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<-- 1952 1953 Photo Gallery. Last updated 18 April, 2010 1954 -->
• Jan -- NAF has 26 aircraft consisting of 1 F9F-2, 1 F9F-5, 2 F2H-2, 1 F2H-2B, 1 F2H-2N, 3 F3D-1, 1 AU-1, 2 AD-4, 1 AD-4B, 2 AJ-1, 1 AF-2W, 2 P4Y-2, 1 P2V-3, 1 R4D-6, 1 R4D-5, 1 JD-1, 1 TV-2, 1 JRB-4, 1 SNB-1 & 1 SNB-5.
• Opening of Supersonic Naval Ordnance Research Track (SNORT) for captive testing of ordnance items.
• Jul -- NAF has 27 aircraft consisting of 1 F9F-2, 1 F9F-5, 2 F2H-2, 1 F2H-2B, 1 F2H-2N, 2 F2H-3, 3 F3D-1, 1 AU-1, 3 AD-4, 1 AD-4B, 2 AJ-1, 1 AF-2W, 2 P4Y-2, 1 P2V-3, 1 R4D-8, 1 R4D-5, 1 JD-1, 1 TV-2 & 2 SNB-5.
• Sept 09 -- Three Navy pilots from San Diego died when their AD-4 crashed at Owens Lake, CA.
• Sept 11--In its first successful interception, a Sidewinder air-to-air missile, test fired at NOTS, Inyokern, sent an F6F drone down in flames.

LT Joel Premselaar and F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 125054 with wingtip mounted 2.75" FFAR pod taxis by hangar 1, China Lake, circa 1953. Photo from Joel Premselaar.

LT Joel Premselaar and F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 125054 with wingtip mounted 2.75" FFAR pod in-flight, China Lake, circa 1953. Photo from Joel Premselaar.

LT Joel Premselaar and F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 125054 with wingtip mounted 2.75" FFAR pod in-flight close-up, China Lake, circa 1953. Photo from Joel Premselaar.

LT Joel Premselaar and F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 125054 and 2.75" FFAR launcher made of plastic coated cardboard tubing. During this test one of the rockets blew away part of the port launcher. China Lake, circa 1953. Photo from Joel Premselaar.

An early Holy Moses rocket test on SNORT, NOTS China Lake, circa 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 132233, Big Richard, China Lake, 11 Feb 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F9F-2 Panther BuNo 127199, Mighty Mouse rockets, China Lake, 07 Apr 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123206, tow target, China Lake, 07 May 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

Armitage Field runway extension project, China Lake, 15 March 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

Graphics drawing, Sidewinder EX-1-2 cutaway view of missile, China Lake, 06 May 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-2B Banshee BuNo 125054, six barrel gun, China Lake, 13 May 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

USAF QB-17G Flying Fortress drone s/n 44-83649, China Lake, 15 May 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.

USAF QB-17G Flying Fortress drone s/n 44-83649, China Lake, 15 May 1953. AD Skyraiders in the background carry Johnsville tail code. Official U.S. Navy photo.

XBT2D-1 Dauntless II BuNo 9089 & unknown, China Lake, 15 May 1953. Official U. S. Navy photo.

Armitage Field, Line Shack in the foreground & hangar 2 at right, Armed Forces Day, China Lake, 15 May 1953. Video from Joel Premselaar.

R4D-8 Skytrain BuNo 12425 west side of the Line Shack, Armed Forces Day, China Lake, 15 May 1953. Video from Joel Premselaar.

AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 132333 in hi-vis orange paint, Armed Forces Day, China Lake, 15 May 1953. Video from Joel Premselaar.

PB4Y-2 Privateer & R4D-6 Skytrain BuNo 59742, Armed Forces Day, China Lake, 15 May 1953. Video from Joel Premselaar.

F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123206, Armed Forces Day, China Lake, 15 May 1953. Video from Joel Premselaar.

F3D-1 Skyknights BuNo 123757 & 13767, Armed Forces Day, China Lake, 15 May 1953. Video from Joel Premselaar. Wally Schirra is the pilot of the one at left.

