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64-465: The North American AJ Savage (later A-2 Savage ) is an American carrier-based medium bomber built for the United States Navy by North American Aviation . The aircraft was designed shortly after World War II to carry atomic bombs and this meant that the bomber was the heaviest aircraft thus far designed to operate from an aircraft carrier. It was powered by two piston engines and

128-422: A group and two or more groups will be designated as a wing . USAF squadrons may be flying units composed of pilots and flight crews, with designations such as fighter squadron, bomb squadron, or airlift squadron. Fighter squadrons may support between 18 and 24 aircraft, while larger aircraft flying squadrons (e.g., bomber, cargo, reconnaissance) may support fewer aircraft. However, non-flying units also exist at

192-681: A group or a wing . Some military forces (including the United States Air Force , United States Space Force , French Air and Space Force , Royal Air Force , German Air Force , Royal Netherlands Air Force , Belgian Air Component and Republic of Singapore Air Force ) also use the term "squadron" for non-flying ground units (e.g. radar squadrons, missile squadrons, air defense squadrons, aircraft maintenance squadrons, security forces squadrons, civil engineering squadrons, range operations squadrons, range management squadrons, weather squadrons, medical squadrons, etc.). In World War I,

256-599: A turbojet buried in the rear fuselage . The AJ-1 first became operational in 1950 and several were based in South Korea during 1953 as a deterrent against North Korea . Of the 140 built, plus three prototypes , 30 were reconnaissance aircraft . Inflight-refueling equipment was deployed on the Savage in the mid-1950s. The bomber was replaced by the Douglas A3D Skywarrior beginning in 1957. The type

320-592: A Savage in September. The squadron participated in testing and evaluating the aircraft together with the Naval Air Test Center (NATC) in order to expedite the Savage's introduction into the fleet. The first carrier takeoff and landing made by the bomber took place from the USS ; Coral Sea on 21 April and 31 August 1950, respectively. Many, if not most, surviving AJ-1s had their tails upgraded to

384-720: A commanding officer (CO) at the lieutenant colonel level, may not have an equivalent rank executive officer (XO), but are moving more toward the USN model. USMC aviation (Flying) squadron XO's are aeronautically designated officers in the rank of Lt.Col or Major. Also in contrast to USAF flying squadrons, most tactical sea-based and land-based U.S. Naval Aviation squadrons (USN and USMC), vice training squadrons and test and evaluation squadrons, usually do not have more than 12 aircraft authorized/assigned at any one time. Exceptions are USN helicopter mine countermeasures squadrons (17 MH-53), USMC "composite" medium tilt-rotor squadrons assigned afloat as

448-567: A larger payload as compared to during VTOL use, while avoiding the complexity of a catapult. The best known example is the Hawker Siddeley Harrier Jump Jet, despite being capable of VTOL take-offs, is usually operated as a STOVL aircraft to increase its fuel and weapons load. STOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier , combining elements of both STOVL and CATOBAR. Aircraft launch under their own power using

512-617: A ski-jump to assist take-off (rather than using a catapult). These are conventional aircraft however and require arresting wires to land on the ship. The Kuznetsov-class aircraft carriers of the Russian Navy and People's Liberation Army Navy operate the Su-33 (Russia) and J-15 (China) as STOBAR aircraft. Others include the Indian Vikramaditya and Vikrant ; both will operate MiG-29Ks . Prior to World War II,

576-670: A squadron called an escuadron and a flight called an escuadrilla ), as does the Brazilian Air Force with esquadrão and esquadrilha respectively. The Royal Canadian Air Force and the Belgian Air Component on the other hand use escadrille as the equivalent of a squadron. The Italian Air Force uses gruppo (group) to denominate its squadrons, as does the Chilean Air Force ( grupo de aviación ). The Portuguese Air Force ( esquadra ) and

640-645: A squadron or group/wing organizational structure. The one exception to this is the Coast Guard's Helicopter Interdiction Squadron (HITRON), which is engaged primarily in counter-narcotics (CN) interdiction operations. In the United States Army Aviation Branch , flying units may be organized in battalions or squadrons (the latter for air cavalry only) reporting to an aviation brigade. Aircraft maintenance activities are typically assigned to an aviation maintenance company or element in

704-413: Is generally applied only to fixed-wing aircraft , as naval helicopters are able to operate from a wider variety of ships , including helicopter carriers , destroyers , frigates and container ships. The 1903 advent of fixed-wing aircraft was followed in 1910 by the first flight of an aircraft from the deck of an anchored warship (the United States Navy 's USS  Birmingham ), and in 1912, by

