| Herb, e-mail, 29.04.2023 22:29 Chery Point 1952-1953. Last of F7F leaving. Sgt. said LT21 (F3D2) is yours. No training. No safety gear. Had to stand behind and observe if the engine (J34) lit up fully. Had to maintain an aircraft in many ways without training. Many hours of air time. That was fun. Discharged Dec. 1953. God bless all USMC In air and ground. Getting ready to ship out at 92 ......
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| Paul Bless, e-mail, 08.02.2021 21:22 Bill:
Paul Bless (former USMC) here. I =talked to you previously about your Dad Bobby Allen flying with VC-4 and VMF(N)-513 during the Korean War...YOu were looking for additional items, photos...did you find any...would love to hear what other things you have discovered...
Very respectfully/Paul Bless
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| William Allen, e-mail, 15.08.2020 16:23 Ken,
My father was at K-6 and was a F3D-2 pilot assigned to Composite Squadron 4 (VC-4) Det 44. The left the USS Lake Champlain off the coast of Korea and joined up with VMF(N)513 at K-6 in late June 1953.
Email me if you would like to discuss.
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| Art Bowen, e-mail, 24.01.2016 02:15 We received mothballed F3D's at NAS GlynncobRUNSWICK GA and utilized them as RIO training planes before the F-4 arrived. My pilot got in trouble by flying max speed about 75 feet above the beach for 20 miles, It was fun. Also lost cabin pressure at 30,000 and came hgome with some beatiful shiners.
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| Mick Deschamps, 22.10.2015 21:30 Avionic Tech.Marines,work on them,El toro.Ca.,Iwakunia,Japan and Dang,Veinam.
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| Marvin Ensworth, e-mail, 15.05.2015 13:03 I was in VF-14 at Cecil Field, Jacksonville, FL In 1954 went aboard Carrier Intrepid with 6 F3D's . Our C.O. was first live shot with steam catapult. Lost a plane on third day of operations, all ops cancelled headed back to Norfolk and was overtaken by Hurricane Hazel
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| Wayne King, e-mail, 26.06.2014 08:14 I was stationed at N.A.S. Miramar VF-121 1959, and flew with Lt. D.E. Wayham. I was a plane Capt. for the F3D, TV,F3H, F9F and F11. Sure miss the Navy.
Retired Physical Science teacher...
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| Ken, e-mail, 13.04.2014 01:56 I was at K-6 when VMF(N)513 was in Pyeongtaek, Korea when the squadron when to Atsugi, Japan. I would sure like to hear from anyone who was in my squadron and those that remember the F3D-2 and the Flying Nightmare.
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| Rex Portner, e-mail, 18.01.2014 18:35 I was with VMF(AW)542 stationed at El Toro in 1957-1959.I have many fond memories of ole willy. I was a mechanic.
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| Steve Turkington, e-mail, 28.03.2013 02:39 My brother,Lt.Commander Milton J. Turkington ( Turk )was a night fighter pilot who flew this plane in Korea after flying carrier based Hellcats and Corsairs in the Pacific 43-45.Anybody out there remember the name?
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| Aero99, 29.04.2012 20:34 Based on my knowledge, this aircraft achieved the first night kill of the Korean war. The airplane successfully, with the help of ground radar, shot down a Yak-15 over Shinui-ju.
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| Jerry L, e-mail, 11.02.2012 23:32 Hello evefyone from VMF(AW) 513 57' 58. Capt, Andre, great pilot> We flew out of Atsugi, but also out of k6 and came back to Atsugi when Mag-11 moved to Atsugi under Therin. He was a great guy who died to young. Had a short tour TAD with MACS-1, always talking to our guys in 513 on the way out. Semper Fi all.
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| bombardier, e-mail, 02.09.2011 11:35 That big ugly whale was a really hard foe for the MiGs in Korea.
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| Paul Tausch, e-mail, 26.03.2011 20:40 Good to see so many Marines that were with the VMCJ-2 and VMCJ-3 squadrons that combined for the first time to go to Da Nang and form VMCJ-1. VMCJ-2 brought the new EA-6 and VMCJ-3 brought the new RF-4. These two aircraft along with our old EF-10 and RF-8 formed a squadron of four different A/C that supported the war effort in 1966. I was with VMCJ-3 in El Toro and went over with the advance party to build the van complex to support the IMA maintenance support when it arrived. I carry a lot of great memories of that deployment. Formed a life time relationships with some great Marines whom I will never forget.
