• Jan -- NAF
has 26 aircraft consisting of 1 F9F-2, 1 F9F-5, 2 F2H-2, 1 F2H-2B, 1
F2H-2N, 3 F3D-1, 1 AU-1, 2 AD-4, 1 AD-4B, 2 AJ-1, 1 AF-2W, 2 P4Y-2,
1 P2V-3, 1 R4D-6, 1 R4D-5, 1 JD-1, 1 TV-2, 1 JRB-4, 1 SNB-1 & 1
SNB-5.
• Opening of Supersonic Naval Ordnance Research Track
(SNORT) for captive testing of ordnance items.
• Jul -- NAF has 27 aircraft consisting of
1 F9F-2, 1 F9F-5, 2 F2H-2, 1 F2H-2B, 1 F2H-2N, 2 F2H-3, 3 F3D-1, 1 AU-1,
3 AD-4, 1 AD-4B, 2 AJ-1, 1 AF-2W, 2 P4Y-2, 1 P2V-3, 1 R4D-8, 1 R4D-5,
1 JD-1, 1 TV-2 & 2 SNB-5.
• Sept 09 -- Three Navy pilots
from San Diego died when their AD-4 crashed at Owens Lake, CA.
•
Sept 11--In its first successful interception, a Sidewinder air-to-air
missile, test fired at NOTS, Inyokern, sent an F6F drone down in flames.
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| 1Q |
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VX-5 F2H-2 Banshee |
VX-5 F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 125029, XE-11, in-flight
circa 1953. San Diego Aerospace Museum courtesy of A.
Romano www.navarchives.com
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wingtip mounted 2.75 |
Lt. Joel Premselaar and F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 125054
with wingtip mounted 2.75" FFAR pod taxis by hangar
1, China Lake, circa 1953. Photo from Joel Premselaar.
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FFAR launcher |
Lt. Joel Premselaar and F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 125054
and 2.75" FFAR launcher made of plastic coated
cardboard tubing. During this test one of the rockets
blew away part of the port launcher. China Lake, circa
1953. Photo from Joel Premselaar.
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F2H-2 Banshee |
Lt. Joel Premselaar and F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 125054,
China Lake, circa 1953. Photo from Joel Premselaar.
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Proximity fuze test |
Proximity fuze test, Randsburg Wash, China Lake,
1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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Holy Moses rocket test |
An early Holy Moses rocket test on SNORT, NOTS China
Lake, circa 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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AD-4 Skyraider |
AD-4 Skyraider BuNo 123905 in-flight with 11.75"
Tiny Tim's and 5.0" HVAR's, 01 January 1954. Official
U.S. Navy photo.
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AD-4 Skyraider mishap |
Pilot ADC Joseph F. Pessillo aborted the takeoff
following a cold cat shot and, free of the bridle,
AD-4 Skyraider BuNo 123904 swerved left and the tail
wheel was struck by the opposite returning shuttle,
Armitage Field, China Lake, 20 January 1953.
Official U.S. Navy photo.
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AD-4 Skyraider mishap |
Pilot ADC Joseph F. Pessillo aborted the takeoff
following a cold cat shot and, free of the bridle,
AD-4 Skyraider BuNo 123904 swerved left and the tail
wheel was struck by the opposite returning shuttle,
Armitage Field, China Lake, 20 January 1953.
Official U.S. Navy photo.
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data assessment equipment |
Semi-automatic data assessment equipment is used
at NOTS China Lake to convert electronic and photographic
records into meaningful data, 20 January 1953. Official
U.S. Navy photo.
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Big Richard |
AD-4B Skyraider, BuNo 132233, Big Richard, China
Lake, 11 Feb 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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Runway extension |
Armitage Field runway extension project, looking
NE, China Lake, 15 March 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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| 2Q |
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Mighty Mouse rockets |
F9F-2 Panther BuNo 127199, firing Mighty Mouse rockets,
China Lake, 07 Apr 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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Sidewinder EX-1-2 cutaway |
Graphics drawing, Sidewinder EX-1-2 cutaway view
of missile, China Lake, 06 May 1953. Official U.S. Navy
photo.
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DART tow target |
F2H-2 Banshee, BuNo 123206, tow target, China Lake,
07 May 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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DART tow target |
F2H-2 Banshee, BuNo 123206, tow target, China Lake,
07 May 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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DART tow target |
DART tow target in flight, China Lake, circa 1953.
Official U.S. Navy photo.
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QB-17G Flying Fortress |
QB-17G Flying Fortress drone, USAF s/n 44-83649,
China Lake, 15 May 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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Dauntless II |
XBT2D-1 Dauntless II BuNo 9089 & unknown, China
Lake, 15 May 1953. Official U. S. Navy photo.