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768-595: Is squadron in its army company-equivalent meaning. In the early 2000s, the Swedish Air Force absorbed the Helicopter Wing as its fourth combat air wing. Unlike the US Air Force, where the name of the base and the units stationed at that base are not related to each other, the name of the wing (flotilla) is in general considered synonymous with the air base where the unit is stationed. For example,

832-604: The 414th Combat Training Squadron that manages RED FLAG training at Nellis AFB , Nevada will be commanded by an aeronautically rated officer in the rank of full colonel . Non-flying squadrons are also usually commanded by an officer in the rank of lieutenant colonel , but some may also be commanded by officers in the rank of major . In contrast to the organizational structure of United States Air Force units, where flying squadrons are separate from non-flying squadrons tasked with administrative, aircraft maintenance, or other support functions, flying squadrons in naval aviation in

896-478: The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk , Republic P-47 Thunderbolt , Supermarine Spitfire , and Hawker Hurricane , were often delivered to overseas air bases by aircraft carrier. They would be loaded onto an aircraft carrier in port by cranes, flown off the carrier at sea near their destination under their own power, and land on a friendly airfield ashore. These were not usually combat missions but in some cases

960-657: The Fleet Air Arm and Army Air Corps are also called squadrons. In the latter they are company-equivalent units, divided into flights and grouped into regiments . In the Air Training Corps of the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth nations, a squadron is a group of cadets who parade regularly. In the United States Air Force , the squadron is the principal organizational unit. An aggregation of two or more USAF squadrons will be designated as

1024-483: The Lockheed P-2 Neptune carrying a crash-program reproduction of the smaller, simpler all-uranium 'gun' design Little Boy nuclear bomb as its first carrier-launched nuclear bomber aircraft until the Savage was in service. The Neptune launched using JATO assist but could not land on existing carriers; if launched they had to either ditch at sea after the mission or land at a friendly airbase. The AJ-1

1088-501: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration as weightlessness simulators from January 1960 to September 1964. They were eventually destroyed during firefighting training. Three AJ-1s were purchased by AJ Air Tankers, Inc. in early 1960 for use as water bombers . Their turbojets were removed before the delivery flight to California, during which one aircraft crashed. The two surviving aircraft were fully modified for

1152-973: The Pacific Fleet in October 1952. In July 1953 it deployed a detachment of two aircraft to K-3 Air Base in Korea to act as a nuclear deterrent. VC-7 , VC-8 , and VC-9 received their AJ-1s beginning in June 1951 and all remained on the East Coast of the United States . The Navy redesignated all of its Savage-equipped composite squadrons as heavy attack squadrons (VAH) on 1 November 1955. The squadrons retained their existing numbers except for VC-8 which became VAH-11 as all East Coast squadrons were odd-numbered. AJ tankers were used to refuel then-Marine Corps Major John Glenn's Vought F8U-1P Crusader during

1216-611: The Polish Air Force ( eskadra taktyczna , Polish for tactical squadron ) use the term squadron with its etymology originating from the naval and not the army meaning. The Czech Air Force and the Slovak Air Force use the generic term Letka as the squadron equivalent. The Turkish Air Force ( filo ) and the Hellenic Air Force ( μοιρα αεροπορικής ( mira aeroporikis ) - aviation squadron) use

1280-691: The sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse , the Battle of Taranto , the Attack on Pearl Harbor and numerous other incidents. Following the war, carrier operations continued to increase in size and importance. The vital importance of aircraft carriers, and therefore carrier-capable aircraft, quickly became apparent at the onset of the war in the Pacific where the US's island hopping campaign meant that being able to conduct air operations at sea far from an airbase

1344-568: The AJ Savage design would be adapted to accommodate the latest Mark 4 nuclear bomb , the next step in development from the more sophisticated imploding-plutonium-sphere design Fat Man Mk3 used on Nagasaki . A contract for three XAJ-1 prototypes and a static test airframe was awarded on 24 June 1946. The first prototype made its maiden flight two years later on 3 July 1948. That same year the US Navy began an interim capability program employing

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1408-510: The AJ-1 was "a dream to fly and handled like a fighter", when everything was working properly. The aircraft, however, was not very reliable, possibly because it was rushed into production before all the problems could be ironed out. Early in the Savage's career, squadrons would typically deploy a detachment to Naval Air Station Port Lyautey , Morocco, for service with the Sixth Fleet and fly

