VA-35 Black Panthers A-6E USS Nimitz (156987) Intruder Model, 1/36th Scale, Mahogany, Navy

VA-35 Black Panthers A-6E USS Nimitz (156987) Model Fly with the VA-35 Black Panthers in this handcrafted A-6E Model. Each piece is carved from wood and painted to provide a one of kind piece. Our pieces seek to recreate memories of these glorious aircraft. Length – 18 inches Steve Pena “Here is an anecdotal story concerning this bird. On the 69/70 cruise the AQ shop assigned each maintenance crew specific airplane bureau number responsibilities. Gary Olson and I were assigned 501 (152916) and 511 (151811). There was a crew on nights that had the same airplanes. We got to know those airplanes inside and out. Really helped with keeping the weapons system up. During the 1970 standdown for engine v-band clamp issues they took all of the DIANE weapons system boxes out of the 501 and sent them to AIMD and had them tweaked to nominal. They stenciled the boxes “Superbird” and gave them a special serial number “SOB-069″. When the A-6s started flying again they sent 501 out on a special mission to hit a mobile SAM site. The story is that it got a track lock-on at the max 27.5 mile range and hit it on the first pass. After that the plane went on to fly for about a month without even an up gripe on the weapons system. Of course since there was no real maintenance required, they assign our crew to work on other airplanes so it was not a total goof-off period.” DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN NAVAL AVIATION SQUADRONS—Volume I SECOND VA-35 Lineage Established as Bombing Squadron THREE B (VB-3B) on 1 July 1934. Redesignated Bombing Squadron FOUR (VB-4) on 1 July 1937. Redesignated Bombing Squadron THREE (VB-3) on 1 July 1939. Redesignated Attack Squadron THREE A (VA-3A) on 15 November 1946. Redesignated Attack Squadron THIRTY FOUR (VA34) on 7 August 1948. Redesignated Attack Squadron THIRTY FIVE (VA35) on 15 February 1950. The second squadron to be assigned the VA-35 designation. Squadron Insignia and Nickname There is no record of official approval for the diving black panther nsignia used by VB-3B. However, by mid–1935, the design appeared in Navy documents as Bombing THREE’s insignia. The diving black panther design has been carried on through the various redesignations of the squadron and is the present insignia for VA-35. It was officially approved for VA-35 by CNO on 1 October 1957. Nickname: Black Panthers. Chronology of Significant Events May 1935: Ranger (CV 4) and her embarked air group, including VB-3B, participated in Fleet Exercise XVI. This was the first time VB-3B and Ranger participated in a Fleet Exercise. 25 Nov 1935–25 Feb 1936: A detachment from VB-3B, including six BG-1s, was assigned to Ranger’s Cold Weather Test Detachment and operated aboard Ranger in Alaskan waters. Apr–Jun 1936: The squadron participated in Fleet Problem XVII. Apr–May 1937: The squadron participated in Fleet Problem XVIII. 28 May 1937: VB-3B participated in an aerial review celebrating the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge. Jul 1937: The squadron, embarked in Lexington (CV2), participated in the search for Amelia Earhart Putnam and Fred Noonan. Sep 1937: VB-4, embarked in Ranger, visited Lima, Peru, in conjunction with the International Aviation Conference being held there. Mar–Apr 1938: The squadron participated in Fleet Problem XIX. Apr–May 1940: The squadron participated in Fleet Problem XXI. This was the last major fleet problem conducted before America’s involvement in World War II. Apr 1942: VB-3, embarked in Enterprise (CV 6), provided escort patrols for the task force which launched Colonel Doolittle’s B-25 raid against Tokyo. 4 Jun 1942: At the Battle of Midway, VB-3, embarked in Yorktown (CV 5), engaged in its first combat operati

A-6:VA-35 Black Panthers A-6E USS Nimitz (156987) Model