Aviation News - February 2016 UK

A

n open day and air show at the US

Naval Air Test Center (NATC) at

Patuxent River on Saturday, May

27 was not to be missed as many

of the aircraft in the static display were one-

offs in special colour schemes – and there

were aircraft from the US Navy’s Test Pilot

School (TPS) which  ew an assortment of

types, including some not in Navy service.

All air shows usually have some civil

participation, and this one was no exception.

We noted North American P-51D Mustang

NL51JB, Grumman FM-2 Wildcat N315E

and Canadian-built T-6 Harvard N98474,

which had been converted to look like the

NA-50/P-64 single-seat  ghter variant.

The oldest aircraft on show was Douglas

Dolphin NC14205, which dated back to the

early 1930s. It was a twin-engine, amphibious

 ying boat and served as a private  ying

yacht, airliner, military transport and in the air-

sea rescue role. One was ordered for Franklin

D Roosevelt, the  rst aircraft purchased for a

US President, but he never used it.

Performing formation aerobatics were four

Pitts S2Ss from the Holiday Inn display team.

Meanwhile, aircraft from the NATC included

Kaman SH-2F Seasprite 149021, Lockheed

S-3B Viking 159770, McDonnell Douglas

T-45A Goshawk 162788, Lockheed P-3C

Orion 162770, Grumman E-2C Hawkeye

163029, LTV A-7E Corsair II 156874 and

Grumman C-2A Greyhound 162140.

The TPS operated a wide spectrum

of aircraft – at one end was U-6A Beaver

150191 and at the other, in a wonderful white

and red colour scheme, McDonnell Douglas

Hornet F/A-18B 161249. Others seen were

McDonnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk 152868,

US EAST COAST US EAST COAST

MAY 1989

Gerry Manning concludes his account of a 1989 trip to the US East Coast.

78 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft February 2016

Above: Miami has always been a great place to see exotic airliners from South and Central

America, like Surinam Airways Douglas DC-8-62 N1809E. All photos author

Below: US Navy Test Pilot School North American T-39D Sabreliner 150987 among the static

display at the NAS Patuxent River open day. The aircraft had an F/A-18 radome and APG-65

radar system  tted and was used for test purposes by the Navy and the radar’s manufacturer.

Kaman SH-2F Seasprite 149021, Lockheed The TPS operated a wide spectrum

radar system  tted and was used for test purposes by the Navy and the radar’s manufacturer.

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