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  1. One of my A-10 flight tests in 1984-85 with the 6512th Test Squadron. The A-10 Combined Test Force at Edwards AFB was shut down at the end of 1983. The remaining A-10 test programs and two A-10s were turned over to the 6512th. When the test programs were completed in mid-1985, the A-10s were sent to the 3246th Test Wing at Eglin AFB as part of a consolidation of Systems Command A-7Ds at Edwards and A-10s at Eglin. '666 was my Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS, pronounced jip-wiz) test jet. A program aimed at reducing controlled flight into terrain incidents. The A-10 GPWS consisted of a black box processing radar altimeter (RADALT) data and making voice and HUD warnings. Because of the low altitude maneuvering of the A-10A in prosecuting close air support, RADALT transmit and receive antennas were installed on both vertical tails as well as under the horizontal stab. An attitude sensor switched which RADALT pair were active at any given time to preclude a sidewards proximity, like a canyon wall, creating a pull-up warning. '666 prior to GPWS installation After. GPWS antennas at the base of the tail. You can just make out the GPWS antennas beneath the horizontal stab GPWS evaluation essentially consisted of throwing the jet at the ground in various attitudes and verifying that the "roll-out" and/or "pull-up" warning came on when it was supposed to. Not the best camo for the Mojave Desert... Approach to a touch 'n' go at nearby George AFB Refueling from the 'Business Effort' tanker from the Illinois Air National Guard With test events completed, joining up with a 6512TS 'Vark Return to base. South end of Rogers Dry Lake flooded - not unusual in the winter/spring. Always check the status of the lakebed runways before stepping to the jet! Thanks for looking, Sven
  2. '407 was referred to as "The Elder", being the first F-4C built for the USAF. It spent it's whole life as a test and test support jet in USAF's Air Force Systems Command bouncing between the 3246th Test Wing at Eglin AFB and the 6510th Test Wing at Edwards AFB, finishing up at the latter. All of the air-to-air shots were taken on May 3, 1985. '407 transferred to Edwards in Feb 1985. The Armament Division tail code, AD, had been modified to the 6510th Test Wing tail code, ED, by painting over the A and replacing it with an E. The maintenance forms binder that follows the jet typically just has the serial number in large characters on the cover. '407's book had the serial number and the legend "THE ELDER" in large block letters. Refueling from NKC-135E s/n 55-3135 of the 4950th Test Wing out of Wright-Patterson AFB. The 4950th was part of AFSC's Aeronautical Systems Division, hence the ASD tail band. 1990 and now an "Albino Rhino" as part of the Edwards test support fleet. Gave up the Euro 1 paint scheme in early 1988. Name on the nose gear door... 1991 and retirement: The Elder was saved and is now on display outside the Flight Test Museum at Edwards AFB. Thanks for looking, Sven
  3. The nom de guerre for this Phantom lies in its configuration. As it began life on the production line as an F-4D but was finished as the prototype F-4E. From the rear cockpit bulkhead aft it was essentially an F-4D, from that bulkhead forward it was an F-4E. In the 6512th Test Squadron, we maintained a unique flight manual denoting the differences and peculiarities of this airframe. Of course, the maintainers had unique manuals to keep this bird in shape. November 1981, shortly after returning to Edwards from Programmed Depot Maintenance at Ogden Air Logistics Center. She always went to the depot with a shark mouth on her, but always returned without one. Here she is in December 1983. Also has the short gun muzzle fairing replaced with a later long/vented fairing. On the way to the Utah Test and Training Range in April 1984 carrying an instrumented BDU-33 shape. A lucky shot as we barrel-rolled over her to check left side. On the Edwards ramp, May 1985. January 1989, returned from Ogden again and back to a short muzzle fairing. On her way for another test support mission January 1990. The pattern to the range skirts the Edwards housing area, seen beneath her. The didn't get her shark mouth again this time before being retired in 1992. The name in block letters on the gun fairing. October 1991, her last open day display. Thanks for looking, Sven
