6510 Test Wing ALCM Chase Mission

[Old Viper Tester]

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

Edited October 30, 2017 by Old Viper Tester
Corrected erroneous info

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Great photo’s Thanks for posting 👍

[giemme]

Great insight and great pics Sven, thanks for sharing

 

Ciao

[Darth Vader]

Great photos and what a pose. 

[noelh]

Really interesting read. Plus it was something I was never aware of before. Seeing the F4s lined up brought on a wave of nostalgia for me. Particularly in the SEAC scheme.

I want to go back in time and live in the eightits. 

[fewr9fkr9595]

Very interesting read, many thanks mate  

[Old Viper Tester]

3 hours ago, noelh said:

I want to go back in time and live in the eightits.

I wouldn't mind reliving them myself.

 

My chance at pilot training vaporized with the USAF downsizing after Viet Nam. Too many pilots, so was brought in as an aero engineer. The next best way to get in a cockpit was to go to test pilot school as a flight test engineer. Beginning in 1980: spent one year at Nellis to get operational experience, one year at test pilot school, then two tours at Edwards with a tour in London in between. Worked test programs for the F-4, F-15, F-16XL, A-10, and F-16 - loved every minute of it. The tour in London was challenging and interesting, but a desk just off of Trafalgar Square didn't have the same allure as an F-4 pit. The F-4 is still my favorite.

 

When I retired from active duty I was offered a job at Edwards. My wife said if I went to the Mojave Desert a third time I'd be going by myself! Would have to consider the terms for going back in time. Tardis anyone?

 

Sven

 

 

[noelh]

I too harboured the dream of a career as a pilot in the military back then. But growing up in Ireland when if you were lucky they'd take six cadets a year assuming they were even recruiting. It was a lottery. Besides it was barely an air force. The RAF was an option but they threw obstacles in my way too. In any case I didn't really have the right stuff as they say. 

So your career is enviable to me. Even if you had to fly a desk occasionally. I flew a desk for the entire eighties in an aviation company. I got a pilot job eventually though. Too late.

But yes they were good times for me. Book me a spot in your tardis😎

 

Edited November 2, 2017 by noelh

[Latinbear]

A fascinating read and great accompanying photos too. The number of aircraft being launched for each test shot must have made it a pretty expensive exercise!

[Old Viper Tester]

2 hours ago, Latinbear said:

The number of aircraft being launched for each test shot must have made it a pretty expensive exercise!

Just getting a B-52 in the air can be pretty expensive, let alone the rest of the supporting cast. My recollection is that these missions may have averaged one a month at their peak frequency. It took a long time to plan the missions making sure the most information was acquired for each event. they also considered if test points for other programs could be obtained, though admittedly this was a long shot other than getting B-52 data for things like the new avionics.

 

Fighter programs flew much more often but the frequency varied greatly. When I was on the F-16XL program, we would sometimes fly missions twice a day by doing one discipline in the morning and then a different discipline in the afternoon. Many avionics/software upgrade programs would usually fly twice a week, leaving time on the off days to analyze data and feed it back into the next mission.

 

I think the most expensive mission I ever participated in was a radar test mission for the F-15, evaluating a version of a raid assessment mode. IIRC, we had the test F-15C and 13 of 14 scheduled "target" aircraft comprising a mix of F-4s, A-7Ds, and T-38As. The A-7s carried early versions of the AN/ALQ-188 ECM pod. Some of the F-4s carried either ALQ-188 or ALQ-131 ECM pods. 

 

Typical radar missions would have the test aircraft go to one end of a corridor called Chords Road, the corridor running about 100 miles east to west from northeast of Barstow to just northwest of Mojave. Most of the ground track was covered by an abandoned road project graded out of the desert floor, giving a well-defined landmark. The test profile was like a jousting tournament. The target(s) gathered at the opposite end of Chords Road. On the mark, the test aircraft and targets would charge each other at specified altitudes, airspeeds, and spacing for the targets. They would fly through the merge, go to opposite ends of the corridor, then do it again - changing the variables for each pass.

 

Being a target for a radar mission was considered boring. "Chords Road - 100 Missions" patches began to appear on flight suits in the mid '80s. Anyway, a test organization putting up 14 aircraft for a single mission was quite a feat.

 

Sven

[Latinbear]

14 aircraft is an impressive number! I can't imagine that happening in Europe. 

 

Your posts and responses to replies such as to mine above are offering a great insight into the test world and the photos that you're posting are bringing everything to life too. I'm thoroughly enjoying the material and thank you for taking the time to put up the information. 

[Squirrel19]

Awesome pictures and great info too, thanks for sharing.