September 1, 2011
Just a heads up for those following the Whidbey Whale project.
We received the RA "bullnose" radome and the bomber "duckbutt" tail from Raytheon via Mike Glenn last week.

Today we had a meeting with NAS, the Whidbey Skywarrior project board and assorted civilian and military volunteers.

The meeting was productive, AM2 Fielding of VQ-2 volunteered to be the lead of the restoration project.

We hashed out the plan of attack, strip the bomber tail and fix the damage done when it was removed from the A-3 at Van Nuys, repaint the RA nose radome from the low viz tactical gray to the gloss gray of the current paint job and install it, remove the conduit run fairing on the right side and remove the wing pylons.

In addition the plane was pressure defueled today, next up will be pencil draining the low points and possibly disconnecting and draining the engine fuel lines.

We would like to thank Raytheon, Ken Ballard of NAVAIR, Helen Watson of the Navy museum in Pensacola, the CO of NAS Whidbey, Captain Jay Johnston, the NASWI air field Manager Bill McMillon, Lt Tom Amano of the NASWI Air Terminal and Doss Aviation for their help in this project.

Send your thoughts or send money. ;-)
Joe Hawkins
 
Jan 2011 update
 
Below are links to the Whidbey Times and some stories covering events up to the latest develpments.
 
NEW DEVELOPMENTS FOR DONATIONS
The A-3 Skywarrior Association is now approved and can be selected by both current and retired Boeing Employees from their Gift Matching Funds Program.  If you or any other of the Museums have Boeing Employees in their membership, feel free to have them contact me and I will walk them through the procedures to claim any donations for 2010.  They only have until 31 January to get the paperwork completed online.
Contact Bill Burklow at  bburklow@ix.netcom.com  for further information
 
  
 
Ault Field at NAS Whidbey
The yellow push pin indicates the location of the static display
shown below as depicted in an artist rendering.
 
WHIDBEY A-3 MEMORIAL
 
Make a tax deductable donation to the "Save a Whale" project for the Whidbey A-3 Memorial project.
 
CLICK HERE to download a donation form.
 
 
The Whidbey Island A-3 Memorial project has designated NRA-3B 144825 as their 1st choice. This release is expected from Raytheon sometime around May 2010.
 
 
An artist rendition of the proposed display
 
Street view heading west on Ault Field Rd. at Langley Blvd.
intersection. Our interpretation of how the display might look.
 
 
More site photographs

Looking north at the display location lot. 
 
Looking east from the CPO parking lot.
Green grassy area is the display site.
 
Bill Conley, Larry Irvin, Bill Burklow, Whidbey News Times photographer
 
Ralph Estes looking for rocks
 
 Bill Burklow and Larry Irvin
 
 First side up
 
 Bill Burklow and Ralph Estes
 
 
Larry Irvin, Bill Burklow, and Bill Conley
 
 
 Future display site