Patch from E. Mares	1 Jul 1967 - 22 Jan 1992 Patch from G. Verver	22 Jan 1992 - Patch from G. Verver
	Patch from G. Verver

    Naval Air Facility (NAF) China Lake was an independent tenant command of Naval Ordinance Test Station (NOTS) China Lake. NAF usually had one or more of each aircraft type in the United States Navy inventory excluding some Helo's and recon aircraft. NAF Pilots, Plane Captains, maintenance personnel etc. supported the various aircraft assigned to the Civilian Project Teams. Pilots were assigned to the various projects and flew the planes that supported those projects. Plane Captains usually had a half dozen or so different pilots flying their plane never knowing who would fly until the flight schedule came out in the morning. NAF China Lake line personnel also supported NALF San Clemente. The other independent tenant command of NOTS was VX-5.

The NAF China Lake Drone Division designed and used this patch in the 50's and 60's. Patch from Tom Herold & designed by Pete Savell.	The Naval Weapons Test Squadron (Dust Devils) sitedat China Lake, was established 8 May 1995. Patch from G. Verver	22 Jan 1992 - Patch from G. Verver
	The administrative command of NALF San Clemente was assigned to NOTS, China Lake 01 July 1961. Patch from G. Verver

• None


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• NOTS Chronology:
• 08 Nov 1943 Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) at China Lake established
• 30 May 1945 Armitage Field dedicated
• June 1950 NOTS Inyokern at China Lake
• March 1955 NOTS China Lake
• 01 July 1961 the administrative command of San Clemente Island was assigned to NOTS, China Lake
• 1967 NOTS China Lake and the NOTS Pasadena Annex were separated
• 01 July 1967 NOTS China Lake and the Naval Ordnance Laboratory, Corona, were combined to form the Naval Weapons Center (NWC)
• 31 Oct. 1977  The Department of Defense directed a significant relocation of the essential mission of the National Parachute Test Range at El Centro, California. The Range had been responsible for RDT&E for parachute systems and for providing common airfield support to aviation units. With today's change, the RDT&E mission was moved to the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake, California. The airfield support mission remained at El Centro with the existing Naval Air Facility there.
• 22 January 1992 NWC was disestablished
• 1992 NAWS was established
• 1992 reorganization that resulted in the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCDWD)


• NAF Chronology:
  • __/__/____ established as an independent tenant command of NOTS
  • Dec 1 1976 NAF, China Lake, California was disestablished after more than 30 years, as a separate command, and became part of the Naval Weapons Center.
  • May 8, 1995 Naval Weapons Test Squadron China Lake (Dust Devils) sited at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, was established
  • Naval Weapons Test Squadron China Lake NWTS CO


