(TMOliver) wrote:
----
"WDA" vented spleen or mostly mumbled...
'In the 60s carrier based A-3 heavy attack bombers flying above 40,000
feet often could approach a warship and not be detected on the air
search radar even when passing overhead.'

As a 60s era carrier based Air Intercept Controller, I'll argue your
claim from two contrarian perspectives...
A. Unless some here can establish reasonable evidence to the contrary
the number of A3 strike sorties (or EA3 missions) routinely flown above
Angels 40 will fit over in the slim and none category. snip
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I disagree with "slim and none" but can't provide evidence except my
memories from VAH-1 and VQ-2.
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B. I can't think of an aspect in which an A3 wasn't a well-painted
target (at least on the SPS-37 or 43, although I had no experience with
low flyers (but I knew few former A3 drivers who were happy flying low,
them downward firing seats lending little survivability to a low
altitude mechanical problem). snip
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I'm assuming a bit of wry humor when you wrote "them downward firing
seats"?
Downward - correct; firing - nope. No ejection seats in any direction,
on the "All 3 Dead" (A3D). Maybe the least favorite nickname but often
heard, especially from the folks who had earlier been flying the AJ
Savages aka "The Widowmaker" also sans ejection seats.

Chuck




HEAVY ATTACK COMPOSITE (VC-5,6,7,8,9) WEBSITE
http://community.webtv.net/charles379/USNComposite

FAIRECONRON ONE AND TWO (VQ-1/2) CASUALTIES
http://www.anzwers.org/free/navyscpo...r_AirCrew.html