A-6 Intruder | The "Iron Tadpole" Or "Drumstick" | Grumman All Weather Marine corps Attack Aircraft
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 พ.ย. 2022
- The Grumman A-6 Intruder is an American twinjet all-weather attack aircraft developed and manufactured by American aircraft company Grumman Aerospace and operated by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.
It was designed in response to a 1957 requirement issued by the Bureau of Aeronautics for an all-weather attack aircraft for Navy long-range interdiction missions and with short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability for Marine close air support. It was to replace the piston-engined Douglas A-1 Skyraider. The requirement allowed one or two engines, either turbojet or turboprop. The winning proposal from Grumman used two Pratt & Whitney J52 turbojet engines. The Intruder was the first Navy aircraft with an integrated airframe and weapons system. Operated by a crew of two in a side-by-side seating configuration, the workload was divided between the pilot and weapons officer (bombardier/navigator (BN)). In addition to conventional munitions, it could also carry nuclear weapons, which would be delivered using toss bombing techniques. On 19 April 1960, the first prototype made its maiden flight.
The A-6 was in service with the United States Navy and Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, during which time multiple variants were prototyped and produced. Two of the more successful variants developed were the EA-6B Prowler, a specialized electronic warfare derivative, and the KA-6D tanker version.It was deployed during various overseas conflicts, including the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. The A-6 was intended to be superseded by the McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II, but this program was ultimately canceled due to cost overruns. Thus, when the A-6E was scheduled for retirement, its precision strike mission was initially taken over by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat equipped with a LANTIRN pod.
As a result of the fair-weather limitation of the propeller-driven Skyraider in the Korean War and the advent of turbine engines, the United States Navy issued preliminary requirements in 1955 for an all-weather carrier-based attack aircraft. The U.S. Navy published an operational requirement document for it in October 1956. It released a request for proposals (RFP) in February 1957. This request called for a 'close air support attack bomber capable of hitting the enemy at any time'. Aviation authors Bill Gunston and Peter Gilchrist observe that this specification was shaped by the service's Korean War experiences, during which air support had been frequently unavailable unless fair weather conditions were present.
In response to the RFP, a total of eleven design proposals were submitted by eight different companies, including Bell, Boeing, Douglas, Grumman, Lockheed, Martin, North American, and Vought. Grumman's submission was internally designated as the Type G-128.
General characteristics
Crew: 2 (pilot, bombardier/navigator)
Length: 54 ft 9 in (16.69 m)
Wingspan: 53 ft 0 in (16.15 m)
Width: 25 ft 2 in (7.67 m) wing folded
Height: 16 ft 2 in (4.93 m)
Wing area: 528.9 sq ft (49.14 m2)
Aspect ratio: 5.31:1
Empty weight: 26,660 lb (12,093 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 60,400 lb (27,397 kg) (shore-based operations)
Fuel capacity: 2,385 US gal (1,986 imp gal; 9,030 L) (internal fuel)
Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0144
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney J52-P8B turbojets, 9,300 lbf (41 kN) thrust each
Performance
Maximum speed: 560 kn (640 mph, 1,040 km/h) at sea level
Cruise speed: 412 kn (474 mph, 763 km/h)
Stall speed: 98 kn (113 mph, 181 km/h) (flaps down)
Never exceed speed: 700 kn (810 mph, 1,300 km/h)
Combat range: 878 nmi (1,010 mi, 1,626 km) (with max payload)
Ferry range: 2,818 nmi (3,243 mi, 5,219 km)
Service ceiling: 42,400 ft (12,900 m)
g limits: -2.4 to 6.5
Rate of climb: 7,620 ft/min (38.7 m/s)
Lift-to-drag: 15.2
Take-off run to 50 ft (15 m): 4,530 ft (1,380 m)
Landing run from 50 ft (15 m): 2,540 ft (770 m)
Armament
Hardpoints: Five hardpoints with a capacity of 3,600 lb (1,600 kg) each (4 under wings, 1 under fuselage), 18,000 lb (8,200 kg) total, with provisions to carry combinations of:
Rockets:
12x LAU-10 4-round 5 inch (127 mm) Zuni pods
12x LAU-68 7-round 2.75 inch (70 mm) FFAR pods
12x LAU-61/LAU-68 19-round 2.75 inch (70 mm) FFAR pods
Missiles:
AGM-45 Shrike anti-radar missile × 2
AGM-78 Standard ARM anti-radar missile × 2
AGM-62 Walleye TV-guided glide bomb
AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missile× 6
AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile/AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missile × 4
AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missile
AGM-123 Skipper air-to-ground missile
AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile
ADM-141 TALD decoy missiles
Bombs:
28× Mk 82 500 lb (227 kg) GP bombs or Mk 20 Rockeye II cluster bomb
13× Mk 83 1,000 lb (454 kg) GP bombs
5× Mk 84 2,000 lb (907 kg) GP bombs
5x GBU-12/16/10 laser-guided bombs
5x CBU-72 Fuel-Air Explosives
Up to three B43, B57 or B61 nuclear weapons
Other:
Mk 60 Captor Mine
Up to 5 300 US gal (250 imp gal; 1,100 L) drop tanks
Various practice stores, chaff launchers, baggage pods, flares
#a6 #intruder #aircraft - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Click the link to watch more aircraft, heroes and their stories, missions: www.youtube.com/@Dronescapes
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@@ronringwald5120 Thank you! Welcome onboard Ron :)
Why is it such an incredible airplane
I flew Intruders in the Marines from July '69 until May '71. On one flight off shore from MCAS Iwakuni, Japan I dumped the nose from 48,000 feet and left the power on. The mach indicator rose quickly to .98 and then stopped. A moment later the plane went into mach tuck and I recovered by pulling power to minimum and extending the speed brakes. When I got back to base the tech rep informed me that the mach indicator would not show anything higher than .98 and I had been supersonic. I don't know if anyone else has ever had one faster than the speed of sound but it was a ride I'll never forget.
