Grumman A-6 Intruder

rich,my father was an a-6 piolet on the kitty hawk when you were there.wondering if you know anything about vf-85 thank you jeff

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I served with VMA(aw)242 as a Plane Captain, while at Danang Air Base RVN, 66-67, for DT-12 BN 152612. That bird was shot down in Nov67, pilot and B /N lost. The Intruder is not so pretty on the ground, but there is not a more graceful bird in flight.

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In 1967-68 Grumman converted nine Gulfstream I's into flying classrooms for the A-6A. Designation was the TC-4C "Academe". Had A-6A radar mounted on an extended nose and an instrumented A-6A "cockpit" built in rear of Gulfstream cabin. Repeater DVRI radar and navigational displays were provided at each of four student consoles (located further forward in cabin) so that five B /N trainees could learn how to operate the DIANE /DVRI radar system from experienced instructors while in flight. The four trainee B /N's, seated at the repeater consoles, could follow the attack procedure being worked at the A-6A simulated cockpit by the supervised fifth trainee.
Aircraft later upgraded to A-6E configuration.

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Did two WestPACS on the USS Enterprise with VA-196. As an AE I got to know this aircraft very well, it was great to work on. Did a couple of right seat flights, that was the highlight of my A6 TOUR.

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My older brother Jim Davenport was left seat in VMA AW 225 Vikings, MAG 11. I have a photo showing him in flight suit under port wing with racks loaded and ordnance painted "Merry Christmas". I assume photo was taken in Da Nang in Dec '68 or '69. Tail number seems to be 155706 or 708, but is partially obscured. Above Viking insignia on tail is "06". I was wondering if anyone knew Jim, or knew where this bird ended up. I know some are guarding gates and some are feeding fish off St. Augustine.

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Served in VMA(AW)242 & 225 in Danang, 121 & 332 at Cherry Point. I was in the Com /Nav and ECM shop.
Systems on this bird were way ahead of the times.
Many aircrews dropped off Aussie beer and VO at our shop
because the ECM saved the day.

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Flew in VA-115 on USS Midway (CV-41) from 1976-1979. A-6A's, -B's, -E's, plus KA-6D's. 300 traps, 100 at night. Lots of good B /N's - Tom Wycoff, Tom Bootes, "Sluggo" Steve Lugg, "TnA" Tim Anderson. Seawater over the bow, monsoons, pitching-rolling-heaving deck. These airframes took a beating and kept on ticking. Here's to good old Grumman Iron Works.

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Served in Vietnam with VMA(aw)-242, Nov. 67 to Dec. 68. Was trained as a J-52 engine mech. but once in country was assigned to the flight line as a plane capt. Amazing that this bird could fly. Loved them! Unbelievable all around durability. Some came back with elephant grass in their landing gear and many with holes from small arms. Many great pilots and B /N's.

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There are no A-6's operating at NAS Whidbey Island anymore. They were decommissioned quite a few years ago. The only ones there are static displays and a few parts planes on jacks. The planes in operation you might be confusing them with are the EA-6B's which are being phased out as well, and giving way to the EA-18G's, which are an electronic attack version of the F /A-18E's.

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The venerable A6 Intruder, I served in VA-128, 165 and 115. I was an airframer and later a CWO then LDO. It was a bitch to work on at times and you had to know your shit, no fancy flight control computers etc, had to rig the flight controls. removed and replaced struts and repacked them in the shop for the sake of expediency. Everything we did was with an extreme sense of urgency. When I was MMCO of VA-115 we out flew both VFA-192 and 195 (sortie generation). This is the epitome of a carrier based jet.

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The venerable A6 Intruder, I served in VA-128, 165 and 115. I was an airframer and later a CWO then LDO. It was a bitch to work on at times and you had to know your shit, no fancy flight control computers etc, had to rig the flight controls. removed and replaced struts and repacked them in the shop for the sake of expediency. Everything we did was with an extreme sense of urgency. When I was MMCO of VA-115 we out flew both VFA-192 and 195 (sortie generation). This is the epitome of a carrier based jet.

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I'm in aircraft restoration at the Yankee Air Museum. We are putting togteher a "composite" EA-6A from the parts of a number of different a /c and need erection and maintenace manuals for the job. Would appreciate any help or leads in this area.

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i served as an aircraft electrician,cherry point,and danang....vma(aw)242....67 /68.....we had a couple of a6's that were hanger queens,but most flew daily sorties,many came back with holes in the fuselage,and wings,but they came back...one that i worked on is in virginia on display.....haven't seen it yet..."03",may be at the Marine corps musem outside of quantico

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I was aboard the Kitty Hawk on it's '65-'66 deployment working in IMA "Production Control". We knew the avionics status of every aircraft aboard. I believe this was the second depoyment of the A-6. (VA-85?) Anyhow, as I recall, the A-6s were rarely 100% "up" and when they were, they were not on recovery. Even then, they were very effective at peturbing Uncle Ho.

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SOME ARE STILL OPERATING AT WHIBEY ISLAND NAS IN WASHINGTON

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VMA-533 '72-'73 nam phong power plants...the A-6 was the best damn flying plane ever built considering the design was alot like that of a humming bee...should not have been able to get off the ground and fly at all. From the three types of aircrafts I've trained and work on; A-6, F-4, F-14; The A-6 was always my favorite.

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My second favorite USN plane in the world!!!!!!

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I know this a /c very well. I was a catapult topside p.o. on Kitty Hawk in 66-67-68 during Vietnam. One night in March of 67 I got a lttle too close while bringing side no. 501 up for a midnight launch in monsoon weather. They were the only birds flying. The ship was pitching and rolling and about 50 knotts of wind coming over deck. Got a little to close and that powerful engine took me to the mat. All the way in. Luckily my used pilot's helmet and my foul weather jacket saved me from meeting my maker. Was in sickbay for two days trying to regain my hearing and let my internal organs reposition. When relased, went to chow up to berthing comp., showered and right back on the deck shooting more A-6's on the dreads in NVN. I thoroughly enjoyed hooking up the A-6. There was a certain mystique to that bird.

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Correcting my email in case the pilot and or nav would like to get in touch. Wrong email address in prior comment on being sucked into an A-6

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I worked com /nav /ecm (6614) on the A6E and after 'Nam on the EA6 Prowlers in the USMC. It was easy to work on as it was designed with an eye to maintenance form the start. The ECM load was great, but the one fellow above was correct, it was VERY pricey. There was one hardline coax for the ECM which was 23 feet long and cost over $200,000 by itself. I had flight skins on the A6 and often flew as an enlisted man when there were com /nav problems which only showed up at altitude. The aircraft was immensely strong and took a good deal of battle damage, as all Grumman aircraft will. The only part which gave us continual fits other than under-pressurized radios was the radar altimeter. For some reason the blasted, two-box thing had to be changed out on a regular basis. We even tried mounting it on extra shock mounts figuring it didn't like the takeoff and landing jarring. I served in Nam Phong (Rose Garden), Thailand during 'Nam. I worked on the EA6 Prowlers at Cherry Point, N.C.

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