VAQ-33 THE FIREBIRDS
"BRAND X"
Plenty of VAQ-33 info can be found
at the LINKS page. Click here to check them out. BRAND
X
Hi Joe
I have several you may be intereseted in. This is the first. It is of
138922. It was taken in the spring of 1972 on the east line of LP-3 at Nas
Norfolk. At that time it was GD-1 (A-3B). It was one of the first A-3s that
VAQ-33 was assigned. It was turned over by Douglas that was flying it under
contract for FEWSG. It's sister was GD-2, 138968 (A-3B). It was
destroyed
in a crash on 10 Oct. ' 72 in Holland VA. All three aboard were lost.
Here is pic pic # 2 . It is of 144832 taken in July of ' 76 on the line
of
SP-31 at NAS Norfolk. The nose # is GD-2. I believe this was a ERA-3B.
This replaced 138968 (lost). The EA-4F in the pic was my bird. I was plane
capt of GD-7 152869. Did you know that there were only four EA-4Fs in the
inventory?
Dave McKinney FIRE283@aol.com
- Lockheed NC-121K Constellation #141292
On display at the Florence (SC) Air and Missile Museum. (now closed)
- This was the last of its species flying for the Navy. We hope to have a whole page on it
soon.
Warmonger Photos - June 1997
- (thanks to Coastal Computers for the use of the pictures)
- For more pictures of VAQ-33's NC-121 please surf over to:
- (they will piss you off when you see how "well" 141292 has been "taken
care" of)
-
- **Final Note:**
- The Florence Air and Missile Museum has closed. The NC-121K was damaged during a grass /
brush fire. The Naval Aviation Museum made the decision to scrap it in place. It was
dismanteled and many parts were either sold for spare parts for other flyable C-121's and
the rest was hauled off and sold for scrap.
- End of the line for ex VAQ-33 EP-3J
- From the Worldwide P-3 Orion News Service
- (17sep99) Last year (1998) an unfortunate accident occurred during ground
servicing of the cockpit oxygen system on one of VQ-11's EP-3J's (ex VAQ-33
aircraft), resulting in a fire that destroyed the front of the aircraft. It was written
off as a "strike aircraft" and 152745, was sold as scrap recently at NAS
Brunswick after salvaging all usable parts off it. A large backhoe was used to
"dismantle" it.
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- VAQ-33 Spad
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- VAQ-33 Whales
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- VAQ-33 Whales
- VAQ-33 Rhinos
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- In December 1976, the Navy approved the EF-4B designation for F-4Bs
that were serving with VAQ-33 in support of the Navy's electronic warfare support effort.
Long after most F-4Bs had been retired to storage, five F-4Bs remained serving with VAQ-33
as high-speed targets and as threat simulators to train radar operators. They were
provided with electronics countermeasures pods and jammers carried underneath their wings.
By the time the designation change was approved, the only F-4B remaining with VAQ-33 was
BuNo 153070. The last EF-4B aircraft was finally retired in 1981.
- A few F-4Js were modified for use by VAQ-33 in the "electronic aggressor" role
with electronic countermeasures pods and jammers carried underneath their wings. When so
modified, they were redesignated EF-4J
- The last aircraft was finally retired in 1981.
-
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- VAQ-33 Scooter
- Methuselah (not)
- VAQ-33 Prowltruder EA-6A
- Here are a couple of pictures of VAQ-33 Whales from what looks like Comox,
Canada. Enjoy!
- Click on the pictures for a large view
- VAQ-33 EA-4C with the VAQ-34 KA-3B Tanker
- VAQ-33 ERA-3B 144832 out on the line at Mojave, Ca. Waiting until
called again...
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