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• None


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Date First Received - - - Type of Aircraft:
• 1942 - - - - - - - Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
• 1943 - - - - - - - Chance Vought F4U-1, 1D, 4, 4B, 5 Corsair
• 1943 - - - - - - - Grumman TBF-1C Avenger
• 194? - - - - - - - Boeing R50-6 Lodestar
• 1944 - - - - - - - Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver
• 1944 - - - - - - - Curtiss SB2C-1C Helldiver
• 1944 - - - - - - - North American PBJ-1H Mitchell
• 1944 - - - - - - - Consolidated PB4Y-1 Privateer
• 1944 - - - - - - - Douglas A-20G Havoc
• 1944 - - - - - - - Grumman FM-2 Wildcat
• 1944 - - - - - - - Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat
• 1945 - - - - - - - Douglas BTD-1 Destroyer
• 1945 - - - - - - - North American PBJ-1J Mitchell
• 1946 - - - - - - - Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver
• 1947 - - - - - - - Beech SNB-1/TC-45J  Navigator
• 1948 - - - - - - - Douglas AD-1 Skyraider
• 1948 - - - - - - - Grumman F7F-3 Tigercat
• 1949 - - - - - - - >Beech JRB-4/UC-45 Expeditor
• 1949 - - - - - - - Grumman F7F-3N Tigercat
• 1949 - - - - - - - Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat
• 1949 - - - - - - - Lockheed P2V-2 Neptune
• 1949 - - - - - - - Martin AM-1 Mauler
• 195? - - - - - - - North American FJ-3D2 (DF-1D) Fury
• 1950 - - - - - - - Grumman F8F-2D Bearcat
• 1950 - - - - - - - Chance Vought F8U-1/F-8A Crusader
• 1950 - - - - - - - Douglas JD-1/DB-26J Invader/Jigdog
• 1950 - - - - - - - Douglas AD-4 Skyraider
• 1951 - - - - - - - Douglas AD-2 Skyraider
• 1951 - - - - - - - Grumman F6F-5K Hellcat
• 1951 - - - - - - - Lockheed P2V-6 Neptune
• 1951 - - - - - - - Grumman F7F-2D Tigercat
• 1951 - - - - - - - Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
• 1952 - - - - - - - Douglas AD-2Q Skyraider
• 1952 - - - - - - - North American AJ-1 Savage
• 1952 - - - - - - - McDonnell F2H-2 & F2H-3 Banshee
• 1952 - - - - - - - Lockheed TV-2 Sea Star
• 1953 - - - - - - - Boeing QB-17 Flying Fortress
• 1953 - - - - - - - Douglas XF4D-1/F-6A Skyray/Ford
• 1953 - - - - - - - Douglas F3D-1 Skyknight
• 1953 - - - - - - - Douglas AD-4B Skyraider
• 1953 - - - - - - - Republic F-84 Thunderjet
• 1954 - - - - - - - Douglas AD-4N Skyraider
• 1954 - - - - - - - Douglas AD-6 Skyraider
• 1954 - - - - - - - Grumman F9F-8 Cougar
• 1955 - - - - - - - Douglas AD-5W/EA-1E Skyraider
• 1955 - - - - - - - Douglas AD-5N/NA-1G Skyraider
• 1953 - - - - - - - Chance Vought F7U-3 Cutlass
• 1954 - - - - - - - North American FJ-2  Fury
• 1955 - - - - - - - Douglas YA4D-1 (A-4A) Skyhawk
• 1955 - - - - - - - Grumman F9F-5 Panther
• 1955 - - - - - - - North American FJ-4/F-1E  Fury
• 1955 - - - - - - - McDonnell  F3H-2W/MF-3B Demon
• 1955 - - - - - - - Grumman F9F-6 Cougar
• 1956 - - - - - - - Douglas R4D-5/C-47, R4D-6/C-47B Skytrain
• 1956 - - - - - - - McDonnell F3H-2/F-3B Demon
• 1956 - - - - - - - North American FJ-3  Fury
• 1956 - - - - - - - McDonnell F3H-2N/F-3C Demon
• 15 August 1956 - - Douglas A4D-1 (A-4A) Skyhawk *
• 1957 - - - - - - - Douglas A3D-1/A-3A Skywarrior/Whale
• 1957 - - - - - - - McDonnell F3H-1/F-3A Demon
• 1957 - - - - - - - North American FJ-4B/AF-1E  Fury
• 1957 - - - - - - - North American F-100 Super Sabre
• 1958 - - - - - - - Douglas F3D-2 Skyknight
• 1958 - - - - - - - Grumman F11F Tiger
• 1958 - - - - - - - Lockheed P-80/T-33 Shooting Star
• 196? - - - - - - - Chance Vought F8U-1/DF-8F Crusader
• 196? - - - - - - - Chance Vought F8U-1E/F-8B Crusader
• 196? - - - - - - - Chance Vought F8U-2/F-8CCrusader
• 196x - - - - - - - Douglas R4D-8/C-117 Skytrain
