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<-- 1953 1954 Photo Gallery. Last updated 12 July, 2010 1955 -->
• Jan -- NAF has 21 aircraft consisting of 1 F9F-5, 2 F2H-2, 1 F2H-2B, 1 F2H-2N, 1 F2H-3, 3 F3D-1, 3 AD-4, 1 AD-4B, 1 AJ-1, 1 AF-2W, 2 P4Y-2, 1 P2V-3, 1 R4D-8, 1 R4D-5 & 1 SNB-5.
• Opening of G-4 range for high-speed terminal-ballistics studies.
• May -- A target drone unit was officially established as a permanent part of NAF.
• June 3 -- U.S. Navy LCdr. Kermit Q. Ellis, from Moffett, lost his life when his AD Skyraider crashed on one of the China Lake Ranges.
• Jul -- NAF has 40 aircraft consisting of 1 F7U-3, 1 F9F-5, 3 F2H-2, 1 F2H-2B, 1 F2H-2N, 1 F2H-3, 2 FJ-2, 3 F3D-1, 3 F8F-2D, 1 AD-6, 3 AD-4, 1 AD-4B, 1 AJ-2, 1 AF-2S, 2 P4Y-2, 1 P2V-3, 1 R4D-8, 1 R4D-5, 2 SNB-5 & 10 F6F-5K.

AIM-9 Sidewinder missile test mounted on a SNORT sled, China Lake, 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

B-17 Flying Fortress formation, 19 January 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

QB-17 Flying Fortress drone damage from sidewinder missile hit, China Lake, 09 Jan 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

QB-17G Flying Fortress drone, China Lake, 01 Feb 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F3D-1 Skyknight, BuNo 123757, OMAR beam rider missile, China Lake, 01 Feb 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-2 Banshee, BuNo 123290, Gimlet launcher, China Lake, 17 Feb 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-2 Banshee BuNo 123290, Gimlet launcher close-up, China Lake, 06 February 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-3 Banshee BuNo 126424, Bombardment Aircraft Rocket (BOAR), China Lake, 18 March 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-3 Banshee BuNo 126424, Bombardment Aircraft Rocket (BOAR), China Lake, 18 March 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-3 Banshee BuNo 126424, Bombardment Aircraft Rocket (BOAR), China Lake, 18 March 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-3 Banshee BuNo 126424, Bombardment Aircraft Rocket (BOAR), drop & ignition, 18 March 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD-4 Skyraider, RAT, China Lake, 23 Feb 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD-4 Skyraider, BuNo 123904, FFAR Aero X6B rocket pods, China Lake, 27 Feb 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD-4 Skyraider, BuNo 123904, FFAR Aero X6B rocket pods, China Lake, 27 Feb 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

FJ-2 Fury, GIMLET vs. F6F Hellcat dogfight, 30 Apr 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

FJ-2 Fury, GIMLET vs. F6F Hellcat dogfight, 30 Apr 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

FJ-2 Fury, GIMLET vs. F6F Hellcat dogfight, 30 Apr 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 132233 & wing mounted FFAR pods, China Lake, 17 May 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

VX-5 F2H-3 Banshee BuNo 127496, XE-4, circa 1954

Photo & information from S. Joel Premselaar... Pilots l-r: unknown, unknown, Newt Wheat, S. Joel Premselaar, VX-5 CO Cdr. H.H. Eppes, Jr., unknown & unknown.

VX-5 F2H-3 Banshee BuNo 127496, XE-4, circa 1954.

Photo & comment from S. Joel Premselaar... note /1

VX-5 AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 132386, XE-14, circa 1954.

Photo & comment from S. Joel Premselaar... note /2

AD-4 Skyraider, BuNo 123904, RAT, China Lake, 01 Jun 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD-4 Skyraider, BuNo 123904, Mk-43 torpedo, China Lake, 22 Jun 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-2 Banshee, BuNo 125054, Sidewinder 1, China Lake, 14 Jul 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-2 Banshee, BuNo 125054, Sidewinder 1, China Lake, 14 Jul 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 132233, HPAG, China Lake, 11 Aug 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

AD-4B Skyraider BuNo 132233, HPAG close-up, China Lake, 11 Aug 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

NASWF AD-6 Skyraider BuNo 134613, JATO, China Lake, 13 Sep. 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

NASWF AD-6 Skyraider BuNo 134613, JATO close-up, China Lake, 13 Sep. 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-2N Banshee, BuNo 123206, 2.75" rocket launcher, China Lake, 06 Oct 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F2H-2N Banshee, BuNo 123206, 2.75" rocket launcher, China Lake, 06 Oct 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F3D Skyknight in-flight drawing, 11 October 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

F4D-1 Skyray, BuNo 130745, FFAR Aero X7B rocket pods, Edwards AFB, 20 Oct 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

VX-5 F2H-3 Banshee BuNo 127496, XE-4, Sky Screening, 07 December 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

VX-5 F2H-3 Banshee BuNo 127496, XE-4, Sky Screening, 07 December 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

SSM-N-8 Regulus I recovery on final, P-80, T-33B and F2H Banshee chase planes, China Lake, 08 Dec 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

SSM-N-8 Regulus I recovery touchdown, T-33B and F2H Banshee chase planes, China Lake, 08 Dec 1954.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

Thompson Aeroballistics Lab. where the free flight of rockets and missiles was studied, circa December 1954.

Naval Aviation News photo.

Missiles flight through the light screen initiates action, circa December 1954.

Naval Aviation News photo.

NOTS Aeroballistics Lab. central control room, circa December 1954.

Naval Aviation News photo.

SSM-N-8 Regulus I, T-33 and F2H Banshee chase planes, China Lake, circa 1954-1955.

photographer unknown.

/1 the F2H-3 was a marked improvement over the -2s in more ways than I care to describe. The store is nuke practice shape and I believe it had a yield of around 60 KT. Note that it has folding fins. I used a curved path takeoff technique I learned from flying single float seaplanes (N3N, SOC, OS2U, SC). This method, too elaborate to describe here, was very effective with asymmetrically loaded aircraft.

/2 the wing mounted stores are drop (fuel) tanks. The centerline store is a 12 KT nuke practice bomb. Its fins are folded to provide ground clearance and are spread in flight. The bottom speed brake had to be deactivated before loading when centerline stores were carried. When diving (speed was a contributing factor) ADs would literally tumble like a tumbling pigeon if, with speed brakes deployed, the horizontal stabilizer was trimmed above zero. The airflow in this configuration would stall out the tail.