pitot Tube Left Hand Equipment Compartment 21 22 23

24

25

Above, TA-3B (A3D-2T), BuNo 144864, in 1973 without wing pyl~ns. (Fre~ Roos) Below, white VAH-3 TA-3B with red tail stripes at NAS Moffett Field, CA, In 1967. Note large squadron insignia on the forward fuselage. (Steve Brown)

14.) 15.) 16.) 17.) 18.) 19.)

Station 8 Station 6 Aft Escape Hatch Station 4 Aft Sextant Mount Forward Escape hatch

NAVIGATOR'S TABLE

The first A3D-2T, BuNo 144856, was delivered from the Douglas EI Segundo plant on 19 November 1959, and was assigned to NATC Pax River, MD. The last aircraft of the Skywarrior line was A3D-2T, BuNo 144867, delivered on 26 July 1960. The aircraft was initially assigned to VAH-123 on 2 August 1960. Most of the the twelve A3D-2Ts, BuNos 144856 through 144867, were later converted into VI P transports, and later still into electronic reconnaissance aircraft for the VO community.

A3D-2T (TA-3B) GENERAL ARRANGEMENT

30

29

28

27

26

25.) Air Refueling Boom 26.) Radome 27.) Landing Light 28.) Approach Lights 29.) Jack Pad Container 30.) Static Vent 31.) RH Equipment Compartment 32.) Station 2 33.) Emergency Generator 34.) Entrance Door 35.) Forward Sextant Mount 36.) Station 5 37.) Catapult Hook 38.) Fuselage Side Escape Door 39.) Station 7 40.) Fuselage Lights 41.) Water Breaker

View looking forward and outboard the right hand side of the cockpit.

NAVIGATOR'S STATION:

Above TA-3B 144856 was assigned to the Naval Air Reserve Unit Alameda, where it serv~d as ~ replacement trainer for three years during the 1970s. (via Burger) Bottom, BuNo 144860, in its intended role as a bombardier/navigator trainer at VAH-123, NAS Whidbey Island, in July 1966. The aircraft has four windows on each side of the fuselage. (A. Swanberg via Fred Roos)

88

1.) Outside Air Temperature Indicator 2.) Clipboard 3.) ASB-1 Auxiliary Indicator 4.) Navigation Table Floodlight 5.) Navigation Table 6.) Right-Hand Console 7.) Upper Right-Hand Console 8.) Data Case 9.) Forward Sextant Mount 10.) First-Aid Kit 11.) Sextant Operator's Harness Stowage 12.) Jump Seat Floodlight 13.) Fire Axe 14.) Thermos Bottles 15.) Forward Jump Seat 16.) Aft Sextant Stowage 17.) Forward Sextant Stowage 18.) Antiexposure Suit Blower 19.) Up-And-Down Seat Adjustment Switch 20.) Fore-And-Aft Seat Adjustment Switch 21.) Antiexposure Suit Blower Switch 22.) Station 2 Seat 23.) Bara-Release Lanyard Attachment Eyebolt 24.) Shoulder Harness Inertia Reel Lock

14

15

A3D-2T TA-3B NAVIGATOR'S STATION

89

A3D-2T (TA-3B) STATION #3 RIGHT HAND SIDE TA-3B

2

1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 9.) 10.) 11.)

Station 3 Console Station 3 Seat ICS Switch Transmitter Key Lighting Panel Table Light Data Case AC/DC Power Panel Radio Switch Harness Release Handle Antiexposure Suit Blower Motor

14

26

25

24

21

AFT CREW COMPARTMENT STATION 3

20 19

A3D-2T (TA-3B) AFT CREW COMPARTMENT

ASB-1A BOMB DIRECTOR SET A3D-2T (TA-3B) STATION NUMBER FIVE 2

3

1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.)

ASB-1 Computer AS B-1 Bomb Director Control ASB-1A Periscope ASB-1 A Tracking Recorder ASB-1 Tracking Control Lever Magnification Control Lever ASB-1 Auxiliary Indicator

RIGHT HAND SIDE: 1.) Sextant Installation 2.) Bomb Director Set AN/ASB-1A 3.) Station 5 Floodlight 4.) Station 5 Console 5.) Station 5 Seat 6 & 16.) Antiexposure Suit Blower Motor 7.) Station 5 Data Case 8.) Scope Hood Stowage 9.) Side Escape Door Handle Stowage 10.) Side Escape Door 11.) Side Escape Door Emer. Handle 12.) Table Light 13.) Clock 14.) Oxygen Switch 15.) Station 7 Data Case 17.) Station 7 Seat 18.) Auxiliary Indicator Scope 19.) Lighting Panel 20.) Auxiliary Scope Amplifier 21.) Up-And-Down Seat Adjust Switch 22.) Fore-And-Aft Seat Adjust Switch 23.) Ditching Escape Steps 24.) Aft Jump Seat 25.) Sextant Operator's Platform 26.) AN/ASB-1A Equipment Compo 27.) ICS Switch (2 places)

LEFT HAND SIDE: 1 & 33) Relief Station 2.) Station 8 Seat 3.) Lighting Panel 4.) Station 6 Seat 5.) Oxygen Switch (3 places) 6.) Aux. Indicator Scope (2) 7.) Window Curtain 8.) Air Dist. Panel (4 places) 9.) Station 4 Console 10.) Curtain Valance 11.) Air Conditioning Panel 12.) AN/ASB-1A Equip. Compo 13.) ICS Control Panel 14.) Bailout Warning Alarm 15.) Aft Cabin Instrument Panel 16.) Companionway Circuit Breaker & Fuse Panel 17.) Controls Boost Latch Test Light & Button 18.) Blackout Curtain 19.) AN/ASB-1A Equip. Compo 20.) Data Case (3 places) 21.) Dome Light Switch 22.) Radio Switch 23.) Walk-Around ICS-Oxygen 24.) Station 4 Seat 25, 29 & 32.) Antiex. Suit Blower 26.) Scope Hood Stowage (2 places) 27.) Clock (2 places) 28.) Harness Release Handle (3) 30.) Table Light (3 places) 31.) ICS Switch (3 places)

LEFT HAND SIDE TA-3B

17

18 2

19

20

33

90

91

VIP TRANSPORT, VA-3B BuNo 142672 AD3-2Q, BuNo 142672, was operated by NATC for a short time before being converted into a VIP transport. It was redesignated VA-3B. At right, at Yuma on 12-3-59. (Swisher) Below, CDR Savage and aircraft after conversion; tail is da-glo red. (MFR) Below, as all grey VA-3B with US Navy seal on the tail, at North Island on 11-15-67. Aircraft is flying RADM Brown's flag. (Swisher) Bottom, tail number was put on the tail during the 1970s. (Roos)

TA-3B VIP TRANSPORTS Five TA-3B airframes were converted to VIP transports, these were BuNos 144857, 144860, 144863/144865. At right, 144857 landing on 5-10-85. VIP TA-3Bs were all grey. (John Shields via Kaston) Below top, 144857 taxis at NAS Alameda on 3-12-69. (larry Smalley via Swisher) Below middle 144864 is fitted with a boat tail in th~ early '70s. (Fred Roos) 144865 in VR-1 markings. Squadron insignia is on the forward fuselage with VR-1 on the tail and with VR-1s JK tail code. Reworked at NARF Alameda in 1966 for reassignment to VQ-1. (via Burger)

(

-r ~

JA'

144865 -

92

93

.

