NAEC / NATF Lakehurst

NAS, NAEC, NATF. (Naval Air Station, Naval Air Engineering Center, Naval Air Test Facility) Lakehurst, NJ.

Point of Contact = Squadron Duty Officer (SDO). See FAQ/Research/Contact link under [SA] in the menu.


Naval Air Station
Lakehurst, NJ

Naval Air Engineering Center
Lakehurst, NJ

Naval Air Test Facility
Lakehurst, NJ

Heritage-Patches

The Naval Air Test Facility at NAS Lakehurst, New Jersey, was established with testing catapult and arresting systems as its main responsibility. Several models of the Crusader were employed during the 1960’s, including F-8A’s, -D’s and L’s. Tailcode: none

Sources

David Weber

Gary Verver

Commanding Officers

No info yet.

Awards

No info yet.

Base Tail ID

No info yet.

Hosted Units

No info yet

Aircraft li>NATF

13 March 1959: - - - - - Douglas A4D-1 (A-4A) Skyhawk *

14 August 1961 - - - - - Douglas A4D-2 (A-4B) Skyhawk *

3 December 1969: - - - - Douglas A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk *

3 August 1972: - - - - - Douglas YA4D-5 (A-4E) Skyhawk *

26 January 1973: - - - - Douglas A4D-5 (A-4E) Skyhawk *

26 September 1972: - - - Douglas A-4F Skyhawk

12 Jul 1974: - - - - - - Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk

5 August 1974: - - - - - Douglas A-4M Skyhawk

19?? - - - - - - - - - - Vought F8A Crusader

1967 - - - - - - - - - - Vought F8D Crusader

1967 - - - - - - - - - - Vought F8L Crusader

 

NAEC

2 August 1977: - - - - - Douglas A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk *

28 December 1978 - - - - Douglas NTA-4F Skyhawk

 

* November 30, 1962

The A4D-1 designation changed to A-4A

The A4D-2 designation changed to A-4B

The A4D-2N designation changed to A-4C

The A4D-5 designation changed to A-4E

For A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to this unit see lower in this page:

Events

1915-1917
Ammunition proving ground for the Russian Imperial Government.

1917-1921
Acquired by U.S. Army as an ammunition proving ground. Named Camp Kendrick.

1921-1961
The country's (and, perhaps, the world's) Lighter Than Air (LTA) Center. In 1961, the Navy's LTA program was terminated.

May 6, 1937
Hindenburg crashes at Lakehurst.

1958
The Naval Air Test Facility (NATF) was established.

February 5, 1963: A-4A Skyhawk BuNo 137819 was damaged in an accident and was stricken.
e-Mail sa-contact-losses@a4skyhawk.net if you have any further information re the who, what, where or why.

August 31, 1965: Lt. (unknown) (TAD from NATC Patuxent River Flight Test) walked away uninjured and was rescued by HC-2 UH-2A Sea Sprite BuNo 150144 when he attempted to takeoff in NATF(SI) Lakehurst NA-4B BuNo 142685 on NAS Lakehurst runway 24 (5,000') at a gross weight of 22,100 lbs. He attempted to pull-off after leaving the runway lip, was airborne for 504' before striking the far side of a 27' wide ditch, another 406' before striking a barb wire fence, a further 275' through a stand of pine trees, turned 40 deg. to stbd. and travelled another 450' before crashing in a swampy area and skidding another 330'. USN AAR 31 August 1965. US Navy Accident Report, photo 1, photo 2, photo 3. The aircraft was modified to mechanically isolate the drop tanks from the internal fuel tanks so they could be filled with water for catapult tests and the drop tanks were equipped with siphon tubes that would automatically drain them for the arrested landing. Given the A-4 was being ferried to Pax River for weight and balance the pilot believed the drop tanks were empty and from that point forward nothing that disagreed with that preconception registered.

1973
The Naval Air Engineering Center (NAEC) was relocated from Philadelphia as directed by a Shore Establishment Realignment.

1977
NAS and NATF were disestablished and merged into NAEC.

1992
The Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) was established. NAEC becomes the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst (NAWCADLKE).