• 1960 - - - - - - - Chance Vought F8U-2N/F-8D Crusader
• 1960 - - - - - - - Lockheed P2V-5FD/DP-2E Neptune
• 1960 - - - - - - - Douglas F3D-2T/TF-10B Skyknight
• 31 March 1960- - - Douglas A4D-2 (A-4B) Skyhawk *
• 1960 - - - - - - - Douglas AD-5Q/EA-1F Skyraider
• 1960 - - - - - - - Sikorsky HRS-3/CH-19E - Chickasaw
• 1960 - - - - - - - Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
• 1961 - - - - - - - Grumman F9F-6K Cougar
• 1961 - - - - - - - McDonnell F4H-1/F-4A Phantom II
• 1961 - - - - - - - Grumman F9F-8T Cougar
• 18 January 1961- - a href="../../common/a-4c3v.jpg">Douglas A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk *
• 1962 - - - - - - - McDonnell F4H-1F Phantom II
• 1962 - - - - - - - Sikorsky HSS-1/UH-34J - Seabat/Seahorse
• 1963 - - - - - - - Douglas YA4D-5 (A-4E) Skyhawk
• 1963 - - - - - - - Chance Vought F8U-2NE/F-8E Crusader
• 1963 - - - - - - - McDonnell F-4B Phantom II
• 1963 - - - - - - - Convair R4Y-1/C-131F Samaritan
• 1963 - - - - - - - Lockheed P2V-5F/SP-2E Neptune
• 1963 - - - - - - - North American DT-28B Trojan
• 1963 - - - - - - - North American T-2 Buckeye
• 12 February 1963 - Douglas A4D-5 (A-4E) Skyhawk *
• 1964 - - - - - - - Grumman US-2F Tracker
• 1964 - - - - - - - Grumman QF-9F Cougar
• 1965 - - - - - - - Douglas A3D-2/A-3B Skywarrior/Whale
• 1966 - - - - - - - Chance Vought A-7A Corsair II/SLUF
• 31 October 1966- - Douglas A-4F Skyhawk
• 8 November 1966- - Douglas TA-4F Skyhawk
• 1967 - - - - - - - Cessna 210
• 1967 - - - - - - - Grumman A-6A Intruder
• 1967 - - - - - - - Bell UH-1E Iroquis
• 1968 - - - - - - - Bell UH-1C Iroquis
• 1968 - - - - - - - Grumman QF-9J Cougar
• 1968 - - - - - - - Douglas NA-3B Skywarrior/Whale
• 1968 - - - - - - - Rockwell OV-10A Bronco
• 1969 - - - - - - - Lockheed P-3B Orion
• 1969 - - - - - - - North American T3J-1/T-39D Sabreliner
• 197? - - - - - - - Lockheed DC-130, LC-130, HC-130 Hercules
• 197? - - - - - - - Grumman F-111B
• 1970 - - - - - - - Chance Vought A-7E Corsair II/SLUF
• 1970 - - - - - - - McDonnell F-4J Phantom II
• 1970 - - - - - - - Bell HH-1K Iroquis
• 1971 - - - - - - - Bell UH-1N Iroquis
• 1971 - - - - - - - Kaman UH-2A Seasprite
• 1971 - - - - - - - McDonnell/Douglas AV/8A Harrier
• 1971 - - - - - - - Kaman UH-2D Seasprite
• 1972 - - - - - - - Bell UH-1H Iroquis
• 1972 - - - - - - - Lockheed P-3A Orion
• 1972 - - - - - - - rumman AO-1 Mohawk
• 1972 - - - - - - - Cessna L-27A-CE/UC-3 Blue Canoe
• 1972 - - - - - - - Chance Vought A-7D Corsair II/SLUF
• 1973 - - - - - - - Chance Vought A-7C Corsair II/SLUF
• 1973 - - - - - - - North American QF-86H Sabre
• 1974 - - - - - - - Grumman A-6E Intruder
• 1973 - - - - - - - North American DT-38A Talon
• 1976 - - - - - - - Grumman F-14A/B/D Tomcat
• 1976 - - - - - - - Grumman NA-6A Intruder
• 1977 - - - - - - - Boeing CH-46D Seaknight
• 1977 - - - - - - - North American QT-38A Talon
• 1977 - - - - - - - Sikorsky CH-53D Sea Stallion
• 18 January 1977: - Douglas A-4M Skyhawk
• 1978 - - - - - - - Chance Vought TA-7C Corsair II/SLUF
• 1978 - - - - - - - McDonnell/Douglas FA/18A Hornet
• 1978 - - - - - - - Grumman A-6C Intruder
• 1980 - - - - - - - DeHavilland UC-8 Buffalo
• 1980 - - - - - - - North American QF-86F Sabre
• 1980 - - - - - - - Lockheed P-3C Orion
• 1983 - - - - - - - McDonnell/Douglas AV/8B Harrier
• 1987 - - - - - - - McDonnell QF-4J Phantom II
• 1987 - - - - - - - McDonnell/Douglas FA/18C Hornet
• 1987 - - - - - - - McDonnell/Douglas TAV/8B Harrier
• 1988 - - - - - - - McDonnell/Douglas FA/18D Hornet
• 1988 - - - - - - - Bell TH-1L Iroquis
• 1989 - - - - - - - McDonnell QF-4N Phantom II
• 1994 - - - - - - - Bell HH-1N Iroquis