  4. I see that TheRealMrEd is working on a "Super SLUF" over in the WIP section: Maybe the pics below will provide some additional information/inspiration. The YA-7F was an attempt to create a faster close air support platform to supplement or replace the A-10. The old TF41 turbofan was replaced with a P&W F100 engine, the fuselage lengthened, the vertical tail enlarged, a leading edge root extension (LERX) added, and the horizontal tails "flipped" to create anhedral vs the original A-7's dihedral. In the end, the proposal was rejected in favor of using F-16s for fast response and soldiering on with the A-10 for heavy lifting and loitering. Here is USAF s/n 71-0344 showing the un-shrouded F100 exhaust. Note the orange wiring and strain gauges along the nozzle fairings at the 12,3,6,and 9 positions. The orange wiring and components in the avionics bays are also test instrumentation. Nose on showing the horizontal tail anhedral. '039 and '344 with shrouded exhaust. USAF s/n 70-1039 used for high-AOA testing with spin recovery chute assembly surrounding the engine exhaust. Spin chute load distribution straps running the length of the aft fuselage. Spin chute attachment assembly at the top of the exhaust shroud. The cable connecting the the chute running around the left side and into the compartment below the shroud housing the spin chute itself. Thanks for looking, Sven
  5. As I noted in the Icing a Hog posting, when the A-10 Combined Test Force at Edwards AFB was shut down, we were told to do what we wanted with what remained after the engineering and history offices had retrieved what they wanted. I had found a number of slides in the back of a desk drawer. Here are more of those slides, cleaned up as best I could. This is one of the Northrop YA-9 aircraft, s/n 71-1368, used in the fly-off competition with the Fairchild A-10. The YA-9 lost the "Attack - Experimental" (AX) competition and both airframes eventually ended up on display. '368 is on display at March AFB. Its sister ship, '367 was on display at Castle AFB and has since been moved back to Edwards AFB as part of the Flight Test Museum. Left console and throttles Right console The YA-9 has been the subject of two 1/72nd scale models: a vacuform from Maintrack Models Project-X series and a resin kit from Anigrand. The only 1/48 kit I am aware of is a card model. I have the Maintrack kit in my stash (somewhere), maybe I'll get to it one day. Thanks for looking, Sven, still cleaning retrieved A-10 slides!
  6. Some detail shots of C-17 T-1 s/n 87-0025, at Edwards AFB in 1991, "T" indicating test... In the proposed Euro One camo of the early '80s... Flight test nose probe... Main gear sponson showing the positions of the opened gear doors... Main gear flight test instrumentation wiring (orange) Tufting was a plied to visualize the airflow under the wing root. Here it looks like the tufts have been removed, but the tape to hold the individual tufts remains\ Vertical tail with static pressure cone hanging from the top. Explosives warning triangle on the tail cone for when the departure recovery chute is installed. and the reel in the cabin for extending and retracting the static cone. This is just ahead of the cargo ramp blocking the right paratroop door. Flap actuator fairings. The red and black are adhesive residue from transducers and associated wiring that were attached for measuring air pressure. Winglet with photo tracking marks for flutter testing Left paratroop door and retracted spoiler, flap deflection reference marks Crew entry door and original C-17 logo. Note the explosives warning triangle below the data block. The explosives warning is for the "ESCAPE SLIDE & DOOR". Yes, there was/is a slide behind the pilot and co-pilot seats so that the crew could bail out in a hurry. I assume that they would be wearing parachutes during hazardous testing, having to stand up and don the chutes before bailout would defeat the purpose of the slides. I also guess that whoever thought up this arrangement assumed that any emergency would only involve positive Gs, other wise the slides would be useless. I'll post pictures of what she looked like when she arrived at the Air Force Museum in 2012 anon. Thanks for looking, Sven