1994
NAWCADLKE becomes the Naval Air Engineering Station (NAES) for shore station management and the Aircraft Platform Interface (API) Group for technical mission support.

1994
NAWCADLKE and the rest of the AIRCRAFT DIVISION reorganize into a Competency Aligned Organizaiton.

1997
The Aircraft Division and Weapons Division are integrated into the Naval Aviation Systems Team's Competency Aligned Organization.

Photos

1960-62: Right side view of Naval Air Testing Facility Skyhawk BuNo 137819 on display at an open house. R. Besecker. Verver Collection.

A-4B Skyhawk BuNo 142685 and pilot ready to be launched from the SATS cat. Mike Wilson collection.

A-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145074 parked on the ramp with underwing drop tanks. Scott Van Aken.

MAR62: NATF Lakehurst CDR W.J. Welty in A-4B Skyhawk BuNo 142685, #2, makes the first XRE-1 catapult takeoff. Naval Aviation News photo.

SEP63: Right rear view of Naval Air Test Facility A-4B Skyhawk BuNo 142685, #2, on the ramp with two wing tanks and with a plane captain refueling the wing tank. Nick Williams.

Circa 1965: Right side view of Naval Air Test Facility A-4B Skyhawk BuNo 142834, #3, parked on the ramp. Unknown via W. Mutza.

20OCT68: Left front view of NATF Lakehurst A-4B Skyhawk BuNo 142089, #2, parked on the ramp. Nick Williams.

17FEB69: A-4B Skyhawk BuNo 142089 ready for a Walleye TV guided bomb catapult test. Official U.S. Navy photo.

17FEB69: Right front view of Lakehurst A-4B Skyhawk BuNo 142089 on the catapult for a Walleye TV guided bomb launch test. Official U.S. Navy photo.

17FEB69: Left front view of Lakehurst A-4B Skyhawk BuNo 142089 on the catapult for a Walleye TV guided bomb launch test. Official U.S. Navy photo.

09SEP71: Left front view of Naval Air Test Facility A-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145069, #1, parked on the ramp. R. Besecker.

1972: Right side view of NATF Lakehurst A-4B Skyhawk BuNo 142089, #2, parked on the ramp. Unknown via W. Mutza.

23MAY73: A-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145074 parked on the ramp with underwing drop tanks and a buddy store on the center-line. Unknown, Mike Wilson collection.

JAN74: LCDR Noel Flynn's A-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145069 on the ramp with three fuel tanks. R.E. Kling, Mike Wilson collection

Skyhawk A-4C BuNo 148437 on the ramp with intake screens. The info below the canopy is Lt. B. W. Stanton and on the nose gear door AN DEAN and below that CIV W. V. LARNIE. Copyright Garry Sprong.

17SEP78: Right side view of Naval Air Engineering Center Skyhawk A-4L BuNo 149646 parked on the flight line at NAS North Island, CA. Clay Jansson via Tailhook Association

Date Unknown: BuNo 149646, A-4L, NAEC 646 parked with canopy open. Source Gary Verver.

JAN 1974 BuNo 145069 NATF A-4C.
145069-natf-4c-jan74-1-jacksonville.jpg
145069-a4c-natf-03.jpg

30 MAY 1982: NTA-4F BuNo 152102 on the ramp at Lakehurst. Photo William Carmody.

1974: BuNo 144952, 7R-18, stricken on 28OCT65 rests at NATSFI-NAS Lakehurst junkyard.

03MAY02: Skyhawk A-4C BuNo 147701, located on the Lakehurst, NJ "north 40" and reportedly slated for disposition by the Pensacola museum. Joe Hawkins.


Off-Duty Photos

No info yet.

