Новая Оспрейка.
За A-3 во Вьетнаме. Занятные фото, надо будет при оказии задуматься о приобретении.
[описание к профилям (англ.)...]RA-3B BuNo 144847, VAP-61, NAS Cubi Point, the Philippines, 1966 Early in the war VAP-61 realised that the standard grey and white US Navy camouflage scheme was too conspicuous for its specialised mission, which frequently entailed flight at low altitudes over North Vietnam at night. According to squadron lore a crew at Cubi Point painted an RA-3B dull black with spray cans and reported it as being far better suited to their nocturnal operations. Other aircraft were duly repainted through more deliberate means, possibly at contractor NIPPI in Japan. Details like side numbers and tailcodes were not carried, and not all aircraft had the squadron designation applied. The black scheme was soon replaced by officially approved mottled camouflage applied to aircraft at NARF Alameda. Unfortunately, the exact number of aircraft re-sprayed in either camouflage scheme remains unknown. In spite of the special paint, BuNo 144847 (which was delivered in April 1960) was hit by ground fire over North Vietnam during a night reconnaissance mission on 1 January 1968. Crashing into the sea 30 miles off Dong Hoi, no trace of the aircraft, or its three-man crew, was ever found.
RA-3B BuNo 144831 of VAP-61, Da Nang, South Vietnam, 1969 By roughly mid-1968 the A-3 depot at Alameda had designed a multi-toned camouflage scheme for large US Navy aircraft involved in low altitude night work over Vietnam, which included VAP-61 RA-3Bs and VAH-21 AP-2Hs. It appears that the scheme was not well received by VAP-61 crews, who felt overall black was a better treatment. Nevertheless, a number of RA-3Bs flew combat missions in this scheme until VAP-61 was removed from Vietnam in 1970. Several such camouflaged RA-3Bs were transferred to VQ-1 when VAP-61 was disestablished in July 1971. Delivered in September 1959, BuNo 144831 was retired in June 1976 and salvaged by NARF Alameda.
EA-3B BuNo 146459/PR 4 of VQ-1, Da Nang, South Vietnam, 1966 VQ-1’s markings remained remarkably consistent throughout the Vietnam War. They were also predictably simple, befitting the unit’s desire to remain unnoticed as it went about its work. Other than the jet’s ‘Peter Rabbit’ tailcode and single digit side number, there were no distinctive markings applied to VQ-1’s aircraft until after the war had ended. PR 4 was BuNo 146459, the 24th, and last, production A3D-2Q built (and delivered in July 1960), half of which had cambered leading edge wings. It would be one of the last ‘Whales’ on active duty, finally being retired to the Aircraft Maintenance And Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan AFB in September 1991.
[описание к профилям (англ.)...]RA-3B BuNo 144847, VAP-61, NAS Cubi Point, the Philippines, 1966 Early in the war VAP-61 realised that the standard grey and white US Navy camouflage scheme was too conspicuous for its specialised mission, which frequently entailed flight at low altitudes over North Vietnam at night. According to squadron lore a crew at Cubi Point painted an RA-3B dull black with spray cans and reported it as being far better suited to their nocturnal operations. Other aircraft were duly repainted through more deliberate means, possibly at contractor NIPPI in Japan. Details like side numbers and tailcodes were not carried, and not all aircraft had the squadron designation applied. The black scheme was soon replaced by officially approved mottled camouflage applied to aircraft at NARF Alameda. Unfortunately, the exact number of aircraft re-sprayed in either camouflage scheme remains unknown. In spite of the special paint, BuNo 144847 (which was delivered in April 1960) was hit by ground fire over North Vietnam during a night reconnaissance mission on 1 January 1968. Crashing into the sea 30 miles off Dong Hoi, no trace of the aircraft, or its three-man crew, was ever found.
RA-3B BuNo 144831 of VAP-61, Da Nang, South Vietnam, 1969 By roughly mid-1968 the A-3 depot at Alameda had designed a multi-toned camouflage scheme for large US Navy aircraft involved in low altitude night work over Vietnam, which included VAP-61 RA-3Bs and VAH-21 AP-2Hs. It appears that the scheme was not well received by VAP-61 crews, who felt overall black was a better treatment. Nevertheless, a number of RA-3Bs flew combat missions in this scheme until VAP-61 was removed from Vietnam in 1970. Several such camouflaged RA-3Bs were transferred to VQ-1 when VAP-61 was disestablished in July 1971. Delivered in September 1959, BuNo 144831 was retired in June 1976 and salvaged by NARF Alameda.
EA-3B BuNo 146459/PR 4 of VQ-1, Da Nang, South Vietnam, 1966 VQ-1’s markings remained remarkably consistent throughout the Vietnam War. They were also predictably simple, befitting the unit’s desire to remain unnoticed as it went about its work. Other than the jet’s ‘Peter Rabbit’ tailcode and single digit side number, there were no distinctive markings applied to VQ-1’s aircraft until after the war had ended. PR 4 was BuNo 146459, the 24th, and last, production A3D-2Q built (and delivered in July 1960), half of which had cambered leading edge wings. It would be one of the last ‘Whales’ on active duty, finally being retired to the Aircraft Maintenance And Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan AFB in September 1991.