  7. This was one of my favorite Phantoms at Edwards AFB. '727 was one of the most reliable Phantoms in the 6510th Test Wing Fleet. Operated by the 6512th Test Squadron as a test support bird, she rarely cancelled a mission for maintenance (CNX MX - I don't think she ever cancelled when I was scheduled to crew her), and usually came back Code 1. Not bad for a 15 to 25 year old jet. This is a USAF photo showing her chasing the YC-15 in 1976. She wears light gull grey top sides and white undersides. Unlike the US Navy scheme, her control surface uppers are grey. Note the US Bicentennial 'pretzel' logo on the vertical tail and the external tanks in SEA camo. The McDonnell-Douglas YC-15 was an Advanced Manned Short Take-Off Technology (AMST) prototype being evaluated at Edwards along with the Boeing YC-14. The YC-15 is fitted with a flight test nose boom and is trailing a static cone from the top of the vertical tail. The static cone is a way to more accurately measure the static pressure in the area of the aircraft - the theory being that large aircraft create such a large pressure disturbance around the aircraft such that it is impractical to make a nose boom long enough to get out in front of the aircraft pressure envelope. The cone is normally deployed about 150 to 200 ft behind the aircraft. Quite a family resemblance with its younger cousin, the C-17. Enough about the YC-15... This is '727 when I first met her in 1981. The pretzel is gone and the radome is now Air Defense Command Gray, as is the rest of the airframe. National insignia are smaller and the serial presentation on the tail has gone tactical. 1984, and I got to chase her on a training mission. Wrap-around camo, some paint touch up on the underside, and the ejection seat warning triangles sun-bleached to a distinctly pink color. One wing pylon in original SEA camo, the other in wrap-around. Aircraft serial number on the canopy frames. One of my favourite shots. Had a large framed version displayed in every one of my offices until 2016 In the shadow of our F-4 over the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range. 1989. Painted in the test support scheme that was phased in between 1986 and 1988. What we referred to as the "Albino Rhinos" and part of the "Bozo Fleet". That's the Air Force Flight Test Center shield on the intake, the Air Force Systems Command shield on the vertical tail, and the full serial number on the front nose gear door below the landing/taxi lights. Thats the serial on the forward frames of the canopies as well. In 1990, she was retired to the Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Center, AMARC (now AMARG), more familiarly known as "The Boneyard" (they hate it when you call it that). She was eventually sold for scrap and broken up (big sigh). Thanks for looking Sven
  8. Not usually seen outside of the Sacramento, California area, this T-38, USAF s/n 60-0551, belongs to the flight test section of the Sacramento Air Logistics Center (SM-ALC). It's a unique markings make it one that I'd like to replicate if I ever get those Sword T-38s off the Shelf of Doom. Pics taken on the Edwards AFB transient ramp in August 1983. That ventral red stripe runs all the way back to the exhaust fairing. As the tail logo indicates, the SM-ALC flight test unit concerned itself with F-111 testing, Sacramento being the USAF Logistics Center for the F-111. The 2874th Test Squadron (later the 337th Test Squadron) also operated F-111s 67-0050 and 68-0175 in standard camouflage with similar tail marking. Thanks for looking, Sven
  9. The 6512th Test Squadron, aka "Test Ops", at Edwards AFB was responsible for providing test support to the major test teams under the 6510th Test Wing. While a test team like the F-16 Combined Test Force 'owned' their own test pilots and test aircraft, Test Ops provided support aircraft and crews as required. In the 1980s, Test Ops aircraft were primarily A-7Ds, A-37Bs, NKC-135s (often on detachment from the 4950th Test Wing at Wright-Patterson), various models of the F-4, and T-38s. Test Ops also performed what was referred to as 'Cats 'n' Dogs' testing. Usually small test programs that didn't warrant creating a large, dedicated test force. The HU-25B was one of these test programs, sponsored by the US Coast Guard. The original HU-25 flight testing was performed by Dassault, certification for the USCG relying heavily on the FAA certification of the Falcon 20 biz jet, from which the HU-25 was derived. Addition of mission pods is not normally covered by the FAA, so when the HU-25B was proposed, a separate test program was required to cover the effects of carrying Side-Looking Airborne Radar and other sensor pods under the wings and fuselage was required. The program was assigned to Test Ops in 1983. The aircraft provided (2118) was fitted with special instrumentation to collect data for aircraft performance, flying qualities, and structural loads. I got to participate as a safety chase observer for one of their missions in May 1983... 