That was common in the Prowler - when it was clean - as well.
"Mach tuck" ????
What is that ???
@@dex2591 compression over control surfaces?
@@dex2591 at high speeds air resistance causes control surfaces to lock up and become unresponsive. The P-38 was notorious for the problem.
@@jamesmccaul2945 you are an idiot sir.
I was part of the “Older Generation”. Flew 88 missions over The Trail while on board the Connie, 69 - 70, plus other assorted missions such as the duty tanker. I was blessed to continue to fly the Intruder for many years afterwards. One great aircraft. Thanks for making this documentary on a one a kind aircraft.
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@Sinista Saints yeah it was a real treat sound wise. I figure it was the kink in the tail pipe. In tension on the cat it hits a painful sound frequency. You can feel it vibing your internal organs. Your teeth start itching while they shake in your gums. I hated pulling maintenance(A-7E) next to our A6 squadrons while they did a prolonged high power turn. Got a headache every time. The last CAG I was in the A-6 squadron musta had a bunch of problem.child airframes. Them poor guys worked their sacks off keeping birds up.
That's pretty cool. It isnt the prettiest girl at the dance but she knows how to throw down in the parking lot. I had some kin on that cruise. Power plants AIMD. Personally I always thought you A6 and A7 drivers had the best flying job in the CAG. Hats off to you.
I remember swapping out CSD's on the duty tanker. It was on the cat, port engine. Shut it down, myself, an AE and another ADJ swapped one out in record time. Nighttime carrier operations are exciting!!!
I got to take a cat shot and fly and operate the tanker package. I was a ADJAN and the squadron skipper took me up. CDR Owens. It was amazing!
They say they were flying old A-6s in the 80. Well we at VAQ-130 flew the EA-6B, the electronic attack version of the A-6, all the way till 2011, when we gave them to the Marines and replaced them with EA-18Gs. It was a beautiful plane that you probably wouldn't love unless you spent years of your life working on them.
The Marines flew the EA-6a in three squadrons from the mid 60s to mid 70s before the EA-6bs came on line. I was deployed on Forrestal, Sara, and America in 1970--71 with VMCJ-2. IN 85 86, I was with VMA(aw)533 on Kennedy.
Always loved that plane. Nothing flashy. Just a dependable and effective way to bring the pain.
" A-6 INTRUDER Go in deeper, Stay longer, Drop a bigger load "
I was in VA 35 first tour was on Enterprise 67 68 second tour was on Coral Sea 69 70 lots of memories, the A6 was ahead of it's time
Thank you for your service Neal
I was in VA-35 from '81-'85
@@K3KTB Thank you for your service Kevin!
Its not an ugly duckling. It's a glorious dragonfly
I used to work on the Intruder. The greatest plane ever built. A-6, Penetrates deeper, Lingers longer, and drops a bigger load!
I was in VA115 (Midway) and later VA145 NAS Whidbey before discharge in 78. Great aircraft, great memories!
@@gregsmith7428 I was with VMA (aw) 533 at Cherry Point. I was also discharged in 78.
Gotcha! 😁🇺🇸
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Really a NAVY movie i served inVA-35 from Oceana VA and onboard the USS Nimitz!!!!
Me too
I was an enlisted puke, leading seaman 1981 with VA-75 USS John F Kennedy CV-67. I was support personnel and almost insignificant to the Squadron but we received the huge aircraft maintenance award (1981) awarded to us by a civilian that was so important we were told individually by an officer to salute him as he presented the civilian token award. Anyway..I was aware the VA-75 was the top VA Squadron in the Navy and very proud to be a member of her. I saved 3 of her junior enlisted airmen from smoke inhalation. In the book USS John F Kennedy, VA-76 skipper and XO are talked about in detail.
The American aircraft industry are masters at producing brilliant planes with amazing capabilities. These are then put to maximum effective use by the heroes that fly in them. Thanks a lot. Colin UK.
I retired in 1990 my last outfit was VA-85 Black Falcons. Was AME just glad they never had to use my seats. Great bird I do miss it.
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Iron tadpole has to be one of the best nicknames ever. Grumman Iron forever!
