F4 Phantom
C2, G2, L2....
Darn it I've lurked for years but soddim you finally got me to log-on......sad thing is I don't know the answer but I do remember the question........
Not anything to do with "fagsart" is it?
wiggy
Darn it I've lurked for years but soddim you finally got me to log-on......sad thing is I don't know the answer but I do remember the question........
Not anything to do with "fagsart" is it?
wiggy
Join Date: May 2003
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Wiggy,
Are you the 892 Wiggy who having been fired of the cat in his mighty Toom had an engine failure and had to stay in the aircraft as the carrier went over the top? Understand this particular wiggy got back to his cabin to find his so-called mates trying on his uniforms! Enough to make anybody's hair fall out!!
Are you the 892 Wiggy who having been fired of the cat in his mighty Toom had an engine failure and had to stay in the aircraft as the carrier went over the top? Understand this particular wiggy got back to his cabin to find his so-called mates trying on his uniforms! Enough to make anybody's hair fall out!!
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Beagle
Good try - seem to remember that those were the three cct bkrs the Nav had to pull if one got a BLC caption with flaps up. That stopped the hot bleed air for the blown flaps in the FGR2 from cooking the parts that were meant to stay cool.
Used to carry a tool when I flew in the back of a two-sticker in case they needed extracting.
Wiggy
Reckon I must have known you when you could have answered that question.
Good try - seem to remember that those were the three cct bkrs the Nav had to pull if one got a BLC caption with flaps up. That stopped the hot bleed air for the blown flaps in the FGR2 from cooking the parts that were meant to stay cool.
Used to carry a tool when I flew in the back of a two-sticker in case they needed extracting.
Wiggy
Reckon I must have known you when you could have answered that question.
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As far as I recall, no-one had to wait as the ship went over the top in the F4, although it certainly happened with the Vixen. It would only apply to a launch off the bow cat which was axial. (The waist was angled at about 8 degrees.)
I remember Jock Gunning, the Senior P, having an engine failure after accepting the launch and then jumping out shortly thereafter. About a 13 sec flight! Two years later, another SP had an engine problem shortly after the end of the cat stroke at night. He pressed the clear-wing button and was able to fly away OK and subsequently recover.
I believe that Wiggy is now running a hotel in South Wales after a good innings with Cathay.
I remember Jock Gunning, the Senior P, having an engine failure after accepting the launch and then jumping out shortly thereafter. About a 13 sec flight! Two years later, another SP had an engine problem shortly after the end of the cat stroke at night. He pressed the clear-wing button and was able to fly away OK and subsequently recover.
I believe that Wiggy is now running a hotel in South Wales after a good innings with Cathay.
Wasn't RN Wiggy's problem caused by a low level inverted incident in a Hunter, pre 899NAS Vixens? Seem to recall you couldn't tell whether he had his bone dome on or not when he was on the flight deck 
Also the story of his two wigs (hairpieces), one for uniform (short back & sides), the other for runs ashore. When accosted by one senior officer and told to "get your haircut", promptly removed hat, then offending run ashore wig, and went on his way rejoicing....
Also the story of his two wigs (hairpieces), one for uniform (short back & sides), the other for runs ashore. When accosted by one senior officer and told to "get your haircut", promptly removed hat, then offending run ashore wig, and went on his way rejoicing....
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You're quite right John. He hit leader's slipstream at low level in a Hunter GA11 and got a close up inverted view of a Scottish hill. I believe the hair loss started about 3 months later
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Identity of Wiggy still not established, though I'd like to suggest that he may have been the pilot who jettisoned a burning FGR2 whilst on 23 Sqn circa late 1980/early 81?
I have some nice piccies, including possibly the lowest F4 ever seen, if someone can explain how to include them in a post.
Would love to see the photographic results of flypasts at Mt Alice and Saunders Island too (just in case I was visible flying past in the background!). I've got a couple of shots of the late Mark Hanna visiting the latter whilst I was there on R&R. Unfortunately, they're on 35mm slide (must get them scanned).
