A U.S. Navy Douglas A3D-1 <i>Skywarrior</i> of Heavy Attack Squadron VAH-1 "Smokin' Tigers" pictured on take off, the underside view capturing the plane's mammoth size. Nicknamed the "Whale," the A3D-series of aircraft first entered fleet service with VAH-1 on 31 March1956, its mission to serve as a platform for the delivery of atomic weapons. VAH-1 was based at Naval Air Station Sanford, Florida (USA).
U.S. Navy
circa 1958 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P,+1958-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902</div>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/AdvQuery.php">U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation</a> photo No. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/Display.php?irn=16002788&amp;QueryPage=%2Femuwebdoncoms%2Fpages%2Fdoncoms%2FAdvQuery.php">1996.253.3518</a>