RF-101C Voodoo

[rossm]

I want to build one of these in 1/72 and just got the Hasegawa kit (the only game in town ?). I got the box with 'Kathy's Clown' on the front but none of the options gives a location for where they were based and I would like to do a Vietnam one to go next to my 'Patricia Lynn' RB-57E. I've got the Warpaint and the Osprey Air Combat books on the Voodoo but they're short of details.

Please can anyone help with the following:-

Base locations (and dates ?) for 'Kathy's Clown' 45th TRS, 460th TRW, SEA camo; 66th TRW, silver; 'Polkadots' 45TRS, silver.

Detail photos for the nose cameras and sensors, also details of mission equipment - e.g. I know ECM pods were sometimes carried but how often and where were they mounted, were drop tanks usually carried ....???

Thoughts on what needs to be done to update the kit - I plan to scribe the panel lines and I'm happy with decals for the instruments but does it need a new seat ?

Thanks in advance for all help,

Ross

Edited July 5, 2009 by rossm

[Antoine]

Kathy's clown flew from Tan Son Nhut in 69.

[theplasticsurgeon]

The kit builds up well. This is Kathy's Clown as I built her in 1988.

[rossm]

Thanks for the info. That built one looks nice, very nice.

I was hoping the 45TRS 'Polkadots' option was one flown as part of Able Mable so I could have a silver (natural metal ?) aircraft in my Vietnam collection but it's not easy to find information on that detachment (even worse than Patricia Lynn). I'm going to have camouflage on an F-4, B-57G, F-100, F-105 and F-111 to go with the black RB-57 and O-2 so a different finish would stand out.

Some searching around more obscure parts of my bookshelves and the web has got me as far as......

Camouflage seems to have been introduced around 1964/65 (?) and the KA-45 panoramic camera was fitted about the same time. There were 16 aircraft in the Able Mable in August 1964 so maybe I can get away with the 'Polkadots' option in silver if I leave off the panoramic camera.

Any more information gratefully received,

Ross

[Gmat]

Ross,

One of the better resources for you would be Squadron Signal's Modern Military Aircraft - Voodoo, by Lou Drendel and Paul Stevens. It is the best source of information. Paul Stevens was the real expert on the Voodoo. The ECM pod you talked about was the QRC-160, but it was not very successful and only several Voodoos were fitted with it and not for very long. The pods were on pylons inboard of the wing fence. The book has two photos of one aircraft with USAF 0-60211, in small black letters and numbers on the lower part of the tail. It also apparently has the short lived larger white numbers on the upper tail.(6211?) It is hard to see in the photograph. Unfortunately it is pre-tail code. Page 29 in the Warpaint 47 has a color profile of a similarly marked aircraft. When the larger white numbers were added, (for better visibility, I believe) the earlier small numbers were left on the tail. Photos taken at Phu Cat. At least four 15th TRS RF-101Cs were fitted with modified for limited night photography, and were dubbed Toy Tigers. Initially they were very briefly deployed to Don Muang, but were called back to CONUS for the Cuban Missile Crisis. Three returned to SEA. The forward KA-2s were replaced by 4.5X4.5 inch format KA-45s and two 12 inch KA-7 cameras with high speed bodies replaced the rear KA-1s. They also carried a centerline photoflash cartridge ejector pod, developed for RF-84Fs. 60211 is also carries the photoflash pod along with QRC-160.

Detail and Scale Vol. 31, F-101 Voodoo has photos of the camera set up and also the tail and wing tip RHAWs.

There were two windows for the 12 inch KA-1 cameras behind the cockpit.

Here are two photos that may help you. Taken at Yokota by T. Matsuzaki.

Note the two RHAW bumps on the nose. No RHAW on the wing tips.

Best wishes,

Grant

[Gmat]

Ross,

Task Force Able Mabel became operational on 7 Nov., 61, at Don Muang. I think you can use the Polka Dot scheme for the early aircraft, but eventually, markings were removed and they flew in the overall grey with PACAF badges. Initial operations were kept secret and the toning down of the colorful markings of both TRS units may have been done to preserve secrecy of the operations. The 15th TRS and 45th TRS rotated duties every six months after that. During July of 1963, the Able Mabel Task force became part of the 33rd Tactical Group and Able Mabel ceased to exist as a semi-autonomous force, but the name persisted. On 30th April, 1964, the reconnaissance task was designated Able Mabel again.

Best wishes.

Grant.

[theplasticsurgeon]

I found a pic of a Polkadots 'plane on P17 of Vietnam Air War Debrief by Robert F Dorr and Chris Bishop.

