Cavanaugh Skyraider's New Clothes

[Dan K]

https://www.facebook.com/CavanaughFligh ... =1&theater

[Chappie]

Gorgeous. Is this the one that was in VNAF colors? Are these new colors historically correct for the airframe?

Chappie

[Warbird Kid]

Looking Great!


Added here for the Facebook impaired.

[Ken]

Courtesy of WIXer SIDSIKO, here is 135152's operational history; VAW-12 is most appropriate:

AD-5W, 135152 accepted on charge, El Segundo, 28 Sep 1955.
O&R Norfolk, 9 Oct 1955.
O&R QP, 31 July 1956.
VAW-12, QP, 26 Nov 1956.
VAW-12 Det 33, abd Intrepid, 6 July 1957.
VAW-12 Det 42, abd Forrestal, 1 Nov 1957.
VAW-12, QP, 6 Nov 1957.
VAW-12 Det 33, abd Intrepid, 21 May 1958.
VAW-12, QP, 19 Aug 1958.
O&R QP, 27 Aug 1958.
VAW-12, QP, 26 March 1959.
VAW-12 Det 38, abd Tarawa, 25 Apr 1959.
VAW-12, QP, 6 May 1959.
VAW-12 Det 52, abd Valley Forge, 29 June 1959.
VAW-12, QP, 27 Aug 1959.
VAW-12 Det 38, abd Tarawa, 10 Sep 1959.
VAW-12, QP, 6 Oct 1959.
VAW-12 Det 48, abd Wasp, 19 Oct 1959.
VAW-12, QP, 20 Nov 1959.
VAW-12 Det 38, abd Tarawa, 27 Nov 1959.
VAW-12, QP, 14 Dec 1959.
VAW-12 Det 34, abd Champlain, 21 Jan 1960.
VAW-12, QP, 31 Jan 1960.
VAW-12 Det 52, abd Valley Forge, 12 March 1960.
VAW-12, QP, 21 March 1960.
VAW-12 Det 52, abd Valley Forge, 27 April 1960.
VAW-12, QP, 18 May 1960.
VAW-12 Det 34, abd Champlain, 4 Nov 1960.
VAW-12, QP, 9 Dec 1960.
O&R QP, 23 Dec 1960.
VAW-11, San Diego, 19 May 1961.
VAW-11 Det Q, San Diego, 1 Dec 1961.
VAW-11, North Island, 1 Aug 1962.
NAS Memphis, 22 Feb 1963.
SOC by the Navy next day, used as a training aid

A very nicely finished VAW-12 EA-1E model may be seen here: http://www.modelerv.com/AD5W_page.htm





Some of her sisters ...




Since I'm more of an Air Force A-1 history buff, I asked a good friend who flew A-7's in the Navy to explain the 2-letter tail code differences to me ... here is his response, edited for clarity.

"Those letters are indicative of the airwing to which the squadron is assigned. My old squadron was attached to Airwing One embarked aboard USS America. Our tail letters were AB. When the squadron was reassigned to Airwing Seven (not a normal event but occurs when the ships enter drydock or refit periods) the letters were changed to AE. All of the aircraft attached to that airwing have the same letters. Carrier borne squadrons were never split amongst airwings in my day and I do not think they did earlier. They would have just been a small squadron. Our E-2 Hawkeye squadron had only four aircraft. Our EA-6B squadron also had only six where the normal squadron had 12-14 planes. Back in the time of the Skyraider, we had many smaller carriers vice the much fewer in number large "supercarriers" common today. Having many airwings does not surprise me. I assume there would have been fewer of this airframe modification so they would have wanted to keep the operational versions at sea as much as possible. The pilots could have been kept current ashore with a generic version of the plane since the mission does not require any specific manuvering which would have required currency. The 703 on the cowl would have been the number in the squadron. We had 13 A-7E's which were numbered 300-312. Tradition dictates the 00 bird have the CAG's name (before everyone went TPS gray) and a special highlight to the paint scheme. This was often the "Sunday go to meeting" scheme and was commonly the more photographed bird for publicity. 301 had the skippers name and 302 the XO."

Ken

[MKD1966]

Gorgeous. Is this the one that was in VNAF colors? Are these new colors historically correct for the airframe?

Chappie

Chappie - I believe your thinking of the one owned by Jim Slattery out on the west coast... This bird here has always been grey over white - had "HA" on the tail and "152" on the cowling...
Mike

[Taylor Stevenson]

The new scheme is accurate for that airframe. Very cool.

[FG1D Pilot]

I spoke with the historian of VAW-12. VAW-12 had approx 44 AD5 aircraft. They would be "detached" to a carrier in groups of 4 or 5 and carried different two letter codes on each detachment. He didn't give me a standard for the use of letters. They had an Italian sailor in the group who spoke no English . He hand painted the Bats on the tails of all of the planes while they were ashore at Quonsit point in mid 1958. The group also used NE, AJ, AK, during these years.

[Snake45]

Wouldn't it be cool if they could come up with the big "guppy" radar pod for it!

[FG1D Pilot]

Wouldn't it be cool if they could come up with the big "guppy" radar pod for it!

I've thought about that!

[Ken]

I meant to include this nugget, actually from Wikipedia: "In Carrier Air Wing tail codes, the first letter denotes which fleet the Air Wing deploys from; A for Atlantic Fleet and N for Pacific Fleet."

Might take a touch more rudder trim with that fresh paint on the tail. Looking great!

Ken

[Rajay]

I meant to include this nugget, actually from Wikipedia: "In Carrier Air Wing tail codes, the first letter denotes which fleet the Air Wing deploys from; A for Atlantic Fleet and N for Pacific Fleet."

Ken

I actually knew that much already, but then I referred back to the first B&W photo of Bu no. 9567 which has "airwing" code GE on its tail and squadron number 715.
Guess that would be the Great Lakes fleet, huh?

[Ken]

This link opens a .pdf; pages 13-14 list the Navy tail codes 1964-1975. Although a couple years behind the EA-1E, the codes appear to be unchanged.

http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-1910/APP26.PDF

This list also shows some exceptions. VAW-12, according to Wiki, was re-designated CAEWW-12 (its own wing) and, finally disbanded and absorbed into VAW-123 in 1967. The detachments seemed to have their own unique tail codes which may have been, as my earlier post alluded, due to the fact that only 4 or so EA-1E's would deploy to a small carrier and not be "owned" by the air wing.

http://a4skyhawk.org/2e/navy-tail-codes.htm

and this reference ...

http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-1910/app23.pdf

[tom d. friedman]

the exhaust stains always makes a skyraider sexy!! they convey the brute strength of the engine

[Lynn Allen]

Wouldn't it be cool if they could come up with the big "guppy" radar pod for it!

I've thought about that!

Would make a great luggage rack...

[Dan K]

Would make a great luggage rack...

I have to admit my brain took a different line of thought.




Whole lotta' breweries in Wisconsin... whole lotta' thirsty Texans...


Just sayin'...