VU-7 Provided Services for the Fleet with Navy FJ-4 Fury Jets

Navy FJ-4 Fury Jet assigned to VU-7, stationed at NAAS Brown Field during 1960-1961

Realizing the need for a multipurpose squadron to handle target towing and a variety of
other important fleet tasks outside of the realm of other units, the Navy established the first
utility squadron (VJ-l) at NAS San Diego, California in 1926. The WW II utility squadrons were
active in all combat theaters involving Naval Aviation. The primary function of the utility
squadrons was to ensure fleet readiness by providing a variety of services for both shore based
and sea borne units. Their greatest achievements during WWII included helping to produce
thousands of top notch pilots, aircrewmen and antiaircraft gunners; the development of reliable
target drone aircraft; and their assistance in development of the top secret radio proximity fused
antiaircraft round. The very word utility, which suggests a type of duty far from glamorous,
has a special luster when you realize how the squadrons gave year after year of steady, effective
service in many different ways. Utility squadrons operated a large variety of aircraft and their
assigned personnel qualified in flying and maintaining more aircraft types than any other
squadrons in the Navy. By the end of WW II, there were 25 utility squadrons operating
hundreds of every conceivable type of aircraft. However, soon after the end of WWII, most of
this useful force was gone, victims of demobilization. On 15 November 1946, the VJ for utility
became VU, V=heavier than air, U=Utility. Also, soon after the end of WWII on 10 March 1948,
the carrier suitability of the FJ-1 Fury jet fighter was tested on board Boxer off San Diego, with a
number of landings and takeoffs by VF-5A. The FJ Fury jet was destined to serve with the utility
squadrons.


Navy FJ-4 Fury Jet assigned to VU-7, stationed at NAAS Brown Field during 1960-1961

On the eve of the outbreak of the Korean War, the Navy had only a few utility squadrons
and detachments remaining. They were located as follows: VU-3, MCAS El Toro, California;
VU-4, NAF Chincoteague, Va., with Det 1, U.S. Naval Air Activities, Port Lyautey. Morocco;
VU-10, NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and VU-7, NAAS Miramar, California, with detachments
at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii, and Det B at NAS Agana, Guam.
All the aircraft assigned to utility squadrons were painted in some of the most colorful
paint schemes in the Navy. On 2 January1947 a new specification for aircraft color was issued
for target towing aircraft to have glossy orange-yellow wings, and glossy sea blue fuselage with
glossy insignia-red wing bands and rudder for high visibility. Target drones were painted glossy
insignia red.


North American FJ-4 Fury BuNo 139291 at NAAS Brown Field circa1959. Drawing
courtesy of www.wings.de.ms.

VU-7 was one of the surviving utility squadrons and operated from almost every
Navy airfield on the West Coast. Following WWII, VU-7 was stationed at NAS San Diego CA
in 1946 and moved to Naval Auxiliary Air Field Miramar, CA in April 1949, then onto Auxiliary
Landing Field, Ream, San Ysidro, CA (the present OLF Imperial Beach) in September 1951. By
summer 1951, VU-7 had spawned two new squadrons from its existing Pacific detachments.
VU-1 was established at NAS Barbers Point with five JD-Is, five TBM-3Us and one SNB-2P
Navigator for photo work. At NAS Agana, Guam, VU-5 flew four JD-1s and five TBM-3Es. In
June 1952, VU-7 moved again back to NAS San Diego, CA. By the time of the Korean War
cease-fire on 27 July 1953, the utility squadron community had more than quadrupled in men
and flying machines, especially those most vital to the war effort supplying tow target and drone
services to the fleet. Utility squadrons were here to stay and their numbers and effectiveness
continued to increase as the Cold War went into high gear. Utility squadrons reinforced their
commitment to serve the fleet by continuing to prepare Naval Aviation personnel for war.


FJ Fury jets of VU-1 in flight 1959-1960, photo courtesy of Charles Hansen, Fleet Air
Photo Lab.
VU-7 arrived at NAAS Brown Field, Chula Vista, CA in February 1955. Naval
Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Brown Field was located five miles from the coast in Otay Mesa
California at an elevation of 500 feet. The location was chosen because it is less subject to ocean
fog that reduced flying hours at other airfields in the San Diego area. The stationed was
originally commissioned in 1918 and was used by military and civilian aviation until it was
closed in 1946 and became a civilian airport. The Korean War necessitated reopening the field
as an Auxiliary Landing Field (ALF) on November 1, 1951. In 1954, Brown recommissioned as
an NAAS. During the 1950s the station became home base to VU-7, two antisubmarine
squadrons, and a Regulus air missile unit. The population of the entire base in 1961 was about
900 people. The Navy closed Brown for the last time during 1962 and it again became a civilian
airport.

