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The age and vulnerability of the RF-101C Voodoo was apparent by the Vietnam War. As losses rose among the Voodoo community, the USAF sought a faster and newer replacement. The solution turned out to be yet another variant of the eminently adaptable F-4C Phantom II. The basic airframe was retained with a new nose, with three cameras placed inside. As the RF-4C was meant to be unarmed, it was not necessary to retain the multimode interception radar of the F-4C, and the RF-4C used the smaller AN/APQ-99 navigation radar. Lighter and more aerodynamic than the F-4C, the RF-4C proved to be the perfect replacement for the RF-101 and remaining RF-84F Thunderstreaks in USAF service. It entered service in 1965.
The RF-4C would be the last dedicated manned tactical reconnaissance aircraft in USAF service. They were used extensively over Vietnam, and in active-duty USAF squadrons until the late 1980s, when they were relegated to Air National Guard units. The last two squadrons of ANG RF-4Cs saw service during the First Gulf War, after which they were retired completely. A number were supplied to foreign air forces afterwards, but the RF-4E (built off of the early F-4E variant) remains the primary foreign RF-4 version.
65-0886 was delivered to the USAF's 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Shaw AFB, South Carolina in 1967. It remained stateside and didn't see action during Vietnam, and in 1971, was transferred to the 117th TRW (Alabama ANG) at Birmingham. After a short stint in Illinois, 65-0886 was sent to the 152nd TRW (Nevada ANG) at Reno in 1978, where it would serve for the rest of its career.
It was among the aircraft deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield, and then flew combat during Desert Storm--the First Gulf War. Despite extensive use, the 152nd lost no aircraft during the war. (Supposedly, one of the wing's RF-4s dropped its wing tanks after it came under attack from Iraqi MiGs, and the tank promptly hit the MiG and destroyed it. This is not corraborated by any USAF official MiG kill records, and likely is just a wing legend...but stranger things have happened.) In 1994, when the 192nd switched over to the airlift mission, 65-0886 was retired and was preserved as a gate guard at the Nevada ANG's base at Reno International Airport.
Having seen this aircraft on Google Earth, I made it a point to see it during my May 2021 trip to California and Nevada. It is in excellent shape, one of the finest gate guards I've seen, wearing its "war paint" of Egypt One camouflage adopted by RF-4C units towards the end of its career. Though it is displayed "clean" with only wing pylons, it should be noted that the 152nd's RF-4Cs did carry Sidewinders operationally; the wing was a little reluctant to completely embrace the motto of "Alone, Unarmed, Unafraid." The wing's distinctive "High Rollers" emblem is carried on the tail--very appropriate for a unit based in Reno!
The 152nd has a RF-101 on display as well, but that one is on display inside the base itself, and sadly is off-limits to civvies such as myself.
The fourth of the 1950s era “Century Series,” the F-104 Starfighter was designed around one single element: speed. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, head of Lockheed’s famous “Skunk Works” factory, had interviewed US Air Force pilots during the Korean War, seeking their input on any new fighter. Since the pilots reported that they wanted high performance more than anything else, Johnson returned to the United States determined to deliver exactly that: a simple, point-defense interceptor marrying the lightest airframe to the most powerful engine then available, the superb General Electric J79.
When Johnson offered the L-098 design to the USAF in 1952, the service was so impressed that they created an entire competition for the aircraft to be accepted, ostensibly as a F-100 Super Sabre replacement. The Lockheed design had the clear edge, though both North American’s and Northrop’s design went on to be built themselves—the North American F-107A Ultra Sabre and the Northrop T-38 Talon. The USAF purchased the L-098 as the F-104A Starfighter. The design changed very little from initial design to prototype to operational aircraft, which was done in the astonishing time of two years.
When the first F-104As reached the USAF in 1958, pilots quickly found that it was indeed a hot fighter—too hot. The Starfighter’s design philosophy of speed above all else resulted in an aircraft with a long fuselage, T-tail for stability, and small wings, which were so thin that special guards had to be put on the leading edges to avoid injuring ground personnel. Because of its small wing, the F-104 required a lot of runway, and blown flaps (which vents airflow from the engine over the flaps to increase lift) were a necessity; unfortunately, the airflow system often failed, which meant that the F-104 pilot would be coming in at a dangerous rate of speed. Because it was feared that a pilot who ejected from a F-104 would never clear the tail, a downward-ejection seat was fitted, but after killing over 20 pilots, the seat was retrofitted with a more reliable, upward-firing type. The design also was not very maneuverable in the horizontal, though it was difficult to match in the vertical. Its shape earned it the moniker “Missile With a Man In It” and “Zipper.”
One thing pilots did not complain about was its speed—the listed top speed of the F-104 was Mach 2.2, but this was because above that the fuselage would melt. The J79 was a near flawless engine that gave the Starfighter an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio; uniquely, the intake design of the Starfighter gave the engine a bansheelike wail. So superb was the F-104 at level speed and climbing that NASA leased several as trainers for the X-15 program, and in setting a number of speed and time-to-climb records.
If the F-104 had gotten a mixed reception at best in the USAF, Lockheed felt that it had potential as an export aircraft. Beating out several excellent British and other American designs in a 1961 competition, every NATO nation except France and Great Britain bought F-104s and manufactured their own as the F-104G; Japan also license-built Starfighters as F-104Js, while still more were supplied to Pakistan and Taiwan. Just as in USAF service, accident rates were incredibly high, particularly in West German and Canadian service—Germany lost 30 percent of its initial batch, and the Canadians over half. Worries that the F-104 was too “hot” for pilots usually transitioning from the F-86 were ignored, and later it was learned why: German, Dutch, and Japanese politicians later admitted to being bribed by Lockheed into buying the Starfighter.
Its high accident rate earned such nicknames as “Widowmaker,” “Flying Coffin,” and “Ground Nail.” Pakistani pilots simply called it Badmash (“Criminal”) and the Japanese Eiko (“Glory,” inferring that it was the easiest way to reach it). German pilots joked that the quickest way to obtain a F-104 was to buy a patch of land and wait.
Nonetheless, once pilots learned how to tame the beast, the accident rates eased somewhat, and NATO pilots discovered that the Starfighter excelled as a low-level attack aircraft: fitted with bomb racks, the F-104 was remarkably stable at low altitude and high speed, and Luftwaffe pilots in particular found that they could sneak up on a target, launch a simulated attack, and be gone before ground defenses could react. The Italians in particular loved the F-104, building their own as the F-104S: these aircraft were equipped with multimode radar and armed with AIM-7 Sparrow and Aspide radar-guided missiles, making them a superb interceptor. Though most NATO nations reequipped their F-104 units with F-16s, F-18s, or Tornados beginning in 1980, the Italian F-104S fleet was continually upgraded and soldiered on until final retirement in 2004. 2578 F-104s were built, mostly F-104Gs; today over 150 survive in museums, with at least ten flyable examples, making it one of the best preserved of the Century Series.
This F-104C is...not actually a F-104C! It is more or less a replica, built as a nonflying testbed out of the parts of several F-104s, and never assigned a tail number. After the USAF was done with it, it was donated to the March Air Museum. As March already had a real F-104 on display, in 2013 the aircraft was handed over to Yanks Air Museum in nearby Chino, California for display.
Despite being essentially a replica, it's a rather good one; it's somewhat unusual to see a F-104 in Southeast Asia camouflage. It is painted as "Smokey II," F-104C 57-0925, an aircraft assigned to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Da Nang during the Vietnam War. The real 57-0925 was shot down in 1966.
The A-6 Intruder was designed to serve two roles: one, to replace the aging A-1 Skyraider and supplement the A-4 Skyhawk in the carrier-based strike role, and two, to give the US Navy a genuine all-weather strike aircraft. The requirement was issued in 1957, and Grumman’s A2F-1 design selected, with the first flight in 1960. In 1962, just before fleet entry in 1963, the Intruder was redesignated A-6A.
The A-6 was designed to hit targets with pinpoint accuracy in adverse weather, day or night, similar to what the USAF would later require for the F-111 Aardvark. For this reason, it was built around the Digital Integrated Attack/Navigation Equipment (DIANE), which used three radar systems to constantly update the INS and provide attack data to the bombardier/navigator sitting in the right seat. The system proved very complicated and it would be some years before it was perfected. Since the weather and night would be the Intruder’s primary defense, no internal armament equipped the aircraft, though it could carry an impressive 18,000 pound warload.