2118 with a Yaw and Pitch sensor nose boom installed. The silver strips at the base of the vertical tail are strain gauges covered with silver "speed tape". That big pod mounted under the forward fuselage decreases the lateral stability of the aircraft, thus the vertical tail might work harder to keep the aircraft on its intended path. The nose legend reads "EDWARDS" beneath the aircraft number. The left side view show additional speed tape covering the wiring and sensors to measure rudder hinge loads. They also did an icing test for the pods at some point... That's NKC-135A, s/n 55-3128, the long serving icing tanker. '128 belonged to the 4950th Test Wing, which is why it carried the Aeronautical System Division (ASD) blue tail band outlined in yellow. The aircraft could still serve as a refueler, but it had its plumbing modified so that a fuselage fuel tank could be isolated and filled with water. A control station was installed to vary pump speed/droplet size. A spray ring is installed at the end of the refueling boom - installation similar to fitting a refueling drogue. The water contained dye for better visualization of ice build-up, hence the yellow ice adhering to the sensor pods. As for 2118, when the test program was over, the flight test instrumentation was removed and the aircraft eventually found its way to the Sacramento USCG station. It's since been retired and is now in the Aerospace Museum of California. Thanks for looking, Sven
  10. A disclaimer: this set is from my collection but are official Air Force Flight Test Center photos. The AFFTC reference numbers are on the images. When I moved from the F-16XL Combined Test Force (CTF) in 1984 to the 6512th Test Squadron (Test Ops), there were two clean-outs taking place. The A-10 CTF was closing, in part to make room for the Advanced Tactical Fighter CTF, the YF-22/YF-23 competition, and because A-10 development flight test was pretty much coming to an end. A quarter mile away, Test Ops was making room to accept the two remaining A-10 test programs that had to be completed before the last of the Hogs were traded to Eglin in exchange for a couple of A-7Ds. The Hog trade was a logistic consideration to consolidate A-10 test operations at Eglin with the 3246th Test Wing, while consolidating A-7D test support operations at Edwards with the 6510TW. A-7D testing was rarely required at this point in the SLUFF's life cycle, but the SLUFF was still a valued support aircraft and part of the USAF Test Pilot School curriculum as a systems bird and spin instruction airframe. At the A-10 building, we were told to throw out anything that we didn't want - apparently the engineers and history office had already picked over the vacating offices. I found these pictures in the back of a desk drawer. At Test Ops, in closing a door that had apparently been propped open for 25 years, on the back of the door was a map showing all the X-15 emergency landing sites from Utah down to Southern California, with appropriate notes. I don't know what I was doing that was so important, but I made a mental note to come back to save the map for myself. When I got back about 30 minutes later it was GONE! Of course no one knew what I was on about when I asked where the map went - "Map? What map?" Pulling of hair, rending of flight suit - you get the idea... Anyway, the pics. One from 1979, the rest from 1980. Icing tests of what I am quite sure is Full-Scale Development (FSD) jet, s/n 73-1667. This is the 1979 picture. Note the camera mounted on the right wing tip. I think it is focused on the right engine intake. The orange outline of the access panel aft of the cockpit indicates special test instrumentation is located there. There is also a non-standard outlet mounted proud of the panel. Several ice measuring probes are visible on the aircraft nose, the landing gear sponson, the wing leading edge, and at the front of the Pave Penny shape. As usual, the water from