I always laughed at "The Flying Drumstick" 😊
Everything from Grumman was superb
A6 and A 10 are Fighters that only Mama can Love, but they are Loved by men and women from the Ground UP.
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I proudly served in VA-35 i loved working on the plane.....Sometimes these videos are technically incorrect but the plane is and was one hell of a plane....
I served in VA-35 too.
VA-35 Black Panther AMS Final Checker here, 85-89.
My Dad and Grandfather Built A-6 Intruders at Grumman in Calverton, Long Island, NY.
VA-34 AT FD troubleshooter 1974-77
Was on the Forrestal and watched an A6 get shot off the waist the front wheel came off and folded one of the engines, he disappeared below the flight deck and dropped his bombs racks and all and pulled it out. Did a belly landing at a shore station
Sean Gelarden - That was some serious "keeping a cool head", staying focused, doing everything to avoid ditching, skillful flying of the aircraft.
I help build every A-6E at Grumman on Long Island from 1986 to the last one including all the A-6F’s. It was my favorite Grumman Aircraft to work on!!!! Built like a tank!! They didn’t call Grumman the “Ironworks” for nothing!
Thank you for your service!
I was a Plane Captain on a brand new A6A in 1963 in the first Marine squadron VMA(AW)242 training with the Navy squadron VA42.
Thank you for your service
Semper Fi! Devil Dawg! Gunny M.
I remember seeing 242 at MAG-13 at El Toro in the early 80's.
Friends I had in the VietNam war had nothing but good to say about the A-6 intruder....tough and simple as a claw hammer and the ability to get you home in almost any condition or no matter the weather. It cannot be classified as a dogfighter due to lack of armament but for ground attack and for "getting down in the weeds" it was excellent. Always important for the A-6 was the F-4 Phantom flying cover. In this upload they bring out the major difficulties in being an A-6 driver and that is getting "feet wet" and back home after a mission.......finding the ship, getting an accurate read on the "meatball" and catching the wire. Only then can they begin to sweat out the adrenaline.....too bad our boys couldn't have a couple of shots and beers to help them unwind after the mission. My respect to all the A-6 crews out there and God Bless. The more you look at an A-6, the more beautiful they become.
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@@tvtothepoint On paper the A-12 was slated to replace the A-6 which the Marine Corps retired in 1993 and the Navy retired in 1997. With the cancellation of the A-12 in 1991 that role was dumped entirely upon the legacy F/A-18 with disastrous results that haven't been solved since. Snodgrass and company were able to get Bombcat capabilities expedited but its fate had already been sealed by Cheney in 1991.
@@tvtothepoint I am no fan of Cheney, especially as VP, but I think his cancellation of the A-12 was a good move, and he was a pretty good Sec Def in general. Where the Navy/Congress screwed up was not funding an upgraded version of the Intruder, which Grumman had proposed. Currently there is no replacement for the A-6 out there, the Super Hornet is left to carry the load dropped with the retirement of the A-6, the F-14, the A-7, and the S-3. The Navy has spanking new supercarriers but needs to tend to its aircraft lineup. The F-35 is one building block but not enough.
The more you look at an A6-A/E ,, THE MORE BEAUTIFUL THEY BECOME~!~ Same with a woman,,, they grow on you, and in you, your heart!!!! Looks are just the paint & make up ,,, it's what's under the hood that matters,,,
because paint & make up fade pretty quickly~!~!~!~
Worked the Cats on 2 carriers one of my all time favorite planes. Nothing like giving the Tension signal n feeling the air flow over your cranial as u check the hook n the tbar. Those where good times for sure!
I was a final checker also, adrenalin rush every launch!
Don't skip the last few minutes guys. Thanks DS
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VA-145 Swordsmen (puking dog) A6 Intruder. NAS Whidbey Island, Oak Harbor, WA, Island County. USS KITTY HAWK CV 63 (WestPac '84), USS Ranger CV 61 (RimPac '86). 1984 - 86 my time with this squadron AD3. Cmd Langston, Commanding Officer our "Skipper. "
Thank you for your service Byron
@@Dronescapes Very nice of you. Welcome. I'd do this again if needed.
I always thought the A6 was an attractive aircraft. Sure, it lacked the rakishness of your typical fighter, but the A6 was never intended to be a fighter. And it was GOOD at it's job. Just like the A10, not a fighter, but extremely good at what it was designed to do.
Had the great honor of flying the Intruder through the 1970’s; models A, B, and KA-6D and E (prior to the “basketball’” under the nose). Always got me home.
Thank you for your service and for sharing your memory Ken
The A6 and the A10 are my favorite modern(?) aircraft.
Jake Grafton approves this video
That's a blast from the past. I loved that book.
I worked for Grumman on Long Island, N.Y. building and overhauling the Intruders. Many aircraft were overhauled multiple times, some as many as three times. It was a brute of an aircraft and built like a tank, simple and rugged construction throughout. One time we had to clear the plant when a worker found an unexploded 37mm round still logged in the tail section ! The A6 programs were killed off because of politics, not it's usefulness.