LT Joel Premselaar making a JATO takeoff in TV-2 Seastar BuNo 126598, Armed Forces Day, China Lake, 15 May 1953. Video from Joel Premselaar.

VX-5 F9F-5 Panther XE-18, Armed Forces Day, China Lake, 15 May 1953. Video from Joel Premselaar.

F3D-1 Skyknight BuNo 123757 with Sidewinder EX-0 missiles, 18 May 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.

XF4D-1 Skyray BuNo 124586, 19 May 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.

F9F-2 Panther BuNo 127199, Mighty Mouse rocket salvo, China Lake, 28 May 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.

USAF QB-17 Flying Fortress drones, multiple target discrimination test, China Lake, 04 Jun 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.

USAF QB-17 Flying Fortress drones, multiple target discrimination test, China Lake, 04 Jun 1953. Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123303, hooking a DART tow target, China Lake, 21 Jul 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123303, hooking a DART tow target, China Lake, circa 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

DART tow target in flight, China Lake, circa 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F3D-1 Skyknight BuNo 123757 & F3D-1 Skyknight BuNo 123767 with Sidewinder 1 missiles, China Lake, 01 Aug 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F3D-1 Skyknight BuNo 123757 with Sidewinder 1 missile, 01 Aug 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F3D-1 Skyknight BuNo 123767 with Sidewinder 1 missile, China Lake, 01 Aug 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F3D-2 Skyknight BuNo 124595 with a Mk-12 nuke (blue store) which had a 12 Kiloton yield and weighed 1200 lbs, China Lake, 01 August 1953.

Official U.S. Navy Photo.

RIM-2 Terrier missile radar antennas, China Lake, August 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 132233, BOAR, China Lake, 10 Sep 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

USAF B-29 Superfortress (s/n unknown), Randsburg Wash, China Lake, 02 October 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

USAF B-29 Superfortress (s/n unknown), Randsburg Wash, China Lake, 02 October 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

USAF B-29 Superfortress (s/n unknown), Randsburg Wash, China Lake, 02 October 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

USAF B-29 Superfortress (s/n unknown), Randsburg Wash, China Lake, 02 October 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

USAF B-29 Superfortress (s/n unknown), Randsburg Wash, China Lake, 02 October 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

USAF B-29 Superfortress (s/n unknown), Randsburg Wash, China Lake, 02 October 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

USAF B-29 Superfortress (s/n unknown), Randsburg Wash, China Lake, 02 October 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

USAF B-29 Superfortress (s/n unknown), Randsburg Wash, China Lake, 02 October 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

VX-3 F7U-3 Cutlass BuNo 128463, XC-01, Pad LB, China Lake, 15 October 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

VX-5 F7U-3 Cutlass BuNo 128465, XE-1, over Moffett Field, 18 October 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

VX-5 F3D-2B Skyknight BuNo 127044, XE-6, NAS Oakland, 18 October 1953.

Photo by Clay Jansson, courtesy of Alan Carey.

F2H-3 Banshee BuNo 126424, BOAR, China Lake, 04 Nov 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

USAF F-84E Thunderjet s/n 49-2114, BOAR, China Lake, 05 Nov 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

The first rocket sled, TIM Go-Devil, sped down the rails at the brand new Supersonic Naval Ordnance Research Track (SNORT), 18 November 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123206, transportable, stackable, 5" ZUNI FFAR rocket pods, China Lake, 01 December 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123206, transportable, stackable, 5" ZUNI FFAR rocket pods, China Lake, about Dec 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 132233, transportable, stackable, 5" ZUNI FFAR rocket pods, China Lake, 02 December 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD Skyraider BuNo 132233, transportable, stackable, 5" ZUNI FFAR rocket pods, China Lake, 02 December 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 132233, transportable, stackable, 5" ZUNI FFAR rocket pods, China Lake, about 1953.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD-4 Skyraider BuNo 123905 in-flight with 11.75" Tiny Tim's and 5.0" FFAR's, 01 January 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.