Air Development Squadron 3

Air Development Squadron 3, commonly designated VX-3, was a United States Navy aviation test and evaluation squadron rather than a commercial brand. It was established on 20 November 1948 through the consolidation of the assets of Attack Squadron 1L (VA-1L) and Fighter Squadron 1L (VF-1L). The new unit was based at Naval Air Station Atlantic City and used the tail code “XC.” Its mission was to assess aircraft, weapons-related capabilities, carrier operating procedures, and new aviation equipment under representative fleet conditions. VX-3 operated during a period of rapid transition in naval aviation. The postwar Navy was moving from piston-powered aircraft toward jet fighters and jet bombers, while aircraft carriers, navigation systems, landing aids, and refueling techniques were also undergoing substantial development. As a dedicated development squadron, VX-3 provided a bridge between laboratory or contractor testing and the practical requirements of carrier aviation. Its work involved flying unfamiliar aircraft, conducting trials at sea, qualifying pilots and machines for carrier operations, and reporting findings that could influence later fleet adoption. Among the aircraft associated with the squadron was the Vought F6U Pirate. VX-3 received the type in late 1949, although it operated the aircraft only briefly before the Pirates were placed in storage at Naval Air Station Quonset Point. The squadron later conducted important work with the North American AJ-1 Savage bomber. Beginning in March 1953, VX-3 undertook operational trials of probe-and-drogue aerial refueling using the Savage. This work contributed to the Navy’s understanding of how in-flight refueling could be integrated into naval aviation operations. In late 1954, VX-3 carrier-qualified the Grumman F9F-8 Cougar aboard USS Midway. The squadron also tested a mirror landing system, an optical landing aid intended to improve a pilot’s visual control during carrier approaches. In August 1955, VX-3 F9F-8 aircraft successfully conducted the first test of such a mirror landing system aboard USS Bennington. The trial represented a significant step in the continuing effort to make carrier landings more precise and manageable, particularly as jet aircraft became faster and more demanding to recover aboard ship. VX-3 received its first Vought F8U-1 Crusaders in December 1956 and began carrier qualification work with the type aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt in April 1957. The Crusader program involved substantial risk: two aircraft and their pilots were lost during testing. Despite these losses, the squadron’s work helped establish the operational characteristics of one of the Navy’s important supersonic carrier fighters. On 6 June 1957, a VX-3 Crusader also set a United States coast-to-coast speed record, completing a flight from USS Bon Homme Richard on the West Coast to USS Saratoga on the East Coast in three hours and twenty-eight minutes. The squadron was disestablished on 1 March 1960. Its historical importance lies in its role as a specialized Navy aviation development organization during the early jet age. VX-3 did not sell products or serve civilian markets; its “offerings” were flight testing, operational evaluation, carrier qualification, and technical evidence for naval aviation decision-making. Former members included naval aviators and aviation personnel such as Thomas J. Hudner Jr., Donald D. Engen, and Walter Starghill. The unit’s record is preserved as part of the history of United States Navy aircraft squadrons and postwar carrier aviation.

VX-3 was created on 20 November 1948 when the United States Navy combined the assets of VA-1L and VF-1L to form a dedicated air development and evaluation organization. The squadron operated from Naval Air Station Atlantic City and identified its aircraft with the tail code “XC.” Its establishment reflected the Navy’s need for units able to test new aircraft and equipment in conditions resembling actual fleet service, particularly as naval aviation entered the jet age. The squadron’s early work included a short association with the F6U Pirate. VX-3 received the jet in late 1949, but the aircraft remained with the unit for only a limited period before being sent to storage at Naval Air Station Quonset Point. In the following years, the squadron undertook trials that were more directly connected with future fleet capabilities. Beginning in March 1953, it used AJ-1 Savage bombers to evaluate probe-and-drogue aerial refueling. This type of testing examined the practical use of refueling equipment and procedures in naval aviation operations. VX-3 expanded its carrier-testing role during the mid-1950s. In late 1954, its F9F-8 Cougar aircraft were carrier-qualified aboard USS Midway. In August 1955, F9F-8s from the squadron successfully tested the first mirror landing system aboard USS Bennington. The optical landing aid was intended to provide pilots with improved visual information during the final approach to a carrier, an especially important consideration as jet aircraft increased approach speeds and imposed greater demands on pilots and landing personnel. The squadron’s later history was closely associated with the Vought F8U-1 Crusader. VX-3 received its first Crusaders in December 1956 and carried out carrier qualifications aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt in April 1957. The program was dangerous, and two aircraft and their pilots were lost during the testing period. Nevertheless, the evaluation work supported the Navy’s introduction of a high-performance supersonic carrier fighter. On 6 June 1957, one of the squadron’s Crusaders completed a coast-to-coast flight in three hours and twenty-eight minutes, traveling from USS Bon Homme Richard on the West Coast to USS Saratoga on the East Coast and setting a United States coast-to-coast speed record. VX-3 was disestablished on 1 March 1960. Its legacy is that of a developmental naval aviation unit that tested aircraft and systems at the point where experimental capability had to be translated into safe, repeatable carrier operations. The squadron’s former members included Thomas J. Hudner Jr., Donald D. Engen, and Walter Starghill. Because VX-3 was a military organization, it had no commercial products, sales operations, public consumer campaigns, or stock-market history.