A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to NATF:

  • Douglas A4D-1 (A-4A) Skyhawk
    • 137818
      • 13 Mar 1959 - NATFSI - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 01 Jan 1960 - NAS RDT&E - NAF China Lake, CA
    • 137819 C/N 11289
      • 29 Feb 1960 - NATFSI - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 05 Feb 1963 - Stricken - 1KA9
  • Douglas A4D-2 (A-4B) Skyhawk
    • 142089 c/n 11343
      • 02 Jun 1966 - NATFSI - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 05 Nov 1970 - Stricken - 3S
    • 142106 c/n 11360
      • 31 Aug 1963 - NATFSI - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 31 Dec 1963 - O&R BUWEPS FR - NAS Quonset Point, RI
      • 30 Nov 1969 - NATTC - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 01 Dec 1969 - Stricken - 3S
    • 142224 c/n 11478
      • 01 Aug 1968 - NATTC - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 02 Aug 1968 - Stricken - 3SO
    • 142685 c/n 11747
      • 14 Aug 1961 - NATFSI - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 31 Aug 1965 - Stricken - 1S0
    • 142834 c/n 11896
      • 30 Dec 1963 - NATFST - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 01 Jul 1969 - NAS - NAS Glenview, IL
    • 142848 c/n 11910
      • 30 Nov 1969 - NATTC - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 01 Dec 1969 - Stricken - 3S
    • 144952 C/N 12198
      • 27 Oct 1969 - NATFSI - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 28 Oct 1969 - Stricken - 3S
    • 144995 C/N 12241
      • 27 Oct 1969 - NATFSI - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 28 Oct 1969 - Stricken - 3S
  • Douglas A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk (Continued)
    • 145069 c/n 12315
      • 03 Dec 1969 - NATFSI - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 18 May 1970 - NATF - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 25 Jan 1977 - Stricken - 3SO
    • 145074 c/n 12320
      • 02 Jul 1970 - NATF - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 12 Mar 1976 - NWEF - Kirtland AFB, NM
  • Douglas A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk (Continued)
    • 147701 C/N 12465
      • 02 May 1974 - NATF - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 03 May 1974 - Stricken - 3S0
    • 148437 C/N 12630
      • 23 Feb 1975 - NATF - NATF Lakehurst, NJ
      • 10 Jun 1975 - NATPARATESTSTRANGE - El Centro, CA
      • 01 Sep 1975 - NATF - NATF Lakehurst, NJ
      • 01 Jul 1965 - NAF RDT&E - NAF China Lake, CA
      • 23 Feb 1975 - NATF - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 28 Sep 1977 - NAEC - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 28 Sep 1977 - Stricken - 3SO
    • 149646 c/n 12971
      • 10 Nov 1970 - MARTD Willow Grove - Convert to A-4L
      • 19 Jan 1977 - NATF - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 01 Aug 1977 - Stricken - 3SO
  • Douglas YA4D-5 (A-4E) Skyhawk
    • 148613 C/N 12806
      • 03 Aug 1972 - NATF - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 26 Aug 1972 - NAF RDT&E - NAF China Lake, CA
  • Douglas A4D-5 (A-4E) Skyhawk
    • 150087 c/n 13140
      • 26 Jan 1973 - NATF - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 22 Feb 1973 - VMAT-102 - MCAS Yuma, AZ
  • Douglas A-4F Skyhawk
    • 152101 C/N 13489
      • 26 Sep 1972 - NATF - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 07 Dec 1972 - NATC RDT&E - NAS Patuxent River, MD
  • Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk
    • 158126 c/n 14163
      • 12 Jul 1974 - NATF - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 21 Oct 1974 - NPRO RDT&E - Baltimore, MD
  • Douglas A-4M Skyhawk
    • 158148 c/n 14110
      • 05 Aug 1974 - NATF - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 30 Jan 1975 - NATC RDT&E - NAS Patuxent River, MD

A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to NAEC:

  • Douglas A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk
    • 145133 c/n 12379
      • 02 Aug 1977 - NAEC - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 11 Jul 1978 - Stricken - 3SO
    • 148437 C/N 12630
      • 28 Sep 1977 - NAEC - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 28 Sep 1977 - Stricken - 3SO
  • Douglas NTA-4F Skyhawk
    • 152102 C/N 13490
      • 28 Dec 1978 - NAEC - NAS Lakehurst, NJ
      • 08 Jan 1987 - NWC - NAF China Lake, CA

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