Spent over a decade working on these aircraft at the intermediate level. VA115 AIMD USS Midway and SEAOPDET13 AIMD USS Ranger 1980 to 1991 including Desert Storm.
A6 is beautiful aircraft, just as A4.
On the flight line in va128 the officer got out of the plane looking at his bomb rack pulled the branch off it and said yep I figured I would find that
My 'uncle' Steve flew A-6s and ended up being one of the test pilots for Boeing when they did the wing upgrade for the EA-6B aircraft. I remember being 11 or 12 years old and him bringing me a poster advertising the project as "new wings for a seasoned warrior" for the pride of NAS Whidbey Island. Truly one of the cooler people I've ever known. Thanks for uploading this!
VA128 1967 NASWhidbey Is. training sqd.
6:15 . . . 'Old Plane' ? In The U S Air Force we have an aircraft that's mature enough to have been flown by their Grandfather - the B-52, Buff. 🇺🇲
They were really the best all-weather planes of their day.
The headline says Marine Corps Attack Aircraft, all I saw was Navy planes. I was one of the lucky ones to get assigned to VMA(AW)-242. We trained with VA-42 in NAS Oceana, VA.
Was on Enterprise when they deconned the last A-6 squadron VA-75 in 1996. All of the ships flightdeck and squadron crews were on the deck for the last cat launch.
Sad day
Personally I think it's one of the coolest jets! love the f 16 14 n 15 but A-6 intruder it's just awesome..
It really is!
We had lot's of A-6's on my carrier. Probably the most well rounded and capable aircraft the Navy ever had. The Intruder, the Prowler, EA6-B and the Tanker. I know one thing for sure; loudest plane in the Navy! Tough, strong, adaptable; awesome bird.
I went Naval Training at Meridian adjacent to NAS Meridian. A6s trained there and I will confirm that yes they are rhe loudest bird I ever heard. Even when they landed at Cubi Point they were way louder than the f18s and f14s . When the carriers unloaded ashore before coming ashore the A6s always stood out as far as sound. Amazing how 32 years has flown by since then.
@@AutoHoax Happy Veterans Day and thank you for your Service. It's been 40 years ago that I'd gone through Great mistakes for Basic Training.
F4 was a loud plane.
I love this Airplane!
My birdies. Worked on all the avionics for this beast. APS-130, APQ-148/156, FLIR, ALQ-99 ECM, RADCOM, MINISACE.
They were slow but they were tough as nails and low goers.
@@tvtothepoint Nah. Wish I'd worked in the field in civilian life but there was really no jobs for electronics technicians. Jumped into industrial automation. Pretty boring but paid okay. Haven't used an O-Scope, spectrum analyzer, RF Gen, TDR or huntron tracer since. Just a Fluke meter and PLC programs. Like I said. BORING.
@@tvtothepoint I've written ladders for filling and packaging lines assembled from mismatched junk bought in an used equipment warehouse that worked like a dream but just never got paid handsomely because I didn't have a BEE.
That's pretty much all the young engineers do nowadays. They understand how to make charts and graphs for the head shed to look at but haven't a clue how the machines operate on a daily basis.
I was in almost all a-6 squadrons. from 242, 224 225,332 and was a Parachute Rigger in them ( we brought them home alive) Semper -fi Marines.
I was in 121 for a little while. Out of El Toro in the mid 80's.
I worked in the com/nav shop for group 14 at cherry point. Never got got to know which squadron I actually was attached to.
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@@averymanning2419 Which one did you check in with before getting sent to H&MS-14 or were you a MALS Marine?
Flight of the Intruder by Stephen Coonts. The book became a best seller, due to endorsements from Tom Clancy and President Reagan. The book spent about 6 months on the best seller list and sold over 230,000 copies. A movie was filmed based on the book in 1991.
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I have a print of Stephen Coonts aircraft called Going in Hot, signed by the William Phillips and Stephen Coonts
Great movie.
I loved that book!
My first read of Stephen Coonts! I'm a library geek. Not a wealthy man! Excellent writer!
The A-6 is the carrier air wing's main battery. All other squadrons support the main battery.
I became a US Marine in June of '82. By the end of April '83 my MOS was 7011 Launch & Recovery. But by '83 the launch portion was gone. We were known as EAF'rs (EE-FERS) Expeditionary Air fields. We were trained to setup a portable airfield anywhere in the world. Plus we ran the shore based arresting gear. Running & maintaining the primary M-21's (Diesel retrieve engines) E-28's (Gasoline) emergency gear. And the M-5 abort chain gear. 1 late night we got a call from El Toro tower stating that they had an A-6 requesting an emergency, total hydraulic failure. Our crew scrambled & got out to our primary gear on I believe but not for sure it was on 34 right. It took quite awhile until we saw the landing light on the nose. I was on point, after we had arrested the bird, I signaled the pilot to raise the tail hook, but he just shrugged his shoulders & raised his hands up. Crash crew(ARFF) was placing buckets under the A-6 catching the fluid. We had to use a come a long to raise the tail hook high enough to clear the deck pendant to free the aircraft. The WSO climbed down from the A-6 & walked off, (didn't say a word nor looked back) into the darkness towards his squadron, I guess he'd had enough! Any Navy Marine Corps aircraft with a tail hook we could trap it. I've trapped them all. Even a few Air force birds! They have their own gear, I believe it's called Bach 5 (respectively)
Semper Gumby!! - Gunny M.
