Post amazingly cool pictures of aircraft (Volume 2)
Discussion
yellowjack said:
I can't remember exactly when the weapon was de-classified, but my uncle had a 1:72 scale model of the 'Dambuster Lancaster' when I was a kid, and that too was the 'spare tyre' shaped bomb. Years later Airfix had to alter the kit to reflect the true 'oil drum' shape of the Upkeep mine.
Got a copy of Flypast somewhere dealing with this, 1975 or something?Did Flypast exist back then?
I have a feeling it first came out in the early 1980s.
Aeroplane Monthly commenced in 1973,. so it might have been that.
I used to buy Aviation News, which first came out in 1972 and for many years was in the form of a fortnightly newspaper. It certainly featured ads for the Revell Dambusters Lanc in 1972/73.
Edited to show Wiki's entry on Flypast magazine -
FlyPast is a magazine, published monthly, edited by Nigel Price [1] and Steve Beebee. The magazine started as a bi-monthly edition in May/June 1981 and its first editor was the late Mike Twite.
I have a feeling it first came out in the early 1980s.
Aeroplane Monthly commenced in 1973,. so it might have been that.
I used to buy Aviation News, which first came out in 1972 and for many years was in the form of a fortnightly newspaper. It certainly featured ads for the Revell Dambusters Lanc in 1972/73.
Edited to show Wiki's entry on Flypast magazine -
FlyPast is a magazine, published monthly, edited by Nigel Price [1] and Steve Beebee. The magazine started as a bi-monthly edition in May/June 1981 and its first editor was the late Mike Twite.
Recent article on the subject, few years ago. Dig it out later.
Edit. My mistake. They talk about the issue of guessing the weapon as it was still secret in 1954. Don't know where I have 1975 as the secret no longer from then. The old grey stuff tripping me up.
May 2005 is the issue. I did not mean that Flypast was in 1975.
It also mentions the Wellington used as the last airworthy, and the US release version getting some poor late editing of plane crashes by Warner Bros. but had to be removed as using a B17 was spotted.......
Edit 2. Mentions a certain Mr Todd getting to start engines and taxi in the Lancaster.
Edit. My mistake. They talk about the issue of guessing the weapon as it was still secret in 1954. Don't know where I have 1975 as the secret no longer from then. The old grey stuff tripping me up.
May 2005 is the issue. I did not mean that Flypast was in 1975.
It also mentions the Wellington used as the last airworthy, and the US release version getting some poor late editing of plane crashes by Warner Bros. but had to be removed as using a B17 was spotted.......
Edit 2. Mentions a certain Mr Todd getting to start engines and taxi in the Lancaster.
Edited by jmorgan on Saturday 2nd January 11:05
It’s a 8” x 10” frame of a 16 mm gun film shot which shows an F-15 Eagle locked through an F-14 Tomcat Head Up Display, at 250 feet, with piper on the Eagle’s pilot, gun selected, master arm on.
There's a bit of a story behind this one.....
"As explained by Alvin Townley in his book Fly Navy, most probably other pilots have scored more kills, held higher ranks or more prestigious commands, but few living aviators embody the untamed nature of aviation like the one-of-a-kind legend known to decades of F-8 Crusader and F-14 Tomcat pilots: Joe "Hoser” Satrapa.
A skilled rifleman, Joe joined the Navy with the aim to fly a jet fighter. His passion for guns guided him after the flight school graduation, in 1966, when he was called to opt for the F-4 Phantom or the F-8 Crusader. The Phantom had no guns and Satrapa thought: "No guns? What kind of aircraft is this with no guns?” and he immediately chose the "Last Of The Gunfighters” as the Crusader was dubbed by aircrews.
But the "Satrapa legend” began the day he was given the callsign "Hoser” (even if he is also known as "Da-Hose” or "D-hose”), during a mission at the gunnery range in which he was flying the tail position in a flight of four Crusaders. He cut off the preceding aircraft as they approached the target and started shooting from two thousand feet up, one and a half miles out, hosing off all his bullets in one pass.
His flight leader J.P. O’ Neill told him to return to the airfield at El Centro and the same night O’ Neill had the final say on the incident when he nailed Satrapa: "Lieutenant junior grade Satrapa, for hosing off all his bullets in one pass, will hence forth be known as Hoser. That’ ll be five bucks.”
Hoser was also widely known during the Vietnam War as a fearless F-8 pilot who regularly carried a good forty pounds of lethal ordnance, in case he was suddenly forced to eject from his aircraft and face an entire platoon of North Vietnamese Army regulars.
As explained by George Hall in his book Top Gun – The Navy’ s Fighter Weapons School], Hoser’s interest for guns continued when he transitioned to the F-14 Tomcat.