1472-569: The Aviation Combat Element (ACE) of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), (12 MV-22s, 6 AH-1s, 4 CH-53s, 3 UH-1s, and 6 AV-8s). Other squadrons with a large number of Primary Aircraft Assigned (PAA) include Marine heavy helicopter squadrons (16 CH-53s), Marine light/attack helicopter squadrons (18 AH-1s and 9 UH-1s), and Marine attack squadrons (16 AV-8s). Although part of U.S. naval aviation, United States Coast Guard aviation units are centered on an air station or air facility versus

1536-674: The CO as the next CO. In United States Marine Corps Aviation , in addition to flying units that are patterned in similar fashion to their U.S. Navy counterparts, the nomenclature "squadron" in the Marine Corps is also used to designate all battalion-equivalent, aviation support organizations. These squadrons include: wing headquarters, tactical air command, air control, air support, aviation logistics, wing support, and wing communications squadrons. In contrast to their USN counterparts, USMC flying squadrons and aviation support squadrons, while having

1600-617: The Cold War the Swedish Army, Navy and Air Force each had their own integral helicopter arms. After the end of it in line with the mid-90s force reduction and reforms they were fused into the Swedish Armed Forces Helicopter Wing as a service, independent from the three main armed forces branches. The Helicopter Wing adopted the term skvadron from the former Swedish Army Aviation for its units, which

1664-972: The Imperial German Army used the term Squadron ( staffel ), whereas the Austro-Hungarian armed forces and the Swiss Army used the term company . In the modern German Air Force , a flying staffel is a battalion-equivalent, while a ground based support staffel is a company-equivalent. One such example are the air base defence units, which are squadrons ( German , plural: Staffeln ) formed into battalions. The ground based missile air defence units are also company- (in this case battery -)equivalent squadrons ( staffeln ). The Swedish Air Force adopted naval-like traditions in its formative years and for that historical reason calls its squadrons divisions (plural: divisioner ). They are grouped into air flotillas (plural: flygflottiljer ). During

1728-526: The Interior and Agriculture . The AJ-2s in these squadrons were replaced by Douglas A3D-2P Skywarriors beginning in 1959, although the last month that they were reported in squadron service was January 1960. Surviving AJ-1 and AJ-2 aircraft became A-2As and A-2Bs, respectively, when the Department of Defense redesignated all U.S. military aircraft in a common series in 1962. Three AJ-2s were loaned to

1792-1051: The Project Bullet transcontinental speed record flight in July 1957; AJ-2s from VAH-6 on the West Coast and AJ-1s from VAH-11 on the East Coast. Beginning in 1957 the Douglas A3D Skywarrior began to replace the Savages in the VAH Squadrons. Their refueling role was continued by the formation in January 1958 of VAH-15 on the United States East Coast and VAH-16 on the United States West Coast . Both squadrons were equipped with AJ-2s, but both were short-lived and disbanded early

1856-442: The Savage. The aircraft was not popular aboard ship as "it was so big and cumbersome that it complicated any other flight operations the ship was required to conduct." One problem was that the wings had to be folded one at a time by a crewman on top of the fuselage with a portable hydraulic pump, a time-consuming process, so that the bomber could be moved out of the way to allow other aircraft to land or take off. One pilot reported that

1920-431: The U.S. Nimitz class , the U.S. Gerald R. Ford -class , and France's Charles de Gaulle . The use of catapults allows an aircraft carrier to launch large fixed-wing aircraft. For example, the U.S. Navy launches its E-2 Hawkeye AEW aircraft and C-2A Greyhound cargo aircraft with catapults. STOVL take-offs are accomplished with " ski-jumps ", instead of a catapult. STOVL use usually allows aircraft to carry

1984-480: The U.S. Navy as follows: CATOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier . Under this technique, aircraft are launched using a catapult-assisted take-off and landing on the ship using arresting wires . Although this system is more costly than alternative methods, it provides greater flexibility in carrier operations, since it allows the aircraft to operate with higher payloads. Ships with CATOBAR currently include

North American AJ Savage - Misplaced Pages Continue

2048-607: The United States (e.g., United States Navy and United States Marine Corps ) typically contain both embedded administrative support functions and organizational level aircraft maintenance functions, plus all their associated personnel, as part of the total squadron manning. With few exceptions, oversight of the majority of these non-flying functions is assigned to the squadron's naval aviators and naval flight officers as their "ground job" in addition to their regular flying duties. With few exceptions, most U.S. Navy flying squadrons are commanded by aeronautically designated officers in