The Intruder was committed early to the Vietnam War, which showed up the flaws in the DIANE system and a more lethal one in the bomb delivery system, which had a tendency to set off the bombs prematurely, destroying the aircraft. Gradually improvements were made, and despite the loss of 84 Intruders over Vietnam, it proved to be extremely effective: until the bugs were ironed out of the F-111A in 1971, the A-6 remained the only American aircraft that could attack during the monsoon season.
Specialized A-6Bs were also produced specifically for Iron Hand defense suppression missions, and A-6Cs for anti-truck operations on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. All three variants were replaced by the A-6E beginning in 1971: this replaced DIANE with a more advanced solid-state computer and the three radars with a single AN/APQ-148 multimode radar. In 1979, the A-6E was further modified with the installation of Target Recognition Attack Multisensor (TRAM), consisting of a turret in the nose containing FLIR linked to the radar and a new bomb computer. Besides making the already accurate A-6 even more deadly, it also allowed the Intruder to drop laser-guided bombs, hit moving targets with bombs, and also use passive radar to attack a target.
A-6s would find themselves once more heavily employed during the First Gulf War, flying 4700 sorties for the loss of four aircraft; its final roles would find it supporting Marines in Somalia in 1991 and UN forces in Bosnia in 1995. By that time, surviving A-6Es had been partially upgraded to allow them to fire all newer guided weapons in the inventory (namely the AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-65 Maverick, and AGM-88 HARM), while most of the fleet also received composite wings.
Grumman further proposed an updated version designated A-6F, with new avionics and engines, but the US Navy rejected this in favor of replacing the Intruder with first the cancelled stealthy A-12A Avenger II, then the F/A-18C/D Hornet. The last A-6E left US Navy service by Feburary 1997; the US Marine Corps had retired theirs in 1993. Older, non-modified aircraft were sunk as an artificial reef off Florida; others remain at AMARC for scrapping.
Bureau Number 155644 was built as an A-6A, and started its career with VA-128 ("Golden Intruders"), serving as a trainer for new A-6 crews at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington. It went to the Fleet in 1969, flying with VA-165 ("Boomers") aboard the USS Independence (CV-62); 155644 saw combat over Vietnam during Operation Freedom Train and Linebacker I. After the end of American involvement in Vietnam, 155644 returned to VA-128, then was upgraded to an A-6E in 1977.
155644 would go on to serve with both Navy and Marine squadrons: VA-34 ("Blue Blasters") aboard the USS Dwight Eisenhower (CVN-69) from 1977-1981; VMA(AW)-242 ("Bats") and VMA(AW)-121 ("Green Knights") at MCAS El Toro, California from 1981-1991; and finally VA-115 ("Eagles"), back aboard the Independence. It was retired in 1994, and donated to the Yanks Air Museum a few years later. (Serving with so many squadrons is not unusual for Navy or Marine squadrons.)
One of two A-6s in Yanks' boneyard, 155644 is little more than a wreck: it is missing its wings, canopy, TRAM turret, and significant parts of the airframe. As a Vietnam veteran, it would be nice to see it restored, and it may be, or it may be used as a parts source for the other A-6, 160995. I saw it in May 2021.
The A-6 Intruder was designed to serve two roles: one, to replace the aging A-1 Skyraider and supplement the A-4 Skyhawk in the carrier-based strike role, and two, to give the US Navy a genuine all-weather strike aircraft. The requirement was issued in 1957, and Grumman’s A2F-1 design selected, with the first flight in 1960. In 1962, just before fleet entry in 1963, the Intruder was redesignated A-6A.
The A-6 was designed to hit targets with pinpoint accuracy in adverse weather, day or night, similar to what the USAF would later require for the F-111 Aardvark. For this reason, it was built around the Digital Integrated Attack/Navigation Equipment (DIANE), which used three radar systems to constantly update the INS and provide attack data to the bombardier/navigator sitting in the right seat. The system proved very complicated and it would be some years before it was perfected. Since the weather and night would be the Intruder’s primary defense, no internal armament equipped the aircraft, though it could carry an impressive 18,000 pound warload.
The Intruder was committed early to the Vietnam War, which showed up the flaws in the DIANE system and a more lethal one in the bomb delivery system, which had a tendency to set off the bombs prematurely, destroying the aircraft. Gradually improvements were made, and despite the loss of 84 Intruders over Vietnam, it proved to be extremely effective: until the bugs were ironed out of the F-111A in 1971, the A-6 remained the only American aircraft that could attack during the monsoon season.
Specialized A-6Bs were also produced specifically for Iron Hand defense suppression missions, and A-6Cs for anti-truck operations on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. All three variants were replaced by the A-6E beginning in 1971: this replaced DIANE with a more advanced solid-state computer and the three radars with a single AN/APQ-148 multimode radar. In 1979, the A-6E was further modified with the installation of Target Recognition Attack Multisensor (TRAM), consisting of a turret in the nose containing FLIR linked to the radar and a new bomb computer. Besides making the already accurate A-6 even more deadly, it also allowed the Intruder to drop laser-guided bombs, hit moving targets with bombs, and also use passive radar to attack a target.
A-6s would find themselves once more heavily employed during the First Gulf War, flying 4700 sorties for the loss of four aircraft; its final roles would find it supporting Marines in Somalia in 1991 and UN forces in Bosnia in 1995. By that time, surviving A-6Es had been partially upgraded to allow them to fire all newer guided weapons in the inventory (namely the AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-65 Maverick, and AGM-88 HARM), while most of the fleet also received composite wings.
Grumman further proposed an updated version designated A-6F, with new avionics and engines, but the US Navy rejected this in favor of replacing the Intruder with first the cancelled stealthy A-12A Avenger II, then the F/A-18C/D Hornet. The last A-6E left US Navy service by Feburary 1997; the US Marine Corps had retired theirs in 1993. Older, non-modified aircraft were sunk as an artificial reef off Florida; others remain at AMARC for scrapping.
BuNo 160995, an A-6E, was delivered in 1978 to VA-65 ("Tigers"), spending most of its time with that squadron aboard the USS Dwight Eisenhower (CVN-69). In 1986, it was transferred to VA-42 ("Green Pawns"). When VA-65 was disestabilished in 1994, 160995 was transferred to VA-196 ("Main Battery"), and retired in 1997 when VA-196 was also disestablished. During its time with the squadron aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), 160955 may have participated in Operation Desert Fox, the 1996 airstrike on Iraq. It was donated to the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California soon after retirement.
160995 is one of two A-6s at Yanks, both in the museum boneyard. It is not in good shape, missing its canopy and wings, but VA-196's ace of spades emblem is still visible. For movie and book buffs, VA-196 was the squadron from "Flight of the Intruder."
Stationary machines like hollow chisel mortises and slot mortises occupy large amount of floor space in your shop, are expensive to purchase, require a lot of setup and maintenance, and force you to bring the material to the tool. Festool has taken the revolutionary concept of the Domino joiner and made it larger, the Domino XL Joiner. The Domino XL offers a more elegant solution to the challenge of large scale joinery. Amazingly simple to use, fast and accurate. The Domino XL now complements the capabilities of the original Domino DF 500, with a maximum tenon size of about five and a half -Inch in length (140 mm). No job is too big for the Domino XL. With an expanded range of thicker, longer tenons, you will quickly and precisely join massive slabs, doors and gates, or construct the most durable of tables and beds. With the Domino XL, you’ve got a system light enough and nimble enough for use anywhere in the shop or the jobsite. When the work piece is too large to come to the machine, this makes all the difference. Precision placement of solid hardwood tenons guarantees not only a perfect fit, but a finished product that will last for generations. What's in the box? XL D12 cutter, Plug-it Power Cord, Support Bracket, Wrench and T Loc Systainer Sys 5.
While the F-16A had proven a success, its lack of long-range missile and true all-weather capability hampered it, especially in projected combat against the Warsaw Pact over Central Europe. General Dynamics began work on the upgraded F-16C/D version, with the first Block 25 F-16C flying in June 1984 and entering USAF service that September.