KA-38 TANKER CONVERSION

ELECTRONIC RECONNASSANCE TA-38 AIRCRAFT

There were three groups of aircraft modified into KA·3B tankers. These groups were characterized by one or more variations in equipment.

Several TA-3Bs were converted into ECM aircraft and used by VQ-1, VQ-2, VAQ-33, VAQ-34, and VAQ-130. At right, two views of T A-3B, BuNo 144860, assigned to VQ-1. (via Burger) Below, wing pylon mounted on TA-3B, BuNo 144858. The TA-3B was the first Skywarrior to be equiped with pylons. They would be retrofitted onto EA-3Bs and ERA-3Bs. (Bruce Cunningham)

GROUP ONE: BuNo 147648, 147655147657,147660, and 147665-147667. A.) Type One Tanker Fuel System B.) CLE Wing C.) AN/ASB-7 (Modified) Radar D.) Transistorized Interphone E.) Modified Instruments F.) AN/ARC-119 HF Transceiver G.) AN/APN-70 LORAN H.) Dual AN/ARC-51 A UHF Transceiver GROUP 142662, A.) B.) C.) D.) E.) F.) G.) H.)

TWO: BuNo 138932, 142661and 142664. Type Two Tanker Fuel System CLE Wing 142662 and 142664 AN/ASB-1A (Modified) Radar Transistorized Interphone Modified Instruments AN/ARC-119 HF Transceiver AN/APN-70 LORAN Dual AN/ARC-51 A UHF Transceiver

Above, group one KA-3Bs from VAK-208 in formation. Note size and shape of the belly refueling kit. (Harry Gann)

GROUP 138938, A.) B.) C.) D.) E.)

THREE: BuNo 138925, 138929, 138944, 138965 and 142630. Type Three Tanker Fuel Sys. Basic Wing AN/ASB-1 A (Modified) Radar AIC-4A Interphone Dual AN/ARC-51 A or AN/ARC27A UHF Transceiver F.) AN/ARC-38 HF Transceiver

Below, RAT as located on TA-3Bs, EA3Bs and RA-3Bs. At right and below right, the ATMs (Air Turbine Motors) were relocated to the forward fuselage bays just behind the radome on the TA-3Bs, EA-3Bs and RA-3Bs (Bruce Cunningham)

See pages 22 through 24 for tanker equipment installation.

94

Above, VAH-2 KA-3B refuels a Royal Navy 801 Squadron Buccaneer in 1967. (via Burger) Below, VAH-5 KA-3B refuels a Royal Navy Supermarine Scimitar while escorted by a VA-83 A-4C. (MFR via Harry Gann)

95

EKA-38

EKA-38 GENERAL ARRANGEMENT

RADOME INSTALLED, AFT FUSELAGE RADOME INSTALLED FORWARD FUSELAGE

TANKER/ECM

AIRCRAFT

In response to the Viet Nam War and the retirement of the piston engined EA-1 F Skyraider, the EKA3B was created. The work was conducted at the Naval Air Rework Facility (NARF) Alameda, peaking in 1967-68 with 39 A-3B/KA-3B aircraft being converted. The bombing equipment was removed to save weight, and an ECM canoe was fitted forward of the belly refueling equipment. Additional ECM gear was housed in four large fuselage blisters, two on each side. Another distinguishing feature was a small fin tip antennae. Crew for the EKA-3B remained at only three. The bomb bay modifications caused the removal of the bomb fence and the ability to open the bomb doors in flight. An interesting note is that the canoe was mounted on the right hand bomb door, and it became routine to only open this door for servicing. Above, EKA-3B approaches the fantail of a carrier in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Viet Nam war. (USN via Lawson) Below, EKA-3B assigned to VAQ-131 at NAS Oceana in August 1970. The right bomb bay door is open with the ECM canoe hanging free. Note shape and location of the forward ECM blister. (Don Spering via Roos) Bottom, EKA-3B profile showing location of the fore and aft ECM blisters. Note the open landing chute release doors in the aft fuselage belly. (Harry Gann)

FIN TIP RADOME

ELECTRONIC PACKAGE AND DISPENSER

LOCATION OF INSIGNIA AND MARKING

STA Y340 STA Y360

~-JI-=----__ . . -:~:._~::;

t.

:

JI

EFFECTIVITY-BUNO.

RADOME INSTALLED, NOSE GEAR DOOR

FACTORY: NONE SERV CHG: ALL EKA-3B AIRCRAFT REWORKED PER A-3 AFC 387-1 AND

RADOME INSTALLED, BOMB BAY DOORS

-n

RADOME INSTALLED, AFT HATCH

Fuselage Compartments

96

97

NAVAL AIR TEST CENTER CARRIER SUITABILITY TRIALS In June 1956, A3D-1 s, BuNos 135408 and 135411, were hoisted aboard the USS Forrestal for initial carrier trials. The aircraft were unusually painted in standard 1956 grey and white with outer wings and folding tail in blue.The forward engine nacelle was also in blue.

At left, 135411 is being hoisted aboardthe Forrestal. Below, 135408 and 135411 being positioned on the forward deck of CVA-59. At right top, the two A3D-1s at the ready for launch with NATC stenciled on the tails. At right, launch aircraft! Note the escape hatch above the cockpit is in the open position for the launch as well as the recovery. (MFR)

98

99

NAVAL AIR TEST CENTER (NATC), PATUXENT RIVER, MD. In addition to carrier suitability trials aircraft, other Skywarriors were operated at Pax River as seen here.