the icing tanker has yellow dye for in-flight visualization. Into 1980... Wing-tip camera removed. With A-37B chase, showing the typical icing test set-up. Approaching the icing rig at the end of the tanker boom. Some ice build-up Probably near the limit for ice on the wing leading edge. The little orange rectangles are the attachment points for the ice probes. Often published October 1975 photo of three FSD jets with the two YA-10 prototypes at the back. That's '667 up front. Behind her is '666, later to become one of my test jets for Nitramine ammunition trials and terrain avoidance system tests. The next, with the "1" on the tail is '664, eventually modified to the two-seat Night/Adverse Weather configuration. then 71-1370 and 71-1369. Thanks for looking, Sven
  11. While stationed at Edwards AFB, I would occasionally drive over to Mojave Airport to see what the civilian flight test organizations had going on. Flight Systems International, Flight Research Inc, and Burt Rutan had operations at Mojave in addition to a few other smaller outfits. The National Test Pilot School was just starting up there. On Saturday morning, September 5, 1981, I pulled into the parking lot to see this: It was a new design to me, so I went out to the ramp to see what it was (you could just walk out there back then). Mojave was a great place to visit. As you can see in the photo above, there were a lot of airliners in storage. FSI had Canadair Sabres, T-33s, F-100s, and an FJ-4B Fury on the ramp. Later in the decade they had a couple of F-4Cs. FRI had a Sabre and a de Havilland Dove. The Dove had a couple of struts atop the fuselage to support aero models of one sort or another. GE Engines had a modified 747 on the ramp for a long time and there was a DC-130A in US Navy markings that would eventually find its way back to the Navy. I done't know who owned or operated them, but there were also a couple of Vampires, a Venom, a couple of Drakens and a few WWII era warbirds. A very interesting place. It turned out the jet in the pattern was out of the Rutan stable - beginning in 1982 it would be known as Scaled Composites Aerospace Company. The jet was a 62 percent scale flying model of the Fairchild Company's proposal for the USAF Next Generation Trainer competition, an attempt to field a replacement for the Cessna T-37 "Tweet". The Rutan 73, as this jet was called, was a aerodynamic model proof of concept for what was to become the Fairchild T-46. Fairchild had contracted with Ames Industrial Corporation for the sub-scale model who, in turn, contracted with Rutan Aviation to produce the jet based on the Fairchild design. Fairchild won the NGT competition, but the program was cancelled after three full scale prototypes were built and tested. The first flight for the Rutan 73 was the day before. what I witnessed was the third flight (I think) and the pics below show the aircraft taxiing in and then readied for another flight. Running up the Microturbo TRS 18-056 turbofans with the Rutan Long EZ chase aircraft at the ready. Thanks for looking, Sven
  12. Just noticed that Sprue Brothers have the Hasegawa 1/72 NF-15B ACTIVE/IFC in stock. The Box photo shows it in NASA markings. When the aircraft first showed up at Edwards AFB it was as the Short TakeOff and Landing - Maneuvering Technology Demonstrator (STOL-MTD). I assume the Hasegawa kit has the stock cylindrical engine exhaust nozzles and some F-18 horizontal tails for the canards. Probably a lot of work to back date it to the STOL-MTD, but I'd like to try it some time. Here are some images of the aircraft arrival at Edwards in June 1989 - original configuration with two-dimensional vectoring exhaust nozzles and YAPS nose boom... Couldn't swing my camera fast enough! Note the canard actuator fairings on top of the intakes. At the Edwards open house four months later... 2-D nozzles replaced with circular nozzles and the YAPS boom is gone. Thanks for looking, Sven
