Unit Two of Aircraft Pictures (Marine Skyrays)

Hi fellow aviation enthusiast:

Continuing the Skyray pictures, the originals from which these were scanned were generously provided by Mark Nankivil, having been originally collected by his father, a pilot of VF(AW)-3. These pictures are for your enjoyment, noncommercial use, or scale model documentation.

(Click on the picture for an 832 by 624 high quality jpeg - 515 kb)

A Marine Skyray

This picture shows off the wing planform and the pitch trimmers in a cruise position. (Picture from the Boeing Aircraft page). Click on the picture for a 600 by 400 medium quality picture (65k)

Aircraft of VMF(AW)-215

Notes from the back of this photo:

LAM-4693
MCAS
El Toro, Calif.
24Jul64             Photog: Sgt. R. A. Fass

A flight crew from VMF (AW)-215 if getting
an F6A ready for a training mission commanded
by Lieutenant Colonel W. Shanks Jr.  VMF (AW)-
215 is from Olathe, Kansas

DEFENSE DEPT PHOTO (MARINE CORPS) A146550

Here we clearly see the underwing gun ports outboard of the wing tank pylons, as well as a number of details on the bottom of the aircraft. Notes from the back of this photo:

LAM-4696
MCAS
El Toro, Calif.
24Jul64             Photog: Sgt. R. A. Fass

An F6A Skyray stands in readyness for
another flight.  This F6A belongs to
VMF(AW)-215, commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel W. Shanks Jr.  VMF (AW)-215
is on a 2 week training assignment at
Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro,
California from Olathe, Kansas
DEFENSE DEPT PHOTO (MARINE CORPS) A146940

Between the forward landing gear and the large engine bay access is the door to a small compartment containing electronic equipment, primarily signal and display processing for the radar equipment.