At right top, A3D-1, BuNo 135431, was assigned to Service Test (ST). Note the unusual wide da-glo stripe aft of the cockpit and the absence of tail guns. (via Burger) At right, A3D-2, BuNo 138905, with tail guns installed, was also assigned to Service Test where it was used for stability and control and engine performance trials in 1957-58. The wide wing stripe was white. (via Burger) At right, A3D-2Q, BuNo 142673, on 10 March 1960 while assigned to the Service Test Division. Note the stylized S on the tail which stood for Service Test. (USN) Above, 135408 traps aboard the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) in June 1956. Aircratft has FT for Flight Test painted below the canopy. Below, fleet Skywarriors launching from the USS Shangri La (CVA-38). (MFR via Bruce Cunningham)

At right, A-3A, BuNo 135434, with the Flight Test insignia on the upper tail at NAF Litchfield Park, AZ, on 23 March 1965. The lower aft fuselage was heavily corroded and appears to have been fire damaged. (William Swisher) At right, A-3B, BuNo 142246, at Eglin AFB on 12 October 1973. Aircraft had a bright red nose, tail, and outer wings. A large NATC insignia is on the tail. This aircraft was given to the Bradley Air Museum. (Fred Roos) Bottom right, KA-3B, BuNo 138944, was transferred from VAQ-34 in early 1980 to replace 138925, which was lost in a January 1980 crash. The tail and outer wings were red. Note mismatched nose cone that was installed. (Jim Burridge) Below, A3D-1, BuNo 130355, in Flight Test markings (FT) on 10 April 1959. Aircraft was the test ship for the J75 engines and engine pods, performance increase was negligible. (United Technologies)

100

101

NAVAL AIR TEST FACILITY (NATF) LAKEHURST

Established on 1 October 1957, NATF is responsible for evaluation and development of aircraft launching and recovering systems.

Above, A-3B, BuNo 142630, with updated NATF Lakehurst insignia on the tail in 1973. (via Burger)

FLEET ELECTRONIC WARFARE SUPPORT GROUP (FEWSG) Top right, A-3A, 135412, on 10-16-68 was white with red trim and yellow NATF insignia on the nose. (Besecker) At right, A-3A, 135407, in grey & white with red trim and black 8-ball on nose. (Williams) Below, 135407 was white with a larger 8-ball in 1968. (L. Paul) Bottom, A-3A, 135435, in 1964. (Roos)

Under contract, Douglas flew two A-3Bs as electronic aggressors against the fleet. These aircraft were BuNo 138922 and BuNo 138968, which worked out of NAS Alameda.

NAVY

102

103

Below, 138968 on 20 August 1970. Aircraft is white with red nose-tail-wing trim. FEWSG-1 is painted on a white box on the nose and tail. Note the inclosed 3rd-crewman's area. (Smalley via Swisher) Bottom, 138922 on 23 April 1970.

NAVAL AIR SPECIAL WEAPONS FACILITY (NASWF) NAVAL WEAPONS EVALUATION FACILITY (NWEF)

Above, A3D-1, BuNo 130357, with NWEF on the tail in 1958. Aircraft was white with red trim. (Steve Brown) Below, 130357 on 22 May 1966 after rework at NAS Alameda. Aircraft is painted white. (Smalley via Swisher)

NASWF was established at Kirtland AFB, NM, in August 1952. The facility was responsible for adapting naval aircraft to emerging nuclear weapons and to develop the procedures and protocol for usage. A3D-1 s were immediately assigned to NASWF to carry out the special weapons portion of BIS trials in 1954. At least five A3Ds, including the first production A3D-1, were involved in special weapons trials which cleared the A3D for usage of Mk. 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 15, 18, and 91 devices.

130357

~--~

Top right, the first production A3D-1, 130352, was assigned to NASWF on 56-54. It was bailed back to Douglas in 1955. (MFR) Above right, A3D-1, 130354, with Albuquerque on the aft fuselage in 1954. (Steve Brown) Above right, 130354, at LAX on 11-25-57. (MFR) At right, YA3D-1, 135413, in the late 1950s. (B. R. Baker) Below, 135413 in 1955 with blue wings and upper tail. (Steve Brown)

Above, 130357 with the NWEF Thunderbird insignia on the upper tail on 11 March 1968. (Smalley via Swisher) Below, A3D-2, BuNo 142632, with NASF insignia on the forward fuselage and Albuquerque on the aft fuselage, at MCAAS Yuma on 3 December 1959. The outer wing and tail panels and the forward engine nacelle were red. (William Swisher)

104

105

NAVAL AEROSPACE RECOVERY FACILITY (NARF), NAF EL CENTRO

NAVAL ORDNANCE TEST STATION (NOTS), INYOKERN NAVAL WEAPONS CENTER (NWC), NAS CHINA LAKE

On 8 November 1943, NOTS was established to develop and test rocket and aviation ordnance. NOTS was renamed NWC China Lake in 1967.

Above, A-3B, BuNo 142404, was used in the 60s at NOTS/NWC. (via Burger) At right, 142404 was replaced by A-3B, BuNo 142630. !988 photo shows modified nose which is used to conduct captured missile tests. (Ginter) Below, In 1988 142630 was white with NWC insignia on the tail. (Ginter) Bottom, 142630 from above; the area under the slats was red. (Kaston)

Top, A-3B, BuNo 142242, in factory-fresh paint at NAF EI Centro on 20 March 1965. This aircraft was assigned to the Aerospace Recovery Facility, EI Centro, until 1975. At NAS Lakehurst in 1976 while conducting an oft-center carrier arrestment test, the aircraft was destroyed when both the forward and aft fuel cells exploded. (Smalley via Swisher) Above, 142242 on 11 March 1967 with the writing Aerospace Recovery Facility EI Centro Calif. painted on the fuselage surrounding the unit's insignia. (Swisher) Below, 142242 was all white with EI Centro painted on the aft fuselage in 1971. (Fred Roos) Bottom, 142242 in 1974, prior to its assignment to NATF Lakehurst. The triangle on the tail was yellow, outlined in black. (via Burger)

106

107

NAVAL AIR DEVELOPMENT CENTER (NADC)

RAYTHEON I U.S. ARMY RA-3B BuNo 144843

,

Above, 144843 at Hanscom Field, MA, in July 1973 while on bailment to Raytheon. Aircraft appears to be straight from rework with its factory-fresh paint. The drag chute was stuffed back into the chute doors after landing so the aircraft could taxi into the ramp. (Picciani) Above right, 144843 on 22 May 1988 at Fairchild AFB with wing pylons and white highlighted numbers on the nose and tail. (via Kaston) Below, 144843 at Fairchild AFB in May 1985 with Army painted on the speed brakes and a large VAK-208 "zapper" on the tail. (Gary Meinert via Kaston) Raytheon also received ERA-3Bs 144838 and 144844 from VAQ-34.