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| Clark Bonear, e-mail, 26.03.2011 04:20 I worked on the line crew at NAS Key West in 1954-56. Our squadron was FAWTULANT , a great experience woking with some great shipmates.
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| Charlie Boncore, e-mail, 08.03.2011 21:54 I was in VMCJ-2 in 65-66 and was a plane captain on EA6,RF-8,RF-4 and the EF-10 but i think the EF-10 was nicknamed the Willy Whale.we were always deployed somewhere.like MCAS Yuma and Rosey Rhodes and gitmo.I remember the Owl cub in Winterhave Ca.Oh those were the days.Semper Fi
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| Mike bray, e-mail, 28.02.2011 00:40 My dad was killed in January of 1957 while taking off from el toro I was only 10at that time not sure if anyone remembers. Please reply
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| Terry Harrison, e-mail, 20.01.2011 08:28 I was with FAWTUPAC, later VF(AW)-3 in San Diego in 1957/58. Was plane captain and trained as RO. We were the only Navy squadron on the West Coast assigned to NORAD and won the Air Force trophy for being the best intercept squadron using F3D's and F4D SkyRays in those years. Made the Air Force mad when they presented the trophy to our Navy Skipper.
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| Leroy McVay, e-mail, 12.01.2011 05:25 1953 I was an AN (E-3) working line crew at North Island Naval Air Station, San Diego. The F3D escape was a tunel between the engines. One of our not too bright line people moved the wrong lever and blew the lower door off the aircraft. Had to tow it to a FASRON for repair.
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| Ron Kodimer, e-mail, 18.12.2010 18:55 Hi all,
I was an RO at El Toro '55 and '56. I was the youngest and lowest ranked RO at the time. I remember the names Brewster, Simpson, Long, and Dixon. I recall the two Brits who seemed to always get into trouble with the FAA. I also remember losing a number of A/C in the two years I was there. Two over Mojave at one time. Jim, was it you who went out the bottom at El Toro after take off??
A great single purpose airplane. Did what it was designed to do.
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| Ron H, e-mail, 12.12.2010 02:46 I flew as an AIO radar operator in the F3D out of K-6 during the Korean War. The missions were escorting the G-29's and NCAP's. A beautiful plane to fly in after flying in the F7F.
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| George H. Bickford Sr Lcdr USN, e-mail, 30.11.2010 02:53 I was Fling the F3D-2 starting in March 1954 at the Fleet All Weather Training unit at NAS Babers Point. We were teaching airial intercept and close air support for the Marines. I really enjoyed the Aircraft and its Handling.
Istarted Flying for the Navy in Feb 1942
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| Sal Ruggiero, e-mail, 16.11.2010 13:00 Was a plane captain and air crewman VF101 key west.1957-1958. Many good flights in the F3D. Thank god never had to slide down the chute to bail out. But we did practice alot
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| P Detige, Beauvechain, Belgium, e-mail, 15.11.2010 20:26 I would like to see a photo of an F3D-1
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| Ed Fleming, e-mail, 07.11.2010 19:44 When I got out of school at Millington, I went to VMFT (AW) 20 FAHG at Cheery Point.The first time I went out on the light line, a whole ton of these big fat beauties were lined up on the flight line. Really a joy to learn on !!
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| Howard Nickerson, e-mail, 25.10.2010 00:47 Flew the F3D with VF(AW)-3 right out of flight training in 1958. It introduced the pilot to the same radar he would operate in the F4D.
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| Pat Flannery, e-mail, 05.09.2010 13:07 When I was a kid, I had a small model of a F3D, and always liked the look of the aircraft.
When you look at it, there are ideas that are going to show up on the A-6 Intruder in later years, particularly in the way the engines are attached to the fuselage, and the side-by-side seating of the crew.
Unfortunately, it's been pretty much ignored by model manufacturers till fairly recently, when Czech Models brought out a 1/48th scale kit of it.
An episode of the series "Dogfights" concerning night fighters has CGI of a F3D engaged in combat with a MiG-15 during the Korean War.
