Help the VFM save a......Whale?

[CrewDawg]

Yes! The VFM is partnering with the A-3 Skywarrior Association to save EA-3B BuNo 146453 by bringing it to the VFM and placing it on static display! Please go to the A-3 Skywarrior Association website to donate http://www.a3skywarrior.com/. The A-3 Skywarrior, affectionatly known as the Whale because it was the largest aircraft to operate from an aircraft carrier. This particular aircraft is an electronic countermeasures variant which served in Vietnam, the Cold War and Desert Storm. It is the most complete EA-3B left in the Boneyard in Arizona. The estimated cost to disassemble, transport and reassemble from Tuscon to Fort Worth is approximately $25,000.00 + another $25,000.00 for static restoration. The A-3 Association is taking on the challenge of raising the funds, coordinating the move and maintaining it once it has arrived. They have already saved several other Whales at other locations so they have the experience and expertise. The VFM has made a formal request to the Navy for the aircraft and since we already have several other items on loan from the Navy (the L-5 hanging from the ceiling and a few engines) it should not be a problem to get approved.

Once the aircraft arrives, it will be put on display on a concrete pad just south of the main hangar in the same general area that aircraft have previously been displayed in the past. The goal is to be able to offer interior tours of the aircraft.

Here is a YouTube video of the actual aircraft we are trying to save, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2Ufjc6V4c0. None of this will be possible if they are unable to raise the money to move the aircraft.

This is a unique opportunity to expand the VFM's exhibits to include a very historic, sometimes unsung hero and workhorse for the Navy for 40 years. Our mission is to preserve America's aviaiton history and pay tribute to everyone who served. This aircraft will enable us to honor yet another segment of our proud history.

Many of you on WIX are aware that Raytheon ceased A-3 operations recently, in fact the last flight of an A-3 took off from NAS Fort Worth JRB as the last flyable Raytheon A-3 departed after a fuel stop on it's way to Pensecola.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr7CJibs4hc

Here's the A-3 Skywarrior Associtions' Donation Drive Information Sheet:

This SAVE-THE-WHALE alert is issued by the A-3 Association for Action
On Oct 28 1952 the first A-3 Skywarrior flew and yet today is still operational with Raytheon Flight Test Operations. The A-3 was originally designed
to deliver an atomic bomb from Essex and Forrestal class aircraft carriers to combat the Soviet threat during the cold war. As that mission
was taken over by the Poseidon class submarines, the Skywarrior evolved into a conventional bomber, airborne tanker, electronic and photographic
reconnaissance, electronic jammer, trainer, VIP transport and airborne test bed. Douglas Aircraft Company designed, tested, and built 283 A-3’s
for the US Navy and 296 B-66’s for the US Air Force.
The Mission
Recently, the A-3 Skywarrior Association was notified by Raytheon that A-3 flight operations have ended. The remaining aircraft at Davis-
Monthan are now re-allocated to museums that have the money to move, restore, and display them. Our present day mission is to acquire one of the
remaining Whales and relocate her to the Vintage Flying Museum at Meacham in Fort Worth: http://www.vintageflyingmuseum.org/
This museum is conveniently located off major highways I-30, I-20, and I-35 and only 30 minutes away from DFW airport. Fort Worth is rich in
aviation history with NAS Fort Worth and Lockheed Martin just a few miles from Meacham. This will be a great spot for her and a great museum
to be a member of and/or volunteer your time with restoration activities, however our immediate need is raising dollars.
The Goal
Phase One: By June 2012 raise $50,000 to ensure that we have the funds needed to acquire and restore an A-3.
Phase Two: Secure NMNA assignment of 146453 to Fort Worth and 146455 as the donor aircraft
Phase Three: Move jet to Pima holding area, remove empennage, and ship overland to Fort Worth
Phase Four: Restore 146453 to Desert Storm livery and display at Vintage Flying Museum
How You Can Help
Skywarrior BuNo 146453, (see above), was built in 1960. This “Whale” was stationed at VQ-2 in Rota from 1960 until 1991 performing electronic
reconnaissance. Donations of any size will make a difference, periodic donations add up over time, and large donations are wonderful (makes my
job easier). This is probably our last A-3 project and as always, will be funded by individuals who commanded, flew, and maintained Skywarrior’s.
We will save this piece of aviation history for future generations to see but we need your help to preserve this great aircraft and tell the carrier based
Whale story. Some or all of your sponsorship and/or donations may be tax deductible.
Thank you for your support,
Mark Swisher
Treasurer, A-3 Assn
4225 Inspiration Dr
Fort Worth, TX 76126
mark.swisher@att.net
Cell: 817-819-6623

FWIW my both of my son's grandfathers are connected to this type, my dad was a crew chief (yes, it runs in the family) on RB-66's in Europe and his mom's dad was a navigator on A-3's for two tours in Vietnam (yes, he's a member of the A-3 Assoc. too). It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all........

Here she is currently in the Boneyard

[Mike]

It sounds like a worthy endeavour, but would it not be better to assure assignment of the aircraft from NMNA before starting to raise funds?

[Rocketeer]

Sounds great! I'd like to see an A-3 at Meacham.