Externally, the only ways to tell apart the F-16C from the F-16A is the slightly enlarged base of the tail and a UHF radio antenna at the base of the tail. The intake is also slightly larger, though later marks of the F-16A also have this feature. Internally, however, the F-16C is a significantly different aircraft. The earlier APG-66 radar was replaced by the APG-68 multimode radar used by the F/A-18, which gave the F-16C the same capability to switch between ground-attack and dogfight mode and vastly improved all-weather capability. Cockpit layout was also changed in response to pilots’ requests, with a larger Heads-Up Display and movement of the radar display to eye level rather than between the pilot’s legs on the F-16A. The F-16C would also have the capability to carry the AIM-120 AMRAAM, though it would not be until 1992 that the missile entered service. Other small upgrades were made throughout the design, including the engine.
The Block 25 initial production was superseded by the Block 30 F-16C in 1987, which gave it better navigation systems, and the capability to carry the either the General Electric F110 or the Pratt and Whitney F100 turbofan. The Block 40/42 “Night Falcon” followed in 1988, equipped with LANTIRN night attack pods, followed by the Block 50/52, which was a dedicated Wild Weasel variant. In USAF service, the latter are semi-officially known as F-16CG and F-16CJ variants.
The F-16C had replaced the F-16A in nearly all overseas USAF units by the First Gulf War in 1991, and as a result, the aircraft was among the first deployed to the theater in August 1990. During the war, the F-16C was used mainly in ground attack and strike sorties, due to delays in the AIM-120, but it performed superbly in this role. USAF F-16s finally scored kills in the F-16C, beginning in 1992, when an Iraqi MiG-23 was shot down over the southern no-fly zone; the victory was also the first with the AMRAAM. Four Serbian G-4 Super Galebs were shot down over Bosnia in 1994. F-16Cs had replaced the F-16A entirely in regular and Reserve USAF service by 1997, and further service was seen over Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya by 2012. Subsequent upgrades to USAF F-16Cs with GPS allow them to carry advanced precision weapons such as JSOW and JDAM.
Whatever the variant, the F-16 is today the most prolific combat aircraft in existence, with 28 nations operating the type (17 of which operate F-16Cs). Over 4450 have been built, with more in production; the F-16C is also license-produced by Turkey and South Korea. It also forms the basis for the Mitsubishi F-2 fighter for Japan, though the F-2 is significantly different, with a longer nose and larger wing. Though the USAF projects that the F-16C will be replaced by the F-35 beginning in 2020, it will likely remain in service for a very long time.
Since I had taken so many pictures of the Thunderbirds when they came to Great Falls, Montana in 2017, I contented myself with just one picture of their lineup this time around in 2022. This view shows all six of the team's F-16Cs, from Thunderbird One to the left to Six on the right.
I may not have gotten much of the Thunderbirds this time around, but that is not to say I was bored in the least with their show. As always, the Thunderbirds put on a great performance--even if this year, the sneak pass with the four-ship diamond, in full afterburner, left me with some sore eardrums!
The A-6 Intruder was designed to serve two roles: one, to replace the aging A-1 Skyraider and supplement the A-4 Skyhawk in the carrier-based strike role, and two, to give the US Navy a genuine all-weather strike aircraft. The requirement was issued in 1957, and Grumman’s A2F-1 design selected, with the first flight in 1960. In 1962, just before fleet entry in 1963, the Intruder was redesignated A-6A.
The A-6 was designed to hit targets with pinpoint accuracy in adverse weather, day or night, similar to what the USAF would later require for the F-111 Aardvark. For this reason, it was built around the Digital Integrated Attack/Navigation Equipment (DIANE), which used three radar systems to constantly update the INS and provide attack data to the bombardier/navigator sitting in the right seat. The system proved very complicated and it would be some years before it was perfected. Since the weather and night would be the Intruder’s primary defense, no internal armament equipped the aircraft, though it could carry an impressive 18,000 pound warload.
The Intruder was committed early to the Vietnam War, which showed up the flaws in the DIANE system and a more lethal one in the bomb delivery system, which had a tendency to set off the bombs prematurely, destroying the aircraft. Gradually improvements were made, and despite the loss of 84 Intruders over Vietnam, it proved to be extremely effective: until the bugs were ironed out of the F-111A in 1971, the A-6 remained the only American aircraft that could attack during the monsoon season.
Specialized A-6Bs were also produced specifically for Iron Hand defense suppression missions, and A-6Cs for anti-truck operations on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. All three variants were replaced by the A-6E beginning in 1971: this replaced DIANE with a more advanced solid-state computer and the three radars with a single AN/APQ-148 multimode radar. In 1979, the A-6E was further modified with the installation of Target Recognition Attack Multisensor (TRAM), consisting of a turret in the nose containing FLIR linked to the radar and a new bomb computer. Besides making the already accurate A-6 even more deadly, it also allowed the Intruder to drop laser-guided bombs, hit moving targets with bombs, and also use passive radar to attack a target.
A-6s would find themselves once more heavily employed during the First Gulf War, flying 4700 sorties for the loss of four aircraft; its final roles would find it supporting Marines in Somalia in 1991 and UN forces in Bosnia in 1995. By that time, surviving A-6Es had been partially upgraded to allow them to fire all newer guided weapons in the inventory (namely the AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-65 Maverick, and AGM-88 HARM), while most of the fleet also received composite wings.
Grumman further proposed an updated version designated A-6F, with new avionics and engines, but the US Navy rejected this in favor of replacing the Intruder with first the cancelled stealthy A-12A Avenger II, then the F/A-18C/D Hornet. The last A-6E left US Navy service by Feburary 1997; the US Marine Corps had retired theirs in 1993. Older, non-modified aircraft were sunk as an artificial reef off Florida; others remain at AMARC for scrapping.
This Intruder is Bureau Number 154162, built as an A-6A and entering service with VMA(AW)-533 ("Hawks") at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. 154162 would just miss service in Vietnam, as VMA(AW)-533 was sent back to Southeast Asia in 1972, but by that time it was serving with VA-176 ("Thunderbolts") aboard the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42) in the Atlantic. It was upgraded to an A-6E in 1974 and would spend the next decade as a test aircraft, first with the Naval Air Weapons Center at NAS China Lake, California and then with the Pacific Missile Test Range at NAS Point Mugu. 154162 would see its only combat while assigned to VA-145 ("Swordsmen") aboard the USS Ranger (CV-61), supporting the US effort in Somalia, though no airstrikes were flown. Badly damaged in a landing accident at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma in 1995, it was repaired to static condition and eventually donated to the Palm Springs Air Museum.
Today, 154162 is preserved in the colors of VA-36 ("Roadrunners"), during its time aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), though it does not appear 154162 ever flew with that squadron. It still looks good, though, and like the Hornet next to it, is displayed on a simulated carrier deck.
This is the Yaesu FT-290R MK2 VHF 144MHz all mode two meter Transceiver,
Nice Quality made in Japan
With the 9 Type C cell rechargeable batteries in the matching FBA-8 case
And the optional FL-2025 Clip on 25 watt matching amplifier
All in very nice condition and working order, The set whilst running on its battery box
Produces 2.5 watts or 500 mw low setting
Modes FM USB & CW
Ideal radio for portable, Mobile or base
73, de Dave.....2W0DAA
The A-6 Intruder was designed to serve two roles: one, to replace the aging A-1 Skyraider and supplement the A-4 Skyhawk in the carrier-based strike role, and two, to give the US Navy a genuine all-weather strike aircraft. The requirement was issued in 1957, and Grumman’s A2F-1 design selected, with the first flight in 1960. In 1962, just before fleet entry in 1963, the Intruder was redesignated A-6A.
The A-6 was designed to hit targets with pinpoint accuracy in adverse weather, day or night, similar to what the USAF would later require for the F-111 Aardvark. For this reason, it was built around the Digital Integrated Attack/Navigation Equipment (DIANE), which used three radar systems to constantly update the INS and provide attack data to the bombardier/navigator sitting in the right seat. The system proved very complicated and it would be some years before it was perfected. Since the weather and night would be the Intruder’s primary defense, no internal armament equipped the aircraft, though it could carry an impressive 18,000 pound warload.
