"Rudolph the Red Nosed Skyhawk." An A-4B with an air-to-air radar in 1966!

[+dtmdragon]

Rudolf was an A-4B (BuNo 145002) that had an F-8 air-to-air radar "borrowed" from the China Lake Weapons Center and installed by NARF Alameda. The unique, longer nose (modified from a F-11 Tiger) was painted red and the name followed soon after. The aircraft was officially designated YA-4B.

What was intended as the prototype for future VSF fighters had not been approved by higher authority. Nor was taking Rudolf on the CarQual sessions the pilots of VSF-1 had on Kearsarge and Hornet.

VSF-1 commanding officer CDR Charles E. Waring himself flew Rudolf's first trap. Six pilots and the maintenance crew of the first detachment were ready to go aboard Yorktown when the deployment was cancelled in the spring of 1966.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2015 by dtmdragon