Douglas A-3 (A3D) Skywarrior and B-66 Destroyer

[Jeffry Fontaine]

(Click on thumbnail image to see MUCH larger image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Since we will soon be blessed with a large scale A-3 Skywarrior in actual plastic and not a vacuum form or resin/multi-media kit it might be time to start looking at this aircraft for the purpose of not building it straight out of the box :)

I had an idea the other day that involved the Skywarrior and the features from the B-57G Canberra Tropic Moon program where you could take the cheek parts from the B-57G and graft these parts on to the A-3 to make a carrier launched Tropic Moon Skywarrior.  The space was most certainly available in the aircraft for all of those little black boxes associated with the various systems, so why not? 


Wikipedia - A-3 Skywarrior
A-3 Skywarrior Association
[Boeing] Douglas A-3 Skywarrior Product Information Page
Flight Global: An Analysis of the Douglas A3D Skywarrior of the U.S. Navy

[Daryl J.]

It would make sense for there to be a Skywarrior I it would seem.   Or a GR.1. 

[GTX_Admin]

Since we will soon be blessed with a large scale A-3 Skywarrior in actual plastic and not a vacuum form or resin/multi-media kit

Who from?  What scale?

[Daryl J.]

1:48 Trommmmmmmput'r

[GTX_Admin]

Ah...I see.

I guess the fact that only today I picked up a 1:48 Resin A-3 should be a point of laughter then.

[Daryl J.]

Although my collection of Maple Leaf decals is very small, there seem to be enough Monogram tooled Phoenix Missiles to put several on one of these. 

Or some spurious anti submarine rocket too big to be carried by the Aud Nasuem Hornet resulting in a very long career in multiple services for the thing.

Was there ever a proposal for a cargo variant like the Hawkeye/Greyhound set?  Or executive transport?

[Scooterman]

Daryl, there was a VIP version, VA-3B.  Seating for 6 IIRC

[GTX_Admin]

I am thinking of doing mine as a West German ELINT aircraft.

[ChernayaAkula]

<...>
I had an idea the other day that involved the Skywarrior and the features from the B-57G Canberra Tropic Moon program where you could take the cheek parts from the B-57G and graft these parts on to the A-3 to make a carrier launched Tropic Moon Skywarrior.  The space was most certainly available in the aircraft for all of those little black boxes associated with the various systems, so why not?  <...>

That sounds like a cool project!  :) Pave Gat or LGBs? Or both? Or some bigger cannon?

[Weaver]

I had an idea the other day that involved the Skywarrior and the features from the B-57G Canberra Tropic Moon program where you could take the cheek parts from the B-57G and graft these parts on to the A-3 to make a carrier launched Tropic Moon Skywarrior.  The space was most certainly available in the aircraft for all of those little black boxes associated with the various systems, so why not? 

I agree that that sounds very interesting!  :)

I guess that in real life the A6 TRAM more or less fulfilled that role, but (one of my pet whiffs) what if the A-6 programme had gone off the rails due to avionics problems and it had never got into service?

[Jeffry Fontaine]

<...>
I had an idea the other day that involved the Skywarrior and the features from the B-57G Canberra Tropic Moon program where you could take the cheek parts from the B-57G and graft these parts on to the A-3 to make a carrier launched Tropic Moon Skywarrior.  The space was most certainly available in the aircraft for all of those little black boxes associated with the various systems, so why not?  <...>

That sounds like a cool project!  :) Pave Gat or LGBs? Or both? Or some bigger cannon?

No idea.  Only got as far as the electro-optical stuff and then found another ball to chase :) 

In real life the Navy did have a similar system mounted on a few A-6 Intruders called the TRIM (Trails/Roads Interdiction Multi-Sensor) all of the major parts were stuck in a big ugly pod that was mounted on the center fuselage stores pylon.  So a Tropic Moon Skywarrier could be a TRIM Skywarrior instead if you wanted to get picky on the technical details.  :)

Wikipedia - image - A-6C Intruder (BuNo. 155660), VA-35 in flight with the TRIM pod (ca 1972)

Wikipedia - A-6 Intruder

[Daryl J.]

Real world question:  what is the Skywarrior variant with the long pointed nose?  There is some footage on YouTube of one landing.   Presumably it's a test aircraft, but for what?   

[GTX_Admin]

This one?



It is a NTA-3B used to test radar for the F-14 Tomcat.  There are also other variations - see here

[Daryl J.]

I think yes.   And there's the answer.   Thank-you.   :)

[GTX_Admin]

I think yes.   And there's the answer.   Thank-you.   :)

My pleasure.  Of course A-3 + AWG-9 radar and AIM-54 Phoenix missiles = something interesting...

[Daryl J.]

 Precisely. 

[Rickshaw]

I think yes.   And there's the answer.   Thank-you.   :)

My pleasure.  Of course A-3 + AWG-9 radar and AIM-54 Phoenix missiles = something interesting...

"A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet..."

Isn't that just a Douglas F6D Missileer with swept wings? 

[finsrin]

Isn't that just a Douglas F6D Missileer with swept wings?   

Yes - but more better/faster.  Only you need more room to park it.

[ChernayaAkula]

That nose looks pretty nice on the Skywarrior. On most aircraft with test noses, the noses look scabbed on and more or less out of place. This one looks just natural, I think.

Would there be enough internal space for a rotary launcher for AIM-54s?

[GTX_Admin]

That nose looks pretty nice on the Skywarrior. On most aircraft with test noses, the noses look scabbed on and more or less out of place. This one looks just natural, I think.

Unlike these:

[Daryl J.]

Did the Skywarrior ever get ejection seats?   Did the engines remain largely the same throughout its career?

[Weaver]

If it was kept on longer in tanker/COD/EW roles, how about re-engining with TF-30s?

[GTX_Admin]

I would tend more for TF33s.

[Empty Handed]

Slightly off-topic, on the subject of interesting nosejobs, I found this site which has a couple of unusual aircraft (scroll down to the 2nd half of the page):

http://www.mace-b.com/38tmw/missiles/flight.htm

[M.A.D]

I think yes.   And there's the answer.   Thank-you.   :)

Isn't that just a Douglas F6D Missileer with swept wings? 

Sorry my friend, but no cigar!
The A3D (A-3) Skywarrior was both bigger and heavier!

In fact Douglas actually submitted a dedicated variant of the A3D Skywarrior to the USN's FAD RFP. It was the Douglas Model D-760! As you can see it by the attachments, the D-760 was designed to carry 4 x Eagle AAM in its bomb bay and another 4 x Eagles under its wings!

The D-760 could have been but into operational service much quicker and simpler (and I would assume cheaper) than an 'all new' Missileer design. But it would have impacted in premium spotting space!

M.A.D