"Thar she blows!"
With her brake chute still attached and billowing in the wind, fabulous US Navy Douglas EKA-3B Skywarrior
Bu.Aer.No 142662/AJ613 from aboard the Aircraft Carrier,
CVA-66, the USS America, seen arriving at the Naval Air Facility at Naples Airport, Italy on the 6th November 1971.
Aka 'The Whale', these huge birds were the largest operational jets to operate from the US aircraft carriers, being used initially in the 'Attack' role then as 'Aerial Tankers' and finally as here, in the combined Tanker and Electronic Counter Measures field.
Some Skywarriors were also converted as 'flying classrooms' for Navigational training with a few being fitted out as VIP transports.
Retired from fleet operations they were relegated to shore-based duties serving fleet requirements - being used in the latter roles before being pensioned off and stored at AMARC.
Several were subsequently acquired by civilian outfits and continued in the test and evaluation role for new military equipment by companies such as Raytheon until finally being either scrapped or the odd one being saved for posterity.
Scanned from a 'dire' Kodak Instamatic 25 Neg
"Thar she blows!"
With her brake chute still attached and billowing in the wind, fabulous US Navy Douglas EKA-3B Skywarrior
Bu.Aer.No 142662/AJ613 from aboard the Aircraft Carrier,
CVA-66, the USS America, seen arriving at the Naval Air Facility at Naples Airport, Italy on the 6th November 1971.
Aka 'The Whale', these huge birds were the largest operational jets to operate from the US aircraft carriers, being used initially in the 'Attack' role then as 'Aerial Tankers' and finally as here, in the combined Tanker and Electronic Counter Measures field.
Some Skywarriors were also converted as 'flying classrooms' for Navigational training with a few being fitted out as VIP transports.
Retired from fleet operations they were relegated to shore-based duties serving fleet requirements - being used in the latter roles before being pensioned off and stored at AMARC.
Several were subsequently acquired by civilian outfits and continued in the test and evaluation role for new military equipment by companies such as Raytheon until finally being either scrapped or the odd one being saved for posterity.
Scanned from a 'dire' Kodak Instamatic 25 Neg