GD 213  ERA-3B
144838
 
A blast from the past:
This is a photo of a VF-101 F4H-1F, BUNO 148261 being refuelled by an A3D-2 142650 of VAH-9 during a practice in-flight refueling run for the
LANA flight with A3D-2P 144838 looking things over.
144838 would become VAQ-34's ERA-3B GD 213.
 
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McDonnell Douglas photo via  Mark Nankivil
 
About  LANA:
"To cap off the Phantom's successful speed and altitude efforts, the US Navy ran Project LANA, a transcontinental speed dash by five F4H-1Fs.
The roman L signifying 50, LANA stood for "50th Anniversary of Naval Aviation" and was to demonstrate the Phantom's speed and reach.
Pilots included key figures in the Phantom development story.
Project LANA refueling problems handed the Bendix Trophy Race contest (24 May 1961) to VF-121's LANA 3 (BuNo 148270), which flew from Ontario California, to Floyd Bennett Field, New York, at an average of 869.73 mph (1399.66km/h)."

"LANA 3, flown by [Lieutenant Commander Dick] Gordon and [B.R.] Young, was resplendent in red trim.
VF-121 'Pacemakers' succeeded in having their squadron designation painted in larger letters that the other squadron which provided aircraft for LANA,
VF-101 'Grim Reapers'. Crews came from several squadrons."
 
"During LANA, the tankers were too high (at 35,000 feet) and too early, and their pipes partly froze.
Only LANA 3, Dick Gordon's Phantom, was able to feed from a fresh, untroubled A3D-2."
 
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Photo by Dave Gowin
GD 213 for another touch and go...
 
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Photo by Brian Lockett
http://www.air-and-space.com
GD 213 has the ball.
 
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ERA-3B on the line at 
NAS Miramar, Ca
Photo by Scott Van Aken
Fly By Nite Archives
 
 
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RA-3B out of the Boneyard and waiting to go to ESI for the ERA-3B mods.
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