Need help finding an aircraft's history

[Viggen 644]

I've spent a few hours today trying to find the career for a specific EA-6B Prowler, BuNo 161880. Why this aircraft? Well, the Prowler's always been one of my favorite aircraft and this was the only one I ever saw, at an airshow in 2006 where a young me might have tried to rotate the ram air turbine on an ALQ-99. Anyway, I was wondering if someone might have better luck finding a squadron by squadron history and ultimate disposition of this aircraft? The Prowler's airframe by airframe history seems much less well documented than say, an F-4 or F-14's. Thanks!

 

EDIT: Finding the histories of specific aircraft I've seen on display at airshows or museums is something I've been doing to help pass the time while covid's being going on.

Edited February 21, 2021 by Viggen

[Wrench 9,879]

makes you wish Joe Baugher's site covered Navy/Marine aircraft instead of just USAAC/AAF/AF

I'd reccomend Forgotten Jests:

http://www.forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/

but he doesn't have anything the EA-6B (just A-6s and EA-6A)

still a good place though!

[+daddyairplanes 10,281]

punch the serial along with EA-6B into google

then fire up some popcorn, follow the links and take notes. my 30 second rendition didnt give any specific history, but multiple photos to build one up with

[Viggen 644]

7 minutes ago, daddyairplanes said:

punch the serial along with EA-6B into google

then fire up some popcorn, follow the links and take notes. my 30 second rendition didnt give any specific history, but multiple photos to build one up with

Almost annoyingly, typing it that way instead of "EA-6B 161880" was giving me new results. Thanks to one page I was able to find the delivery date, 9/23/84. I haven't been able to find anything about its first ten years of service or if it was a Gulf War vet (I suppose I could check in the ODS Mod's Prowler for that!). Seems like it flew in the various VMAQs in the mid 1990s through mid 2000s. When I was it in 2006, it was assigned to VMAQ-4. Most pictures of it are from when it was the CAG for VAQ-129.

@Wrench I've never used that website before, but it looks like a great source. Thanks!

[SayethWhaaaa 245]

Also, as loathe as I am to suggest it, try FB. Usually there are pages for aircraft with names like Friends of (insert aircraft here) run by Av-nerds and ex-service people. I came across a couple groups looking for info on RAAF Mirages & RAN/RNZAF Skyhawks a while back and I got a shit-tonne more info than I needed from 'em. Pretty sure there's a Growler/Prowler page on there. Might help... maybe? *shrugs* Otherwise, there's a prviate VMAQ group. There's bound to be ex-members there who might be able to point you in the right direction. Just don't mention you're Army though. You know how judgy leathernecks get...

[Wrench 9,879]

SayWhat:

you never tried ADF-serials.com? (i think that's the right URL, if not, search "ADF Serials"

[SayethWhaaaa 245]

Oh yeah, I know ADF Serials, actually I'm kind of surprised there isn't a similar type of service for the tens of thousands of aircraft in all the US services-- then again, the sheer number of aircraft is probably why. The info I was looking for was on our navy Skyhawk camo schemes( the green-grey and the lo-viz grey), when they were implemented and how many got it, etc. I saw one when I was pretty much still a toddler in the early 80s and it was gull grey and figured that's what they all looked like, and I was in my dirty thirties before I even realised the camoed ones existed. ADF serials covered the what (photos of the liveries), but the ex-RAN/RNZAF service people were able to give the who, why, and how about them. And photos. Holy shit did they have a lot of fantastic, unprinted photos!!