A6AP-2 : A-6E BuNo Production Tracker

Started in 2023, the goal of this project was to track A-6E Production starting from the beginning where A-6A’s were sent through a MOD program to become A-6Es, to the new production line from Grumman where A-6E’s were new-builds. To the the later years where A-6E’s were going through the TRAM, WCSI and SWIP Upgrades.

This project would lead into the A6AP-3 project where this information would be expanded upon to include a Master List of all A-6 Production.

This is a living document and should be treated as such, it is not 100% accurate especially according to which year you are researching for. Current as 3/28/2024

Notes on the Project

Depending on when a A-6A – A6E MOD was going through the modification process it could have been directly given WCSI. Such as MOD228 which was a Production TRAM conversion from a A-6A. Was also given WCSI. This could’ve been a one-off however.

WCSI airplanes were generally not converted to SWIP on the data we have, WCSI stayed WCSI and Full TRAM’s became SWIP’s.

Very few TRAM Backfits became SWIP’s. Same for WCSI.

The earliest SWIP was BuNo149949 built in 1963 and serving with VA-75, then modified into a A-6B serving with VA-196 in 1968, it was A-6E MOD 117, TRAM Retrofit #152. Which was lost on 21 April 1993 in a Mid-Air Collision with 158787. 149949 was able to bring the airplane back to Nellis where it was then stricken. Both Crewmembers in 158787 would pass away.