Sorry for the duplicate comment. I had got kicked out of TH-cam while i was amending my story. The 1 I finalized is above. Like my friend says... Computers will do exactly what they WANT to do!!
Was a 7011 at CHU LAI from 66 to 67 with MAG 12, trapped A4’’s ,6’s and F4’s.
I was a jet engine mechanic in the Navy in the early 70's. I was stationed at NAS Oceana. I worked on the engines from this airplane many times. It was a good job.
Thank you for your service Jimmy!
As I was a jet mechanic in the mid to late 80's out of whidbey island, wash.
I was at Oceania 67-68 VA42 was in the chow hall when an A6 augered in.never forget that one
J52-p-8 ?
One of the best plane ever made. Great looking great preformance. . ❤
I was stationed at Cherry Point MCAS, NC in the mid 80’s. My shop was at the end of the flight line, when these aircraft taxied or took of near our end of the flight line everyone had to stop talking because you could not even hear yourself talk much less here anyone else!!! DAMN THESE THINGS ARE LOAD!!!
VA-85 Black Falcons, sounds like a gang. Because we were. Mr. White was one of my pilots. I'm parachute rigger airman Rodriguez now 61. I'm proud to have been part of this mission I served for my country. May we all always remember our past, present, and future heroes. Without them, we couldn't have our way of life. Amen to all that have served and still serving. Never forget those who have fallen. God speed.
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God bless all the men and women who protect our great country for without them we would not exist!
My first squad. Was VMA aw 225 for tour to Vietnam in 69. Transfered to VMA aw 533 in Iwakuni Japan. After 1970 was with VMCJ 2 on the USS Forrestal. Crossdecked to Saratoga for 2 months, then again to USS America. Stayed with J-2 untill 73. In 84 was assigned to 533 for deployment om USS Kennedy. Retired in 87. Lots of changes between 73 and 84. The uhf radio in the early A-6 weighed about 55 lbs. The uhf radio in the A-6E weighed about 10 lbs. Semper Fi.
Thank you for your service James
I was a hydraulic mechanic on the USS CORAL SEA 1972 furring operation linebacker, VMA-AW-224, rejoined my original squadron VMA-AW-533, at the Rose Garden, Nam phong, Thailand, until I returned to Cherry Point 73-74 😎👍
Hey, we planned to carry Sidewinders on tactical missions. We had "one" Magic turn to get a nose on the bad guy. Soooo the fighters learned that we could take them.
I was a signalman on USS Harlan County LST 1196 (tank landing ship full of marines) back in 1981. I was enjoying a cup of coffee on the signal bridge one fine day in the sea off Libya, just stepped out of the signal shack, an A6 flew a few feet off our starboard side, right in front of me. BOOM! The lookouts never saw it coming. Very cool!
👍🇺🇸 Thank you for your service Jerry
Probably the cutest military jet I've ever seen. It just looks so friendly
I can proudly say, that I worked on and helped build the F-14 TOMCAT, the A6-A, the A6-E, and the E2-C SPYPLANE,
all at GRUMMAN AIRCRAFT CORP., PLANT-6, CALVERTON, LONG ISLAND, N.Y. ~!~ GREAT MEMORIES INDEED~!~
my dad worked at calverton - rich podlaski - he hated working on the a6 with a passion
@@alexsmith-jh1yq Hi! I worked there in the early 70's. I did the modifications on the A6A converting
them to A6E'S! I also worked on the F-14 TOMCAT, and the E2C SPYPLANE! Cheers!!!!
My Grandfather Jim VanEssendelft, worked for Grumman for 36 years.... He too worked on everything that was made by Grumman. He retired in 1979. He took all of us grand kids to Galveston on his last day. I was 13 yo. Sat in the rio seat and go a Polaroid pic of me, in an Iranian painted F-14 that was being delivered that week.
Calverton... Damn Auto correct spelling!
VMA(AW) Green Knights seat mechanic aboard the USS Ranger in the mid 80's. The A6 is a work house and one of the loudest aircraft ever built. Standing between catapults final checking that beast, it rumbled so loud before it cat shot that you would swear the fillings in your teeth were going to pop out of your teeth. As small as this aircraft is, it can carry so much ordnance (#2 behind only the B52 in tonnage weight). As long as she (the A6) flew everyday, she did great. However, if the A6 sat without flying more than 2 days, all sorts of gremlin work rear their ugly face...and cause all sorts of problems. But if she flew all the time, she was a work horse that could refuel other aircraft, drop a buttload of bombs, and safely return the Aircrew back home. If you were an aircraft mechanic, she was a great airplane to cut your teeth on. Almost 30 years later and 3 other military aircraft later, I would put the A6 and EA-6B as one of the greatest aircraft our military ever utilized. That's my 2 cents, the other 98 are free. Semper Fi
NAS Whidbey Island. 1972-1980, VA-128, VA-52 power plants, USS Kitty Hawk... Then VAQ-309 on EA-6A's. I was a drop tank specialist. Buddy stores rule!
