• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

Marine EF-10B

But for MacNamara, we'd have had airwings full of W2F-3s, F13Fs, F5H-3s, F9B-1 and-2s, A2F-5s, A2F-2Qs, and F9B-2Qs. Bonus geek points for those who can match the designations to what they are/were. :)

F=Grumman, B=Boeing, H=McDonnell.
So, I'm gonna guess Hawkeye, Tomcat, Hornet, Intruder, Prowler, and Growler. I'm guessing F5H is also a hornet, since the F4H was the Phantom.
 
But for MacNamara, we'd have had airwings full of W2F-3s, F13Fs, F5H-3s, F9B-1 and-2s, A2F-5s, A2F-2Qs, and F9B-2Qs. Bonus geek points for those who can match the designations to what they are/were. :)

F9B would be Boeing-built Hornets. -1 (Legacy... but would the "C" model be the -2? and what about the tactical "D"?... let's say the A is the -1, B would be the -1T, C would be the -2 and tactical D would be the -3)
That would make the Super Hornets the -4 and -5
F9B-2Q would be the Growler, but might have been the -5Q if the above logic was followed
 
I'm actually writing two books on the subject. One on the F3D and the other on first generation USN/USMC night fighters.
 
Weirdest jet ever......they pulled one out of the outdoor museum for the airshow statics, and I scratched my head at it
 
origin of nickname "DRUT"

derived from the shape of the fuselage.

just spell it backwards.

this ain't no shit.
 
View attachment 9390View attachment 9391

Anyone here have time in on of these? Any good stories?
Finally found my Logbooks. Knew I had 1 flight in the Skynight way back in the day. Following applies:

07/10/59 F3D-2T2 124639 1A2 1.0 NTD - NTD

Good story? Well, LT Dick Stratton (noted ex-POW) & brand-new LTJG Busy Bee, were sent in 2 A4D-2s from VA-94 @ Alameda to NAS Pt. Mugu for TAD 5 days. The mission, to test fire 10 AGM-12B 'Bullpup-B Missiles each from 5 new lots of 100 each...over the 5 days. On the 2nd day, I had a PM Bullpup firing hop at the Edwards AFB range, so in the free time AM, accepted the offer of a short right seat gig in the strange looking "DRUT"! Don't remember much more than the flight was routine, but the bird felt under-powered.

The live missile experience really came in handy some 7 years later, when I deployed on my first combat cruise as head of the "Bullpup Team" in VA-146. Had outstanding success over the two cruises with the little B Model (250# w/h) & on the 2nd crruise with the NEW C Model (1,000# w/h}. As an aside, had direct hits on the infamous Thanh Hoa bridge with both B & C Models. Neither one did more than slightly scar that monster structure. It was never worth the many birds, both USN & USAF, we lost there. :(
BzB----->Bullpup Preflight.jpg
 
Back
Top