NADC was established on 1 August 1948 at Johnsville, PA. It has been responsible for research and development in aviation medicine, aircraft electronics, pilotless aircraft and aviation armament. At right top, the lone A3D-1 P, BuNo 130358, in Douglas test markings as used at Edwards AFB. It was the development aircraft for a removable photorecon package which was to be fitted in the forward bomb bay. The program was unworkable and the dedicated A3D-2P was born. (MFR) Above right, repainted in grey and white with heavily faded da-glo fore and aft fuselage, it is inspected at NAS Johnsville on 23 May 1961. The aft bomb bay doors are open and the test photo blister can be seen on the belly in both photos. (via Kaston) At right, A3D-1 P (NRA-3A), 130358, in its final scheme before being stricken in 1964. (MFR) At right, RA-3B, BuNo 144833, replaced 130358 at NADC. The tail flash was in black. (via Burger) At right below, 144833 with winged Naval Research Lab, NADC Warminster on the tail. (via Burger) At right bottom, 144833 with yet another NRL insignia on the tail and an unidentified fairing atop the fuselage. (via Burger)

NACA AMES AERONAUTICAL LABORATORY MOFFETT FIELD, CALIF. Below, XA3D-1, BuNo 125413, virtually fills the 40 x 80' wind tunnel at Ames. The aircraft is equipped with the original XT40 engines and nacelles which caused wing buffet problems. Today, this aircraft is on display on the USS Intrepid. (USN)

108

109

WESTINGHOUSE

PROJECT PRESS (PACIFIC RANGE ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE STUDIES)

In 1963, NRA-3B, BuNo 142256, was modified by Douglas as a flying tracking laboratory for re-entry vehicles. The project was known as NAPOG, and was a joint operation of the Navy, Air Force and Army. A modified Boeing B-50 gun turret with optical and infrared equipment was installed aft of the cockpit. The aircraft was flown in this capacity for six years from its base at Hickam AFB, HI.

Above, RA-3B BuNo 142256, was transferred to Westinghouse with these markings in 1971. (via Burger) Below, it was modified with a side blister for sonobuoys and used as an S-3 testbed. (Kaston) At right, right seat of 142256 with S-3 gear installed. (Pima Air & Space Museum via Kristen Tedesco) Below, ERA-3B BuNo 144841, in 1986. It took over for RA-3B 142256 in the 1990s. (Ginter)

Above and at right, 142256 taxis out for a test flight after installation of the B50 turret. There was tufting on the large fairing aft of the turret and which was installed for the ferry flight to Hawaii. The fairing was developed after it was discovered that the turett caused tail buffet at high speed cruise and above. The aircraft was white with red tail, nose, and wing trim. (via Bruce Cunningham) At right, 142256 in flight with sensors in the turret in the active mode. (Mick Roth collection) Below, repainted in grey and white in February 1964 at Hickam AFB. A work platform was installed 360 0 around the ex-B-50 turret. (USN)

110

111

NAVAL MISSILE CENTER (NMC), POINT MUGU CALIF. NAVAL MISSILE CENTER

At right, A3D-1, BuNo 130352, in 1954 above Edwards AFB while assigned to Douglas Flight Test. The right wing panels and the area under the wing shoulder were white, and the belly emergency escape chute was open. (via Bruce Cunningham) At right, 130352 at Edwards on 19 May 1955 after being painted white. (William Swisher) At right, by 1957 the white paint was wearing off and the original blue paint was showing through. (MFR)

The Naval Missile Center, later the Pacific Missile Test Center, became the major test operator of the A-3 Skywarrior. The first Whale to arrive at NMC was the first production A3D-1, BuNo 130352, which was assigned in 1958. In 1959, it was heavily involved in the Sparrow III test program, flying captive tests with the Sparrow's guidance system installed in its nose. The aircraft was involved in a mid-air in June 1965, was struck at NARF Alameda later that year. At right, 130352 at Point Mugu in 1959 with the Sparrow III guidance installed in the nose. (USN) Bottom, repainted with da-glo forward fuselage and tail on 18 May 1963. (William Swisher)

112

At right top, the ill-fated A3D·1 BuNo 135410, is seen in Douglas tes; markings prior to assignment to NMC. 135410 was the second A3D assigned to Mugu and was also involved in the Sparrow III program when it was lost without a trace on 22 January 1959 with three onboard. (via Bruc~ Cunningham) At right, A3D-1, BuNo 130353, a! Edw~rds AFB on 18 May 1956 while stili assigned to the D.ouglas test force. Like 130352, the aircraft's original blue scheme was ov~rpainted by white. (William SWIsher) Below, 130353 with the designati.on YA3D-1 on the fuselage while aS~I~ned to NMC on 22 April 1961. (William Swisher) Bottom, the first A3D-2P, BuNo 142256, was assigned to NMC before being transferred to NATC and Westinghouse. Note the solid aft canopy covering which was temporarily applied. (William Swisher)

Above, Point Mugu family portrait, with NRA-3B 144834 in the foreground. This aircraft was transferred to VQ-2 in 1985 after rework. The other A-3s left to right are: NRA-3B 142667, KA-3B 138944, NA-3A 135409, NA-3B 138938, NRA-3B 144825 "Snoopy", NRA-3B 144840, NA-3A 135418. (1974-75 Harry Gann) Below, RA-3B 142667 in white and red scheme with wing and forward fuselage pylon on 20 May 1967. The fuselage station was used for captured missile tests. (William Swisher)

Above, KA-3B 138944 at Davis Monthan AFB in 1978 in its final NMC markings. (Bruce Stewart) At right, A3D-1135409 in its Douglas Test marki~gs before assignment to NMC. (MFR via Bruce Cunningham) Below, 135409 at NMC Point Mugu on 21 May 1960. The scheme is grey and white with a da-glo forward fuselage and tail. (William Swisher) Bottom, NA-3A 135409 in 1973. NMC and the upper tail fin flash were red and the lower flash was blue. (via Burger)

I

NAVY -

-- NAVAL MISSILE CENTER

142667 .