Six VU-7 JD aircraft lined up on the ramp at NAAS Brown Field early 1960s. Note the
wide variety of aircraft on the flight line including FJ Fury jets, photo courtesy the Tail
Hook Association.

When the squadron arrived at NAAS Brown Field they had five different kinds of
aircraft. The squadron consisted of an R4D-5 for troop transport, a SNB-5P (D-18) for
miscellaneous (including photo) work, two JD-1s Jig dogs (Air Force A-26 Invaders), a TBM
and an F9F-8 Panther Jet. All these aircraft were obsolete at the time, but they performed
extremely well in their function. Later, FJ-4s Fury jets were added and by 31 March 1960, VU-7
had ten FJ-4 Jury jets assigned. The unit provided aircraft-towed target services for ship and
aircraft gunnery exercises, as well as some photographic and other "utility" services. Utility
really meant variety there and they could be considered as the aerial handymen of the fleet. They
did a little of everything. The R4D was used to haul anything and everything, and took the
squadron Commanding Officer where ever he wanted to go. They used the JD-1 for towing
targets for the jets stationed at Fallon, Nevada. They also towed targets for ships off the coast.
Gunnery practice was a requirement for proficiency by the ships' gunnery crews. All the guns
were removed from the JD-1s and the hydraulics from the lower turret were redirected to operate
the tow reel. The tow reel held about eight thousand feet of steel cable. The targets were big
nylon sleeves in various colors that were 6 feet tall and 40 feet long. The reel operators sat in the
after station and rigged the targets and operated the tow reel. The gunners were briefed on the
details of the target session, but some of the gunnery tracking radars were a little too good. They
would lock onto the cable and follow it right up to the aircraft, nearly shooting down the tow
aircraft, every once in a while, the planes came back with shrapnel damage. The SNB was used
as a photo recon aircraft. A sled target was towed by a tug for the ships to fire at and the SNB
with a photographer would take pictures of the "splashes" or hits of the target. The F9F Panther
jets were used primarily as targets for the Navy trainees at Point Loma to track with their radar.
They would head out toward San Clemente Island and the turn around and head back while being
tracked on radar.

Pair of FJ Furies keeps a rendezvous with 7
th
fleet ships for CIC exercises, US Navy Photo.
The FJ-4 Fury jets performed an important service for the Combat Information Center
(CIC) crews of fleet ships, which are charged with directing the interception of bogie aircraft
detected by their long range air search radars. To keep the CIC crews proficient, a pair of fury
jets worked as a team. One was vectored out as a bogie and the other was directed as an
interceptor by the ships air controllers in detection and intercept exercises. The FJ-4 Furies
were also used in high speed towing for aircraft gunnery work. The FJ-4 was a single place
aircraft, so the pilot had to do it all. The tow rig was called a "Del-Mar" pod and was carried on
one of the wing stations. All of the work could be dangerous, but many of the squadron pilots
thought it was just boring.


FJ fury jets on the flight line undergoing maintenance at NAS Barbers Pt Hawaii assigned
to VU-1, circa 1959-1960, photo courtesy of Charles Hansen, Fleet Air Photo Lab.
The FJ Fury jets were an interesting aircraft to work on. They were very compact, and the
electronics were stuffed away in extremely cramped spaces. Engine replacement required the
aircraft to be separated in two pieces; the tail section was supported on a special cradle which
allowed it to be wheeled away. Then another rig was attached to the fuselage, and the engine slid
back on rails.