• * November 30, 1962
  • A4D-1 designation was changed to A-4A
  • A4D-2 designation was changed to A-4B
  • A4D-2N designation was changed to A-4C
  • A4D-5 designation was changed to A-4E


• A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to this unit


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Commanding Officers
• 1963 - - - - - Capt. Jack W. Hough
• 1966 - - - - - Capt. Robert R. Yount
• 1967, 1968 - - Capt. Rodney F. Schall


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Events
• November 8, 1943:
  By the order of the Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox, Naval Station China Lake is established.
  Operations begun at C-range on air-to-ground firings.


• 1944:
  Opening of temporary G-1 and G-2 ranges.
  Construction begun on permanent Station facilities.
  Opening of B-1 and B-2 ranges for air-to-ground firings.
  Operations begun at China Lake Pilot Plant.


• 1945:
  Opening of K-2 range used in rocket terminal-ballistics studies.
  Transfer of operations from California Institute of. Technology to Station personnel.
  Opening of LB range for high-altitude bomb tests.
  Work on explosives begun at Salt Wells Pilot Plant.


• 1946:
  Dedication of Armitage Field at the Naval Air Facility.


• 1947:
  Opening of B-4 range for air-to-ground firings against moving targets.


• 1948:
  Dedication of the Variable-Angle Launcher used for research and development at NOTS.
  Dedication of the Variable-Angle Launcher used for testing underwater ordnance items at Morris Dam.
  Activation of Station Advisory Board.


• 1950:
  First antitank aircraft rockets of project RAM shipped to Korea.


• 1951:
  Opening of T-range for rocket proof firing.
  Opening of K-3 range for crosswind firing of rockets.


• 1952:
  Aircraft Fire-Control System Mk 16 released to the Fleet.
  Opening of Randsburg Wash Test Activities for fuze testing.
  The 2.75-inch FFAR (Mighty Mouse) declared operational.


• 1953:
  Opening of Supersonic Naval Ordnance Research Track (SNORT) for captive testing of ordnance items.


• 1954:
  Opening of G-4 range for high-speed terminal-ballistics studies.


• 1955:
  Opening of permanent G-1 range for guided-missile free-flight-testing.
  Opening of permanent G-2 range for rocket free-flight testing.


• 1956:
  The Sidewinder guided-missile system declared operational.
  Aug 21 -- An F8U-1 Crusader, piloted by Commander R. W. Windsor, captured the Thompson Trophy with a new national speed record of 1015.428 m.p.h. over the 15-kilometer course at NOTS, China Lake, Calif. This production model carrier fighter, equipped during its record performance with full armament of 20 mm cannon and dummy ammunition, was the first operationally equipped jet plane in history to fly faster than 1,000 m.p.h.