The Intruder was committed early to the Vietnam War, which showed up the flaws in the DIANE system and a more lethal one in the bomb delivery system, which had a tendency to set the bombs off prematurely, destroying the aircraft. Gradually improvements were made, and despite the loss of 84 Intruders over Vietnam, it proved to be extremely effective: until the bugs were ironed out of the F-111A in 1971, the A-6 remained the only American aircraft that could attack during the monsoon season.
Specialized A-6Bs were also produced specifically for Iron Hand defense suppression missions, and A-6Cs for anti-truck operations on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. All three variants were replaced by the A-6E beginning in 1971: this replaced DIANE with a more advanced solid-state computer and the three radars with a single AN/APQ-148 multimode radar. In 1979, the A-6E was further modified with the installation of Target Recognition Attack Multisensor (TRAM), consisting of a turret in the nose containing FLIR linked to the radar and a new bomb computer. Besides making the already accurate A-6 even more deadly, it also allowed the Intruder to drop laser-guided bombs, hit moving targets with bombs, and also use passive radar to attack a target.
A-6s would find themselves once more heavily employed during the First Gulf War, flying 4700 sorties for the loss of four aircraft; its final roles would find it supporting Marines in Somalia in 1991 and UN forces in Bosnia in 1995. By that time, surviving A-6Es had been partially upgraded to allow them to fire all newer guided weapons in the inventory (namely the AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-65 Maverick, and AGM-88 HARM), while most of the fleet also received composite wings.
Grumman further proposed an updated version designated A-6F, with new avionics and engines, but the US Navy rejected this in favor of replacing the Intruder with first the cancelled stealthy A-12A Avenger II, then the F/A-18C/D Hornet. The last A-6E left US Navy service by Feburary 1997; the US Marine Corps had retired theirs in 1993. Older, non-modified aircraft were sunk as an artificial reef off Florida; others remain at AMARC for scrapping.
This A-6A represents an Intruder from VA-75 (“Sunday Punchers”), off USS Independence (CV-62) during the A-6’s first deployment to Vietnam. It is configured for a strike mission with 12 750-pound Mk 82 bombs, and is painted in standard US Navy Vietnam-era camouflage of gray over white. The real 151193 joined the fleet in 1964, survived its time in Vietnam, and was later upgraded to an A-6E and retired to AMARC in 1995.
The fourth of the 1950s era “Century Series,” the F-104 Starfighter was designed around one single element: speed. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, head of Lockheed’s famous “Skunk Works” factory, had interviewed US Air Force pilots during the Korean War, seeking their input on any new fighter. Since the pilots reported that they wanted high performance more than anything else, Johnson returned to the United States determined to deliver exactly that: a simple, point-defense interceptor marrying the lightest airframe to the most powerful engine then available, the superb General Electric J79.
When Johnson offered the L-098 design to the USAF in 1952, the service was so impressed that they created an entire competition for the aircraft to be accepted, ostensibly as a F-100 Super Sabre replacement. The Lockheed design had the clear edge, though both North American’s and Northrop’s design went on to be built themselves—the North American F-107A Ultra Sabre and the Northrop T-38 Talon. The USAF purchased the L-098 as the F-104A Starfighter. The design changed very little from initial design to prototype to operational aircraft, which was done in the astonishing time of two years.
When the first F-104As reached the USAF in 1958, pilots quickly found that it was indeed a hot fighter—too hot. The Starfighter’s design philosophy of speed above all else resulted in an aircraft with a long fuselage, T-tail for stability, and small wings, which were so thin that special guards had to be put on the leading edges to avoid injuring ground personnel. Because of its small wing, the F-104 required a lot of runway, and blown flaps (which vents airflow from the engine over the flaps to increase lift) were a necessity; unfortunately, the airflow system often failed, which meant that the F-104 pilot would be coming in at a dangerous rate of speed. Because it was feared that a pilot who ejected from a F-104 would never clear the tail, a downward-ejection seat was fitted, but after killing over 20 pilots, the seat was retrofitted with a more reliable, upward-firing type. The design also was not very maneuverable in the horizontal, though it was difficult to match in the vertical. Its shape earned it the moniker “Missile With a Man In It” and “Zipper.”
One thing pilots did not complain about was its speed—the listed top speed of the F-104 was Mach 2.2, but this was because above that the fuselage would melt. The J79 was a near flawless engine that gave the Starfighter an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio; uniquely, the intake design of the Starfighter gave the engine a bansheelike wail. So superb was the F-104 at level speed and climbing that NASA leased several as trainers for the X-15 program, and in setting a number of speed and time-to-climb records.
If the F-104 had gotten a mixed reception at best in the USAF, Lockheed felt that it had potential as an export aircraft. Beating out several excellent British and other American designs in a 1961 competition, every NATO nation except France and Great Britain bought F-104s and manufactured their own as the F-104G; Japan also license-built Starfighters as F-104Js, while still more were supplied to Pakistan and Taiwan. Just as in USAF service, accident rates were incredibly high, particularly in West German and Canadian service—Germany lost 30 percent of its initial batch, and the Canadians over half. Worries that the F-104 was too “hot” for pilots usually transitioning from the F-86 were ignored, and later it was learned why: German, Dutch, and Japanese politicians later admitted to being bribed by Lockheed into buying the Starfighter.
Its high accident rate earned such nicknames as “Widowmaker,” “Flying Coffin,” and “Ground Nail.” Pakistani pilots simply called it Badmash (“Criminal”) and the Japanese Eiko (“Glory,” inferring that it was the easiest way to reach it). German pilots joked that the quickest way to obtain a F-104 was to buy a patch of land and wait.
Nonetheless, once pilots learned how to tame the beast, the accident rates eased somewhat, and NATO pilots discovered that the Starfighter excelled as a low-level attack aircraft: fitted with bomb racks, the F-104 was remarkably stable at low altitude and high speed, and Luftwaffe pilots in particular found that they could sneak up on a target, launch a simulated attack, and be gone before ground defenses could react. The Italians in particular loved the F-104, building their own as the F-104S: these aircraft were equipped with multimode radar and armed with AIM-7 Sparrow and Aspide radar-guided missiles, making them a superb interceptor. Though most NATO nations reequipped their F-104 units with F-16s, F-18s, or Tornados beginning in 1980, the Italian F-104S fleet was continually upgraded and soldiered on until final retirement in 2004. 2578 F-104s were built, mostly F-104Gs; today over 150 survive in museums, with at least ten flyable examples, making it one of the best preserved of the Century Series.
FX82 was license-built by SABCA for the Belgian Air Force in 1965, and served with 350 Squadron at Beauvechain until 1983, when it was retired in favor of the F-16. Planes of Fame acquired the F-104 by 1993, and it has been there since, though as of this writing (June 2021), it may have been sold to another museum.
Since foriegn fighters are not common in American museums, FX82 was a bit of a shock. Its BAF camouflage is faded some, but still shows the colors used by Belgian F-104s, which was very similar to USAF Southeast Asia camouflage. Belgian F-104s were frequent visitors to Ramstein when I lived in Germany, so I wonder if I've seen the aircraft before.
Design Bureau № 296 Foundation
In July 1940, in order to provide development of the direct injection systems for aircraft engines, the Design Bureau (DB-2) was founded on base of Moscow Aviation Carburetor Factory Nº 33. Semyon A. Kosberg was appointed as a Head of the Design Bureau and a Deputy Chief Designer of the Factory. On 13 October 1941, during World War II when fascists attacked Moscow, the DB-2 was transformed into the independent enterprise. It was evacuated to Berdsk of Novosibirsk region, to the Factory № 296 that had been moved from Kharkov. S. Kosberg was appointed as a Chief Designer of the Factory. Upon arrival at the place of severe Siberian conditions, the Design Bureau team of 29 specialists continued developing the direct injection systems and the Factory team started pre-production activity for manufacturing of the first system designated as NB-ZU.