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F9F-5 Panther |
VX-5 Vampires F9F-5 Panther XE-18, Armed Forces Day,
China Lake, 15 May 1953. Video from Joel Premselaar.
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R4D-8 Skytrain |
R4D-8 Skytrain BuNo 17542 west side of the Line Shack,
Armed Forces Day, China Lake, 15 May 1953. Video from
Joel Premselaar.
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F3D-1 Skyknights |
F3D-1 Skyknights BuNo 123757 & 13767, Armed Forces
Day, China Lake, 15 May 1953. Video from Joel Premselaar.
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JATO takeoff |
Lt. Joel Premselaar making a JATO takeoff in TV-2
Seastar BuNo 126598, Armed Forces Day, China Lake, 15
May 1953. Video from Joel Premselaar.
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hi-vis orange Skyraider |
AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 132333 in hi-vis orange paint,
Armed Forces Day, China Lake, 15 May 1953. Video from
Joel Premselaar.
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Sidewinder EX-0 |
F3D-1 Skyknight, BuNo 123757 with Sidewinder EX-0
missiles, 18 May 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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XF4D-1 Skyray |
BUAER XF4D-1 Skyray BuNo 124586, 19 May 1953. Official
U.S. Navy photo.
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QB-17 Flying Fortress |
QB-17 Flying Fortress drone, multiple target discrimination
test, China Lake, 04 Jun 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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| 3Q |
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F2H-2 Banshee |
F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123303, hooking a DART tow target,
China Lake, 21 Jul 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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Sidewinder 1 |
F3D-1 Skyknight BuNo 123757 with Sidewinder 1 missile,
01 Aug 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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Sidewinder 1 |
F3D-1 Skyknight BuNo 123767 with Sidewinder 1 missile,
01 Aug 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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Sidewinder 1 |
F3D-1 Skyknight BuNo 123757 & F3D-1 Skyknight
BuNo 123767 with Sidewinder 1 missiles, China Lake,
01 August 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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Mk-12 nuke |
F3D-2 Skyknight BuNo 124595 with a Mk-12 nuke (blue
store) which had a 12 Kiloton yield and weighed 1200
lbs, China Lake, 01 August 1953. Official U.S. Navy
Photo.
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RIM-2 Terrier |
RIM-2 Terrier missile radar, China Lake, August 1953.
Official U.S. Navy photo.
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BOAR |
AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 132233, BOAR, China Lake, 10
Sep 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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| 4Q |
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B-29A Superfortress |
USAF B-29A Superfortress (s/n unknown), RWTR, China
Lake, 02 October 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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F7U-3 Cutlass |
VX-3 F7U-3 Cutlass BuNo 128463, XC-01, Pad LB, China
Lake, 15 October 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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F3D-2B Skyknight |
VX-5 Vampires F3D-2B Skyknight BuNo 127044, XE-6,
NAS Oakland, 18 October 1953. Photo by W.T. Larkins,
Clay Jansson.
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Moffett Field |
VX-5 Vampires F7U-3 Cutlass BuNo 128465, XE-1, over
Moffett Field, 18 October 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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BOAR |
F2H-3 Banshee, BuNo 126424, BOAR, China Lake, 04
Nov 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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BOAR |
USAF F-84E Thunderjet, s/n 49-2114, BOAR, China Lake,
05 Nov 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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BOAR release |
USAF F-84E Thunderjet, s/n 49-2114, BOAR release,
China Lake, 05 Nov 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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TIM Go-Devil |
The first rocket sled, TIM Go-Devil, sped down the
rails at the brand new Supersonic Naval Ordnance Research
Track (SNORT), 18 November 1953. Official U.S. Navy
photo.
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ZUNI FFAR rocket pods |
F2H-2 Banshee, BuNo 123206, transportable, stackable,
5" ZUNI FFAR rocket pods, China Lake, 01 December
1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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ZUNI FFAR rocket pods |
AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 132233, transportable, stackable,
5" ZUNI FFAR rocket pods, China Lake, 02 December
1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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ZUNI FFAR rocket pods |
F2H-2 Banshee, BuNo 123206, transportable, stackable,
5" ZUNI FFAR rocket pods, China Lake, circa Dec.
1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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Remains of VX-5 Vampires AD-4B Skyraider BuNo
132277, XE-15, after a USAF exchange pilot on a fam
flight to China Lake experienced a torque roll and
stall at NAF China Lake, 17 December 1953. Official
U.S. Navy photo. |
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