• Jan --
NAF has 43 aircraft consisting of 2 F7U-3, 1 F9F-8, 1 F9F-5,
3 F2H-2, 1 F2H-2N, 1 F2H-3, 1 FJ-2, 4 F6F-5, 2 F3D-1, 1 F3D-2,
3 F8F-2D, 1 AD-6, 1 AD-5, 1 AD-4, 1 AJ-2, 1 AF-2S, 1 P2V-3,
1 P2V-3B, 1 P4Y-2, 1 R4D-6, 1 R4D-5, 1 SNB-5 & 12 F6F-5K.
• Feb -- The 1st Provisional Marine Guided Missile Battalion
was re-designated the 1st TERRIER Surface to Air Missile Battalion
at the U. S. Naval Ordnance Test Station, Inyokern, CA.
•
June 24 -- GMU-25 established.
• July 26 -- In a title change
reflective of its actual physical location, NAF was officially
re-designated U.S. Naval Air Facility, China Lake, CA.
•
Opening of permanent G-1 range for guided-missile free-flight-testing.
• Opening of permanent G-2 range for rocket free-flight testing.
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| 1Q |
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AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 127860 |
VX-5 Vampires AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 127860, circa
1955, probably Moffett Field. Official U.S. Navy.
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Aerial view of the China Lake complex |
Aerial view of the SW corner of the China Lake
complex, 1955, with the Sierra Nevada in background;
Armitage Field is upper right, main industrial and
community areas in center, and the 50-acre China
Lake Pilot Plant in foreground; the guided missile
and ground ranges are to the right (north), 1955.
Official U.S. Navy photo.
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Skyhawk rudder flutter test |
A4D-1 Skyhawk tail section rudder flutter test,
circa 1955, SNORT. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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F9F-8 Cougar BuNo 131075 |
VX-5 Vampires F9F-8 Cougar BuNo 131075, XE-15,
The store is the smaller 12KT nuke, circa 1955.
Photo & comment from S. Joel Premselaar... note that
the fins are extended and the Cougar's speed brakes
are deployed (they appear to be just in front of the
store's nose, but they are, in fact, on the
fuselage).
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F7U-3 Cutlass BuNo 129674 |
VX-5 Vampires F7U-3 Cutlass BuNo 129674, XE-4,
circa 1955. Photo & comment from S. Joel Premselaar
... the larger 60 KT nuke required that the store's
fins be folded. Dive Bombing with nukes, we used an
80 degree dive angle.
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F7U-3 Cutlass BuNo 129665 |
VX-5 Vampires F7U-3 Cutlass BuNo 129665, XE-2,
and pilot S. Joel Premselaar, circa 1955. Photo from
S. Joel Premselaar.
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F7U-3 Cutlass BuNo 129665 |
VX-5 Vampires F7U-3 Cutlass BuNo 129665, XE-2,
circa 1955. Photo & comment from S. Joel Premselaar
... the store is the small 12 KT nuke. Ground
clearance provided by the F7U permitted leaving the
fins spread.
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Joel Premselaar and his sons |
Joel Premselaar and his sons by VX-5 Vampires
F9F-8 Cougar BuNo 131075, XE-15, circa 1955. Photo
from Joel Premselaar.
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NAF hangar 2 |
NAF hangar 2, Armitage Field, China Lake, 05
January 1955. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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AF-2S Guardian BuNo 126783 |
NAF AF-2S Guardian BuNo 126783, SW corner of
hangar 2, Armitage Field, China Lake, 05 January 1955.
Official U.S. Navy photo.
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VF-193 Ghost Riders Banshees |
VF-193 Ghost Riders F2H-3 Banshees parked on the
flightline, Armitage Field, China Lake, 08 January
1955. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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VF-193 Ghost Riders |
VF-193 Ghost Riders F2H-3 Banshee B-306 & l-r
Long, Gilbert, Thompson, Drunhaver, O'Neil,
Lawrence, Farris & Shepard, Armitage Field, China
Lake, 08 January 1955. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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AD-6 Skyraider BuNo 135278 |
NAF AD-6 Skyraider BuNo 135278, boresight,
Armitage Field, China Lake, 24 January 1955. Official
U.S. Navy photo.
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F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123290 |
NAF F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123290, boresight,
Armitage Field, China Lake, 24 January 1955. Official
U.S. Navy photo.
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F9F-8 Cougar BuNo 131159 |
NAF F9F-8 Cougar BuNo 131159 with AIM-9
Sidewinder missile, Armitage Field, China Lake, 01
February 1955. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123290 |
NAF F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123290, FFAR rocket pods,
Armitage Field, China Lake, 11 February 1955. Official
U.S. Navy photo.