2112-430: The air base where the F 10 wing is stationed (in Ängelholm) is commonly referred to as F 10 even though it is the name of the tactical unit. In general, this only applies as long as a wing is stationed at the base. Case in point is Uppsala-Ärna air base, an active military airport but since the tactical unit located there has been disbanded it is no longer referred to as F 16. These naming conventions have been inherited from

2176-548: The aircraft for tests. The testing was conducted from January to July 1972. Another round of testing on the commercial derivative of the F102, the ALF 502, was performed between January 1979 and December 1980. In 1984, routine maintenance discovered several loose rivets on the spar and further examination showed that the skin was starting to separate from the spar. This damage was too uneconomical to repair so Avco Lycoming decided to donate

2240-482: The aircraft. Early AJ-2Ps retained the three-man crew, but late-model aircraft added a fourth aft-facing crewman to the upper cockpit . The Savage's internal fuel capacity was also increased. The nose of the aircraft was remodeled with a prominent "chin" to accommodate a forward-looking oblique camera and a variety of oblique and vertical cameras could be fitted in the bomb bay. Photoflash bombs could be carried for night photography missions. The AJ-2 incorporated all of

2304-617: The battalion or brigade. In the U.S. Civil Air Patrol (CAP), a squadron is the basic administrative unit. As the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force , CAP follows the USAF organizational model. An escadron is the equivalent unit in France's French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace). It is normally subdivided into escadrilles of eight aircraft. The Spanish Air and Space Force and some air forces of other Spanish -speaking countries follow that tradition (with

2368-781: The bomb. The aircraft would then perform a wingover maneuver and dive to low altitude, keeping the tail of the aircraft aimed at the target to avoid serious damage from the shock wave of the explosion. Fleet Composite Squadron 5 ( VC-5 ) made the first of its three deployments from Naval Air Station Norfolk , Virginia to NAS Port Lyautey in February 1951. Due to homeport changes, VC-5's next two deployments would originate from Naval Air Station Jacksonville , Florida followed by Naval Auxiliary Air Station Sanford , Florida. Fleet Composite Squadron 6 (VC-6) at NAS Moffett Field , California received its first Savages in late 1950 and deployed to NAS Port Lyautey in October 1951 before transferring to

2432-558: The bombers aboard aircraft carriers that were already deployed to the Mediterranean as needed. The plan was that the Savages would then be loaded with atomic bombs already aboard the carriers and launched once the carriers were in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea . The tactic to deliver the bombs was to fly at low level through Bulgaria and Romania before climbing at maximum power to the proper altitude to release

2496-483: The changes made to the late model AJ-2P and 55 aircraft were ordered on 14 February 1951. The AJ-2 deleted the separate compartment for the third crewman, but retained the third seat in the cockpit from the AJ-2P. Around 1954, NATC modified the sole surviving XAJ-1 to conduct inflight refueling tests using the probe and drogue configuration. The turbojet engine was removed and the fuel hose and its drogue extended out from

2560-784: The decks of carriers. Carrier aircraft were used extensively during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Douglas A-4 Skyhawks participated in the first strikes of the Vietnam War in response to attacks against American destroyers in the Tonkin Gulf in August 1964. The A-4's small size and light weight meant a high number could be loaded onto carriers, making them an important resource during the Vietnam war. There are three main types of modern carrier-based aircraft, which are categorised by

2624-506: The development of the aircraft as the first batch of Savages had been ordered on 6 October 1947. The most significant difference between the XAJ-1 and the production aircraft was the revision of the cockpit to accommodate a third crewman in a separate compartment. The first flight by a production aircraft occurred in May 1949 and Fleet Composite Squadron 5 (VC-5) became the first squadron to receive

North American AJ Savage - Misplaced Pages Continue

2688-460: The first flight of an aircraft from the deck of a warship underway (the Royal Navy 's HMS  Hibernia ). Seaplanes and seaplane tender support ships, such as HMS  Engadine , followed. This evolution was well underway by the early 1920s, resulting in ships such as HMS  Argus (1918), Hōshō (1922), USS  Langley (1922), and Béarn (1927). With these developments,

