In a way, the most versatile aircraft on a carrier was given to the U.S. Navy, if a crown was ever awarded for the same. In this case, the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior—known as “The Whale”—would be the leading name. Already, among other planes on the deck, this Cold War workhorse, after its first flight in 1952, went on to almost every mission that the Navy could think of: from delivering nuclear weapons to intelligence gathering, from jamming enemy electronics to being a carrier-based tanker that kept fighter squadrons going, thus indirectly saving a lot of lives, etc.
The idea behind the A-3 was from the Navy’s need for a carrier-capable nuclear bomber after the 2nd World War. The Douglas Aircraft Company, with Ed Heinemann in charge, designed a jet with enough range to take off from the carrier and drop a bomb deep into the ground.
Creating such a giant plane for a regular but moving runway at sea is definitely not an easy task. They fitted it with a tricycle landing gear for better control, folding high-mounted wings to save on hangar space, and two Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet engines to provide it with the needed speed and range.
The housing of the cockpit kept it tight and practical: the pilot and bombardier/navigator sat side by side, while a third crew member, facing aft, operated the defensive systems. In a move to save weight, no ejection seats were fitted; thus, crews jokingly said that the “A3D” meant “All Three Dead” if something went wrong.
The Skywarrior came into action in 19,56, taking over from the AJ Savage as the Navy’s nuclear strike aircraft. However, with the development of submarine-launched ballistic missiles, the bomber role started to disappear. The Navy, instead of retiring the Whale, changed it into new roles: electronic warfare, surveillance, and mainly air refueling. Its large bomb bay, solid airframe, and the ability to stay airborne for a long time made it perfect for these missions that were changing.
The war in Vietnam was the definitive factor in building the Skywarrior’s reputation. While some A-3s were involved in bombing activities, the tanker versions—the KA-3B and EKA-3B—were very important. These planes could perform refueling before strike groups’ sorties, stay nearby in case of emergency in the contested area, and even assist aircraft that ran out of fuel.
The famous instance of Commander Tom Maxwell flying under enemy fire to refuel Lt. Commander Dick Schaffert’s F-8 Crusader on July 18, 1967, thereby demonstrating the Skywarrior’s life-saving ability, is just one example. Historian of aviation Joe Baugher reckons that these tankers were instrumental in saving up to 700 Navy and Marine aircraft throughout the war.
There were over 282 Skywarriors, including a range of different types, were constructed. The A-3B was equipped with modernized engines and avionics; the KA-3B took over tanker missions, while the EKA-3B was simply the combination of refueling and electronic warfare. The RA-3B was concentrated on reconnaissance work, and the EA-3B was an electronic intelligence aircraft during the Cold War that achieved missions as far as Desert Storm. The Air Force converted the original B-66 Destroyer for operations on land bases, based on the fundamental design.
Landing the Whale on a carrier was always a tricky job. It had the highest catapult launch weight records, yet because of its dimensions, there was barely any margin for mistakes. Almost 42%the of the Skywarriors’ total were either destroyed in accidents or during wars, and the absence of ejection seats made the crews exposed to very high risks. However, they were known for being very skilled, loyal, and brave.
Eventually, the Whale’s functions were taken over by other types of specialized planes, and the last A-3s were retired by the Navy in September 1991. Nevertheless, the A-3 legacy still lives on. The aircraft that survived and the museums that house them inform people that the biggest plane on the carrier was not always the most dazzling fighter—it was the one that allowed the fighters to carry out their missions and return.
The history of Douglas A-3 Skywarrior is not a mere list of specifications or missions. It is the story of the flexibility, modest heroism, and the multi-functionality of the aircraft, showing that the caption of an aircraft can be much longer than what the first ones who constructed it had in mind.