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| Jim Brewster, e-mail, 30.08.2010 06:54 Hi Dixon - was an RO at El Toro on the F3D from mid 1955 through end 1956. Remember Simpson very well. Remember the trips to Mojave? The runway was about 45 degrees out of line with the prevailing winds which over there could be significant - made landing a bit of fun at times - lumpy too.
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| Danny Walsh, e-mail, 28.08.2010 21:39 I worked on and got to fly in Willy from 1964- 1967 in VMCJ-2. Some of my best times and greatest memories. Today we have a web-site for our organization called MCARA.Please join us and pass on your memories to all who flew fixed or supported this and other great planes like the Intruder EA6A. I was one of twenty that went to Grumman in 1965 to learn this plane as they produced the first one for Viet Nam.We are trying to get the last Willy to Cherry Point or Havelock for Display.
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| John Wachal, e-mail, 26.08.2010 21:35 I was a mechanic with VMCJ-1 at DaNang 69-70 and worked not only on the EF10s (Willy the Whale as we called them) but also the RF4Bs and the EA6As.
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| JERRY DIXON, e-mail, 03.02.2010 08:16 Flew the Aircraft out of El Toro, VMF(AW)542 from late 1955 thru 1956 and then to VMF(AW)513, Atsugi from 1957, early 1958. First AC out of Flight Training. Was a good aircraft and very forgiving for a green pilot. Thank goodness for M/Sgt Lee Simpson, an NAP, who took me under his wing. Only had one incident out of Kadena, Okinawa. Shelled out the right engine at about two hundred feet on take off. Managed to get back around and land without too much trouble except for the lump in my pants. S/SGT Richard Long was the RO. He had the same problem. Glad to read the comments from each of you remembering a fine old AC.
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| Fred Owlett, e-mail, 21.01.2010 22:51 I flew the F3D-2Q version with VMCJ-3 in 1958-59 out of El Toro and Iwakuni, Japan. It wasn't a real high-performance
aircraft but with its big old straight wing it could outturn a MIG-17 at 42,000 feet and with its 4 20 MM cannons, it was ready to rumble with anyone dumb enough
to try!
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| Ron Stout, e-mail, 16.01.2010 20:43 I flew as R.O. in the F3D-2's with VMF(N)542 at El Toro and in combat in Korea with 513.I flew in the plane on a pylon at Los Alamitos and the ones in the museums at Miramar and Tucson.It was way underpowered and the J34's were prone to compressor stalls that could scare you mindless.The APQ-35 radar used vacuum tube electronics requiring lots of techs working to keep it operating.The APS radar in the tail saved my rear many times when MIGs tried to sneak up on us under ground control in North Korea.It was indeed a bitch to bail out of and some friends came to grief trying.
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| Bill Thomas, e-mail, 08.12.2009 00:12 I was with VMCJ-2 at MCAS Cherry Point from 1963-1966. The F-10 Skynight was one of four aircraft that we serviced, the others being the RF-4B phantom, RF-8U Crusader and the EA-6A Intruder. The F-10's nickname was Willy Fudd and I can't tell you why. Other than being old it was a fine aircraft that logged many hours up and down the East Coast and in the Carribean. If any one is interested I have a couple of photos of all four aircraft in flight over C.P.
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| Jeremy Leon, e-mail, 19.08.2008 23:16 1957 I was in VMF(AW)513 flying the F3D-2s out of Atsugi, Japan. We flew into Korea, the South CHina Sea area, and accompanied a number of U2 flights out of Atsugi heading for the mainland over Korea. Great a/c, but a bitch to get out of if you weren't straight and level. We had a great crew of ROs who did a fabulous job. Loved the a/c.
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| Richard C Denver, e-mail, 14.06.2008 23:15 This AC was one of many that were tested on the USS Intrepid CVA 11 equiped with the first American Steam catapults. When launched from the Port cat. the cat. had a bad habit of throwing up a stream of WATER from the track
just as the shuttle reached the end. With TWO air intakes on under side of the ac it was "Flame out" befor the main
gear left the deck...
the bottom of the AC
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| Jim Perkins, e-mail, 09.06.2008 00:37 I was with VMF(n)-531 at MCAS Cherry Point, NC in 1952 when the squadron transitioned from Grumman F7F Tigercats to the F3D. I remember the training for exiting the aircraft. They would jack-up the aircraft, place mattresses underneath and the crew members would practice sliding down the chute between the pilot and radar operator's seats
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