Your pilots flew over our house almost daily. There were 150' tall firs on one side, 600' of pasture and more 150' firs. It rocked my socks to see those planes drop below tree level for the brief second it took to traverse the pasture.
Location: a mile or so south of US 12 @ I 5 junction.
Sadly made "popular by civies" with the Movie "Flight of the Intruder"...
I was always in awe of this Aircraft since the late 1980's when doing as much research on "Global Aircraft", and also building Aircraft Carrier Models from the 1940's to current.
I had no idea what they where at first, but fell in love with their abilities!
Some of us out there think the A-6 is quite a pretty design, functional and tough, it did the job it was designed to do... haul the payload and "deploy" it where it was needed in any weather and under horrendous conditions that alot of aircraft wouldn't survive.
I love the workhorses. I've never been a huge fan of pretty airplanes.
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When I was young, an A-6 crashed near my home in WV. It was shocking to hear that testimony. Someone obviously was distracted in awe, and both pilots paid the ultimate price.
What do u mean? Did someone on the ground do something to cause it?
We had a squadron of them aboard the USS Ticonderoga CVA-14 when I was aboard in '66-'68. One heck of a plane.
I worked on these in the late 80's at Cherry Point. Never once heard one called an iron tadpole or drumstick. All I ever heard them called was a flying brick.
i was in Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 224 (was decommissioned in 1999) deployed to the USS Coral Sea CVA-43 (cut up for scrap 1999) which was an A-6 squadron. We went on Yankee Station in Sept. 1971 and left sometime in Aug. 1972 if I remember correctly. The A-6 is the reason I lost my hearing as no hearing protection was required back then. While off the coast of Vietnam I made Sgt. E-5. I helped to arm the A-6's and built many tail fin assemblies for the Mk V 750 lb. bombs. We even used laser guided bombs which were the grand dad to the JDAM's of the 1980's. A-6A, A-6B, KA-6D tanker and EA-6B Prowler aircraft were flown in our squadron. There were two F-4 Phantom fighter squadrons aboard (Navy) VF-111 and VF-51and two A-7 Corsair squadrons (Navy) VA-22 (and can't remember the other) aboard. We were the only Marine squadron on the USS Coral Sea for the '71 - '72 WestPac cruise. Tail identifier was NL for the Coral Sea. That was such a long time ago it's hard to remember everything especially after my heart surgery in 2018. I was out (unconscious) for over a week. None lost to enemy fire is bullshit. Tell that to Lt. Joseph McDonald's widow. Tell that to Capt. David B. Williams' widow. We lost several crews to enemy action in Vietnam. Cheers from eastern Tennessee
VA-145 Swordsmen, 1984-87-U.S.S. Kitty Hawk & U.S.S. Ranger. Airframe flight deck troubleshooter (final checker). I can still remember the names of my fellow shooters-they were like brothers to me. We went through a lot together.
Thank you for your service AJW
Ships company same time on the Ranger. BZ bro.
Nice VA146 here. AO 1983 - 87 USS Kitty Hawk same years.
I was in VA-145 from 1967 to 1971. Went to Vietnam twice once and 67 aboard the USS Enterprise and again on the USS Ranger.
A very fine tribute to this tough Navy plane. Some wonderful footage and stories from these brave pilots and navigators who flew in them.
Don't forget the Marines flew them too. Plus the EA-6B Prowler was the best in this air frame. VMAQ-2!!
Awesome aircraft featured in the movie "Flight of the Intruder".
May God Bless each of you, my heroes, for how honorably you served during wars and peacetimes. ❤️🙏👍💫
Thank You. Jerry Conner (Caldwell) leading seaman VA-76 USS John F Kennedy CV-67 (1981).
what an all-around great aircraft
I spent nearly four years on the USS Enterprise CVN 65 early 1975 to late 1978 as a Boatswains Mate and the most favorite plane was the A6
I think the A6 is a good looking aircraft. And a new probably lighter more advanced model would be very useful. Especially if it had vertical take off and landing capability.
I was a helicopter mechanic in the Marines at Tustin CA, used to see the A6 flying out of El Toro all the time. That was a tough bird that served a long long time, 30 years is a pretty good record for any military aircraft.
I was at El Toro with 242 and half my buddies were at 121.... when they weren't on the Ranger
It lasted into the late 90s like it was supposed to. We did good.✈
I was stationed @ El Toro as a 7011 Recovery Specialist attached to SOMS. We'd often go over to LHA Tustin. It's a cryin' shame that they closed both bases!! Semper Gumby!!
The Navy flew the A-6 attack aircraft over Hanoi to drop bombs, and some of them didn't return. However, they had faith in their bombers. I was in VA-75, and our squadron spent 16 months there flying off the Saratoga.
VA-75 here as well. The good old Sinking Sara. That's one ride I don't miss at all.
