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."

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 defensive armament was put on the aircraft, though it could carry an impressive 18,000 pound warload of air-to-ground weaponry.

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 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.

In addition to the attack versions of the Intruder, Grumman also built the dedicated KA-6D tanker version, which replaced the attack systems with an internal hose/reel refuelling system. These too were retired in 1997 and replaced by the S-3B Viking.

Bureau Number 154171 would be one of the highest-timed A-6s ever built: it would serve with no less than 12 squadrons during its three-war career! (For interest of brevity and sanity, this history will only list seven of those units, as 154171 was shuttled between squadrons seemingly once a year.) It was built as an A-6A, and was assigned to VA-65 ("Fighting Tigers") aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) in 1968. It would remain with that squadron until 1970, when it was transferred to VA-115 ("Eagles") aboard USS Midway (CVA-41), where it saw combat during Operation Linebacker over North Vietnam.

After Vietnam, 154171 was sent to the Marines and VMA(AW)-242 ("Bats") at MCAS El Toro, California, serving there from 1972 to 1974, then back to the Navy with VA-176 ("Thunderbolts") aboard USS America (CV-66). It returned ashore in 1978, when it was upgraded to an A-6E and flew as a testbed aircraft at NAS China Lake until 1983. 154171 went back to the Marines as a training aircraft with VMAT(AW)-202 ("Double Eagles") until 1985, and would then serve off and on with VA-165 ("Boomers") from then until retirement in 1996. During that time, it flew during Operation Earnest Will, the escorting of tankers through the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War, and during Operation Southern Watch in the aftermath of the First Gulf War, mostly aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Constellation (CV-64). (Estrella claims that 154171 saw combat over Libya and in Desert Storm, which is possible, as the aircraft was detached to other squadrons during that time period.)

In 1996, 154171 was donated to the Estrella Warbirds Museum and flown there from NAS Whidbey Island, Washington. Surprisingly, it went on display with the engines still in the aircraft, and left in the markings of VA-165, its last squadron. It's looking a little worn, but still in good shape when we visited in June 2023.

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.

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.

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 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.

Close-up of fiber optic connectors.

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 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

Using multimode software for the iPhone with the ft-817.

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.

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.

Basically, the Ekdahl Moisturizer is a spring reverb where the springs are exposed so they can be played/hit/fiddled with. As well as being capable of creating sound in itself, you can of course also play sound through the springs like a regular spring reverb - this makes for happy-fun-time finger-modulation of the reverb on whatever audio that's going through it. On top of this there's an analog multimode filter that can be used to attenuate or exaggerate certain frequencies in the sound, this is real handy while playing the springs as you can - for instance - cut all the highs and just make thunderous doomy sounds or do the opposite; cut all the lows and make that ear piercing high frequency special love. Also, it incorporates an LFO that's internally routable to the filter and that also has some external routing-stuff. The Ekdahl Moisturizer has tons of CV / Expression pedal options on the back for even more hillarious moments. The Moisturizer is a mono unit.

The Moisturizer was developed with the help of Jason Willett (Half Japanese, Leperchaun Catering), Martin Schmidt (Matmos, Instant Coffee), Joshua Atkins (Polygons, Major Powers), mom & dad and many more

www.knasmusic.com/products/moisturizer/moisturizer.php

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.

This photo shows the very small Final RF PA Board mounted on the main pa unit board

73, de Dave 2W0DAA / GW4JKR

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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 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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1993. FT290R and 3 CBs. one of which was a Midland 4001.

So little equipment, but so much fun.

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.

TE demonstrated its 10-Gbps mid-board optical transceiver link via a multimode laminated fiber shuffle.

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.

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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.

One of two RF-4Cs at Quartzsite, Arizona's Veterans Freedom Memorial Park, this is 65-0941. It was delivered to the USAF in 1966 and served with the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, first at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho and then at Bergstrom AFB, Texas. In 1978, it was transferred to the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California and redesignated as a NRF-4C testbed. 65-0941 would remain with AFFTC until it was retired in 1991; in 1992, it was donated to Quartzsite for their veterans' memorial, along with 66-0384.

Of the two RF-4s there, 65-0941 is worse off, its markings fading and showing signs of heavy corrosion, having spent nearly 30 years in the Mojave Desert. The park itself is quite pleasant, and worth a stop, but the two Phantoms could definitely use some restoration work.

NAF China Lake TF-10B Skyknight BuNo 125807 with the XR-45 Multimode radar installed in the nose. NAF China Lake, 01 July 1966. Official U.S. Navy photo.

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.

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.

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The VLS Mk 41 is a highly survivable system with missiles and associated hardware located below the armored deck. Redundant fire control and launcher interface links also enhance system survivability in casualty situations. The VLS Mk 41 capability to simultaneously prepare two missiles in each 8-cell launcher module allows for fast reaction to multiple threats with concentrated, continuous firepower. Multimode operation allows simultaneous interface and missile preparation for discrete anti-aircraft, anti-submarine warfare, strike, naval surface fire support and ballistic missile defense missions. The VLS Mk 41 is highly adaptable to accommodate the latest weapon types to meet new mission requirements.