Serial production
In 1942, the NB-ZU system in conditions of the Su-2 aircraft's M-82 motor successfully passed its flight tests, and in September 1942, the Factory started the serial production of the system. The flight tests showed that the replacement of carburetor by the NB-ZU system ensured power increase of M-82 motor by ~ 70 h.p. with substantial reduction of specific fuel consumption. This allowed improvement of La-5, La-7, Tu-2, Tu-2D aircraft flight characteristics, such as: rate of climb, maneuverability, speed and flight range. It provided the benefit over the best combat aircrafts. The benefit of direct injection system over the carburetor system was appreciated by all main designers of the aircraft motors (General Designers: A. Shvetsov, A. Mikulin, v. Klimov, v. Dobrynin). Within the period of 1941-1952, the Design Bureau developed about 50 design options of such system.
Epoch of Jet Propulsion
In April 1946, the Design Bureau moved to Voronezh, to the Factory № 265 under the Ministry of Aviation Industry and was renamed "Design Bureau of Factory 265", and later, in May 1946 - "Design Bureau of Factory 154" (originally designated ОКБ-154). Within the period from 1946 to 1954, about 80 items were developed, such as fuel injectors, oil pumps, fuel filters, fuel feed regulators, control and regulation systems, etc.
Among these developments there were solid- and liquid-propellant starters for powerful jet-assisted take-off engines (JATO). Liquid-propellant starters incorporated a number of main components of liquid-propellant rocket engines (LRE) as gas generator, turbine, pumps, regulation and control systems that became the basis for beginning of more complicated LRE developments.
RD0200 Engine Development
By Order of the Ministry of Aviation Industry of 12.03.1957 № 544, the Design Bureau under the Factory № 154 (DB-154) was reorganized into the State Bureau of the Soviet Union, DB-154, for the purpose of development and production of LREs and modification of piston engines for aviation application.
In October 1957, two Design Bureaus - Kosberg's DB-154 and Isayev's DB-2 were charged to develop the RD0200 LRE for the second stage of 5B11 rocket of air defense system "Dal" built under the leadership of S. Lavochkin, General Designer.
The First Space Engine
On 4 October 1957, Sergey Korolev, Chief Designer of DB-1, provided the first in the history of mankind delivery of the artificial satellite to the orbit with the help of two-staged R-7 vehicle. Thereafter, he put the task to increase payload for the future Moon missions.
Start of works was marked by the meeting of S. Korolev and S. Kosberg on February 10, 1958. The result of this meeting was the joint development of LOX-Kerosene engine RD0105 for the third stage of "Luna" launch vehicle (LV).
Thanks to the selfless work of the Voronezh employees, after the seven-month period of development, the first experimental launch of three-staged option of the "Luna" LV was realized in the Soviet Union in September 1958.
On 5 September 1958, the first RD0200 engine fire test was performed at a test stand located in Shilovo forest, becoming the date of birth of the company's experimental complex.
The Moon Exploration
On January 2, 1959, the first "Luna-1" Space Station (SS) launch towards the Moon was fulfilled with the help of the "Luna" LV powered by the third-stage RD0105 engine. Later on, the "Luna-2" SS landed on the Moon surface and "Luna-3" SS took pictures of the Moon back side in September and October of the same year.
The company was involved into development of the RD0106 engine for the second stage of R-9A intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) built by S. Korolev, Chief Designer.
Development of the RD0109 engine for Korolev's "Vostok" LV third stage was started.
Propulsion for the First Interplanetary Missions
The DB-154 started development of the RD0107 liquid rocket engine (LRE) for the third stage of "Molniya" rocket. A little later the company built the analogues of this engine - RD0108 and RD0110 with upgraded reliability for space aircrafts "Voskhod" and "Soyuz" intended for team flights. The serial production of these engines was provided by Voronezh Mechanical Plant.
The "Molniya" rockets ensured the first in the world launches of "Venera" and "Mars" - the Soviet interplanetary stations - with their later flights implemented close by Venus and Mars (on 19.05.1961 and 19.06.1963, correspondingly).
The Nuclear Rocket Engine (NRE)
In the beginning of 1965, Chief Designer S. Kosberg died after a car accident. Alexander D. Konopatov was appointed as a Chief Designer of the Design Bureau.
In 1965, the company was charged to develop the nuclear rocket engines designated as RD0410 and RD0411. The engines had to speed up and pull up the space-crafts and correct their orbits for deep-space exploration. Due to minimum molecular weight and high thermodynamic properties of the operating fluid (hydrogen), and thanks to its high heating temperatures in the nuclear reactor (up to 3000°K), this new type of the engine had high power characteristics providing wide range potential for application in sphere of near and deep space exploration.
The results of RD0410 nuclear engine development were applied to the LOX-LH2 RD0120 engine development, and became a basis for creation of the multimode space nuclear propulsion systems for the spaceships
The "Soyuz" LV in Operation
In 1966, the "Soyuz" LV powered by the third stage RD0110 engine developed by the DB-154 was put into serial production. The serial production was entrusted to the Voronezh Mechanical Plant. The DB-154 was renamed as "Konstruktorskoe Bureau KHIMAVTOMATIKY" (KBKHA).
The Country's Nuclear Shield Reinforcement
In 1969, for development of the new technical equipment, KBKhA was awarded the state prize - the Order of Lenin. A little earlier, in 1967, the first in the Soviet Union an ampouled intercontinental ballistic missile UR-100 (RS-10) of v. Chelomey, General Designer, and powered by KBKhA's first stage engines, was commissioned.
In 1967, KBKhA started developing the engine for the second stage of heavy intercontinental ballistic missile RS-20A of M. Yangel, Chief Designer.
Geostationary Orbit Exploration
In 1974, the Voronezh Mechanical Plant (VMP) began a serial production of a modified rocket engine 11458 M, built on base of its predecessor 1158. By this time, near 300 launches with the engine in conditions of the Earth Departure Stage (EDS) of "DM" series have been fulfilled. In addition, the engine was used for launching the first spacecrafts to geostationary orbits (GEO). The EDSs powered by the 1158 M engine had helped to launch the interplanetary stations "Venera-9" - "Venera-16" and the other spacecrafts.
The "Energia" LV Engine Development
For development of a new technical equipment, KBKhA was awarded the state prize - The Order of October Revolution. A year earlier, the UR-100N and RS-20A missiles powered by KBKhA engines were put into operation.
In 1976, under the Governmental Order, KBKhA began to develop the powerful LOX/LH2 propulsion (RD0120) of 200 tons thrust for the sustainer propulsion stage of the "Energia" LV, designed by General Designer v. Glushko. The propulsion stage contained four RD0120 engines with total thrust 800 tons. The Voronezh Mechanical Plant was producing these engines.
Such aspects as reliability, power and mass characteristics, performance, life, new design and technology solutions, materials used, helped the engine to excel all previously created engines of that type and some best world samples in a number of parameters, including the American SSME of the same size developed at the same period of time for the "Space Shuttle" reusable space system.
The "Energia-Buran" Space Transportation Complex Successful Flight
KBKhA succeeded in developing the RD-0243 engine with ultimate performances for sea-based ballistic missile RSM-54, and RD-0255 engine for RS-20B ICBM (Voevoda).
In 1987, the first successful flight of "Energia" launcher powered by RD0120 engine developed by KBKhA and manufactured by VMP was accomplished. In 1988, the Soviet Union launched the "Energia-Buran" space transportation complex successfully. It was the first and the only time in history of rocketry when the reusable space ship performed a launch to the orbit and returned back to the Earth automatically without a pilot participation.
The RD0124 Engine Development
In 1993, KBKhA started the RD0124 LRE development for "Soyuz-2" LV family with a record specific impulse compared to all LOX/Kerosene rocket engines known in the world.
At that time, A. Konopatov, the Hero of Socialist Labor, Academician of RAS, leaves the post of KBKhA's leader. The employees of the enterprise elect Sergei v. Rachuk as a new leader of the company.
The New RD0146 Engine Ground Testing
In 2001, KBKhA performed the first firing of a new oxygen-hydrogen engine RD0146. It was the first in Russia expander cycle engine, and the first in the LRE history the autonomous two-shaft feed schematic engine with sequential gas supply to the turbine. This condition allowed the feed system to demonstrate an optimal performance.
The "Vostochny" Cosmodrome in Operation
In 2016, a new cosmodrome "Vostochny" was actuated by the first space launch vehicle launch of "Soyuz-2.1a" LV powered by the third stage engine RD0110 developed by KBKhA and manufactured by VMP. Later on, the upgraded "Soyuz-2.16" LV with KBKhA's RD0124 engine on the third stage has been launched.
