Hobby Master Archive

In 1964 Douglas A-1H Skyraider Bu. 135326 was delivered to VA-52 as NF-304 and in early1966 it was transferred to the VA-176 “Thunderbolts”. VA-176 would complete its one and only Vietnam combat tour between April 4, 1966 and November 21, 1966 assigned to the USS Intrepid. On October 19, 1966 Skyraider 135326 flown by Pete Russell was a section leader of 4 VA-176 A-1Hs and is credited with a possible shoot-down of one of 4 MiG-17s that had jumped them. One MiG 17 was confirmed downed, one probably downed, and a third was damaged.