During the AIMVAL/ACEVAL (the Air Combat Evaluation/Air Intercept Missile Evaluation) fighter trials that put the F-14s and the F-15s against the F-5Es to test new weapons and tactics which took place from 1974 to 1978 at Nellis Air Force Base, Hoser (assigned to the VX-4 evaluators) was put in a 1 vs 1 against an F-5.
As the two combatants sat side-by-side on the Nellis runway, awaiting tower clearance for takeoff, Hoser looked over at his opponent, reached his hand up over the control panel, and mimicked the cocking of machine guns in a World War I Spad. A thumbs up came from the other cockpit, meaning that guns it would be, the proverbial knife fight in a phone booth, forget the missiles.
Both jets took off.
As soon as they reached the assigned area, the fighters set up twenty miles apart for a head-on intercept under ground control. Seven miles from the merge, with closure well over 1,000 knots, Hoser called "Fox One”, a Sparrow missile away, scoring a direct hit.
As they flashed past each other, the furious F-5 driver radioed, "What the hell was that all about?” "Sorry.” said Hoser, "lost my head. Let’s set up again. Guns only, I promise.”
Again the two fighters streaked towards the pass, again at seven miles Hoser called "Fox One.” The F-5 driver was apoplectic.
Hoser was first back to the club bar, nursing an end of the day cold one as the flushed Aggressor stomped in. "Hoser, what the hell happened to credibility?” the F-5 pilot asked. Hoser replied "Credibility is DOWN, kill ratio is UP!”
This story became very popular around Topgun, alongside the lesson learned: from 1 vs 1 to forty-plane furball, expect anything. But never expect your enemy to be a sweet guy.
Still, Hoser’s best experience during the AIMVAL/ACEVAL most probably came after the end of the trials. Even if Tomcat and Eagle drivers could not engage each other, Hoser and his RIO Bill "Hill Billy” Hill with Dan "Turk” Pentecost and Frank "Fearless” Schumacher onboard the second F-14, went 2 vs 2 against a couple of F-15 instructors from 415th Training Squadron (415th Flight Test Flight).
As told by Hoser ] "All pre-merge heat and radar missiles didn’t count. It was GUNS only at the merge.”The two Tomcat split the fight into two 1 V 1 with one F-14 high and the other low with fair lateral separation. Once Hoser and Hill Billy closed for a 250ft, gun kill on their Eagle, a minimal communication over the radio took place as Hoser recalls. Hoser: "Where are you Turk?” Fearless:”Right above you Hoser” Hoser: "We got two cons! Who’s out front? "Turk (mildly offended): "Who do ya think?”
Both Eagles were gunned, "knock it off” was called, and the Tomcats RTB’d with a 500 knot, 6.5g, half second break at Nellis.”
But there was something more:
"Knowing the gun camera film would be destroyed by the Nellis Photo lab, it was covertly sent to a secret contact at Grumman for processing. Bout a month later, December 6, the door slams open and General Knight, with 2 of his staff, doggie wobble heads entered demanding to know "who and where are Hoser and Turk?” Falcon (J.W. Taylor), OinC (who was the Officer in Charge) stepped up asking if he could be of assistance. The General responded with, "Your fighter jocks have no idea how their playful antics affect important political decisions!”
Well, as General Knight proceeded to explain, Japan had contracted for twenty one F-15s, but an article in Aviation Week had talked about the F-14 being superior to the Eagle. With gun camera film to prove it, Japan was considering buying F-14s instead.”
The General wanted and received all copies of the gun camera film, the TVSU/VCR (the Television Sensor Unit and the Voice Cockpit Recorder) and audio recordings on his desk the following day, but few months later Hoser asked to Falcon: "Hey Falcon, I know ya got a copy of that 16mm gun film…. how bout it?” JW returned few moments later with a copy of the film from which the above Tomcat gun camera image comes."
Haven't posted in here for a while, a few recent shots!
849 Naval Air Squadron ASaC Sea King Mk7 by Lloyd Horgan, on Flickr
771 NAS Sea King Mk5 by Lloyd Horgan, on Flickr
Textron Scorpion by Lloyd Horgan, on Flickr
RAF A330 Voyager by Lloyd Horgan, on Flickr
32 Squadron AgustaWestland A-109E by Lloyd Horgan, on Flickr
RR Trent 700 Turbofan Engine by Lloyd Horgan, on Flickr
849 Naval Air Squadron ASaC Sea King Mk7 by Lloyd Horgan, on Flickr771 NAS Sea King Mk5 by Lloyd Horgan, on FlickrTextron Scorpion by Lloyd Horgan, on FlickrRAF A330 Voyager by Lloyd Horgan, on Flickr32 Squadron AgustaWestland A-109E by Lloyd Horgan, on FlickrRR Trent 700 Turbofan Engine by Lloyd Horgan, on Flickr
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