In that year, the company began to develop a pilot sample of LOX-Methane engine RD0177 to lay the groundwork for the advanced launch vehicles development.
Preliminary Design on the RD0125MS
Engine Begins
In 2017, the company began the design works on a new LOX/Kerosene LRE RD0124 MS to power the second stage of an advanced "Soyuz-5" LV.
Connecting the Best
On November 1, 2019, the "Voronezh Mechanical Plant" an affiliate of "Khrunichev Space Center", and JSC Konstruktorskoe Buro Khimavomatiky (JSC KBKhA), were merged into "Voronezh Center of Rocket Engine Building". Sergei v. Kovalev was appointed a leader of the merged company.
The jointed production area combined the activities continued on development and manufacturing of rocket engines, aircraft equipment, and oil and gas production equipment under the "VMP" trademark.
History of the Voronezh Mechanical Plant (VMP) started since October 1928, when the plant began manufacturing of the grain cleaning machines in Voronezh city. In November 1931, it was renamed "Diesel Plant", and involved in manufacturing of diesels for low energetics and river crafts.
This is a photo of the Yaesu FT-817ND Qrp HF VHF UHF Portable Transceiver, Top main
unit board
Nice Quality, Made in Japan
73, de Dave 2W0DAA / GW4JKR
The A-6 Intruder was designed to serve two roles: one, to replace the aging A-1 Skyraider and supplement the A-4 Skyhawk in the carrier-based strike role, and two, to give the US Navy a genuine all-weather strike aircraft. The requirement was issued in 1957, and Grumman’s A2F-1 design selected, with the first flight in 1960. In 1962, just before fleet entry in 1963, the Intruder was redesignated A-6A.
The A-6 was designed to hit targets with pinpoint accuracy in adverse weather, day or night, similar to what the USAF would later require for the F-111 Aardvark. For this reason, it was built around the Digital Integrated Attack/Navigation Equipment (DIANE), which used three radar systems to constantly update the INS and provide attack data to the bombardier/navigator sitting in the right seat. The system proved very complicated and it would be some years before it was perfected. Since the weather and night would be the Intruder’s primary defense, no internal armament equipped the aircraft, though it could carry an impressive 18,000 pound warload.
The Intruder was committed early to the Vietnam War, which showed up the flaws in the DIANE system and a more lethal one in the bomb delivery system, which had a tendency to set off the bombs prematurely, destroying the aircraft. Gradually improvements were made, and despite the loss of 84 Intruders over Vietnam, it proved to be extremely effective: until the bugs were ironed out of the F-111A in 1971, the A-6 remained the only American aircraft that could attack during the monsoon season.
Specialized A-6Bs were also produced specifically for Iron Hand defense suppression missions, and A-6Cs for anti-truck operations on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. All three variants were replaced by the A-6E beginning in 1971: this replaced DIANE with a more advanced solid-state computer and the three radars with a single AN/APQ-148 multimode radar.
A-6s would find themselves once more heavily employed during the First Gulf War, flying 4700 sorties for the loss of four aircraft; its final roles would find it supporting Marines in Somalia in 1991 and UN forces in Bosnia in 1995. By that time, surviving A-6Es had been partially upgraded to allow them to fire all newer guided weapons in the inventory (namely the AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-65 Maverick, and AGM-88 HARM), while most of the fleet also received composite wings.
Grumman further proposed an updated version designated A-6F, with new avionics and engines, but the US Navy rejected this in favor of replacing the Intruder with first the cancelled stealthy A-12A Avenger II, then the F/A-18C/D Hornet. The last A-6E left US Navy service by Feburary 1997; the US Marine Corps had retired theirs in 1993. Older, non-modified aircraft were sunk as an artificial reef off Florida; others remain at AMARC for scrapping.
As the Navy's carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft began to age, namely the EA-1F Skyraider and the EKA-3B Skywarrior, a replacement needed to be found. Initially, the ALQ-99 electronics suite was installed in a standard A-6 Intruder airframe as the EA-6A, but the aircraft was somewhat limited and workload was heavier for a two-man crew, especially in combat. EA-6As did see combat in Vietnam with the US Marine Corps, but something better was clearly needed. The result was the lengthened EA-6B Prowler, which upgraded the electronics suite considerably and also added two more crewmembers to reduce workload and increase effectiveness. The EA-6B first flew in May 1968, and entered US Navy and Marine service in 1971. This relegated the EA-6As to mostly Reserve units until it was retired in 1993. Only 28 A models were built, and at least four are known to survive in museums.
Bureau Number 156984 was a purpose-built EA-6A rather than a conversion, and joined the Navy in 1969. Details about its service are sparse, other than it served for a time in the 1970s with VAQ-209 ("Star Warriors") at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, was the first EA-6A to be upgraded to near EA-6B standard in the mid-1980s, and retired with VAQ-33 ("Firebirds") at NAS Key West, Florida in 1992. Apparently there was some consideration of expending it as a range target, but instead it was saved for preservation, and by 2002 it had been donated to the Mid-America Museum of Aviation and Transportation at Sioux City, Iowa.
156984 could use some restoration, as the markings have faded and rust has broken out on the airframe. It is positioned at the entrance of the Mid-America Museum. When my friend and I visited in June 2020, the museum was closed due to coronavirus, but we were able to photograph through the fence. My friend's picture is better than mine, so he allowed me to use his...
This photo shows the very small Final RF PA Board mounted on the main pa unit board
73, de Dave 2W0DAA / GW4JKR
lc to sc custom grey fiber optic cable Ethernet patch cord available in single-mode 9/125 and multi-mode 62.5/125
This is a shot of the Kenwood TS-830S HF Transceiver, Nice radio, Made in Japan
73, de Dave 2W0DAA / GW4JKR
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The fourth of the 1950s era “Century Series,” the F-104 Starfighter was designed around one single element: speed. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, head of Lockheed’s famous “Skunk Works” factory, had interviewed US Air Force pilots during the Korean War, seeking their input on any new fighter. Since the pilots reported that they wanted high performance more than anything else, Johnson returned to the United States determined to deliver exactly that: a simple, point-defense interceptor marrying the lightest airframe to the most powerful engine then available, the superb General Electric J79.
When Johnson offered the L-098 design to the USAF in 1952, the service was so impressed that they created an entire competition for the aircraft to be accepted, ostensibly as a F-100 Super Sabre replacement. The Lockheed design had the clear edge, though both North American’s and Northrop’s design went on to be built themselves—the North American F-107A Ultra Sabre and the Northrop T-38 Talon. The USAF purchased the L-098 as the F-104A Starfighter. The design changed very little from initial design to prototype to operational aircraft, which was done in the astonishing time of two years.
When the first F-104As reached the USAF in 1958, pilots quickly found that it was indeed a hot fighter—too hot. The Starfighter’s design philosophy of speed above all else resulted in an aircraft with a long fuselage, T-tail for stability, and small wings, which were so thin that special guards had to be put on the leading edges to avoid injuring ground personnel. Because of its small wing, the F-104 required a lot of runway, and blown flaps (which vents airflow from the engine over the flaps to increase lift) were a necessity; unfortunately, the airflow system often failed, which meant that the F-104 pilot would be coming in at a dangerous rate of speed. Because it was feared that a pilot who ejected from a F-104 would never clear the tail, a downward-ejection seat was fitted, but after killing over 20 pilots, the seat was retrofitted with a more reliable, upward-firing type. The design also was not very maneuverable in the horizontal, though it was difficult to match in the vertical. Its shape earned it the moniker “Missile With a Man In It” and “Zipper.”
One thing pilots did not complain about was its speed—the listed top speed of the F-104 was Mach 2.2, but this was because above that the fuselage would melt. The J79 was a near flawless engine that gave the Starfighter an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio; uniquely, the intake design of the Starfighter gave the engine a bansheelike wail. So superb was the F-104 at level speed and climbing that NASA leased several as trainers for the X-15 program, and in setting a number of speed and time-to-climb records.