  13. The NT-33A, USAF s/n 51-4120, was a variable stability in-flight simulator. It was owned by the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory and, later, the Air Force Research Laboratory. The aircraft was maintained and operated by Calspan Corporation of Buffalo New York, under contract to the USAF. This T-33A was modified in the late 1950s for flight controls investigations and simulating the flight characteristics of other aircraft designs. Schedule permitting, the aircraft was sometimes made available for contractor or foreign government evaluations, usually to correct anomalies found in new aircraft designs. The aircraft was also used by both the USAF and US Navy test pilot schools as part of their flight controls evaluation curriculum. This is where I first encountered the jet. The F-94B nose houses computer units interfaced to the aircraft flight controls. The rear cockpit is modified with banks of controls to change the coefficients and variables of the flight control equations, thereby changing how the aircraft responds to control inputs. The Calspan safety pilot would occupy the rear seat while the research pilot or student would fly the aircraft from the front. The safety pilot could take control of the aircraft at any time using the basic T-33 flight controls. or if specified flight conditions were exceeded, usually yaw/pitch rates or Gs, the system would automatically kick off the variable stability control laws and revert to T-33 flight control operation. The aircraft has changed some over the years. During the 1960s, the aircraft tip tanks were modified to have the aft portion of the tanks act as clam shell speed brakes. This modification was later removed. In the late 60s/early 70s, the F-94 acquired rows of vents on each side to facilitate cooling as more computing power was added to the variable stability system. My TPS class team project was to investigate changing the roll axis of the aircraft through flight control changes and its effects on maneuverability. Most of the tests involved evaluating the ability to handle various target tracking scenarios. Lots of piccies… Ready for brake release... Returning to Eddie's Air Patch... A long pass down the Edwards Tower Fly-By Line... Nose-on view... Computers circa 1978... Some of the variable stability input controls in the rear cockpit Side-stick controller in the front cockpit. There's a center control stick as well. Nose detail in 1988 The stickers on the nose are from left to right, top to bottom: Swedish flight test center, IAI Kfir C2, NASA, USAF Test Pilot School, US Navy Test Pilot School, unidentified, SAAB JAS 39. The first and last are interesting in that the aircraft took part in flight controls development of the Gripen, yet in the following year, the Gripen would have the first of two mishaps attributed to Pilot Induced Oscillation (PIO) caused by flight control software issues. After the 1989 mishap, the NT-33A was again being used to investigate the cause and possible corrections to eliminate the PIO situation. The NT-33A was retired and put on display in the National Museum of the USAF in 1997 after many years of being the oldest aircraft in the USAF active inventory. When it went to the museum, it retained the dummy refueling probe used in one of its last research projects and remains there on display... Thanks for looking, Sven
  14. Just a few images of Northrop flight test operations at Edwards AFB in the 1980s... F-5E, USAF s/n 71-1418, seen in 1983 with YAPS test nose boom fitted: Test missions without the nose boom in 1984: RF-5E, s/n 71-1420 I know its fuzzy, but it shows the placement of the camera aperture covers. Tiger motif on the vertical tail... Was it Airfix that did an RF-5E in 1/72? RF-5E, s/n 80-0334, in Malaysian markings. Ready to take Runway 22... RF-5E, s/n 84-0199, with refueling probe and Saudi markings: F-5E, s/n 72-0891. Okay, this one as shown is no longer a Northrop test bird, but it retains the double tiger tail markings and F-5 operators flag panel beneath the windscreen from its test days with Northrop. Here, it is with the 425th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, 405th Tactical Training Wing stationed at Williams AFB Arizona. Thanks for looking, Sven