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F9F-8 Cougar BuNo 131159 |
NAF F9F-8 Cougar BuNo 131159, Sidewinder 1A
missile on century pylon, China Lake 15 February 1955.
Official U.S. Navy photo.
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F7U-3 Cutlass BuNo 128467 |
R & D Dallas F7U-3 Cutlass BuNo 128467 & NAF
F6F-5 Hellcat BuNo 78199, Hot Line, Armitage Field,
China Lake, 15 February 1955. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123247 |
NAF F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123247 & NAF AD-5W
Skyraider BuNo 132784, FFAR rocket pods, Armitage
Field, China Lake, 08 March 1955. Official U.S. Navy
photo.
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AD-5W Skyraider BuNo 132784 |
NAF AD-5W Skyraider BuNo 132784, FFAR rocket
pods, Armitage Field, China Lake, 11 March 1955.
Official U.S. Navy photo.
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SSM-N-8 Regulus |
SSM-N-8 Regulus GM-0095, Armitage Field, China
Lake, 15 March 1955. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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F9F-8 Cougar BuNo 131086 |
VX-5 Vampires F9F-8 Cougar BuNo 131086, XE-16,
application of A-1 sight head to toss-bombing
technique, 15 March 1955. This Cougar was used by
Lt. J.A. Sickel, USN and Capt. G.J. Hogenmiller,
USAF to test the "heads up" display. NACA photo.
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| 2Q |
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A4D-1 Skyhawk BuNo 137816 |
A4D-1 Skyhawk BuNo 137816 flown by company test
pilot Calvin Shoemaker, was given extensive testing
at NOTS China Lake during March and April of 1955.
It was put through its paces in practice landings on
the simulated carrier deck at NAF. It was launched
and recovered by the catapult and arresting gear
mechanisms which were constructed for testing
purposes. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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F9F-8 Cougar BuNo 131159 |
NAF F9F-8 Cougar BuNo 131159 in-flight with a
Sidewinder 1A missile on a century pylon, over the
Sierras, 06 April 1955. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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F7U-3 Cutlass, Elsie (L.C.) |
F7U-3 Cutlass, Elsie (L.C.), TX-11, weapon drop,
China Lake, 07 April 1955. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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AD-6 Skyraider BuNo 135278 |
NAF AD-6 Skyraider BuNo 135278, cluster bomb,
Armitage Field, China Lake, 09 May 1955. Official
U.S. Navy photo.
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HUP-2 Retriever BuNo 128600 |
NAF HUP-2 Retriever BuNo 128600, Rescue
demonstration, Armitage Field, China Lake, AFD 1955.
Rocketeer photo.
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| 3Q |
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F3D-1 Skyknight BuNo 123766 |
NAF F3D-1 Skyknight BuNo 123766, Sidewinder 1
missile, Armitage Field, China Lake, 28 July 1955.
Official U.S. Navy photo.
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F7U-3 Cutlass, Elsie |
F7U-3 Cutlass, TX-11, Elsie, Armitage Field,
China Lake, 05 August 1955. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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| 4Q |
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F-86D Sabre s/n 52-3598 |
USAF F-86D Sabre s/n 52-3598, FU-598, oblique
rocket pack, Armitage Field, China Lake, 07 October
1955. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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AIM-9 Sidewinder missile and launcher |
AIM-9 Sidewinder missile and launcher, 24 October
1955. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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R4Y-1 Samaritan BuNo 141005 |
Pax River R4Y-1 Samaritan BuNo 141005 on the ramp
west of the control tower, Armitage Field, China
Lake, 07 November 1955. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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F9F-5 Panther BuNo 126043 |
NAF F9F-5 Panther BuNo 126043, ZUNI FFAR,
Armitage Field, China Lake, 24 November 1955. Official
U.S. Navy photo.
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F9F-5 Panther BuNo 126043 |
NAF F9F-5 Panther BuNo 126043, ZUNI FFAR,
Armitage Field, China Lake, 24 November 1955. Official
U.S. Navy photo.
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F-86 Sabre s/n 52-5143 |
USAF F-86 Sabre s/n 52-5143, FU-143, fuselage
mounted NAKA rocket pack, Armitage Field, China
Lake, 01 December 1955. Official U.S. Navy photo.
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FJ-4 Fury prototype |
FJ-4 Fury prototype, possibly BuNo 139280, X-47B
FFAR rocket pods, 09 December 1955. Official U.S. Navy
photo.
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Ol' Buck Sureshot and Captain Jet |
Youngsters at the NAF Christmas Party met two of
their favorite television characters, "Ol' Buck
Sureshot" and "Captain Jet" who volunteered their
time. The Douglas Corporation furnished the aircraft
tor the visit and Bob Smith (at far right) of the
Douglas publicity department was instrumental in
bringing the two television stars to China Lake, 22
December 1955. Rocketeer photo.
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