View allAll Photos Tagged multimode
This photo shows the very small Final RF PA Board mounted on the main pa unit board
73, de Dave 2W0DAA / GW4JKR
fc to sc custom black fiber optic cable Ethernet patch cord available in single-mode 9/125 and multi-mode 62.5/125
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.
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
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.
lc to st custom yellow fiber optic cable Ethernet patch cord available in single-mode 9/125 and multi-mode 62.5/125
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.
fc to sc custom grey fiber optic cable Ethernet patch cord available in single-mode 9/125 and multi-mode 62.5/125
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.
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.
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
Combining Siemon’s reduced-diameter RazorCoreTM cable with 12-fiber MTP connectors, Plug and Play Reels are designed to be quickly pulled and connected to Siemon Plug and Play Modules and MTP Adapter Plates. Custom configurable to precise application requirements, these reels efficiently put high-performance, high-density fiber connections exactly where you need them. Extenders offer Male MTP Connectors on one end and female MTP adapters on the other to allow field extension of MTP Reels
Custom Configurations — Available from 12 to 144 fiber counts in increments of 12 fibers
Multiple Fiber Types—Available in multimode (62.5/125, standard 50/125 and laser optimized 50/125 OM3/OM4) and singlemode.
40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s Ready — Enables simple upgrade path to future 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s applications over multimode 50/125 laser optimized fiber
Reduced Pathway Fill— Siemon's RazorCore cable has significantly reduced cable O.D. resulting in less cable tray fill and pathway restrictions
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.
lc to sc custom blue fiber optic cable Ethernet patch cord available in single-mode 9/125 and multi-mode 62.5/125
lc to sc custom red fiber optic cable Ethernet patch cord available in single-mode 9/125 and multi-mode 62.5/125
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.
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.
lc to sc custom yellow fiber optic cable Ethernet patch cord available in single-mode 9/125 and multi-mode 62.5/125
Recent addition to my radio shack, The Yaesu FT-1000MP AC Version According to the serial number this was manufactured in 1996
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.
An early F-104, 56-0755 was assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) at Edwards AFB, California for its entire career. Initially, it was used as a JF-104A testbed before becoming a chase plane for both USAF and NASA projects, including the X-15 and XB-70 Valkyrie. It was retired in the early 1970s and eventually made its way to the March Air Museum. It is painted in aluminum paint to simulate bare metal, and does a fine job of doing so, retaining the markings 56-0755 wore with AFFTC.
fc to fc custom grey fiber optic cable Ethernet patch cord available in single-mode 9/125 and multi-mode 62.5/125
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 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.
fc to lc custom yellow fiber optic cable Ethernet patch cord available in single-mode 9/125 and multi-mode 62.5/125
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.
Due to Sweden’s proximity to the Soviet Union, the Swedish Air Force had to assume that their fixed airfields would be destroyed in the opening hours of a war with the USSR. With that in mind, Saab was tasked with designing an aircraft that could operate away from airfields, yet still be able to reach Mach 2 at altitude and replace both the J32 Lansen in the ground attack role and the J35 Draken as an interceptor. It was a daunting task to say the least.
Because the aircraft would need high performance as well as short takeoff or landing (STOL) capability, Saab chose for what was, at the time, a radical design: the combination of a delta wing and high-mounted canards. This was to both provide better turning performance for a delta winged design, plus give lift for a short takeoff run and drag for landings. To further lower landing speed, Saab chose another ahead-of-its-time idea for the aircraft’s propulsion, using a license-built JT8D turbofan; the JT8D had to that point been an airliner engine, but it had a thrust reverser. By adding an afterburner, it would still retain the performance of contemporary fighters, although at a severe cost in range. This was not seen as a disadvantage, as the aircraft was meant to be fighting over Swedish territory in any case. Finally, Saab was to produce an aircraft that was robust in design and easy to maintain—an important consideration when it was operating away from airfields and being repaired by conscripts. Saab’s design fufilled all the requirements asked of it and was designated the AJ37 Viggen (Thunderbolt). The first AJ37 flew in December 1967 and entered service in 1972.
Though the first variant, the AJ37, was intended primarily for ground support and antishipping strikes, it was always intended for the Viggen to have growth potential. First was a two-seat conversion trainer, the SK37, which had originally not been planned, but there was more difference in flying characteristics between the “pure delta” J35 Draken and the Viggen than the Swedish Air Force had planned. The radar and one centerline fuel tank was eliminated in place of a second cockpit stepped above and apart from the first. Next was the SH37 dedicated antishipping variant, which differed from the AJ37 only in having a different radar and a long-range camera; the SF37 reconnaissance variant, with a longer “chisel” nose, no radar, and six cameras in the nose debuted in 1974.
Finally, as the J35 Draken interceptor fleet began to show its age, the JA37 interceptor came out in 1980, with a redesigned cockpit optimized for the fighter role, uprated engine, more advanced multimode radar, an internal cannon (the heavy Oerlikon KCA 30mm cannon, the heaviest installed in any European fighter), and capability to fire the Skyflash missile, a British-improved AIM-7 Sparrow. All five variants performed well and was well-liked by their pilots. JA37 pilots complained of poor vision to the rear, but the zoom climb characteristics and superb radar of the Viggen allowed them to even intercept and track USAF SR-71 Blackbirds coming out of Russian airspace. Saab attempted to market the Viggen internationally, building on the modest success of the Draken, but despite some interest from India and Japan, no buyers were found.
The Viggen was to be the primary aircraft operated by the Svenska Flygvapnet throughout the late 1970s through the 1980s and 1990s, replacing the Lansen and Draken as planned. It was continually updated throughout its lifetime, and delays to the Viggen’s replacement, the JAS39 Gripen, resulted in a comphrensive update in the mid-1990s. This was mainly an avionics update that allowed the Viggen to carry the AIM-120 AMRAAM, but also combined some of the aspects of the five variants into one airframe. These were redesignated AJSF37, and would serve until the dawn of the 21st Century. The Viggen was finally retired in 2007 in favor of the multirole fourth-generation Gripen, ending over 35 years of service in which it never fired a shot in anger.
This aircraft belongs to the 7th Fighter Wing at Satenas, Sweden, and is painted in an experimental white over light blue camouflage; this scheme was not kept, and JA37s usually carried a complicated three shades of green over gray splinter scheme.
lc to sc custom pink fiber optic cable Ethernet patch cord available in single-mode 9/125 and multi-mode 62.5/125
Please see the camera-wiki article on the Canon T70. This is another multi-mode camera; and like the Ricoh XR-P, it offers 3 different choices of autoexposure programs, for different lens types.
The plastic body shell also includes a power winder (like the Konica FT-1). The top LCD display and the pushbutton interface would prove to be a very influential trend in 1980s cameras. The integral winder of the T70 also adds motorized rewind.