166

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1946-Contin ued

1 October Naval Air Missile Test Center, Point

Mugu, Calif., was established to conduct tests and

evaluation of guided missiles and components,

Captain Albert N. Perkins, commanding.

2 October A recommendation was made by the

Bureau of Aeronautics that the designation XF9F-2 be

adopted in lieu of XF9F-1, thereby reflecting a deci-

sion to abandon development of the XF9F-1 four-

engine night fighter in favor of a single engine day

fighter. Involved in this decision was the substitution

of a Rolls Royce Nene engine for Westinghouse 24Cs,

an action that led to American production of the Nene.

30 October Under a project conducted by NAMC

Philadelphia, Pa., Lieutenant Ug) Adolph J. Furtek

made a successful ejection from a JD-1, flying at about

250 knots at 6,000 feet over Lakehurst, N.J. It was the

Navy's first live test of an ejection seat.

3 November The airship XM-1 landed at Naval Air

Facility, Glynco, Ga., completing a flight of 170.3

hours, a world record for duration in self-sufficient

flight for any type aircraft. The flight, with Lieutenant

Harold R. Walton in command, left Lakehurst, N.J., on

27 October, followed the Atlantic coast to Savannah,

Ga., then seaward to the Bahamas, to Florida, to Cuba,

over the Gulf of Mexico and back toward NAF Glynco.

7 November A letter identification system for mark-

ing all Navy and Marine aircraft, including those of the

training command and the Naval Air Reserve, was

adopted. Letters were assigned to all carriers and to

wings, groups and squadrons not assigned to carrier

operations. In addition, a wide orange stripe around

the fuselage, forward of the empennage, was ordered

placed on all aircraft of the Naval Reserve. By a

change issued the following month (12 Dec), the

assignment of letters to carriers was discontinued and

the letters were assigned instead to Carrier Air Groups

and to Marine squadrons operating on CVEs.

8 November The Office of the Deputy Chief of

Naval Operations (Special Weapons) was disestab-

lished and its functions relating to guided missiles

were reassigned to a new Assistant Chief of Naval

Operations (Guided Missiles) and a Guided Missiles

Division, both established under DCNO (Air).

11 November Lieutenant Colonel Marion E. Carl,

USMC, flying a jet propelled P-80A made two catapult

launches, four free take-offs and five arrested landings

aboard Franklin D. Roosevelt. His first catapult launches

were on 1 November. These operations were part of

an extensive investigation of the carrier suitability of jet

aircraft which had begun on 29 June 1945 with the

delivery of a P-80A to NAS Patuxent River, Md.

15 November To correct the results of demobiliza-

tion which had left squadron numbers all out of

sequence and a system of no apparent order, sweep-

ing changes were made in air unit designation. Carrier

Air Groups of four types were designated according to

their assigned ship, as CVBG for Battle Carrier, CVG

for Attack Carrier, CVLG for Light Carrier and CVEG

for Escort Carrier. Carrier squadrons were limited to

Fighter and Attack, thus abolishing the VBF, VB and

VT designations, and were assigned suffix letters to

indicate their carrier type assignment. Patrol squadrons

were redesignated to show in addition to the VP, an

abbreviation of their aircraft class, as VP-MS-1 for

Patrol Squadron 1 operating medium seaplanes.

Observation squadron numbers again followed the

parent ship division but suffix letters B or C were

added to differentiate between battleship and cruiser

units. The VJ for utility became VU, VPP replaced the

VD for photographic squadrons, and VPM replaced

VPW for meteorological squadrons. Reserve units were

changed to the same system but were assigned con-

secutive numbers of a higher series. Marine Corps

units were not affected by the change.

20 November At Cleveland, Ohio, an F8F Grumman

Bearcat with Lieutenant Commander Merl W. Davenport

as pilot, took off in a distance of 115 feet from a stand-

ing start and climbed to 10,000 feet in 94 seconds.

25 November The report of a board, headed by

Rear Admiral Thomas S. Combs and established to

consider the steps required to adapt the Integrated

Aeronautic Maintenance, Material and Supply Program

to postwar conditions, was approved. Recommenda-

tions were largely concerned with measures to

improve program administration such as providing for

exact planning, rigid adherence to schedules and

complements, the receipt of complete information

from the field, and its proper evaluation. Many

touched on areas so critical that action was taken

before final approval.

6 December Captain Victor D. Herbster, Naval

Aviator No.4, died at the Naval Hospital, St. Albans,

N. Y. He served continuously in aviation from 8

November 1911, when he reported for flight training

at Annapolis, Md., to his retirement on 1 July 1936.

Upon his return to active service in August 1940, he

again served in aviation until his final retirement on 29

March 1946.