Above, 142667 converted to an NRA-3B and painted over-all grey at the October 1970 Point Mugu open house. (via Burger) Below left, the aircraft was repainted grey and white in 1971. (Fred Roos) Below, in 1973 with full NMC markings. (Burger)

11

114

Above, A3D-1, BuNo 135418, in Navy testing colors on 18 September 1960. The nose, tail and the forward half of the wings were da-glo red. (Larry Smalley via William SWisher) Below, 135418 when assigned to the Naval Missile Center, NAS Point Mugu. CA., in 1973, with the designation NA-3A. (via Burger)

~

135418 .

Above top, NA-3B 138938 in an overall grey paint scheme. (via Burger) Abo~~, "Snoopy", NRA-3B 144825 was OrIgInally bailed to Grumman for use in the Eagle missile program, and arrived at NMC with the large bulbous nose installed. The scheme is white with daglo nose and tail. A tracking turret was installed on the upper aft fuselage. (1965 D. Kasulka) At left, unus~al ECM pod being tested on 144825 In 1968. (USN) Below, 144825 in fi~al Nr~C markings and grey and white paint scheme in 1973. (via Craig Kaston)

116

Below, 135418 was retired to the National Museum of Naval Aviation where it languished for years in its NMC markings until recently being repainted in early VAH-1 markings, the aircraft's first assignment upon Navy acceptance. (LT M. Schachter)

117

PACIFIC

MISSILE TEST

CENTER,

NAS

POINT

MUGU,

CA

On 26 April 1975, the Naval Missile Center was redesignated the Pacific Missile Test Center (PMTC).

At top right, NA-3B, BuNo 1426~7, at Mugu in 1976. The aircraft is eqUlpp~d with a forward fuselage pylon. (via Burger) At right, 142267 in October 1984 Note the PMTC has be~n r~moved from the vertical tail. The tall stripe was blue and the insignia gold and dark blue. (Ginter) At right, close-up of the fuselage pylon. (Kaston) Below, the last markings applied to 142267 were in black, with the wording FLIGHT TEST added to the tail. ECM pods were fitted to both the wing and fuselage pylon. (Ginter, 1992)

Top, "Snoopy" with a white nose and tail cap in October 1981. (Ginter) Above, a black nosed "Snoopy" makes a high speed low level pass in October 1982. (Ginter) Above, "Snoopy" on 5 April 1982 with two ECM "Jammer" pods on the wing pylon. (USN Niedermeyer via Barry Miller) Below, "Snoopy" in 1988 with the PMTC lettering removed from the tail and a fin tip antennae added. (Bob via Kaston)

118 119

I PACIFIC MISSILE TEST CENTER I ~bove, NRA-3A, BuNo 144833, at Mugu Above, NA-3B, BuNo 138938, in October 1982. (Kaston) At left, 138938 in 1977 with an EA-3B bomb bay door installed and the canoe and antennas removed. (via Burger) At left below, 138938 in high speed flight in October 1983. (Ginter) Below, the large fuselage insignia as painted on the side of NRA-3B, BuNo 144833, in October 1986. (Ginter) Bottom, 'Plog One' at NAS Point Mugu, CA., in October 1986, with wing pylons installed. (Ginter)

October 1981. Prior to coming to PMTC, 144833 was used as a test aircraft by NADC Johnsville and was bailed to Raytheon and the U.S. Army. (Kaston) At right, 144833 in February 1982. (Ginter) Below, 144833 makes a high speed pass at NAS Point Mugu in ~c~ober 1982. (Ginter) Bottom, 144833 In Its final PMTC scheme in October 1987. (Ginter) In

120 121

THE WHALES OF HUGHES AIRCRAFT The first two A-3s bailed to Hughes were A-3As 135411 and 135427. At right, 135427 arrives at Hughes on 6 April 1964. (Hughes via Kaston) Below, 135427 as it appeared on 8 September 1964 with da-glo red nose, tail, and wing tips. (Hughes via Kaston) Below middle, 135427 on 21 January 1966 after conversion into the Phoenix live firing test aircraft. (Hughes via Kaston) Bottom, 135427 launches a Phoenix in 1966. It was replaced by the more capable TA-3B 144867, which was equipped with wing pylons and the pressurized bomb bay crew compartment which was extremely suitable for the installation of bulky test equipment and observers. (USN)

1

At r~~ht, A-3A, BuNo 135411, being modified for its thimble nose and fuselage pylons on 10 September 1964. (Hughes via Kaston) Below, 135411 r~turns from a test flight; aircraft is trimmed in red. (Hughes) Below middle: NRA-3B 135411 just prior to its retirement in January 1975. (via Burger) B~ttom, TA-3B (NTA-3B) 144867 carnes a Phoenix on a test flight. The insignia on the tail was the s~me as used on the F-111 Bs. (Hughes via Kaston)

_ 77

122

123

I

i

Top Hughes' oldest airframe is NTA-3B, BuNo 144867, see~ at Van Nuys, CA., on 19 July 1991. Van Nuys is the current base for the world's only operational A-3s. 144867 should be called the quick-change-artist as it has had more noses fitted to it than any other aircraft. It has been fitted with F-111B, F-14, Air Force F-111, and F-15 nose~. It was also the only A-3 fitted with an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) in the rear fuselage. This aircraft first e~tered service with Hughes in 1969. (Ian Mac Pherson via Kaston) Above besides being used as a Phoenix drop ship, 144867 test fired Sidewinders and Sparrows. (Hughes via Scott Bloom) At left, NRA-3B 142667 came to Hughes directly from Point Mugu and is unique in t~at ~t is a ~o trap aircraft. (Ginter, 1996) At left, "Snoop~ Without I~S nose. NRA-3B 144825 lost its bulbous nose In 1989 and IS seen here with an A-7 style buddy tanker tank on its wing pylon. Hughes 78 is also a no-cat and no-trap aircr~ft. (Ginter) Below, TA-3B 144858 is a high time airframe With over 13,000 hours on it. (Craig Kaston, 1994)

124

Above, RA-3B, BuNo 142256, in outside storage at Mojave on 24 January 1997. This A-3 came from bailment to Westinghouse. Its nose is painted red. (Tony Chung via Kaston) At right, TA-3B 144856 was received from Thunderbird Aviation in late 1996 and still carries the T-Bird insignia on the tail. Note the whale's eye painted on the nose and the upper portion of a pin-up girl Rebecca. (Anthony Chong via Kaston) At right ERA3B 142668 seen here at Deer Valley, AZ. on 27 March 1993 while in the possession of Thunderbird Aviation. The aircraft was acquired by Hughes Aircraft in 1996 and is in storage at Mojave, CA. (Craig Kaston) At right the instrument panel on RA-3B 144846, which is hangored at the Van Nuys facility. (Bruce Cunningham) Below EA-3B 146454 takes off with Desert Storm markings on the nose. It is now operated by Hughes as #74 and it is fitted with an F-15 nose currently. (via Kaston) Bottom ERA3B 144832 was also acquired from Thunderbird Aviation in late 1996 and is in storage at Mojave. (Anthony Chong via Craig Kaston) Hughes has two other A-3s in their stable. These are ERA-3B 146446 and ex-VQ-2 TA-3B 144865, which is on contract to Livermore Labs in Northern California.