[CrewDawg]

So here's the latest update on this project. Williams Pyro, which is a supplier for Lockheed Martin pledged $21,000.00 in 2011 AND in 2012!!! This means that there is now enough money to pay for dismantling and trucking the A-3 from Davis-Monthan to Meacham Airport in Fort Worth!!! If you'd like to contribute go to http://www.wherndon.com/vq2sandeman/Cowtown%20A-3%20Memorial.htm, you can also go to thier Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/cowtownwhale/ and bid on an A-3 tail hook point, all money raised go towards saving the Whale! You can also go to the VFM website http://www.vintageflyingmuseum.org/

[CrewDawg]

For anyone who is Whale watching, we have one in our sights! The National Naval Museum has approved putting EA-3B BuNo 146453 on loan to the Vintage Flying Museum! http://www.a3skywarrior.com/whale-rescues/projects/cowtown-a-3.html The A-3 Association is currently building a team to go to Tuscon and dismantle the airplane, put it on a truck and bring it to Fort Worth where it will be put on static display. As of right now, the plan is to put it on display outside under a canopy, similar to what you see at many car dealerships in the area. The seem to do a good job of protecting new cars from the Texas elements so it should work pretty good for a Whale.

Anyone interested in helping either in person or by donation, Mark Swisher, A-3 Association Treasurer http://www.wherndon.com/vq2sandeman/Cowtown%20A-3%20Memorial.htm. There are PayPal links on both websites.

Thanks for watching!

[K5DH]

Quick update on the VFM Whale saga:
We had a meeting this past Saturday between Mark Swisher and some of the VFM staff. It looks like the tentative time frame to disassemble the Whale in Tucson and transport it to Fort Worth will be early to mid November. The AMARG staff will move the airplane to Pima Air Museum. A volunteer crew of VFM and A-3 Ass'n members will go to Tucson and disassemble the jet at PAM. The fuselage will be loaded onto a lowboy trailer, and the outer wings, wing center box, stabs, fin, and engine assemblies will be transported separately from the fuselage. A crane will meet the trucks at the Museum in Fort Worth to offload everything. The plan is to lift the fuselage off the trailer, extend the landing gear, install wheels/tires, and set 'er on the ground in a "mobile" state (yes, we will have a towbar). Depending on how much room is available in the main hangar at that time, the re-assembly could take place indoors, but it's more likely to be an "al fresco" job. The airplane will eventually be displayed outdoors, on its gear, and with brand-new tires, too! As with any restoration, transport is only part of the cost, and that part's covered. Cash donations are always welcomed and appreciated. There is a link in an earlier post in this thread which tells how you can make your donation. Help with the restoration work will also be needed. If you were ever involved with the A-3 Skywarrior in any way -- designer, builder, flier, maintainer -- please consider joining the volunteer team to help fix 'er up once she arrives. Likewise, we'd love to have your A-3 memorabilia for display.

I don't know if any of you watch a reality TV show called "Great Escape". A recent episode took place in The Boneyard. In some of the scenes, you could plainly see a group of stored A-3s. One of them is "ours"!

[CrewDawg]

Ok so it's been a while since I posted anything, but this project has been moving much faster than I am. The airplane was moved from AMARG to Pima last Thursday and the team left Fort Worth yesterday morning headed to Tuscon to start dismantling the airplane to load it on flatbeds for the trip to Fort Worth. The first load (engines, outer wings, and vertical stab) are due to arrive at the VFM this weekend and the rest of the aircraft is scheduled to arrive the following weekend. This will be the last Whale to be saved from AMARG. Here's a shot of her sitting at Pima taken last Thursday.



I will try to post more as this project progresses. I want to say thank you to the A-3 Skywarrior Association as well as the local chapter the Cowtown Skywarrior Association. These guys have worked thier butts off to make this happen. They have raised over $50K to pay for the move, reassembly and display of the aircraft. They are a top notch group of guys and my hat is off to them!!

[CrewDawg]

Here are some more pics of the progress being made in Pima on dismantling the EA-3B. The first load left Pima today headed for the Vintage Flying Museum, the remaining two truckloads will depart next weekend. They have to remove the inner wings from the center section with means drilling out several hundred screws that were never meant to be removed and that haven't been out since the were installed during production.





Enter Sandman!


Note the first truckload of parts in the background - engines, vertical stab, cowling and misc parts.

[K5DH]

"Admiral! There be whales here!"

Okay, so this isn't Star Trek IV and I'm not Mr. Scott.

However, VFM's "Whale" arrived yesterday, or at least everything's here except the wings and tailplanes. Hopefully someone got pictures of the fuselage being offloaded from the truck yesterday. Here are some photos that I shot today:









Engines:




New tires!


Interesting marking. Does this refer to a paint job? Why was it done by the air arm of the Italian navy? Any information on this will be appreciated.

[CrewDawg]

Actually it arrived at 8 am this morning. The remaining part will arrive the week after Thanksgiving.





I like the killer whale on the side of the crew seat.

[tinbender2]

Mil - P - 23377 is a common zinc epoxy polyamide paint used on military and civilian aircraft as a primer and for corrosion prevention.

So your guess about painting is pretty accurate.

[PbyCat-Guy]

My dad was with VQ-2 and spent time at NAS Rota Spain so maybe this is where the italian paint connection comes from, same geographic region. I believe that my dad has flight time in this airplane, Ill show and ask him.

[K5DH]

The Whale got a bath! Some of the restoration crew tugged her onto the paved ramp and cleaned her off with a pressure washer, and she came out looking pretty good. The main landing gear bays got a thorough cleaning also. Here are a few quick photos:







EDIT: I forgot to mention when I posted this originally... I heard today that the wings are tentatively scheduled to go back onto the airframe the first week of May. (subject to change, of course!)

Last edited by K5DH on Sat Apr 06, 2013 9:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Clifford Bossie]

She cleans up real nice. It will be good to see her back together without Spraylat.

[RandolphB]

Great job on getting her moved...and thanks for all the photos!