A-6A in-service tanker mod?

According to Joe Baugher's site, there were two attempts (prior to the introduction of the KA-6D) to adapt the A-6 Intruder for the tanker role, neither of which panned out.

And yet, there exists at least one photo (taken in late 1966, well before the KA-6D entered service) showing an A-6A refueling other aircraft in flight, suggesting that standard A-6As actually WERE kitted-up in the field to act as tankers.

Anyone have a possible explanation for this?

The aircraft in your "one photo" link is identified as a A-6A Intruder (BuNo 151820), you are citing WIKI. According to the Baugher site, BuNo 151820 was converted from an A-6A to an A-6B model, one of 19. The only info I have on 6A originally converted to a tanker is as follows, "In April 1966, Grumman demonstrated the tanker capability of the A-6 by using a modified A-6A, 149937, to inflight refuel an F-4 Phantom. But the Navy was less than enthusiastic at the time. However, by 1969, the Navy had changed its mind, and it placed an order for KA-6D tanker versions. These aircraft were all former A-6As which had their aft equipment cages removed and replaced with a hose and reel refueling system.....". This is all I have to say on this subject

151780/151827 Grumman A-6A Intruder
151783, 151787, 151789, 151791/151793, 151795,
151796, 151801, 151806, 151808/151810,
151813, 151814, 151818, 151819, 151821,
151823/151827 modified as KA-6D.

fubar57 said:

The aircraft in your "one photo" link is identified as a A-6A Intruder (BuNo 151820), you are citing WIKI. According to the Baugher site, BuNo 151820 was converted from an A-6A to an A-6B model, one of 19. The only info I have on 6A originally converted to a tanker is as follows, "In April 1966, Grumman demonstrated the tanker capability of the A-6 by using a modified A-6A, 149937, to inflight refuel an F-4 Phantom. But the Navy was less than enthusiastic at the time. However, by 1969, the Navy had changed its mind, and it placed an order for KA-6D tanker versions. These aircraft were all former A-6As which had their aft equipment cages removed and replaced with a hose and reel refueling system.....". This is all I have to say on this subject

151780/151827 Grumman A-6A Intruder
151783, 151787, 151789, 151791/151793, 151795,
151796, 151801, 151806, 151808/151810,
151813, 151814, 151818, 151819, 151821,
151823/151827 modified as KA-6D.

Click to expand...

Did you notice that the A-6 in the linked photo has a buddy refueling pod underneath the fuselage? Don't you have anything to say about that?

Yes - I see the buddy tank - rather than the in-fuselage hose reel of the KA-6D. This indicates, to me, that this was a "field-expedient" use of a standard "buddy tank" as used with A-4s etc.

With only the belly tank (note the small bombs, either practice bombs or, if the caption is correct as to location, possibly target marker bombs) I'd say this was primarily a training/practice flight, as the normal procedure was for the "tanker" aircraft to carry extra tanks so as to not deplete what it needed to keep itself flying.


In the 1980s, A-6Es (some of which were new-build and some conversions from A-6A/B/Cs) did receive a modification with pumps that would transfer fuel to the belly tank - allowing normal A-6Es to supplement the decreasing number of KA-6Ds. My USMC A-6E squadron, VMA(AW)-121, which was assigned to CVW-2 aboard CV-61 USS Ranger from 1985-1989, had 2 extra A-6Es assigned (as did the other Intruder squadron aboard, VA-145)... to allow for use as tankers using the belly buddy-store tank. I have seen listings claiming that VA-145 had KA-6Ds aboard for that period (as was normal) - but I was there that entire period, and I never saw a single KA-6D on the flight deck or in the hangar.

The KA-6D normally carried 5 drop tanks for maximum fuel transfer, one under the belly and 4 under the wings - the A-6Es carried 4 underwing tanks and the D-704 belly tank.

The D-704 was developed in the 1950s - originally for carriage by the AD Skyraider (A-1 after 9/62). It could be carried and used by virtually any aircraft that could carry a standard 300 gallon drop tank - little or no modification required. A-1 Skyraiders and A-4 Skyhawks were frequent choices to act as tanker aircraft to assist aircraft trying to land back aboard a carrier.




Here is a 1958 use of the D-704 buddy refueling store.

AD-6 Skyraider refueling F9F-8P Cougar 1958:

Here are a couple of examples of A-6Es in tanker kit - note the KA-6D on the deck below and to the side of the landing A-6E (the drogue housing under the aft fuselage is visible):




Here are a couple of "my" A-6Es aboard Ranger in tanker mode.
First, shadowing a suspicious visitor:



Then resting between flights:



And coming back to the roost:




Here is a VMA(AW)-121 "Green Knight" with the aft avionics/FLIR video recorder pallet opened for maintenance. This pallet is removed and replaced by the hose reel, fuel pump, and drogue housing in the KA-6D:

Flight school room mate John McMahon ejected with his right seater Bart Wade from VA-115 KA-6D 152598 12 August 1971 while attached to the Midway in Tonkin Gulf. John's comments,