125

THUNDERBIRD

AVIATION'S

UNIQUE

FRISBEE

TESTBED

DOUGLAS A3D SKYWARRIOR FROM REVELL In 1956, Revell issued an A3D Skywarrior kit of about 1/96 scale. It was reissued in the 1970s in Revell's JET COMMANDO series in the markings of an A-3B from VAH-4. This same box was reissued in both Brazil and through Lodela in Mexico. The kit was re-issued in it's original box in 1996. The kit featured folding wings and optional position vertical tail. It includes crew figures molded in their seats and wearing high altitude pressure suits, as was Revell's practice at this time. A refueling probe was included as well as positionable speed brakes. Even with the action features and the crude landing gear, it still makes up into a handsome kit.

Above, Thunderbird Aviation's most modified test ship, RA-3B, 144856, on 15 March 1992 at Deer Valley, AZ. A huge tailcone was grafted onto the tail, which held the "Frisbee" out at a 20° down angle and a small fin tip radome. Note the whale's eye on the forward fuselage. (Doug Siowiak via Kaston) At right, "Rebecca" was painted on the left side of the fuselage. (Kaston) Below, close ups of the fin tip radar. (Kaston) Bottom, 144856 on 22 March 1996 after the "Frisbee" tail was replaced by the original boat tail. (Doug Siowiak via Kaston)

The model depicted here was built by Lee Reinitz. The area behind the speedbrakes should be painted red instead of white.

zc""

~

126

127

HASEGAWA 1/72 SCALE A-3B SKYWARRIOR KIT The long-awaited Hasegawa 1/72 scale A-3B Skywarrior was released in March 1998. Hasegawa also announced it was releasing a KA-3B kit and an EA-3B kit in late 1998. There were two disappointing aspects of the kit. One was the absence of a refueling probe, and one was the lack of positionable speed brakes. I am also not satisfied with the look of the nose and the canopy. The canopy appears too large, and something is amiss in the end shape of the snub nose. IPMSers, break out your drawings, slide rules and micrometers. Decals are provided for a VAH-11 DET 8 version and for a VAH-10 version from the USS Constellation. The model was built by Lee Reinitz.

MANUFACTURER'S The manufacturer display models depicted on this page are from the collection of Bruce Cunningham. The models are extremely imposing as they are made in a scale approaching 1/32 scale.

At right, top to bottom: Early A3D-2 (A-3B) with fin tip radar and tail guns.

A-3B SKYWARR

Early A3D-2P (RA-3B) with tail guns and refueling probe. Early A3D-2Q (EA-3B) with tail guns, ECM canoe and refueling probe. Early A3D-2T (TA-3B) with wing pylon and ECM pod. A3D-3 proposal with reshaped forward fuselage and tail and J75 engine upgrade.

RAREPLANES 1n2 SCALE VACUFORM SKYWARRIOR KIT Rareplanes offered an excellent vacuform kit in 1/72 scale of the A-3B Skywarrior. Conversion parts were included for the KA3B, EA-3B, RA-3B and EKA-3B variants. It was formed on three vacuform sheets, with white metal detail parts and a clear vacuform canopy.

128

129

DISPLAY MODELS

I

i SPECIFICATIONS

XA3D-1

ENGINE

J40-WE-12

A3D-1

A3D-2

A3D-2(CLE)

A3D-2P

A3D-2Q

A3D-2T

J57-P10

J57-P10

J57-P10

J57-P10

J57-P10

8.250 9.500 10,000

9.000 10,500 10,500

9,000 10,500 10.500

9,000 10,500 10.500

9,000 10,500 10,500

9,000 10,500 10.500

1215 1900 1298

1215 1900 1298

1825 1958 1333

J57-P6

THRUST- NORMAL MILITARY (Ib) MAXIMUM (Ib) FUEL (Fwd Fus. gal) (Aft Fus, gal) (Wings gal) (Bomb Bay, gal)

8550 9500

1215 1900 1333

1215 1900 1333

1215 1900 1333 833

1215 1900 1333 833

AIRCRAFT DIMENSIONS WITH WINGS SPREAD: Span (ft) Length (ft) Length (ft, Incl. refueling probe) Height (ft) Tread (ft) WINGS AND FIN FOLDED: Span (ft) Length Height (ft) Max Height During Fold (ft) Wing Area (sq. ft) Dihedral (deg) Sweepback (deg @ 25% chord) Aspect Ratio

XA3D-1

A3D-1

A3D-2

A3D-2(CLE) A3D-2P

A3D-2Q

72.5 74.4 78 23.8 10.4

72.5 73.5 78 22.8 10.4

72.5 73.5 NA 22.8 10.4

72.5 76.3 NA 22.8 10.4

72.5 74.5 22.8 22.8 10.4

72.5 76.4 23.4 23.4 10.4

72.5 73.6 .22.6 22.8 10.4

48.8 16.7 28 779

49.2 74.4 16.7 27.3 779 36 6.75

49.2 75.7 16.7 27.3 812 0 36 6.75

49.2 16.6 74.4 27.3 779 0 36 6.75

49.2 16.7 74.4 27.3 779 0 36 6.75

49.2 16 74.4 27.3 812

36 6.75

49.2 74.4 16.7 27.3 779 0 36 6.75

0 36 6.75

70,000 36,120 33.880 59.942 45,922 55,942 70,000

70,000 36,963 33.037 52,400 45,922 55,942 70,000

84,000 36,858 43,142 61,859 45,922 55,942 70,000

78,000 40.852 29,148 61,608 49,000 56,000 73,000

78,000 40,654 39.346 61.593 49,000 56,000 73,000

84,000 38,846 45,154 55,258 NA 55,942 70,000

543/S.L. 4900

555/S.L. 5030 107 41,200

557/S/L.

