|
Description
| Notes: A-3B modified as tanker. | ||
| Manufacturer: | Douglas | |
| Base model: | A-3 | |
| Designation: | KA-3 | |
| Version: | B | |
| Nickname: | Skywarrior | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Tri-Service | |
| Designation Period: | 1962-Present | |
| Basic role: | Attack | |
| Modified Mission: | Tanker | |
| See Also: | ||
Specifications
Propulsion
Performance
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| USS Lexington Museum On The Bay | Corpus Christi | Texas |
| Western Aerospace Museum | Oakland | California |
KA-3B on display
USS Lexington Museum On The Bay | Western Aerospace Museum |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Cort deer leg, AL | Man I remember firing off some rotten beer farts in the maintenance office. Smelled like kerosene and dog food burning. And remember Chief Kid's ridiculous mustache?! Ha ha ha! What a pack of drunks we were in those last years of the squadron. 10/19/2011 @ 12:02 [ref: 49628] |
| Rick Wolfe Bloomington, MN | I spent 2 years with VAH-10 from NAS Whidbey Island, Det.59 -2 cruises on the Forrestall and one on the Saratoga during the late 60's. The aircraft was a great work horse! I did get a launch & landing as part of my muster out from the squandran! Best regards to all that have served. 09/30/2011 @ 06:26 [ref: 49333] |
| Clyde Weddle San Andreas, CA | I spent about 2 years in VAQ-208.I was very proud to be the first reservist in five years to become a plane captain. With this I was able to fly as a crew member. At the time we had both 138 and 147 series air craft. I was in the squadron when one of our planes set the record for the longest flight of a carrier based air craft. It flew non stop from Rota Spain to Alameda. When it landed we had a crew of 3 that had to use the head real bad and about a dozen gripes. It was a great day for one of the best reserve squadrons in the navy at the time. At my age in my 60s I am still proud that I was a PC in 208. 208s CO at the time was CDR "Red" Whynn.
07/20/2011 @ 19:53 [ref: 42150] |
| Clyde Weddle San Andreas, CA | I spent about 2 years in VAQ-208.I was very proud to be the first reservist in five years to become a plane captain. With this I was able to fly as a crew member. At the time we had both 138 and 147 series air craft. I was in the squadron when one of our planes set the record for the longest flight of a carrier based air craft. It flew non stop from Rota Spain to Alameda. When it landed we had a crew of 3 that had to use the head real bad and about a dozen gripes. It was a great day for one of the best reserve squadrons in the navy at the time. At my age in my 60s I am still proud that I was a PC in 208. 208s CO at the time was CDR "Red" Whynn.
07/20/2011 @ 19:53 [ref: 42149] |
| Arbra W. Pierce Allen, OK | I couldn't belive my eyes when I saw 138944 on the tail of the A3 on the flight deck of USS Lexington.She was in VAH 10 in 63-65 I was the PC and flew 4Th seat.She was a bomber then without a refuel boom.we were on the Connie when they bombed the PT boat bases in North Vietnam 03/16/2011 @ 17:18 [ref: 36862] |
| Merlin Bayly AMS-2 Pleasant City, OH | I served in VAH-10 Det.59 USS Forrestal 1968-1970. On my last cruise (Med 69/70) we had 3 KA3-B Side #610-#611-#612.I dont know what the BuNos of those birds were. We returned to Norfolk in July 1970, where I was separated from active duty. The rest of the outfit were to return to NAS Whidbey Island. I worked on and flew in those birds many times as I was Airframes Shop supervisor and Q/A inspector during that last cruise. I dont know if this is the same bird or not. The pilot of #610 at that time was Lcdr. Gary Guisinger, I believe he retired to Columbus,Ohio area. Hope this helps your search!!!! 12/07/2010 @ 11:39 [ref: 33944] |
| L B Wing Oldsmar, FL | I was in VAH13 on Whidbey from 1962-64. I was crew chief (Plane captain ) on Bu No 138973 (608)- Kitty Hawk. I'm trying to track down what happened to that bird. so far I know that it was converted to a KA3B tanker and sent to VAH10 as (610). Then retired in about 1970 to SARDIP. Any Help would be appreciated. These were the Gentle Giants of the Navy fleet. It was an honor to care for and fly in, the "Skywarrior". Glad to see the efforts by many to preserve and deploy many of them to Museums. You can't really appreciate the size of the A3 relative to a Carrier until you actually see one on deck.An impressive bird for it's time. 10/09/2010 @ 06:48 [ref: 31349] |
| William Lynes Alameda, CA | 147666 was attached to attached to VAK-308 first then transfer to VAK-208. I noted when the museum first got the aircraft it was painted with VAK-208 squadron markings. The one thing I remember about the 147 series KA-3's was the big stink created when we received the aircraft less the ECM equipement it was supposed to have in it. Because of this screw-up both Reserve A-3 squadrons had to have their squadron designations changed from Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadrons to Airel Refueling Squadrons. The advantage of the 147 series over the older 138 series KA-3 was the leading edge slats on the wing inboard of the engines. One thing to know about VAQ/VAK-208 was that it won the the "Battle E" six times straight and was entitled to have a Golden E painted on each aircaft just behind and slightly below the cockpit. VAQ/VAK-208 had a very good reputation. I was fortunate to have served in this Squadron from Jan 1972 to Sept 1980. Then in VAQ/VAK-308 from Oct 1984 till it's decomission in Sep 1988. It was FUN and alot of hard work!!!!! 10/23/2009 @ 13:12 [ref: 25205] |
| Kenneth Simmons , CA | I was in VAK-208 for the last year. We had A/C 147648 (521), I guess it is at NAS Key West. 147655 (520) ?, 147657 (522) ?, and 147666 (523). Around March of 1989 we where on a 2 week det. to NAS Oceana to support the USS Eisenhower. Then in Sept. 1989 we flew in a C-141 to Langley AFB, then to the Azores and on to NS Rota, Spain for two weeks. The A-3's flew as Pathfinders for the A-6's that were going to Corsica. (we were originally to go to Corsica, but thr French Gov. said something about lack of airspace) Then we decommsion when we got be to Alameda. Can't remember if we had the four aircraft or just brought three. I worked in the airframe shop. I still have my decommissing booklet somewhere. 09/11/2009 @ 19:42 [ref: 25085] |
| Joe Hawkins , WA | It's too bad that 138944 is not marked on at least one side with the VAQ-34 red star and colors.
It's nice that they FINALLY got around to repainting it, now they need to do something about the droopy MLG doors. 01/20/2009 @ 01:32 [ref: 23518] |
Recent photos uploaded by our visitors