2752-557: The following year. The AJ-2P was flown by Photographic Squadron 61 (VJ-61) and Photographic Squadron 62 (VJ-62) , both of which were redesignated as Heavy Photographic Squadrons, VAP-61 and VAP-62, respectively, on 2 July 1956. VJ-61 was assigned to the Pacific Fleet and VJ-62 to the Atlantic Fleet . The squadrons never deployed as complete units, but rather deployed as one to three aircraft detachments. Detachment Queen

2816-462: The improved AJ-2 configuration. A photo-reconnaissance version of the Savage, initially known as the AJ-1P, but later designated as the AJ-2P, was ordered on 18 August 1950. It had improved R-2800-48 piston engines and the tail was redesigned to add 1 foot (30 cm) of height to the tailfin. The 12° dihedral of the tail stabilizers was eliminated and the rudder enlarged which slightly lengthened

2880-501: The jet's former exhaust opening. Aircraft in service retained the turbojet and had their bomb bay doors modified to accommodate the hose and drogue. They were refueling aircraft during late 1954. When first deployed, the AJ-1 was too large and heavy to be used by any American aircraft carrier except for the Midway class . The modernized Essex class carriers with reinforced decks and the very large Forrestal class could also handle

2944-896: The last surviving Savage to the National Museum of Naval Aviation . The AJ-2 was flown to Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida on 9 May 1984. Only one preserved Savage exists today: Data from U.S. Navy Standard Aircraft Characteristics , American Attack Aircraft Since 1926 and United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911 General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Related lists Carrier-based aircraft Such aircraft are designed for many purposes including air-to-air combat , surface attack , anti-submarine warfare (ASW) , search and rescue (SAR) , transport (COD) , weather observation , reconnaissance and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) duties. The term

3008-631: The launched aircraft provided air cover for the ship, and the aircraft could not be recovered by the carrier. Some STOL aircraft, such as the North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco , have been operated from aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships in this manner more recently, but this is not common practice. Even very large aircraft such as the Lockheed C-130 Hercules have been successfully landed and launched from large aircraft carriers, but

3072-740: The navy where Swedish military aviation has its roots. During the infant years of combat aviation in World War I and specifically with the trench stalemate at the front military aircraft partially took over the reconnaissance role from the cavalry. With that in mind the British Royal Flying Corps adopted the squadron nomenclature. After the fusion of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service into an independent Royal Air Force ,

3136-414: The need for specialized aircraft adapted for take-offs and landings from the flight decks of those ships became recognized. The significance of air power grew between the wars, driven by the increased range, carrying power, and effectiveness of carrier-launched aircraft, until it became impossible to disregard its importance during World War II, following the loss of many warships to aircraft, including

3200-665: The new armed forces branch introduced its own system of ranks, with the commanders of squadrons becoming squadron leaders . The rapid sophistication in technology and combat tactics has led to increased requirements and qualifications of the officers in command positions and the commanders of RAF flying squadrons were upgraded in the post-World War II period from squadron leaders to wing commanders . Today RAF flying squadrons are battalion -equivalents, while combat and combat service support ground squadrons such as communications or administrative squadrons are company -equivalents and still usually commanded by squadron leaders. Flying units in

3264-480: The rank of commander . Exceptions are primarily the Fleet Replacement Squadrons (FRS), which are often, though not always, commanded by aeronautically designated captains . Commanding officers (COs) of U.S. Navy flying squadrons other than FRS units will be assisted by an executive officer (XO) of the same rank who functions as a second-in-command and who will eventually "fleet up" and relieve

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3328-410: The role after delivery and could carry 2,000 US gallons (7,600 L; 1,700 imp gal) of fire retardant. They first flew missions during the 1961 fire season. Another aircraft crashed on takeoff in September 1967 when an engine failed and the sole survivor only made a few more flights before it was scrapped in 1968–69. At least one other AJ-2 was purchased and used as a water bomber before it

3392-517: The ship's speed with even the lightest prevailing winds, combined with a low take-off speed allowed early aircraft to gain flying speed in a very short distance. The most extreme version of this was the battleship platforms used during the 1920s when small, World War I-era biplane fighters such as the Sopwith Camel were launched from only a few dozen feet long mounted atop of a battleship 's forward gun turret . Conventional aircraft, such as

