Delivered to the US Navy as 126731. Sold as N9993Z in 1963. Stored at Chico, CA from 1966. To the Confederate Air Force (Arizona Wing) at Mesa AZ by 1992 and restored for static display. There were renamed to the Commemorative Air Force in 2002.

Delivered to the US Navy as 129233. Sold as N9994Z in 1963. Stored at Chico, CA from 1966. Restored for the Pima Air and Space Museum with fake reg N9995Z in 1990 and delivered to them in 1991.

In the 1960s, Aero Union acquired five former US Navy AF-2 Guardians. Only two were fully converted to airtanker (N9995Z and N3144G), a third was partially converted, and two remained unused and unconverted. The latter three remained in storage at Chico, CA for many years.
Falsely painted as N9995Z, the Guardian at the Pima museum is in fact N9994Z, which was one of the unconverted aircraft. Aero Union donated it to the Pima Air Museum in 1991, restoring it to static display condition the previous year. Although this aircraft had never been an airtanker and had never seen service with Aero Union, they painted it in their full markings to resemble Aero Union's airtanker N9995Z / 21-E.

The Guardian was the largest single-engine piston-powered carrier aircraft to see service, flown in the ASW role till 1955 when replaced by the S2F Tracker. Used for maritime patrol in the Korea, it was unpopular with pilots being underpowered and heavy on the controls, suffering a high accident rate. This example was flown by VX-1 from NAS Key West and Naval Reserve units before disposal in 1956. Operated by Aero Union as tanker N3144G/E30 from 1962, it was later painted back into these USN colours and operated as a warbird before going to the museum in 1993

In a very poor condition but has since been restored in flying condition by the Confederate Air Force.

Stored unconverted in the original USN colour scheme at Chico, CA from the mid-1960s - Aero Union planned to use it as a tanker but not converted. I photographed it derelict at Chico with civil registration N9993Z crudely painted on, in a line with three others in October 1979. To Confederate Air Force in 1988

'Naval review.' Data for the most central aircraft. We gather the R tail code was for Naval Air Reserve units at NAS New York (Floyd Bennett Field). The F9F Panther, E-109, is from NAS Minneapolis (MSP); the F7U Cutlass, I-313, is from NAS Gross Ile, Michigan; and the FJ-1 Fury, K-104, is from very inland NAS Olathe, Kansas! The tail codes for these stations were changed in 1956-57 according to Wikipedia. See photo 682839 for another view. Photo by: Frank Scherschell / Life

Actually ex N9994Z.

This is N9994Z, falsely painted as N9995Z.

Painted as N9995Z, but is actually ex N9994Z.

Operated by Aero Union. Originally delivered to the U.S. Navy, serial number 123000. One of only two Guardians converted to air tanker, note the under-belly droptank.

One of only two Guardians converted to air tanker (note the under-belly droptank). This aircraft is the real N9995Z, contrary to the AF-2S at the Pima museum painted with the same registration, which is actually N9994Z.

The aircraft is actually N9994Z ex US Navy 129233. It has been restored and preserved at Pima in the markings of N9995Z, c/n 296, an air tanker operated by Aero Union.

Not the prettiest aircraft on display, but nice to see one of the rare Guardians preserved here. This is actually N9994Z, painted as N9995Z. The real N9995Z is based at Leeward Air Ranch, Ocala, FL.

This is actually N9994Z, painted as N9995Z.

One of the very interesting collection of warbird aircraft stored at Falcon Field.

Originally US Navy BuAer 123088. Bought by Aero Union for operation as an air tanker but not completed.