FJ Fury in flight, photo courtesy of Charles Hansen, Fleet Air Photo Lab.
The familiar Naval Aviation axiom "hours of intense boredom occasionally interrupted
by a few moments of abject terror" aptly described the utility squadron mission. The hours of
boredom and hard, thankless work of the VUs were indeed interrupted by moments of terror,
sometimes coupled with loss of life. There was true danger here. Real weapons were fired at
these aircraft, day and night, often by personnel fresh out of boot camp spraying the sky with .50
caliber, 20 mm, 40 mm, three-inch and five-inch gun ammunition at targets towed by VU planes.
If the utility squadrons didnt spend long grueling days towing targets, gun crews and combat
pilots would have to jump into battle without the vitally necessary gunnery practice. In drone
target aircraft operations, midair collisions between control aircraft and drones were also not
unknown, particularly during check rides. Drone pilots earned their pay.

An FJ Fury jet escorts a Regulus missile, photo courtesy of Charles Hansen, Fleet Air
Photo Lab.

Three FJ Furies with Regulus missile 1959-1960, photo courtesy of Charles Hansen, Fleet
Air Photo Lab.
VU-7 stayed at NAAS Brown Field until April 1961 when they transferred to NAS North
Island, CA. The FJ-4 Furies of VU-7 were replaced by F8U Crusaders by June 1961. The
squadron permanently moved to NAS Miramar with 52 officers and 415 enlisted men on 30
October 1964, and also by that date, all prop driven aircraft had been transferred out. VU-7
initially flew F-8As from NAS Miramar; by 1965 the squadron had four F-8As, fourteen F-
8Cs and four DF-8Fs in its inventory. These aircraft were used for controlling remotely piloted
target aircraft, early cruise missiles and tow Del-Mar air to air missile targets. VU-7 was
redesignated Fleet Composite Squadron SEVEN (VC-7) and placed under the command of
Commander, Fleet Air Miramar 2 July 1965.

Drone-controller DF-8F of VU-7 at NAS Miramar circa mid 1960s, photo from
gator.crouze.com
A short history of the FJ-4 Fury is summarized from Hal Humphrey and Joe Baugher.
The last of the naval Furies was the FJ-4. Some people argue that the FJ-4 was the best version
of the entire F-86 Sabre/FJ Fury series. The FJ-4 at first glance appears to be a modified F-86
Sabre that had first flown back in 1947. However, when one looks closer, it has many differences
and only the family ancestry is apparent.
The FJ-4 began its life in June 1953 as company project NA-208 which called for two
prototypes and as company project NA-209 which was the production version. The Navy wanted
a maximum speed of Mach 0.95 and a combat altitude of 49,000 feet, requirements never before
having been met without using an afterburning engine.
On October 16, the Navy issued a contract for 132 examples under the designation FJ-4.
On June 26, 1954, the Navy added 45 more FJ-4s. Serials were 139279 and 139280 for the NA-
208 prototypes, and 139281/139323 and 139424/139530 for the NA-209 production run.
The FJ-4 differed from the FJ-3 in that it could carry 50 percent more internal fuel. To
accommodate the extra fuel, an extra tank was added underneath the engine, which required that
the airframe be redesigned. A dorsal spine was added that began at the rear of the canopy and
extended all the way the tail which provided the FJ-4 with a "turtledeck" appearance reminiscent
of the F-84F Thunderstreak.
A thinner "wet" wing with a larger area of 338.66 square feet was used. The wing was
reduced to a thickness/chord ratio of six percent. The wing span was increased by two feet and
the inboard chord length was increased while maintaining the 35-degree leading edge
sweepback. The wing skins were milled from solid aluminum plate. Other wing features
included a four-degree washout at the wingtip, mid-span trailing-edge aileron surfaces (all earlier
Sabres and Furies had their control surfaces on the outer wing), and inboard high-lift trailing-
edge flaps. The wings folded at a point immediately outboard of the ailerons.
The FJ-4 also differed from earlier Furies in incorporating a drooping wing leading edge.
The earlier Furies and Sabres used leading-edge slats that were aerodynamically actuated. The
leading edge droops provided additional lift during landing and improved low-speed handling.
The drooping leading edges were mechanically linked to the trailing edge flaps and could only
be extended when these flaps went down.
The tail surfaces were also almost completely new. The horizontal tail surfaces of the FJ-
4 had no dihedral and had a smaller span and a larger chord than on previous Furies. They were
also much thinner and had mid-span control surfaces that did not extend all the way to the tip.
The tail was the all all-flying variety and moved as a unit, with the elevators being mechanically
linked so that they moved in conjunction with the stabilizer to provide better high-speed
controllability
The vertical tail of the FJ-4 was taller than that of the earlier Fury models. It also differed
from earlier Furies in having a fuel overflow vent which protruded from the rear of the surface
about mid-height. This fuel overflow vent was only used to prevent overfilling and should not be
confused with the fuel dump nozzles in the wingtips. The ribbed rudder was located below the
fuel vent, in contrast with that of earlier Furies, which had the rudder extending nearly all the
way to the tip.
The landing gear was also entirely new, being levered and having the track increased
from 9 feet to 11 feet 7 inches. The undercarriage was also redesigned so that upon retraction it
would leave enough space for an acceptable wing box.
The primary armament was four 20-mm cannon mounted in the fuselage sides just aft of
the nose air intake. FJ-4s could also carry up to four AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles on
under wing hard points. The FJ-4 was equipped with a radar-ranging gun sight in the upper nose,
which was used to calculate the lead angle for firing the guns during air-to-air gunnery. The FJ-4
was intended to operate primarily as an air-to-air fighter, but had a limited ground-attack
capability. They could carry some bombs and rockets plus the 20mm cannon could be used for
strafing.
The FJ series were similar to the F-86 as used by the Army Air Force, but heavier, and
therefore slower, due to the catapult and arresting gear fittings. The engine was an Allison J-35
axial flow, with a thrust rating around four thousand pounds. The FJ-4 was the most numerous
model fury produced with 252 manufactured.
On October 1, 1962, the US Defense Department adopted a uniform designation system
for both Navy and USAF aircraft. Under this system, the FJ-4 Fury was redesignated F-1E. By
this time, the F-1Es no longer served with operational Navy or Marine squadrons, all of the
survivors having been transferred to reserve units until the mid 1960s when they were finally
withdrawn. Today there is only one FJ Fury jet in flying condition.