Joe Mobely was the CO for a bit when I was there. He spent 7 years as a POW after taking that one way ride "Downtown".
Atkron 75 Sunday Punchers
"The Flying Aces"
Instructions to Eject.
Do I say roger or... just do it or what?
You even say "huh," you'll be talking to yourself... 'cause I'll be gone."
To a new BN, “you get a one potato and I’m gone”
I’ve always thought of the A-6 as a Radome with a fuselage equipped with wings. I was stationed aboard MCAS El Toro twice: first time with H&MS-11 (AIMD) supporting Phantom IIs, second time with H&MS-13 supporting A-4s, A-6s and KC-130s. VMA (aw) 121 & 242 A-6Es seemed to put more flights into the air than any of the other MAG-13 Aircraft Squadrons.
The distinctive feature of the A-6E is the inverted “R2-D2” TRAM (Target Recognition Attack Module) installed just ahead of the nose gear.
I was told by some of the Intruder ground personnel that the wing structures of the A-6s were being scrutinized for degradation from their long service life. Carrier service aboard Aircraft Carriers can shorten the service life of any aircraft by about half from what the “Tin Benders” told me.
Aircraft Squadron personnel tend to be very loyal to well designed Aircraft Designs, this was/is true of the A-6 in all of its variations.
Wing roots were having issues, they were replaced on the prowler.
I’m not a pilot but I have always loved this aircraft and thought it was a beautiful beast of a plane.
I had a Janes Flight Simulator game many years ago. I was really surprised that the A-6 seemed to be a great aircraft.
Even though I was an Air Force guy I always loved the A-6. One correction, however. The narrator talks about the "high flying B-52s". I was a B-52 tail gunner and flew the first night of desert storm. It was a low altitiude mission to an airfield in Iraq. We had to climb up to 1000 feet to give our bombs time to arm after release and then right back down on the deck to egress.
Yeah, The A-6E is one tough jet! It reminds me of the early A-10...Not impressive by look, but very capable.
Many did not think it looked nice, personally...I love the looks
@@Dronescapes I do, too. It has a purposeful look.......not having things it does not need
It certainly didn't look good if you were an enemy soldier seeing it coming at you, but the Marines being supported found it rather pretty on the other hand.
Google the Grumma. Mohawk. It.was designed similar time frame as A-6.
I knew a guy flew them in Vietnam. Two bird army flight short on gogo juice so they diverted to a USAF base to top off. So they decide to show boat a bit over the air base before landing.
What they didnt know was Merlin Olds had just returned to the base and was celibrating a famous mission that bagged a Mig kill or two.
This bad boy is one of my favorite aircraft besides the F-4!!!!!
Cherry point NC, 1974-1976. VMAT AW 202, flight equipment. Started with Sgt. Rast, then SSgt. Paul Pajack. What a trip, training squadron super bunch of great pilots and BN. I was there when we lost the crew on training plane, can't remember the name. Traject.
since i built a Tester model of this bird as a child in the early 70's, i always loved its' lines - somehow it made me think the designer used a moth (the insect) to draw upon in designing it
Andy Man - Thank you for "moth" comment. You saved me from posting a similar thought. For decades, I always felt like it looked like a moth.
I used to assemble plastic model airplanes. Was recently wondering what airplane I could resume this hobby with. Now, I know :: an A6 of course. I 'flew' the one I built as a child in and out of my bath a thousand times 😎
@@pierreheim4695
lol! i took mine into combat many times - fortunately the enemy was imaginary, so i was never shot down!
Never flew in an A-6, but watched a lot of take offs and landings, from a carrier Don't know the accuracy of the 2 following satements, But good trivia anyway. 1) The aircraft craft was designed by placing the equipment where it was needed and the airframe was built around it, and 2) The A-6 was the only aircraft that could carry it's own weight in fuel and bombs, at the same time.
One of the great airframes that just kept going. Several generations, multiple roles, upgrades, new avionics, just...kept....flying.
My all-time fav, the A6 truly epic. And to put the pilot next to and slightly in front in the navigator was such a great decision. Not required anymore but in the time of knee maps and analogue navigating it ruled supreme.
All our military pilots are worthy of a grateful nation but the US Navy Aviator is the very finest to wear the wings. Again, all my respect to the US military pilot. All are highly trained to fly the very finest weapons within our militia.
The most gorgeous naval plane ever. And completely awesome, the A-6 should never have been decommissioned.
Great show! Thanks from an old A4 guy.
🙏👍♥️
I liked the A-4. It may not have been as fast as the F4, but it was very agile.
the first combat experience is never as you train but as American we get accustomed to it real fast
👍
Thank you ! Thank you ! thank you ! I loved this airplane. Worked on them for 4 years. It was so stupid of the Navy not to go with the upgraded version that Grumman had ready to go. The "bug" (aka hornet) can't carry half the bomb load the A-6 could.
Anything you an share Bill?
