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From: Miloch <Miloch_member@newsguy.com>
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Subject: Grumman A-6 Intruder
Date: 19 Nov 2016 16:14:56 -0800
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_A-6_Intruder
also here
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/6072/behold-the-pioneering-a-6c-intruder-with-its-massive-ventral-sensor-pod
The Grumman A-6 Intruder was an American, twin jet-engine, mid-wing all-weather
attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. In service with the United States
Navy and Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an
all-weather medium attack aircraft to replace the piston-engined Douglas A-1
Skyraider. As the A-6E was slated for retirement, its precision strike mission
was taken over by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat equipped with a LANTIRN pod. From the
A-6, a specialized electronic warfare derivative, the EA-6, was developed.
Following the good showing of the propeller-driven AD-6/7 Skyraider in the
Korean War, the United States Navy issued preliminary requirements in 1955 for
an all-weather carrier-based attack aircraft. The U.S. Navy published an
operational requirement document for it in October 1956. It released a request
for proposals (RFP) in February 1957. Proposals were submitted by Bell, Boeing,
Douglas, Grumman, Lockheed, Martin, North American, and Vought. Following
evaluation of the bids, the U.S. Navy announced the selection of Grumman on 2
January 1958. The company was awarded a contract for the development of the
A2F-1 in February 1958.
For its day, the Intruder had surprisingly sophisticated avionics (electronics
systems), with a high degree of integration. It was felt that this could lead to
extraordinary maintenance requirements, to identify and isolate equipment
malfunctions. Hence, the aircraft was provided with automatic diagnostic
systems, some of the earliest computer-based analytic equipment developed for
aircraft. These were known as Basic Automated Checkout Equipment, or BACE
(pronounced "base"). There were two levels, known as "Line BACE" to identify
specific malfunctioning systems in the aircraft, while in the hangar or on the
flight line; and "Shop BACE", to exercise and analyze individual malfunctioning
systems in the maintenance shop. This equipment was manufactured by Litton
Industries. Together, the BACE systems greatly reduced the Maintenance Man-Hours
per Flight Hour, a key index of the cost and effort needed to keep military
aircraft operating.
Role
Attack aircraft
National origin
United States
Manufacturer
Grumman
First flight
19 April 1960
Introduction
1963
Retired
28 April 1993 (USMC)
28 February 1997 (USN)
Status
Retired
Primary users
United States Navy
United States Marine Corps
Produced
Number built
693
Unit cost
US$43 million (1998)
Variants
Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler
A-6 Intruders first saw action during the Vietnam War, where the craft were used
extensively against targets in Vietnam. The aircraft's long range and heavy
payload (18,000 pounds or 8,200 kilograms) coupled with its ability to fly in
all weather made it invaluable during the war. However, its typical mission
profile of flying low to deliver its payload made it especially vulnerable to
anti-aircraft fire, and in the eight years the Intruder was used during the
Vietnam War, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps lost a total of 84 A-6 aircraft
of various series.
Of the 84 Intruders lost to all causes during the war, ten were shot down by
surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), two were shot down by MiGs, 16 were lost to
operational causes, and 56 were lost to conventional ground fire and AAA. The
last Intruder to be lost during the war was from VA-35, flown by LT C. M. Graf
and LT S. H. Hatfield, operating from USS America; they were shot down by ground
fire on 24 January 1973 while providing close air support. The airmen ejected
and were rescued by a Navy helicopter. Twenty U.S. Navy aircraft carriers
rotated through the waters of Southeast Asia, providing air strikes, from the
early 1960s through the early 1970s. Nine of those carriers lost A-6 Intruders:
USS Constellation lost 11, USS Ranger lost eight, USS Coral Sea lost six, USS
Midway lost two, USS Independence lost four, USS Kitty Hawk lost 14, USS
Saratoga lost three, USS Enterprise lost eight, and USS America lost two.
Although capable of embarking aboard aircraft carriers, most U.S. Marine Corps
A-6 Intruders were shore based in South Vietnam at Chu Lai and Da Nang and in
Nam Phong, Thailand.
The A-6 was intended to be replaced by the McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II,
but that program was canceled due to cost overruns. The Intruder remained in
service for a few more years before being retired in favor of the
LANTIRN-equipped F-14D Tomcat, which was in turn replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super
Hornet in the U.S. Navy and the twin-seat F/A-18D Hornet in the U.S. Marine
Corps. The last Intruders were retired on 28 February 1997.
Specifications (A-6E)
General characteristics
Crew: two (pilot, bombardier/navigator)
Length: 54 ft 7 in (16.64 m)
Wingspan: 53 ft (16.15 m)
Height: 15 ft 7 in (4.75 m)
Airfoil: NACA 64A009 mod root, NACA 64A005.9 tip
Aspect ratio: 5.31
Empty weight: 25,630 lb (11,630 kg)
Useful load: 34,996 lb (15,870 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 60,626 lb (27,500 kg)
Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0144
Performance
Maximum speed: 563 knots (648 mph, 1,040 km/h)
Range: 2,819 nmi (3,245 mi, 5,222 km)
Service ceiling: 40,600 ft (12,400 m)
Rate of climb: 7,620 ft/min (38.7 m/s)
Lift-to-drag ratio: 15.2
Armament
Hardpoints: 5 total: 4 wing and 1 fuselage with 18,000 lb (8,170 kg) load
Rockets:
2.75 in (70 mm) FFAR Rocket Pod
5 in (127 mm) Zuni Rocket Pod
Missiles:
AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile
AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missile
AGM-62 Walleye TV-guided glide bomb
AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missile
AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile
AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile
Bombs:
Mk 81 250 lb (113 kg) GP bombs
Mk 82 500 lb (227 kg) GP bombs
Mk 83 1,000 lb (454 kg) GP bombs
Mk 84 2,000 lb (907 kg) GP bombs
Mk 117 750 lb (340 kg) GP bombs
Mk-20 Rockeye II cluster bombs
CBU-89 GATOR mine cluster bombs
Mk 77 750 lb (340 kg) incendiary bombs
GBU-10 Paveway II laser-guided bombs
GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs
GBU-16 Paveway II laser-guided bombs
B43 nuclear bomb
B57 nuclear bomb
B61 nuclear bomb
B83 nuclear bomb
Various air-dropped landmines
Various air-dropped underwater mines
Various practice bombs [Mk-76, BDU-45, LGTR, etc.]
*
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