5321S.L. 4780 95.1 44,700

o

o

A3D-2T

SKYWARRIOR RADIO AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT OJ

I

EARLY A3D-1 RADIO & ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

A3D-2P RADIO & ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT 1958

°

1

AN/ARR-25 AN/ARR-40 AN/ARC-27A AN/APX-6B AN/APB-89 AN/APN-22 AN/ARN-21 AN/ARC-38 AN/ARN-6 AN/ASB-1B AN/ASN-6 AN/ARN-14E AN/ARC-1

ANJART-13 Radio Transmitter AN/ARR-15 Radio Receiver AN/ARC-27A UHF Radio Receiver-Transmitter AN/APX-6 Transponder AN/AIC-4 Intercommunication Radio AN/ARR-2A Homing Radio AN/APN-1 Radar Altimeter AN/ARN-6 Radio Compass

A3D-1 RADIO & ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT 1 AN/ARA-25 *AN/ARN-14E AN/ARC-27 AN/ART-13 AN/ARR-15A AN/APX-6B AN/APA-89 AN/AIC-4A AN/APN-22

UHF Direction Finder VOR Homing Recelv I VAH Transmitter-R IV'" HF Transmitter HF Receiver IFF IFF Interphone Radio Altimeter

A3D-2Q RADIO & ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT 1955

AN/ARC-27 AN/APX-6B AN/APN-89 AN/APN-22 AN/ARN-21 AN/ARR-15 AN/ART-13 AN/ARN-6 AN/ASB-1B AN/ASN-6 AN/ARN-14 AN/ARC-l AN/ALA-3 AN/ALR-8 AN/ALR-3 AN/APA-69 AN/APA-74 AN/APN-67 AAJAPR-9 AN/APR-13 AN/ALQ-2 AN/ARC-5

*AN/ARN-21 VOR Homing Recelv , AII",Il.tlt' WEIGHTS Max. Gross (Ib) Empty (Ib) Useful (Ib) Combat (Ib) Basic Landing (Ib) Emergency Landing (Ib) Basic Catapulting (Ib)

70.000 35,999 34,001 45,922 55,942 70,000

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 507 Max Speed (kUalt) 1150 Rate of Climb (fpm @s.l.) 100.1 Stall Speed (kt @ landing weight) 45,600 Combat Ceiling (ft) ARMAMENT GUNS: 2 M-4 20 mm aircraft guns 1000 rounds of 20 mm ammunition 8,700 Bomb Load FSN 7588-7589 9253-9264 10300-10337 10763-10837 11562-11581 11584-11591 11693-11782 12024-12027 12412-12432 11582 11729-11732 12071-12093 12398-12399 11583 11733-11736 12094-12104 12400-12411 12102-12113

529/8000

4920 93.3 43,400

8,7001b

8,7001b

45,700

5030 107 41,000

12.8001b

AIRSPEED LIMITATIONS:

PRODUCTION DATA: MODEL CONT. # XA3D-1 10414 55-632 A3D-1 55-190C A3D-1 55-190C A3D-2 55-190C 55-190C 55-190C 55-190C 55-0150 A3D-2P 55-205 55-205 57-181 57-181 A3D-2Q 55-205 55-205 57-181 57-181 A3D-2T 57-181

544/1700

5070 100.5 40,900

BuNo 125412-125413 130352-130363 135407-135444 138902-138076 142236-142255 142400-142407 142630-142665 144626-144629 147648-147668 142256 142666-142669 144825-144847 146446-146447 142257 142670-142673 144848-144855 146448-146459 144856-144867

COST EACH $4,880,000 $4,430,000 $2,080,000 $1,400,000 $1,220,000

13,000 FEET AND BELOW 480 KNOTS 13,000 FEET TO 33,000 FEET .85 MACH .88 MACH 33,000 FEET AND ABOVE WITH LANDING GEAR EXTENDED 225 KNOTS WITH WING FLAPS EXTENDED 255 KNOTS DRAG CHUTE EXTENSION BELOW 150 KNOTS 250 KNOTS FUEL DUMP AT 150 KNOTS FUEL DUMP WITH GEAR & FLAPS DOWN AT 200 KNOTS JATO BOTTLES JETTISONED BELOW 300 KNOTS MAXIMUM SPEED WITH JATO ATTACHED SEVERE TURBULENCE AIRSPEED 190 TO 300 KNOTS THUNDERSTORM PENETRATION AT 220 TO 250 KN
A3D-2 RADIO & ELECTRONIC EQUIPMI N' 1

AN/ALQ-2 AN/ARC-1 AN/ARN-21 AN/ARN-14E AN/ARC-27A AN/ARC-38 AN/APN-22 AN/APX-6B AN/APA-89 AN/ARN-25 *AN/ARN-6

Radar Tail Warnlfl\l VHF Trans-R "IV"I TACAN VOR Homing UHF Trans-R "IV", HF Trans-R "IV", Radio Altim It" IFF Transpon It', Coder UHF Directl Il I IfU'" UHF Direction I

I,U'"

A3D-1 P RADIO & ELECTRONIC fQllll'MI tl I I

AN/APN-1 AN.ARC-27A AN/ASB-1A AN/ART-13 AN/ARR-15A AN/ARR-2A AN/APX-6 AN/AIC-4A AN/ARN-6

Radar Altlllll'lt', VHF Com Radar Bomh ()If "I' MHF Tran"fIlltl"I MHF Re ('IV"I Nav R I'IV'" IFF Inter m Radio COfllp.I·.·.

UHF Homing UHF Homing UHF Trans-Receiver IFF Transponder IFF Transponder Radio Altimeter TACAN HF Receiver Radio Compass Search Radar Nav Receiver VOR Receiver VHF

VHF Trans-Receiver IFF Transponder IFF Transponder Radar Altimeter TACAN MHF Receiver MHF Transmitter Radio Compass Search Radar Automatic Nav. Video Omni-Range VHF Trans-Receiver Pulse Analyzer Countermeasures Receiver Radar Receiver Direction Finder Signal Analyzer Automatic Nav. Radar Receiver Radar Receiver Tail Warning Range Receiver

A3D-2T RADIO & ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT 1958

)

AN/ARN-14E AN/ARN-6 AN/ARN-21 AN/ARA-25 AN/APN-22 AN/APX-6B AN/APN-89 AN/ARC-27 AN/ARC-38 AN/ARR-40 ASB-1A

I

111

VOR Receiver Radio Compass TACAN UHF Direction Finder Radar Altimeter IFF Transponder IFF Transponder VHF Trans-Receiver HF Receiver UHF Radio Receiver Radar Bomb Director

I

t A3D-2P (RA-3B) GENERAL ARRANGEMENT

c:0

ell

.!:!