Says they were based at Misawa, Japan, rotated on detachments to Tan Son Nhut for Able Mabel.

Plane in the pic is 60081, with markings just like 60066 option in the RF-101C kit. No underbelly fuel tanks in this pic.

HTH, Tim

[Gmat]

Tim,

Sorry, but sometimes the difficulty of finding a correct photo means that substitutes are accepted. That photo was taken at Misawa AB. Note the tail of the F-102 in the background. The markings identify it as the 4th FIS, which was also stationed at Misawa AB, Japan. I believe that their aircraft never made it to SEA.

I apologize for bearing bad news.

Exercise Air Bull was a SEATO air defense exercise, held from Mar. 1-5, 1961. The Drendel/Stevens book lists the date as 1960, but it would seem that this is in error. From the latter book; Voodoo experiences in SEA were limited, and initially peaceful in nature. That would change quickly.... but for the three Kadena based RF-101Cs which deployed to Takhli AB, Thailand for SEATO exercise 'Air Bull' during March of 11960, it was just another 'show the flag' peacetime exercise. They put on an airshow at Saigon on 9 March, then returned to Kadena without flying a single reconnaissance mission. Does he mean the airshow was at Don Muang?

Pages from Historical Highlights of the First 25 Years of PACAF, Office of History, PACAF.

Able Mabel at Tan Son Nhut in 1964. The lower photo was apparently at Bien Hoa, in 1965.

Best wishes,

Grant

[rossm]

Tim,

Sorry, but sometimes the difficulty of finding a correct photo means that substitutes are accepted. That photo was taken at Misawa AB. Note the tail of the F-102 in the background. The markings identify it as the 4th FIS, which was also stationed at Misawa AB, Japan. I believe that their aircraft never made it to SEA.

I apologize for bearing bad news.

Exercise Air Bull was a SEATO air defense exercise, held from Mar. 1-5, 1961. The Drendel/Stevens book lists the date as 1960, but it would seem that this is in error. From the latter book; Voodoo experiences in SEA were limited, and initially peaceful in nature. That would change quickly.... but for the three Kadena based RF-101Cs which deployed to Takhli AB, Thailand for SEATO exercise 'Air Bull' during March of 11960, it was just another 'show the flag' peacetime exercise. They put on an airshow at Saigon on 9 March, then returned to Kadena without flying a single reconnaissance mission. Does he mean the airshow was at Don Muang?

Pages from Historical Highlights of the First 25 Years of PACAF, Office of History, PACAF.

Able Mabel at Tan Son Nhut in 1964. The lower photo was apparently at Bien Hoa, in 1965.

Best wishes,

Grant

Tim and Grant, thanks for the help so far, especially the images from Grant. I've also got the Drendel/Stevens book on order - thanks for the pointer.

Looks like the use of the silver finish and colourful tail markings in the kit, while still possible, is not yet proven for Able Mable. I'm interpreting the posted photos as overall light grey (ADC grey) unless someone tells me otherwise. The aircraft 56-066 tailcode 60066 in the kit was lost on March 21 1966 so could well have had the grey scheme and could be built with selected decals from the kit.

Are the tailcodes of the aircraft on p155 of the PACAF history readable on the originals (background a/c on the upper photo) ?

Thanks again,

Ross

[Gmat]

Ross,

Don't give up on the polka dot markings in Able Mabel so soon. The photos that I posted were three years into the program. I think that there is a good chance that the initial aircraft retained the tail markings.

Here is a blow up of the aircraft in the background. It is either is 60028 or 60088.

I did some more digging around and found this photo. Notice the leaping tiger on over the insignia. That was the insignia of a Thai F-86D squadron. That would indicate that this aircraft visited Thailand. The photo is dated Aug. 1962, so there is a good chance that it was an early Able Mabel aircraft. Remember six months after Nov. 61, the 15th TRS replaced the 45th TRS at Don Muang. From Aircraft of the USAF in Japan, (title? I don't have the book easily available right now) by T. Matsuzaki. Excellent source of USAF aircraft in Japan, in the 50s and early 60s.

I will dig up the Dorr book on the Voodoo.

Best wishes,

Grant

[rossm]

Ross,

Don't give up on the polka dot markings in Able Mabel so soon. The photos that I posted were three years into the program. I think that there is a good chance that the initial aircraft retained the tail markings.

Here is a blow up of the aircraft in the background. It is either is 60028 or 60088.