• 1960

  Squadron disestablished

  [1]VX-3en.wikipedia.org

  Air Development Squadron 3 was disestablished on 1 March.

• 1957

  Crusader carrier qualification and speed record

  [1]VX-3en.wikipedia.org

  VX-3 conducted F8U-1 carrier qualifications aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt in April. On 6 June, a squadron Crusader set a three-hour-and-twenty-eight-minute United States coast-to-coast speed record between USS Bon Homme Richard and USS Saratoga.

• 1956

  First F8U-1 Crusaders received

  [1]VX-3en.wikipedia.org

  The squadron received its first F8U-1 Crusader aircraft in December.

• 1955

  Mirror landing system tested

  [1]VX-3en.wikipedia.org

  VX-3 F9F-8 aircraft successfully tested the first mirror landing system aboard USS Bennington in August.

• 1954

  F9F-8 Cougar carrier qualification

  [1]VX-3en.wikipedia.org

  VX-3 carrier-qualified the F9F-8 Cougar aboard USS Midway.

• 1953

  Probe-and-drogue refueling trials begin

  [1]VX-3en.wikipedia.org

  The squadron began operational trials of probe-and-drogue aerial refueling using AJ-1 Savage bombers.

• 1949

  F6U Pirate received

  [1]VX-3en.wikipedia.org

  VX-3 received F6U Pirate aircraft late in the year. The squadron operated them briefly before they were moved into storage at Naval Air Station Quonset Point.

• 1948

  VX-3 established

  [1]VX-3en.wikipedia.org

  Air Development Squadron 3 was established on 20 November through the merger of the assets of VA-1L and VF-1L. It was based at Naval Air Station Atlantic City and assigned the tail code “XC.”

A specialized United States Navy flight-test and operational-evaluation squadron focused on validating aircraft and aviation systems for carrier operations.

• Naval jet aircraft evaluated by the squadron · 1949

  F6U Pirate

  VX-3 received the F6U Pirate in late 1949. Its association with the aircraft was brief, and the aircraft were subsequently sent to storage at Naval Air Station Quonset Point. The type formed part of the squadron’s early transition-era experience with Navy jet aviation.

• Aviation-system evaluation · 1953

  AJ-1 Savage aerial-refueling trials

  Beginning in March 1953, VX-3 used AJ-1 Savage bombers to conduct operational trials of probe-and-drogue aerial refueling. The activity evaluated procedures and equipment for transferring fuel between aircraft in naval aviation operations.

• Carrier fighter evaluation · 1954

  F9F-8 Cougar

  VX-3 carrier-qualified the F9F-8 Cougar aboard USS Midway in late 1954. The aircraft was also used in the squadron’s successful August 1955 test of the first mirror landing system aboard USS Bennington.

• Supersonic carrier-fighter evaluation · 1956

  F8U-1 Crusader

  VX-3 received its first F8U-1 Crusaders in December 1956 and conducted carrier qualifications aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt in April 1957. The testing included high-risk operational work, during which two aircraft and pilots were lost, while also contributing to the Navy’s assessment of the Crusader for carrier service.

1. 1VX-3en.wikipedia.org