• 1957:
  Development completed of the Zuni 5.0 inch rocket.
  Dedication of the Station's new All Faith Chapel.


• 1958:
  The RAT antisubmarine weapon system declared operational.
  Aug 19 -- In its first successful flight a Tartar surface-to-air missile, fired at the NOTS, China Lake, intercepted an F6F drone.


• 1959:
  Development completed of the variable-thrust rocket engine.
  The Skyline facility, for testing large solid-propellant motors, completed at China Lake Propulsion Laboratory.
  Zuni rocket put into mass production.
  Polaris static-test facility, Skytop, completed at China Lake Propulsion Laboratory.
  RAPEC (rocket-assisted personnel-ejection catapult) released to the fleet.
  Aug 3 -- The first flight test of the antisubmarine missile Subroc was successfully completed by a launch from a shore installation at NOTS China Lake.


• 1960:
  Hangar No. 3 completed at the Naval Air Facility.
  BuWeps and OpTEvFor evaluations of the ASROC antisubmarine weapon system successfully completed.
  First successful Polaris firing after underwater launching.


• 1961:
  in the nation, established.
  Administrative command of San Clemente Island assumed.
  Sixteen Cyclops silver iodide generators dropped into Hurricane Esther, destroying one-third of the cloud wall.
  Dedication of Skytop II, one of the Navy's largest vertical nozzle-down facilities.
  Aug 28 -- NOTS, China Lake reported on tests of Snakeye I mechanical retardation devices which were being developed to permit low altitude bombing with the MK 80 family of low drag bombs. Four designs of retarders (two made by Douglas and two by NOTS) had been tested in flight, on the Station's rocket powered test sled, or in the wind tunnel. One of Douglas' designs had shown sufficient promise that a contract had been issued for a number of experimental and prototype units.


• 1962:
  Five hundred Capehart housing units completed.
  First successful flight test of a hybrid propulsion system in this country.


• 1963:
  Jan 29 -- A Walleye television glide bomb, released from a YA-4B, made a direct impact on its target in the first demonstration of its automatic homing feature.
  Balloon carries NOTS astronomer to 82,000 feet altitude in Stargazer gondola.
  President John F. Kennedy, first President to visit Station, sees Naval aerial weaponry demonstration, June 7.
  Gemini space capsule undergoes seat ejection tests.
  HIPEG-"fastest gun"-firing 12,000 rounds per minute, in final checkout.
  Marines leave after 18 years of sentry and range guard duty.
  PROJECT "STORMFURY" NOTS-developed silver iodide generators show effect on storm clouds and Hurricane Beulah.
  Ozonesonde in record balloon ascent, 142,000 feet.
  SHRIKE air-to-surface anti-radar missile in final development stages.


• December 1968
  NAF bluejackets build a plane


• 1970:
  Sep 25 -- A Condor, television-guided air-to-surface missile, was launched by an A-6A at a standoff distance from its target. The aircraft was 56 miles from the target when the missile made a direct impact.


• 1976:
  Feb 18 -- The night attack weapons system, a modified air-to-surface Maverick missile designed to enhance the performance of night tactical and strike aircraft, scored a direct hit on a moving M-48 tank


• 1978:
  Aug 3 -- The Naval Air Systems Command reported a major advance in the technology of escape systems. During the summer, the NWC at China Lake successfully tested a vertical-seeking ejection seat. While carrying a dummy crew member, the seat was fired downward from a suspended test module. It traveled downward less than 45 feet before reversing direction and traveling upward; it then parachuted safely to the ground. These tests demonstrated that the vertical-seeking seat would make it possible to safely eject upside down, within 50 feet of the surface, thus greatly increasing the safety envelope of ejection seats.


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Awards
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Sources
• Tom Herold
• Bob Krall
• Mike Mayfield
• Gary Verver

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