@DroneScapes oh, I don't know. I started out in VA-42 but that's a shore duty squadron. If I wanted shore duty I'd have joined the Air Farce. So I terminated shore duty & transferred to VA-85 on board the USS Forrestal CV-59. I got to go the Med & see a lot of countries. I SHOULD have stayed in but my fiance didn't want me to. I was seriously ticked after my divorce. I don't regret 1 minute. Is there anything more specific I can tell you ?
@@billotto602 ex-Forrestal Air Dept chock & chain vet here. We had VA-176 aboard in the late 80s when I was aboard. It was my second favorite aircraft, behind another Grumman product: the F-14A Tomcat. It's a downright sin that the Sea Hornet replaced both - though I don't miss the A-7E Corsair II which they also replaced.
@Neil K Walk we had Phantoms. I wish we'd had Tomcats. Ya the Navy wanted something new & fast & multi-mission. The major problem with the Navy doing that means giving them the multi-mission roles of which they're really not able to do either effectively. Can you imagining combining the B-17 & P-51 ?
@@billotto602 we call that a “jack of all trades but master of none.” It’s actually replaced four aircraft: the A-6, the F-14 as well as the A-7 and the EA-6B. Looking ahead with Ford class carriers I’m actually wondering WTF the Navy is thinking?
such a great plane and proud to have worked on them at VMA(AW)-242. Do miss it
Thank you for your service Tim!
Tim, I was in VMA(aw) 225 in Danang in 69 a few hangers down. Semper Fi.
@@jameseast7966 ...And thank you for your service James!
@@jameseast7966 had a lot of our top enlisted where in Danang including my top. Semper Fi brother!
Every time I traveled to Bagram from my COP in Kunar Province I linked up and spent time with my Marine Corp Prowler flight crew friends. We met when I first arrived in Afghanistan on my 5th combat tour. A few weeks later they were providing EW and air support for my platoon during a TIC that we were in in the Kunar River Valley. We got close throughout that deployment and they admitted that the friendship caused them to take bigger risks to provide support to my unit. They were my heroes and friends.
The electronic warfare capabilities of this aircraft and others saved my butt multiple times when I was a younger Marine in Iraq. These aircraft along with the F18 Growler and F16's have jamming capabilities and during the 2nd battle of Fallujah in Nov and Dec of 04 it was nothing to look up to the sky and see 50 or more of our aircraft just orbiting the city jamming the signals the insurgents were using to detonate the IED's and while they were jamming they would just wait on an air strike mission to be called in. They would swoop in and put warheads on the enemy's foreheads and go right back up to an orbital pattern and keep on jamming signals. I knew about this capability a few years before as when I was stationed at Camp Lejeune NC we would get these and the F18 Growlers from the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point up the road would fly patterns over our base and sometimes our barracks. Whenever one of the electronic attack planes would fly over us all signal went out. Cell Phone service dropped, radio stations went out, even the Play Stations and XBox would shut off and reset.
At 16:54 they talk about the fighter pilots and how badass they were. In reality during the early phases of that war the US fighter pilots were actually getting their butts handed to them. Not overwhelming but we were on the losing end of the numbers. Due to our losses the fighter pilot school known by all as "Top Gun" was formed. Small groups of fighter pilots were schooled and then sent back to fight, plus teach others what they learned. Now if story tellers would tell the real story instead of trying to cloud history with what they think we should be told.
God bless all of our fine veterans we appreciate everyone of u were so grateful and thankful for the military we have 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
THANK YOU. IT WAS AN HONOR TO SERVE MY COUNTRY. GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS AND AMERICA. USAF RET 20TH SPEC OPS DET 67TH RECON WING. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🏴☠️🪖🗡⚔️🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦏
I have walked around these aircraft along with crusaders and f-14s for several years when I was stationed on a aircraft carrier. I worked in the o2 n2 plant so every time there were flight operations I was very busy. During a flight operation off the coast of Lebanon after the marine barracks were bombed the number of Lox carts just kept coming and coming. I knew I was doing some thing important. In the services people do their jobs without complaint. without reflection. Everyone is mission oriented.
I'm a big fan of this aircraft. Thanks for the documentary.
i’m pretty sure those a 6 crews who were initially disappointed in being assigned the to the plane probably changed their mind when flight of the intruder came out lol
Was working construction near the end of the runway at the Alameda Naval Air Station, Ca.. Watched many F-4s and A-6s taking off passing us just as the left the ground. What awesome power they have and very loud too. What an incredible aircraft the A-6 is. Since witnessing the A-6 in action that day I've been a big fan of the A-6 Intruder.
The A6 Intruder Prat and Whitney J52P8B power plants were some of the noisest air craft atop without Afterburner.
Happy you had an opportunity to see the A6 Intruder before this medium attack US Navy bomber faded into history
Was a plane captain on TC-4Cs at Whidbey Island VA-128.......excited to see one at the 4:28 minute mark!!!! One that I was plane captain on is at the museum in Pensacola!
That's a modified version(for training purposes) of the G1, which Grumman sold off as the Gulfstream Business Aircraft Company. They still make "G" airframes with the famous oval windows!
I still remember this plane from the movie "Flight of the Intruder" though that was the Vietnam War era A-6.