  15. I wasn't sure whether to put this topic here or in the photography forum where I usually post. This one has a lot more words than images, so thought it should go here. Between 1977 and 1987, flight test of the AGM-86 Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) was accomplished for full-scale development of the missile and subsequent upgrades. Many test launches took place in the Western Test Range off the California coast, the missile threading its way between population centers to impact on one of the land test ranges in the western United States. A typical mission would have the missile follow a pre-programmed mission profile, going “feet wet” near Vandenberg AFB, through the Sierra Nevada mountains into the Edwards /China Lake operating airspace, then north to targets in the Utah Test and Training Range near Hill AFB. Safety chase aircraft were required to accompany the ALCM along its flight path to ensure the missile didn’t deviate from its programmed profile or to ‘mark the spot’ if the missile crashed at some point during the mission. The safety chase mission was assigned to a dedicated group of aircraft under the 6510 Test Wing under the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB. The aircraft were flown by the 6512 Test Squadron (Test Ops). Between four to six aircraft were required, depending on the mission profile, plus a spare, and a tanker. The aircraft selected were F-4Es and comprised what was often referred to as the ALCM Chase Flight. Normally, finding such a group of similarly configured aircraft on the Edwards ramp would be difficult, but the 6510TW had inherited the F-4s previously operated by the USAF Aerial Demonstration Squadron, AKA the Thunderbirds. These F-4Es were relinquished by the team in the wake of the 1973 ‘oil crisis’ in favor of the T-38A. The aircrafts had no radar fitted, the original short cannon muzzle fairing was retained with the aperture faired over, the rear most fuselage fuel tank (tank 7) was isolated to carry smoke oil, and several other modifications that made them less than desirable for operational Phantom units. The only modification needed for the ALCM mission was a missile destruct radio control unit in the rear cockpit to be activated if the missile deviated from the planned flight path towards, say, a population center or a condor preserve. These aircraft were USAF serial numbers: 66-0286 66-0289 Note: in 1984/85, ‘289 carried a deer kill on the left splitter plate in light grey. 66-0291 66-0294 66-0315 66-0319 66-0329 – Note this jet had a production “long” cannon muzzle fairing during this time. 66-0377 An ALCM chase mission basically consisted of two aircraft at the launch point. They would watch the ALCM separate and launch from a B-52, then proceed to chase the ALCM to monitor the flight path and watch for any anomalies. In the meantime, up ahead, at altitude, would be the KC-135 tanker with additional chase jets in tow. These F-4s in the tanker formation would take fuel as necessary to stay ’topped up’ ready to replace the chase birds when low on fuel (“Joker”). This is what the relief birds would look for: Hence the white upper wings – easier to spot than a full camo jet or the missile itself against the terrain. The relieved jets would climb and join the tanker formation for aerial refueling. The procedure would continue until the ALCM reached the target area or its flight was terminated. Markings Already mentioned the white upper wings. The white on the wings wrapped around the leading edge and wing tips. Before 1979, these jets wore standard SEA camo with the light grey undersides. The blue tail band with the white borders and X’s was indicative of the 6510 TW. The national markings were in full color. No tail codes. Between 1979 and 1981, the aircraft received the wrap-around camo treatment and all but ‘377 carried segmented/stenciled national insignia. ‘377 retained the full color star and bar. Some aircraft had black canopy rails yet few carried crew or maintainer’s names. The “ED” tail codes were applied in late 1982. In 1984, someone had the idea to name the jets after Snow White and Seven Dwarfs. Unfortunately, they started with “DOPEY” on ‘291. The name was in black two-inch block letters on either side of the nose cannon fairing. Before any other names could be applied, the wing CO went out to fly ‘291. When he saw the name that was the end of that. I mentioned the deer kill on ‘289. On a deployment to Eglin AFB the jet hit a deer on the runway when landing. The deer was taken down the left side going between the main gear and the external tank…. lost the gear door and killed the fuel tank. The deer didn’t survive either. When we went to pick up the jet (on the way back from the Piper Enforcer visit) the Eglin maintainers had painted the silver deer “kill” on the left intake splitter and the name “DEER SLAYER” in 2-in black block letters on the cannon fairing. When the dedicated ALCM chase mission went away, so did the camouflage. I left Edwards for a posting in London in 1985, by the time I returned to Edwards in 1988, all of the F-4s had gone “albino” – overall white with red conspicuity markings on the wingtips and tail surfaces. They had also been formally redesignated as NF-4Es. And ‘329 got its short muzzle fairing back… Your humble scribe with the DEER SLAYER - “Hero” portrait for the squadron photo album – many years (and pounds) ago. Thanks for looking, Sven
