By Randy Malmstrom
Since his childhood, Randy Malmstrom has had a passion for aviation history and historic military aircraft in particular. He has a particular penchant for documenting specific airframes with a highly detailed series of walk-around images and an in-depth exploration of their history, which have proved to be popular with many of those who have seen them, and we thought our readers would be equally fascinated too. This installment of Randy’s Warbird Profiles takes a look at the Erickson Aircraft Collection’s Douglas AD-4W Skyraider N4277N.
Douglas AD-4W Skyraider, Bu.No. 126867, s/n 7850, N4277N. This particular airworthy aircraft was delivered to the U.S. Navy in October of 1952 and, from what I have seen and being reported, saw service as an anti-submarine aircraft at Cherry Point (North Carolina), Quonset Point (Rhode Island), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Miramar (California), and Norfolk (Virginia). Having been declared surplus it was put into storage. After a major overhaul, on November 2, 1955 it was sent to the British Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm as an AEW.1 with the serial WV181.
In February of 1962 it was converted for target towing by Scottish Aviation Ltd. and sent to Sweden and flew target-towing missions for the Swedish company Svensk Flygtjänst AB beginning on May 21, 1963 as SE-EBK. Svensk Flygtjänst AB was established in 1935 as a multi-tasking company with various operations, including maintenance and airborne target towing. Its registration was cancelled on September 16, 1976 and put into storage at Ängelholm, Sweden.
On September 24, 1985 it was registered as G-BMFB and sent to the UK. It was then shipped to the U.S., exchanged hands between civilian owners, and in 1990 Pacific Fighters, Inc. (when it was located in Chino, CA — now in Idaho Falls, ID) restored it as NX4277N. It is painted in U.S. Marine Corps markings of RM-24, Bu.No. 126840 of Marine Composite Squadron One (VMC-1 then VMCJ-1 and then VMAQ-4) the “Seahawks,” with tail code “RM” and Midnight Blue paint scheme. RM-24 is credited with shooting down a Russian-design Polikarpov Po-2 near Seoul, Korea, on June 15, 1953 (the Korean People’s Army Air Force flew these biplanes in significant numbers).
VMCJ-1 was disestablished in September 1975 and in May of 1981 the Marines stood up VMAQ-4 as a reserve squadron with EA-6A’s in NAS Whidbey Island and later transition to the EA-6B and moved the squadron to MCAS Cherry Point until the sunset of the Prowler. VMAQ-1 didn’t come about until after Desert Storm when VMAQ-2 was split into VMAQ-1, VMAQ-2, and VMAQ-3, which saw action in Korea at Pohang Airfield (designated by the U.S. Air Force as K-3) with the Spad beginning in October of 1952; and later in Vietnam with Crusaders and Phantoms.
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In 1991, this Skyraider was acquired to become part of Erickson Aircraft Collection now in Madras, OR and now owned by Avenger LLC, one of Jack Erickson’s companies.
About the author
Randy Malmstrom grew up in a family steeped in aviation culture. His father, Bob, was still a cadet in training with the USAAF at the end of WWII, but did serve in Germany during the U.S. occupation in the immediate post-war period, where he had the opportunity to fly in a wide variety of types which flew in WWII. After returning to the States, Bob became a multi-engine aircraft sales manager and as such flew a wide variety of aircraft; Randy frequently accompanied him on these flights. Furthermore, Randy’s cousin, Einar Axel Malmstrom flew P-47 Thunderbolts with the 356th FG from RAF Martlesham Heath. He was commanding this unit at the time he was shot down over France on April 24th, 1944, spending the rest of the war as a prisoner of war. Following his repatriation at war’s end, Einar continued his military service, attaining the rank of Colonel. He was serving as Deputy Wing Commander of the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing at Great Falls AFB, MT at the time of his death in a T-33 training accident on August 21, 1954. The base was renamed in his honor in October 1955 and continues to serve in the present USAF as home to the 341st Missile Wing. Randy’s innate interest in history in general, and aviation history in particular, plus his educational background and passion for WWII warbirds, led him down his current path of capturing detailed aircraft walk-around photos and in-depth airframe histories, recording a precise description of a particular aircraft in all aspects.
So, that means that the Spad has six kills, instead of the five that have been known about.Also, great article, Randy.