3456-935: The squadron denomination originating from the army term. The Royal Norwegian Air Force use the skvadron term also originating from the army term. So does the Hungarian Air Force with repülőszázad ( Hungarian for aircraft squadron or flying squadron ; the cavalry company-equivalent term is század ). Many Eastern European countries use the term originating from the French word escadrille : Russian Air Force - Эскадрилья ( eskadril'ya ), Ukrainian Air Force - Ескадрилья ( eskadril'ya ), Belarusian Air Force - Эскадрыльля ( eskadryil'ya ), Romanian Air Force - escadrilă , Bulgarian Air Force - Ескадрила ( eskadrila ), Serbian Air Force - Ескадрила ( eskadrila ), Croatian Air Force - eskadrila . The Royal Danish Air Force uses eskadrille , also originating from

3520-425: The squadron level, such as missile squadrons, aircraft maintenance squadrons, intelligence squadrons, aerospace medicine squadrons, security forces squadrons, civil engineering squadrons and force support squadrons, as well as numerous other examples. USAF flying squadrons are typically commanded by an aeronautically rated officer in the rank of lieutenant colonel , although some particularly large squadrons, such as

3584-491: The weight of most aircraft allowed them to be launched from aircraft carriers under their own power, but required assistance in stopping. Catapults were installed but were used only when the ship was stationary or adequate wind over the deck could not be arranged by sailing into the wind. Even aircraft as large as the North American B-25 Mitchell were launched in this manner. This was possible because

3648-464: Was a three-seat, high-wing monoplane with tricycle landing gear . To facilitate carrier operations, the outer wing panels and the tailfin could be manually folded. It was fitted with two 2,300- brake-horsepower (1,700 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-44W Double Wasp piston engines, mounted in nacelles under each wing with a large turbocharger fitted inside each engine nacelle, and a 4,600- pound-force (20,000 N) Allison J33 -A-10 turbojet

3712-629: Was crucially important. At the onset Japan used 125 Mitsubishi A6M Zeros launched from 6 aircraft carriers to attack the Naval base at Pearl Harbor , with the result of sinking or damaging 21 warships, and destroying 188 aircraft. The war saw the creation of new carrier capable aircraft such as the Vought F4U Corsair , and further variants of the Zero . Often carrier aircraft would have folding wings or wingtips to maximise space conservation on

3776-529: Was done with no cargo and little fuel on board the aircraft. [REDACTED] Media related to Carrier-based aircraft at Wikimedia Commons Squadron (aviation) A squadron in an air force , or naval or army aviation service, is a unit comprising a number of military aircraft and their aircrews , usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights , depending on aircraft type and air force. In most armed forces, two or more squadrons will form

3840-480: Was fitted in the rear fuselage. The jet engine was only intended for takeoff and maximum speed near the target, and was fed by an air inlet on top of the fuselage that was normally kept closed to reduce drag. To simplify the fuel system, the jet engine used piston engine avgas rather than jet fuel. One 201-US-gallon (760 L; 167 imp gal) self-sealing fuel tank was housed in the fuselage, and another 508- US-gallon (1,920 L; 423 imp gal) tank

3904-481: Was formed by VJ-61 during the Korean War at Naval Station Sangley Point , in the Philippines, to fly reconnaissance missions over the People's Republic of China and North Korea. The detachment continued its missions after the war until at least June 1954. Both squadrons frequently provided photographic mapping for agencies outside the Navy like the Army Map Service , United States Army Corps of Engineers , United States Coast and Geodetic Survey , and U.S. Departments of

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3968-428: Was located in each wing. The aircraft usually carried 300-US-gallon (1,100 L; 250 imp gal) tip tanks and it could house three fuel tanks in the bomb bay with a total capacity of 1,640 US gallons (6,200 L; 1,370 imp gal). Other than its 12,000-pound (5,400 kg) bombload, the bomber was unarmed. Two of the three prototypes crashed during testing, but their loss did not materially affect

4032-399: Was purchased in 1970 by Avco Lycoming for use as an engine testbed for the YF102 turbofan engine. The J33 turbojet had to be reinstalled and the aircraft required almost a year of maintenance before it could be flown to Avco Lycoming's home airfield at Stratford, Connecticut . The YF102, too fat to fully fit in the bomb bay, was mounted on a retractable mechanism that could be lowered below

4096-458: Was used after its military service for some additional experiments including microgravity test flights and to test a new jet engine in the 1960s and 70s. At the end of World War II, the U.S. Navy began a design competition on 13 August 1945 for a carrier-based bomber which could carry a 10,000-pound (4,536 kg) bomb that was won by North American Aviation. Later that year, the Navy decided that it needed to be able to deliver atomic bombs and that

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