Lawrence Mead Jr., the aerospace engineer who led the design team for the A-6 Intruder, the bulky twin-engine jet that served as the Navy’s primary attack bomber for more than three decades, died on Aug. 23 in New Haven. He was 94.
Lawrence Mead Jr., a senior vice president of the Grumman Aerospace Corporation (now Northrop Grumman).
His son Lawrence Mead III confirmed his death.
I did three tours in A-6s. One in VA 145 in CVW 2 on Ranger and two in VA 128, the Fleet Replacement Squadron, one as a FRAMP Instructor and one as Airframes and Phase LPO
There are some planes that – unknown to the designers at the time – become near icons – for the durability later discovered, the ease of maintenance, and multi-mission cability that they discover.
Looks like the A6 is one of those.
Others come out full of promise and because of their limited range, leave early. I’m thinking of the F117 Nighthawk.
Loved the beast. BUT…whomever designed the radar hood never wore “B/N identifiers,” i.e. glasses!
Back in my Airtnker days we were broke in Redmond, Or. Home base waiting for a part.to be flown up from California. I was on the wing my old DC7 when someone yelled: Look at that.! here was an EA6B trailg smoke!
It touched own on the Runway(the long one) at Redmond.they barely managed to make the end and pull off in a smoky, oily stop in front ot the terminal. (The mains melted into the new tarmac.) The pilot and crew got out and the Firecrews extinguished the minor fire. The Airport Manger
was one of that noble race of creatures-the Fired PATCO controller.She got into Airport Security and management. He first words to the Pilot:
“MOVE YOUR F’n AIRCRAFT!!” Not “How are you? Can we do anything?”She added”THIS MY RAMP!” We came over from Butler
Aircraft . The Pilot and the manager were in an heated exchange:”
“YOU WILL MOVE THIS HEAP OR I WILL HAVE IT TOWED IN FIFTEEN
MINUTES!!!” The Pilot Said:”Madam, there is classified equipment on
board. I will post an armed guard.NO ONE will touch this aircraft.”
He placed two of hiscrew outside the EA6B and went back with the Butler folks to the Butler hangar followed the Manager in her blue light equipped police cruiser He called his CO -Whitby Island-and was told there was a crew coming down shortly and a armed guard. The Manager literally tore the phone from his hand and started yelling at the CO-. .”YOU WILL MOVE THIS AIRCRAFT! OR I WILL!” The CO.
according to what we heard afterward,told Her:”No one is to touch that
Aircraft. If anyone does the Guards are authorized to use deadly force.”
She handed the phone back to the Pilot and stalked out… She got back to her lair,er office, and had a call from Senator Mark Hatfield and
then the Secretary of the Navy ..She left them alone…
That’s my A6 story…
to help. The Pilot sadi to the airport manager-”We not going anywhere ma’am” Look at the mains.” “I WILL HAVE THIS TOWED IN 15
AG.. USS Eisenhower CVN-69. Airwing 6. They never lived down the callsign “cupcakes”. More A-6 stories when I have some time to write.
42 years ago. It was CAG-7. There was the famous all officer FOD walkdown. CDR (at the time) Buzz Needham was the CAG.