...c: Q)

--tt--~--':'

'tl 0

.c~

~

c:~

,

E Q)

m

0

c:0 ::l

...

m:: ~

I

U-Ji 1#1'

al;>.

M

o

- .... -...

SI1I!IU.


...

...

ell

a:~

1!

. ,,

Ii

Aft fuselage fuel dump/vent

. i

t-

Z

W ~ W

"z

« a::

a::

Aft fuselage parachute doors

« ...J « a::

--_._--.

w w

z

-" m M I

« a::

0-

N I

C

M

«

w

....J


U

en

\

\

\

\

,

\

N

NOT TO SCALE

t::

132

133

'J)~1--;1;au.if 1J3'J)-2Q $~~ ---=-"'-..--==zi ,.

...... w

~

----:~l

/I

q

hllt,tl

25.) Turret Console 26.) Electrical Power Panel' 27.) Vertical Gyro Control 28.) Sextant Stowage 29.) Azimuth and Range Indicator 1.) In-Flight Refueling Probe 30.) Radar Electronic Control Amplifier 2.) Radar Antenna 3.) Ram Air Intake-Refrigeration Unit 31.) Radar Synchronizer 32.) Radar Power Supply and Amplifier 4.) Radar Receiver-Transmitter 33.) Junction Box 5.) Pitot Tube 34.) Emergency Drop Out Generator 6.) Pilot's Foot Rest 35.) Identification Coder 7.) Brief Case Stowage 36.) Range Receiver Dynamotor 8.) Center Console 37.) Range Receiver 9.) Ram Air Intake (ATM) 38.) Range Receiver Amplifier 10.) Nose Gear Door 39.) Auto-Pilot Amplifier 11.) Taxi Light 40.) Radar Gyro 12.) Nose Gear Strut 41.) Engine Bleed Air Duct 13.) Nose Gear Snubber 42.) ECM Operator Seat 14.) Air Turbine Motor 43.) ECM Operator Table 15.) Flight Control Reservoir 44.) ECM Rack Door 16.) ATM Exhaust 45.) Foot Rungs Upper Escape Hatch 17.) Navigation Equipment Case 46.) Upper Escape Hatch 18.) Gunner's Seat 47.) ECM Evaluator's Table 19.) Pilot's Seat 48.) Side Escape Door 20.) Assistant Pilot's Seat 49.) Wind Deflectors 21.) Navigator's Console 50.) ECM Tuners 22.) ECM Horn Antennae 51.) Fuselage Light 23.) Glare Shield 52.) Compass Amplifier Support 24.) Gunner's Console

77.) Fire Control Computer 78.) Radio Compass 79.) Fire Control Correlator 80.) Turret System Central 81.) Tail Bumper Well 82.) Speed Brake (Both Sides) 83.) Tail Bumper Wheel 84.) Arresting Hook 85.) UHF Comm. ReceiverlTransmitter 86.) HF Comm. ReceiverlTransmitter 87.) VHF Comm. ReceiverlTransmitter 88.) Tail Radar 89.) Ammunition Chutes 90.) Landing Drag Parachute 91.) M-3 20mm Guns (Ball Turret) 92.) Tail Gun Radar 93.) Fin Fold Line 94.) Horizontal Stab. Tip Antenna 95.) Rudder 96.) Leading Edge HF Antenna 97.) UHF Antenna 98.) Position Light 99.) Fin Tip Radome 100.) Temperature Sensor Element

53.) Antenna Fairing 54.) Antenna Fairing 55.) Aft Compartment Floor 56.) Forward Fuselage Fuel Tank 57.) Aft Fuselage Fuel Tank 58.) Integral Wing Fuel Tank 59.) Wing Fold Line 60.) Wing Fold Actuating Cylinder 61.) Landing Flaps 62.) Aileron 63.) Position Light 64.) Outboard Wing Slats 65.) Center Wing Slats 66.) Engine Bleed Air Duct (to ATM) 67.) Engine Air Intake 68.) J57-P-10 Engine 69.) Oil Reservoir 70.) Oil Filler Cap 71.) Engine Tailpipe 72.) Tube for Control Cables 73.) Fuel Tank Vent Line 74.) Main Landing Gear Door 75.) Ammunition Boxes 76.) Liquid Oxygen Converters

-------- -

!.~.H I ~ nI '!.-L...L ~

,I 1 1'1 1 1' 1 1 1I 1 "1I, I I '' II ,

__

I" I "

I

I

.I

,_,'

1"---·

I I

I

g

, // /,/ "

I

,__' I '

1

I-.J~ . - ----,' ,

I

I - - - 1- 1.. -:-c--_I _ _

__

I:

I'

-- ../ " --,..... ,-v

'1

,.....

_u • _ "., A ---, :.c :~

--:- , '

-.,_.'

.

1 - -.

I

'

--, ' /'

,f

/"

f---f /

.....I'll ' /

1

__. ~Ir--

---~

i :<,_c'I\~--l·

~ ;';)f!'t.L4~ ~~ ;::;~~;;~~.

A3D-2P

...~ \

\ \

/''< 1:--1." _ .. ·"s,:eo

JwG..a 'Ul

~~::~o.

'\.- ~l~ ,j

/

~CT'O'-l ,

.... INC.

S-s

I'\lO~C

:=tT ...

':"'u ... 0 ".)GOl-,':

''\. 3CJ 'Il:

~t,;J~c?o~.eL" ~T

~p<

...

~g5~~er~'~r i~

UJ

!:.

UJ

..J

<::J




,,

Ul N

t:: ...

~' ~

Z

..J

UJ

_I.

..J



(

UJ

Ul

Ul

0

t:: .....

::> u.

N

a:

0

i=

l
t::! Z

a:

UJ


~

;: a:

0 u.

0 0

::E ..J

« .... ....
UJ

0

I I

al

~

I

D

II 0

.

0 D 0 U Ii 01 00 i D

..J

---------1--------·' . I

t

a:

=

;:

::> u. 0


a:

al

al

.,

UJ

Ul

0 u.

« ....

r--~--~I .J-


..J

!

~

-- - I

<::J

C")

C")

0



w 0

UJ

N

0

0

,

C")


/

/'/

........

z Oe i=

~e z a: UJ

o

o

'::E UJ

Ul

o Z

cD

::>

z

Ul

f1

i-iloO

~4'==V

..J

«.... al C")


....N 6

C")


i-

136

1 I