Note she is anchored here. It was the SIOP days….

AFAIK, unlike the previous AJ Savages no A-3s ever operated from a straight deck, but they did routinely operate from the 27 Charlies.

The reason the A-3 was an ~80,000 lb aircraft and not the 100, 000 lb beast the USN originally wanted was because Ed Heineman correctly postulated the USN would want Heavy Attack aboard the converted Essex’s and Midway’s as well as the Forrestal’s.

Shamelessaly lifted the wing dance pic from here where you can get the “rest of the story” as well.

It can be argued those who flew in the West Coast A3D dets Way Back When could wax eloquent about small decks….

note the position of the mirror landing aid

The moniker “Whale” seemed to originate on the west coast in the late ’60s. Never heard it used around Sanford while the A-3 were still there….

A rep not entirely deserved. Back in the 50s Naval Aviation suffered on average a Class A accident a day.

More diminutive aircraft types had their share of troubles about the boat as well.

Especially during the bomber era…after flawed personnel policies led to an ignominious incident in which a Sixth Fleet CarDiv threw one A-3 squadron off the boat were rectified… A-3 squadrons operated aboard as well as any other.

Later on, as the remaining queer bird “Whales” spent less time around the boat and the requisite stick skills to sucessfully operate such a big 1948 vintage aircraft aboard were not as good as they perhaps should have been, that rep tragically gained traction again.

Get a cup of coffee…37 min…riveting.