Specifications of the FJ-4 Fury: Engine: One Wright J65-W-16A turbojet rated at 7700
lb. Dimensions: wingspan 39 feet 1 inch, length 36 feet 4 inches, height 13 feet 11 inches, wing
area 338.66 square feet. Weights: 13,210 pounds empty, 20,130 pounds takeoff (clean), 23,700
pounds takeoff. Performance: Maximum speed: 680 mph at sea level, 631 mph at 35,000 feet.
Combat ceiling: 46,800 feet. Initial climb rate: 7660 feet per minute. Climb to 30,000 feet in 6.3
minutes. Take off run to clear 50 foot obstacle 4250 feet. Combat range: 1485 miles (clean),
2020 miles with two 200-gallon drop tanks and 2 Sidewinders. Combat radius: 518-840 miles.
Armament: Four 20-mm cannon and up to 3000 pounds of under wing ordinance.
On a bright and sunny Saturday, 9 Feburary 2008, three intrepid hikers began a journey
down a steep mountainside to visit the remains of one of the VU-7, FJ-4 Fury jets. The site is the
scene of a tragedy that happened more than 46 years ago. A Navy FJ-4 Fury jet fighter plane,
Buno#139291, belonging to VU-7 stationed at NAAS Brown Field California crashed into the
side of Otay Mountain at the 2,500 foot level on 27 March 1961. The jet was piloted by Ensign
Henry "Hank" Harding, Jr. and crashed in cloudy weather killing the pilot. The pilot was flying
to NAAS Brown Field where his squadron was based from Yuma Arizona. The pilot was
following a flight path, or vector, given him by the control tower at NAS North Island. The plane
appeared to have hit a ridge, and then skipped over before breaking up. The wreckage is
scattered across the top of a ridge along the side of the mountain. Even after all these years,
parts of the wreckage were well preserved with bright yellow and red painted parts in the debris.

FJ-4 Fury jet debris at the crash site on Otay Mountain.

A memorial was left at the crash site by Marc Harding, the son of Lt. JG Henry M.
"Hank" Harding, Jr. The memorial plaque reads: Lt. JG Henry Hank Marcus Harding, Jr., USN
from Mechanicsville, Virginia June 22, 1933 March 27, 1961. To our loving husband, son,
brother, father; We miss you so much. We will forever love you. We will never forget you.
Your family" The plaque was placed there by his son Henry Marcus Marc Harding, III January
21, 2006. The pilot was 27 years old at the time of the accident.
This story is dedicated to all those unsung heroes who served in Utility Squadrons.

Memorial at the crash site