I did some more digging around and found this photo. Notice the leaping tiger on over the insignia. That was the insignia of a Thai F-86D squadron. That would indicate that this aircraft visited Thailand. The photo is dated Aug. 1962, so there is a good chance that it was an early Able Mabel aircraft. Remember six months after Nov. 61, the 15th TRS replaced the 45th TRS at Don Muang. From Aircraft of the USAF in Japan, (title? I don't have the book easily available right now) by T. Matsuzaki. Excellent source of USAF aircraft in Japan, in the 50s and early 60s.

I will dig up the Dorr book on the Voodoo.

Best wishes,

Grant

Grant,

Once again, many thanks for the images. That one in the background looks more like 28 to me but I could make either 2 or 8 from the surfeit of 6's in the kit. There are no clues for either on the JBaugher Web Page. If I go with the full Polka Dots markings I have to stick with 60066 be4cause of the wheel door decals. That doesn't have a Thai tiger leaping the star'n'bar but has a kangaroo on the starboard nose - not an animal normally associated with Thailand !

I'll keep an open mind for now as I've only just got the kit and won't start it until I finish something else. I don't mind if I have to go grey as I can put a silver (not metal though) finish on a Vietnam F-105D one day.

Thanks again,

Ross

[Gmat]

Ross,

The Kangaroo zap could have been from Exercise Handclasp IV, 21 Apr. to 12 May, 59. 4 RF-101Cs (unit not stated) went to Australia to participate in air defense exercises, fly-bys, and static displays with the Royal Australian Air Force celebrating ANZAC Day and Coral Sea Week. Another possibility is one of the Joss Stick Exercises, exchange exercises with RAF and RAAF units. April 1963, Misawa based F-100s and RF-101Cs (45th TRS) to Tengah. Also, RAF Canberra bombers to Kadena AB in March, 3rd BW B-57Bs to Tengah in March, Canberras of No. 2 Squadron, RAAF to Kadena in Sept. B-57Bs of the 3rd BW to Tengah again, in November. 18th TFW F-105Ds to Tengah in Sept.

These are the decals from the Mincraft repop of the Hasegawa kit, from the 70s or 80s.

Notice that to make 60084 as in the photograph, you would need an extra band on the rear fuselage, the main gear door does not have the white trim, there is no 45th flash on the nose gear door and there is some sort of trim on the intake.

If you can find a Microscale F-102 decal sheet that has the 509th FIS markings, I believe that it has the same leaping tiger. I'll check more on the last item. I think that it would be on both sides.

Best wishes,

Grant

Edited July 7, 2009 by Gmat

[rossm]

Ross,

The Kangaroo zap could have been from Exercise Handclasp IV, 21 Apr. to 12 May, 59. 4 RF-101Cs (unit not stated) went to Australia to participate in air defense exercises, fly-bys, and static displays with the Royal Australian Air Force celebrating ANZAC Day and Coral Sea Week. Another possibility is one of the Joss Stick Exercises, exchange exercises with RAF and RAAF units. April 1963, Misawa based F-100s and RF-101Cs (45th TRS) to Tengah. Also, RAF Canberra bombers to Kadena AB in March, 3rd BW B-57Bs to Tengah in March, Canberras of No. 2 Squadron, RAAF to Kadena in Sept. B-57Bs of the 3rd BW to Tengah again, in November. 18th TFW F-105Ds to Tengah in Sept.

These are the decals from the Mincraft repop of the Hasegawa kit, from the 70s or 80s.

Notice that to make 60084 as in the photograph, you would need an extra band on the rear fuselage, the main gear door does not have the white trim, there is no 45th flash on the nose gear door and there is some sort of trim on the intake.

If you can find a Microscale F-102 decal sheet that has the 509th FIS markings, I believe that it has the same leaping tiger. I'll check more on the last item. I think that it would be on both sides.

Best wishes,

Grant

Thanks once more for the information Grant.

In spite of bidding on fleabay not ending until 10.30 yesterday morning the Stevens/Drendel Voodoo book arrived today and this is a summary what it has to say about Able Mabel;

------

became operational 7th Nov 1961 with 4 a/c from 45TRS. Thereafter 45TRS and 15TRs rotated every 6 months with pilots and airplanes rotated every 6 weeks.

------

So it's a fair bet 60066 would have been involved in the late 1961 or early 1962 timeframe. The markings in the kit are exactly as the photo on the bottom of p26 which is captioned as being at Misawa during October 1967. Now jbaugher gives 60022 as shot down 21st March 1966 and camouflage was introduced from about the end of 1965 so that date is obviously a mistransposition of a 7 from ? I'm also going to guess, based on the statement in the book that a corrosion control facility was established in 1963 that most a/c went gray during 1963/4 which makes the most likely error being from a 1 or 2. Which would mean the kangaroo would have had to have survived a couple of years - I don't know how likely that is - or the error was from a 3. In either case I'm getting comfortable with using the kit decals.