If the F-104 had gotten a mixed reception at best in the USAF, Lockheed felt that it had potential as an export aircraft. Beating out several excellent British and other American designs in a 1961 competition, every NATO nation except France and Great Britain bought F-104s and manufactured their own as the F-104G; Japan also license-built Starfighters as F-104Js, while still more were supplied to Pakistan and Taiwan. Just as in USAF service, accident rates were incredibly high, particularly in West German and Canadian service—Germany lost 30 percent of its initial batch, and the Canadians over half. Worries that the F-104 was too “hot” for pilots usually transitioning from the F-86 were ignored, and later it was learned why: German, Dutch, and Japanese politicians later admitted to being bribed by Lockheed into buying the Starfighter.
Its high accident rate earned such nicknames as “Widowmaker,” “Flying Coffin,” and “Ground Nail.” Pakistani pilots simply called it Badmash (“Criminal”) and the Japanese Eiko (“Glory,” inferring that it was the easiest way to reach it). German pilots joked that the quickest way to obtain a F-104 was to buy a patch of land and wait.
Nonetheless, once pilots learned how to tame the beast, the accident rates eased somewhat, and NATO pilots discovered that the Starfighter excelled as a low-level attack aircraft: fitted with bomb racks, the F-104 was remarkably stable at low altitude and high speed, and Luftwaffe pilots in particular found that they could sneak up on a target, launch a simulated attack, and be gone before ground defenses could react. The Italians in particular loved the F-104, building their own as the F-104S: these aircraft were equipped with multimode radar and armed with AIM-7 Sparrow and Aspide radar-guided missiles, making them a superb interceptor. Though most NATO nations reequipped their F-104 units with F-16s, F-18s, or Tornados beginning in 1980, the Italian F-104S fleet was continually upgraded and soldiered on until final retirement in 2004. 2578 F-104s were built, mostly F-104Gs; today over 150 survive in museums, with at least ten flyable examples, making it one of the best preserved of the Century Series.
Dad snapped this picture of five Canadian Air Force CF-104Gs making a low pass over the 1978 Ramstein airshow. These aircraft were from 2 Canadian Wing based at Baden-Sollingen AB, West Germany, possibly with 421 Squadron. Given the dark coloration of these aircraft, they are either in the two-tone dark gray camouflage used by CAF aircraft by this time, or in the overall dark green that was used by the CF-104 community as well.
This was actually their second low pass. The first was done about a minute earlier: the airshow announcer asked the crowd to face west to see a low pass from the Canadian Air Force. It was a sucker play, as the CF-104s came in from the east, at about a thousand feet directly over the crowd in a "bubble check" with the F-104's distinctive wail. I've never forgotten that moment...because it caused me to literally wet my pants.
Stationary machines like hollow chisel mortises and slot mortises occupy large amount of floor space in your shop, are expensive to purchase, require a lot of setup and maintenance, and force you to bring the material to the tool. Festool has taken the revolutionary concept of the Domino joiner and made it larger, the Domino XL Joiner. The Domino XL offers a more elegant solution to the challenge of large scale joinery. Amazingly simple to use, fast and accurate. The Domino XL now complements the capabilities of the original Domino DF 500, with a maximum tenon size of about five and a half -Inch in length (140 mm). No job is too big for the Domino XL. With an expanded range of thicker, longer tenons, you will quickly and precisely join massive slabs, doors and gates, or construct the most durable of tables and beds. With the Domino XL, you’ve got a system light enough and nimble enough for use anywhere in the shop or the jobsite. When the work piece is too large to come to the machine, this makes all the difference. Precision placement of solid hardwood tenons guarantees not only a perfect fit, but a finished product that will last for generations. What's in the box? XL D12 cutter, Plug-it Power Cord, Support Bracket, Wrench and T Loc Systainer Sys 5.
TE demonstrated its 10-Gbps mid-board optical transceiver link via a multimode laminated fiber shuffle.
fc to sc custom black fiber optic cable Ethernet patch cord available in single-mode 9/125 and multi-mode 62.5/125
Stationary machines like hollow chisel mortises and slot mortises occupy large amount of floor space in your shop, are expensive to purchase, require a lot of setup and maintenance, and force you to bring the material to the tool. Festool has taken the revolutionary concept of the Domino joiner and made it larger, the Domino XL Joiner. The Domino XL offers a more elegant solution to the challenge of large scale joinery. Amazingly simple to use, fast and accurate. The Domino XL now complements the capabilities of the original Domino DF 500, with a maximum tenon size of about five and a half -Inch in length (140 mm). No job is too big for the Domino XL. With an expanded range of thicker, longer tenons, you will quickly and precisely join massive slabs, doors and gates, or construct the most durable of tables and beds. With the Domino XL, you’ve got a system light enough and nimble enough for use anywhere in the shop or the jobsite. When the work piece is too large to come to the machine, this makes all the difference. Precision placement of solid hardwood tenons guarantees not only a perfect fit, but a finished product that will last for generations. What's in the box? XL D12 cutter, Plug-it Power Cord, Support Bracket, Wrench and T Loc Systainer Sys 5.
Stationary machines like hollow chisel mortises and slot mortises occupy large amount of floor space in your shop, are expensive to purchase, require a lot of setup and maintenance, and force you to bring the material to the tool. Festool has taken the revolutionary concept of the Domino joiner and made it larger, the Domino XL Joiner. The Domino XL offers a more elegant solution to the challenge of large scale joinery. Amazingly simple to use, fast and accurate. The Domino XL now complements the capabilities of the original Domino DF 500, with a maximum tenon size of about five and a half -Inch in length (140 mm). No job is too big for the Domino XL. With an expanded range of thicker, longer tenons, you will quickly and precisely join massive slabs, doors and gates, or construct the most durable of tables and beds. With the Domino XL, you’ve got a system light enough and nimble enough for use anywhere in the shop or the jobsite. When the work piece is too large to come to the machine, this makes all the difference. Precision placement of solid hardwood tenons guarantees not only a perfect fit, but a finished product that will last for generations. What's in the box? XL D12 cutter, Plug-it Power Cord, Support Bracket, Wrench and T Loc Systainer Sys 5.
sc to sc custom grey fiber optic cable Ethernet patch cord available in single-mode 9/125 and multi-mode 62.5/125
Golden 1 Center, future home of the Sacramento Kings franchise of the National Basketball Association, promises to be one of the most technologically advanced arenas in the world. It is already setting records as the world’s first installation of wideband multimode fiber (WBMMF), a capacity-boosting network technology supplied by CommScope.
The fourth of the 1950s era “Century Series,” the F-104 Starfighter was designed around one single element: speed. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, head of Lockheed’s famous “Skunk Works” factory, had interviewed US Air Force pilots during the Korean War, seeking their input on any new fighter. Since the pilots reported that they wanted high performance more than anything else, Johnson returned to the United States determined to deliver exactly that: a simple, point-defense interceptor marrying the lightest airframe to the most powerful engine then available, the superb General Electric J79.
When Johnson offered the L-098 design to the USAF in 1952, the service was so impressed that they created an entire competition for the aircraft to be accepted, ostensibly as a F-100 Super Sabre replacement. The Lockheed design had the clear edge, though both North American’s and Northrop’s design went on to be built themselves—the North American F-107A Ultra Sabre and the Northrop T-38 Talon. The USAF purchased the L-098 as the F-104A Starfighter. The design changed very little from initial design to prototype to operational aircraft, which was done in the astonishing time of two years.
When the first F-104As reached the USAF in 1958, pilots quickly found that it was indeed a hot fighter—too hot. The Starfighter’s design philosophy of speed above all else resulted in an aircraft with a long fuselage, T-tail for stability, and small wings, which were so thin that special guards had to be put on the leading edges to avoid injuring ground personnel. Because of its small wing, the F-104 required a lot of runway, and blown flaps (which vents airflow from the engine over the flaps to increase lift) were a necessity; unfortunately, the airflow system often failed, which meant that the F-104 pilot would be coming in at a dangerous rate of speed. Because it was feared that a pilot who ejected from a F-104 would never clear the tail, a downward-ejection seat was fitted, but after killing over 20 pilots, the seat was retrofitted with a more reliable, upward-firing type. The design also was not very maneuverable in the horizontal, though it was difficult to match in the vertical. Its shape earned it the moniker “Missile With a Man In It” and “Zipper.”