  16. The rest of the story here: Thanks for looking. Sven
  17. In the 1970s and '80s, the USAF Test Pilot School (TPS) used the A-37B for both aircraft performance test and departure/spin test instruction. For the performance test portion of the curriculum students would collect test data to define takeoff and landing, cruise, and climb performance. To make it interesting, all the up and away testing was accomplished single engine. For departure/spin instruction, the A-37 was used for demonstrating departure entry techniques and handling peculiarities of wing-loaded (as opposed to fuselage-loaded) aircraft. Spin instruction began with glider flights using the Blanik L-10. Instruction then moved to the A-37 with TPS instructors in the right seat for student test pilot flights, instructors in the left what for student flight test engineer flights. Student test pilots would then progress to the YA-7D to demonstrate departure, spin, and spin recovery techniques. The spin program is the reason for the black stripe on the right wing. This was to aid ground-based optical trackers determine aircraft attitude during the maneuvers. The A-7s had black triangle outlines on the wing upper surfaces to distinguish between the top and bottom of the aircraft during tracking. Hasegawa/Minicraft issued the A-37B kit in the late 1970's with TPS markings. As I remember it, the markings in this kit were pretty crude and did not include the Yaw and Pitch Sensor (YAPS) boom that replaced the nose-mounted air refueling probe. Ready to take Runway 22. No mini-gun muzzle outlet - flight test instrumentation has replaced the mini-gun in the nose compartment. Cruising to the designated spin area. Fuel jettison the aid ground-based optical trackers acquire the aircraft on the run-in to the spin area. Good views of the nose mounted YAPS boom. Return to base. Over the north shore of Rogers dry lake looking south. Lakebed runways and compass rose (bottom of image) are marked with a black oily mixture. Thats the approach end and "last chance" area for Runway 22 to the right of the left tip tank. Thanks for looking, Sven
  18. In 1983, Northrop was on a sales drive to sell their F-20 Tigershark while flight test was continuing at Edwards AFB. What better way to end a sales pitch than with a flight in the aircraft - complete with prospective national markings for photos suitable for framing. The sales flights were chased by the the Northrop F-5F crewed by Northrop test/instructor pilots... Jordan, 26 Jan 83 Pakistan, 7 Feb 83 Philippines, 10 Feb 83 Kuwait, 14 Feb 83 UAE, 18 Feb 83 Turkey, 22 Feb 83 Luftwaffe, 11 Oct 83 There were probably others, but I had my own test programs to tend to... Thanks for looking Sven
  19. These images were taken in 1983 and ’84. McDonnell-Douglas brought AV-8B ship #2 (USN Bu. No. 161397) out to Edwards AFB a few times to accomplish stability and control evaluations. Three different missions are shown here. The January 1983 mission has two Mk 82 500-lb Snakeyes on the centerline station. The June 1983 mission has the Snakeyes on the two outboard wing stations. On the February 1984 mission, all the pylons are empty. From our T-38A on his left wing over Tehachapi foothills. We do a ‘clean ‘n’ dry check”’ before test maneuvers are executed. No leaks, no loose panels, or anything else out of place. As I recall, all test maneuvers were accomplished in the lower southwest corner of the R-2508 complex north of Edwards AFB. The weapons are inert. I don’t know why they have a gold band around them rather than the usual blue nose bands. Maybe they are instrumented? Note the soot has been cleaned away from the fuselage star and bar. Descent to enter the Edwards pattern. Entering base leg of the Edwards pattern for Runway 22. Rogers dry lake below. Rejoin over one of the dry lakes. Taking position on our right wing. Over the east "shore" of Rogers Dry Lake. Thanks for looking, Sven
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