Old Viper Tester Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Just a few images from a proficiency mission in September 1984. Her designation would be changed to NRF-4C to indicate permanent test modifications in 1986. Thanks for looking, Sven 13 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smudge Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Cool. What were you flying in? Did you land as a pair? I always think that that is a neat thing to watch, and quite a skillful piece of flying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troffa Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Fantastic shots- the Phantom looks great in the Edwards test scheme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiskey Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Ohhh pretty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Such a great scheme on the Phantom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Viper Tester Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 On 6/26/2018 at 12:48 PM, Smudge said: What were you flying in? Did you land as a pair? Definitely flying formation takeoff and landing - it's a check in the box. I don't have the original mission card, but we rarely flew dissimilar F-4s in formation proficiency and never did formation takeoff or landing in different aircraft types. So I had to be in the pit of one of the other RF-4Cs, either "B***s Four" or '850. Formation takeoffs were always on the lead's call: "Throttle up, brakes release, check AB..." On landing it was all by watching lead, the No. 2 pilot made sure we touched down at the same time then he concentrated on maintaining lateral separation and watching for lead's chute. Secondary was watching the runway itself - you didn't want to run off the runway just because lead did! Sven 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 Hi Sven, i can't believe you would ever worry about running out of runway at Edwards. They're miles long aren't they? andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Viper Tester Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, Red Dot said: i can't believe you would ever worry about running out of runway at Edwards. They're miles long aren't they? As I recall the main runway at Edwards is 15,000 ft. Some of the runways marked out on the dry lake are much longer. In formation you would be more concerned with lead veering off the runway due to a mechanical failure, like a blown tire. Granted it rarely happens, and with some care even jet with a blown tire can be kept of the runway with rudder and then nose wheel steering. Blown tire on landing was one of the emergencies occasionally briefed before a mission. I did have an A-10 in one of my test programs run off the end of the Edwards runway, but it's a long story... Sven Edited June 28, 2018 by Old Viper Tester 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMA131Marine Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 5 minutes ago, Old Viper Tester said: I did have an A-10 in one of my test programs run off the end of the Edwards runway, but it's a long story... Stuck throttle levers? How else does an A-10 overrun a 15,000 ft runway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Viper Tester Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 1 minute ago, VMA131Marine said: How else does an A-10 overrun a 15,000 ft runway? One of my tests had a risk mitigation procedure that called for five simulated flameout landings from the gun firing position on the Precision Impact Range (PIRA) south of the runway. After the five landings were completed, they could make hot passes on the PIRA (we were testing a new ammunition for the GAU-8). Flameout landings in the A-10 called for a flight control mode called manual reversion - in essence a pushrod and bell crank arrangement (no hydraulic boost) that took a lot of effort to control the aircraft - hence the landing practice in case the gun gases flamed out the engine. Because we had such a long runway, rather than taxi back to the end of the runway and execute another takeoff, after coming to a full stop about mid-runway, the pilot would reconfigure the jet and flight controls, then takeoff using the remaining runway. One of my intrepid test pilots forgot to close the speed brakes after landing on one of these practice circuits. I was in a control room with telemetry displays for the gun and engines, and a monitor showing video from a camera on the roof of the mission control building. Unfortunately, the camera location was suited to watching activity in the sky, and my view of the runway was partially blocked by other buildings. The pilot called power up, ran down the runway and realized he had forgotten to retract the boards just as he ran off the end of the runway, which was about the time my video view was unobstructed. I watched the Hog trundle off the runway in a cloud of dust and flying sagebrush, along with a couple of jack rabbits hopping for dear life. When we went out to inspect the aircraft in situ, the tires were shredded, and I think a brake line was broken, but that was the extent of the damage. He was very lucky though. When we checked the path of the tires, the jet had straddled a concrete block about 6-ft square and two feet high. The left main mount going left of the pad and the nose gear going to the right. It was an old cine-theodolite platform that hadn't been used in decades. Took a long time for him to live that down. Funny that in the end, the risk mitigation procedure was more dangerous than the actual test Sven 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 (edited) it would take an A-10 about fifteen minutes to go down that length of runway 😀 Fantastic plane but not blessed with speed, indeed the only aircraft to suffer a bird strike from the rear! Andy Edited June 29, 2018 by Red Dot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Great pics, thanks for sharing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Quality and SUPERB Photos... thank you sharing THEM and your anecdotes. Hoorah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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