One thing pilots did not complain about was its speed—the listed top speed of the F-104 was Mach 2.2, but this was because above that the fuselage would melt. The J79 was a near flawless engine that gave the Starfighter an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio; uniquely, the intake design of the Starfighter gave the engine a bansheelike wail. So superb was the F-104 at level speed and climbing that NASA leased several as trainers for the X-15 program, and in setting a number of speed and time-to-climb records.
If the F-104 had gotten a mixed reception at best in the USAF, Lockheed felt that it had potential as an export aircraft. Beating out several excellent British and other American designs in a 1961 competition, every NATO nation except France and Great Britain bought F-104s and manufactured their own as the F-104G; Japan also license-built Starfighters as F-104Js, while still more were supplied to Pakistan and Taiwan. Just as in USAF service, accident rates were incredibly high, particularly in West German and Canadian service—Germany lost 30 percent of its initial batch, and the Canadians over half. Worries that the F-104 was too “hot” for pilots usually transitioning from the F-86 were ignored, and later it was learned why: German, Dutch, and Japanese politicians later admitted to being bribed by Lockheed into buying the Starfighter.
Its high accident rate earned such nicknames as “Widowmaker,” “Flying Coffin,” and “Ground Nail.” Pakistani pilots simply called it Badmash (“Criminal”) and the Japanese Eiko (“Glory,” inferring that it was the easiest way to reach it). German pilots joked that the quickest way to obtain a F-104 was to buy a patch of land and wait.
Nonetheless, once pilots learned how to tame the beast, the accident rates eased somewhat, and NATO pilots discovered that the Starfighter excelled as a low-level attack aircraft: fitted with bomb racks, the F-104 was remarkably stable at low altitude and high speed, and Luftwaffe pilots in particular found that they could sneak up on a target, launch a simulated attack, and be gone before ground defenses could react. The Italians in particular loved the F-104, building their own as the F-104S: these aircraft were equipped with multimode radar and armed with AIM-7 Sparrow and Aspide radar-guided missiles, making them a superb interceptor. Though most NATO nations reequipped their F-104 units with F-16s, F-18s, or Tornados beginning in 1980, the Italian F-104S fleet was continually upgraded and soldiered on until final retirement in 2004. 2578 F-104s were built, mostly F-104Gs; today over 150 survive in museums, with at least ten flyable examples, making it one of the best preserved of the Century Series.
A group of five CF-104G Starfighters made an appearance at the 1978 Ramstein airshow, and put on an impressive show, including this pass, in which four aircraft made a low pass while the fifth flew between them. These CF-104s were from 2 Canadian Wing based at Baden-Sollingen; it is hard to tell which camouflage scheme they carried, as the aircraft are backlit by the sun here. Considering that this was not a formal aerobatic team but just five pilots chosen from the squadrons at Sollingen, they were both fun and scary to watch--well, scary for a kid like I was.
The mission of the CF-104s was low-level strike. In case of war, this would be about the altitude the Starfighters would regularly operate at.
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Canon EOS 500 N ~1996
35mm focal-plane shutter multi-mode AF SLR camera
EF mount
Power Zoom EF 35-80mm f/4-5.6
Some shots taken with it.
This photo shows the very small Final RF PA Board mounted on the main pa unit board
73, de Dave 2W0DAA / GW4JKR
The age and vulnerability of the RF-101C Voodoo was apparent by the Vietnam War. As losses rose among the Voodoo community, the USAF sought a faster and newer replacement. The solution turned out to be yet another variant of the eminently adaptable F-4C Phantom II. The basic airframe was retained with a new nose, with three cameras placed inside. As the RF-4C was meant to be unarmed, it was not necessary to retain the multimode interception radar of the F-4C, and the RF-4C used the smaller AN/APQ-99 navigation radar. Lighter and more aerodynamic than the F-4C, the RF-4C proved to be the perfect replacement for the RF-101 and remaining RF-84F Thunderstreaks in USAF service. It entered service in 1965.
The RF-4C would be the last dedicated manned tactical reconnaissance aircraft in USAF service. They were used extensively over Vietnam, and in active-duty USAF squadrons until the late 1980s, when they were relegated to Air National Guard units. The last two squadrons of ANG RF-4Cs saw service during the First Gulf War, after which they were retired completely. A number were supplied to foreign air forces afterwards, but the RF-4E (built off of the early F-4E variant) remains the primary foreign RF-4 version.
66-0469 joined the USAF's 460th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Tan Son Nhut, South Vietnam, where it flew photo missions around all of Southeast Asia. It survived the war and was next assigned to the 26th TRW at Zweibrucken, West Germany, supporting USAFE. It would end up with other reconnaissance units both in Europe and stateside before going to the 67th TRW at Bergstrom AFB, Texas; 66-0469 may have seen action in Operation Desert Storm as well, though its service record is not clear on this. As the 67th wound down flight operations after the First Gulf War in anticipation of closing Bergstrom, 66-0469 would end its career assigned to the Ogden Air Logistics Center as a test aircraft. When 66-0469 was retired in 1994, it was among the last RF-4s in USAF service, and was given a special commemorative scheme. As one of the last, it was donated to the Hill Aerospace Museum after retirement.
In the previous times I had visited the Hill museum, I had never been able to get a picture of 66-0469...and I still haven't gotten a satisfactory one. The commemorative scheme is very interesting: a white cheatline proclaiming "25 Years of Programmed Depot Maintenance," a large American flag on the tail, and all the crests of various USAF commands that flew RF-4Cs over the years. This was painted in a high-gloss scheme over the "Egypt One" two shades of gray camouflage worn by USAF RF-4Cs in the last few years of operations.
Unfortunately, because of the very crowded nature of Hill's collection, this is really the closest I could get to photograph even this much of the aircraft. The cameras in the foreground are the type carried by the RF-4C. EDIT: With the construction of Hill's new building, there's more room, and I finally got a great picture of this aircraft.
The age and vulnerability of the RF-101C Voodoo was apparent by the Vietnam War. As losses rose among the Voodoo community, the USAF sought a faster and newer replacement. The solution turned out to be yet another variant of the eminently adaptable F-4C Phantom II. The basic airframe was retained with a new nose, with three cameras placed inside. As the RF-4C was meant to be unarmed, it was not necessary to retain the multimode interception radar of the F-4C, and the RF-4C used the smaller AN/APQ-99 navigation radar. Lighter and more aerodynamic than the F-4C, the RF-4C proved to be the perfect replacement for the RF-101 and remaining RF-84F Thunderstreaks in USAF service. It entered service in 1965.
The RF-4C would be the last dedicated manned tactical reconnaissance aircraft in USAF service. They were used extensively over Vietnam, and in active-duty USAF squadrons until the late 1980s, when they were relegated to Air National Guard units. The last two squadrons of ANG RF-4Cs saw service during the First Gulf War, after which they were retired completely. A number were supplied to foreign air forces afterwards, but the RF-4E (built off of the early F-4E variant) remains the primary foreign RF-4 version.
RF-4C 69-0350 was delivered to the USAF in the late 1960s, and went directly to Vietnam, where it served with the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Ubon RTAFB, Thailand. After the end of American involvement, 69-0350 came home and was assigned to the 363rd TRW at Shaw AFB, South Carolina, and in 1979, was sent overseas again, this time to the 26th TRW at Zweibrucken, West Germany. (There's a small chance I may have seen this aircraft as a kid, as it was at Zweibrucken the same time my dad was at Sembach.) After its time in Germany, 69-0350 would have a short stint with the 67th TRW at Bergstrom AFB, Texas, before finishing its career with the 124th TRW (Idaho ANG) at Gowen Field, Boise from 1984 to 1988. It was retired to become a battle damage trainer, and eventually donated to the Idaho Military Museum.
69-0350's world travels have come to an end (hopefully), and it still wears the "Egypt One" camouflage adopted by RF-4C units in the late 1980s. Idaho's RF-4s were rather plain, and didn't carry any sort of tail markings other than the data block. 69-0350 also retains its LORAN "towel rack" antenna on the fuselage spine. The missile below the aircraft is an AGM-45 Shrike antiradar missile; the RF-4 couldn't carry the Shrike, but the 124th's later F-4Gs could.
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