It wasn't really an "experiment".
It was forced on the USN by the not-quite-meshing plans for:
1. retiring the A-7
2. Standing up the F/A-18 in the A-7's place
3. refitting the carriers with the appropriate support equipment for the F/A-18s (mostly avionics & engines, but also for airframe maintenance on the composite horizontal stabilizers etc)
# 1 & #2 were proceeding pretty much on-schedule, but #3 was falling behind - to the point where the USN was faced with the choice of either deploying CV-61 Ranger and CV-67 JFK with 2 F-14 squadrons, 2 A-6 squadrons, and the normal support aircraft - or deploying them with 2 F-14 squadrons, 1 A-6 squadrons, and the normal support aircraft!
There simply weren't enough A-7 squadrons still operational to fill all of the required deployed CVW slots, so the USN decided to double-up on the Intruder squadrons... hence my deploying aboard CV-61 in 1985-87 in support of VMA(AW)-121 (-121 also made the 1988-89 deployment cycle) alongside VA-145. VA-155 and their A-6s then made the 1990-91 and 1992-93 deployments alongside VA-145.
Ranger was chosen because she had just come out of a major refit in 1985, and wasn't scheduled for another for several more years.
As things turned out, she never did get fitted for F/A-18s because she was decommissioned early (in 1993, after 36 years of service), due to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
JFK was also not due for another refit for several years, and she carried 2 A-6 squadrons for the 1986-87 and 1988-89 deployments, She reverted to a 1xA-6 & 2xA-7 complement for the 1990-91 Desert Storm deployment, after which she was fitted for F/A-18s. She was the only carrier with A-7s after 1990.
All other carriers operated A-7s until they were fitted for F/A-18s. and yes, they operated 2 F-14 squadrons, 2 F/A-18 squadrons, and 1 A-6 squadron - until the A-6s were retired in 1993-97, when the carriers then shipped a 3rd F/A-18 squadron (F/A-18E/Fs) to replace them (the USMC retired theirs from 1990-93, replacing them with F/A-18Ds).