Thanks again for the help,

Ross

[Gmat]

Decals and instructions from Hasegawa 00252 RF-101C Voodoo "

'Polka Dots.'

Best wishes,

Grant

[rossm]

Decals and instructions from Hasegawa 00252 RF-101C Voodoo "

'Polka Dots.'

Best wishes,

Grant

Interesting, that has to be taken from the Drendel/Stevens book as it has the 1967 date which 'must' be wrong. It's the same Polka Dots aircraft as in my boxing but it now has two kangaroos where mine has one and mine gave no information on date and base.

Thanks once again,

Ross

[Gmat]

Ross,

Sorry that this is coming in small bits. I really didn't plan on tracking down all of this info. It just sort of snowballed. I should have down this search much sooner.

Here is a photo of 60066 in grey in May of 1964. From Koku-fan FAOW # 101. Photo by K. Minoura.

I'll look around for photos of 60066 with the kangaroo zaps.

Best wishes,

Grant

[Gmat]

Digging thru my junk, I stumbled onto this photo. 60066 taken possibly in SEA or Taiwan. Notice the wall on the side and AP standing guard. Sandbags mortared together with cement. The fuel tanks are longer and perhaps thinner than the usual tanks. It is different from the ones in the Hasegawa and Revell (F-101B) kits. Taken on 3 Aug 65. I got this photo from Carl Porter in California, I think.

Best wishes,

Grant

Edited July 9, 2009 by Gmat

[Gmat]

From Aircrafts of USAF in Japan, 1946-1969, by T. Matsuzaki,

60085, with a smaller darker kangaroo. Note playing card spade on the main gear upper door and on the lower gear door, a dark base with a rectangular shape, angled towards the rear. Perhaps it was intended to be a playing card.

[rossm]

Grant,

I'm overwhelmed by all this help, don't worry about it coming in pieces - I appreciate how time consuming it is. Anyway, now I can do 60066 in either silver or grey with high confidence that it would have been part of Able Mabel. The 1960 date on the photo of 60085 suggests the kangaroo zaps are from Exercise Handclasp so applicable to 60066 during the Able Mabel period. As I'm having airbrush trouble this may move up the build list as a model with a single colour finish is very tempting.

Very many thanks for all the material,

Ross

[Gmat]

From the Aug. 64 issue of Koku-fan magazine.

15th TRS RF-101C at Don Muang. (?) Exercise Air Boon Choo, 20 to 30 Apr. 64. Very poor shot.

Best wishes,

Grant

[Gmat]

Some more Able Mabel RF-101C photos can be found at this site.

http://www.secretvietnamwar.com/frame/f_war.htm

Polka Dot tailed RF-101Cs at Don Muang.

http://www.secretvietnamwar.com/frame/f_war.htm

Able Mabel crew photo on this page.

http://www.secretvietnamwar.com/frame/f_pix1.htm

Crew photo. Note Mary Ann Burns nickname above star.

http://www.secretvietnamwar.com/frame/f_war.htm

Best wishes,

Grant

[rossm]

Some more Able Mabel RF-101C photos can be found at this site.

http://www.secretvietnamwar.com/frame/f_war.htm

Polka Dot tailed RF-101Cs at Don Muang.

http://www.secretvietnamwar.com/frame/f_war.htm

Able Mabel crew photo on this page.

http://www.secretvietnamwar.com/frame/f_pix1.htm

Crew photo. Note Mary Ann Burns nickname above star.

http://www.secretvietnamwar.com/frame/f_war.htm

Best wishes,

Grant

Thanks again, Grant. I've started scribing the kit but it's going to be a slow build as I've others I 'must' do first,

Cheers,

Ross

[falcon]

I have been working on the same kit for a few weeks. I also did a bit of rescribing. Progress of my build can be seen HERE.

[rossm]

I have been working on the same kit for a few weeks. I also did a bit of rescribing. Progress of my build can be seen HERE.

Looks very tasty. Bet it would look impressive alongside almost any other single seater (hint for photo when complete !).

[Gmat]

If you want to add some color to a plain grey Able Mabel RF-101C. Yellow trim on the canopy sides. Yellow with black lettering was, I think, for the 15th TRS. The 45th TRS would have used blue, I guess.

From the National Geographic Magazine Sept.65 issue.

best wishes,

Grant