For those 'just visiting', you might be interested to know that the FGR2 Flight Reference Cards show that a time to 30,000 ft could be achieved in a time of 1.1 minutes, covering 11 nm whilst burning 2730 lbs of fuel.
As for speed, whilst flying against the 'Aggressors' at Alconbury in 1981 I was one of a pair of FGR2s fighting a pair of F-5s and a mixed pair (one of each). My wingman and I (Stu T+9, who I bumped into at LGW earlier this year) decided that we would plunge headlong towards the centre of the ACMI range (to, according to the brief, receive our weapons) at Mach 1 point something, then turn round and rush back through again, shooting at anything we could whilst going b+lls out for home, at base height). As we started our second run through at M1.2 ish and at about 30,000 ft, I was only really watching the Mach meter, though I should have transferred my attention at some stage to KCAS (well, I'm no QFI!). Peak Mach No reached was M1.55 at 7,000 ft! I'll let a QFI work out the actual airspeed (OAT about -15C, QNH about 1000) but it was certainly a good deal higher than the 750 KCAS limit (though I seem to remember an 815 KCAS limit at about 13,000 ft). F-5 pilot tried to roll in behind me for Fox 2 shot but out of range (!) - said in debrief he'd never seen anything going so fast. Also saw M1.6 in level accel with drop tanks (had to throttle back to hold limit of 1.6), but never reached Mach 2.0 (waste of fuel really). Used to particularly enjoy Bucc affil over the sea and always tried to hang on to enough fuel to overtake one after shooting it. It was great to sail past a Bucc goin b+alls out at 620 kts, with 100 kts+ overtake.
Oh, and the scrambles from Wattisham for base defence against an inbound attack - most of the time spent in burner, not above about 2,000 ft and landing after about 15 mins. Ah, those were the days
I have some nice piccies, including possibly the lowest F4 ever seen, if someone can explain how to include them in a post.
Would love to see the photographic results of flypasts at Mt Alice and Saunders Island too (just in case I was visible flying past in the background!). I've got a couple of shots of the late Mark Hanna visiting the latter whilst I was there on R&R. Unfortunately, they're on 35mm slide (must get them scanned).
For those 'just visiting', you might be interested to know that the FGR2 Flight Reference Cards show that a time to 30,000 ft could be achieved in a time of 1.1 minutes, covering 11 nm whilst burning 2730 lbs of fuel.
As for speed, whilst flying against the 'Aggressors' at Alconbury in 1981 I was one of a pair of FGR2s fighting a pair of F-5s and a mixed pair (one of each). My wingman and I (Stu T+9, who I bumped into at LGW earlier this year) decided that we would plunge headlong towards the centre of the ACMI range (to, according to the brief, receive our weapons) at Mach 1 point something, then turn round and rush back through again, shooting at anything we could whilst going b+lls out for home, at base height). As we started our second run through at M1.2 ish and at about 30,000 ft, I was only really watching the Mach meter, though I should have transferred my attention at some stage to KCAS (well, I'm no QFI!). Peak Mach No reached was M1.55 at 7,000 ft! I'll let a QFI work out the actual airspeed (OAT about -15C, QNH about 1000) but it was certainly a good deal higher than the 750 KCAS limit (though I seem to remember an 815 KCAS limit at about 13,000 ft). F-5 pilot tried to roll in behind me for Fox 2 shot but out of range (!) - said in debrief he'd never seen anything going so fast. Also saw M1.6 in level accel with drop tanks (had to throttle back to hold limit of 1.6), but never reached Mach 2.0 (waste of fuel really). Used to particularly enjoy Bucc affil over the sea and always tried to hang on to enough fuel to overtake one after shooting it. It was great to sail past a Bucc goin b+alls out at 620 kts, with 100 kts+ overtake.
Oh, and the scrambles from Wattisham for base defence against an inbound attack - most of the time spent in burner, not above about 2,000 ft and landing after about 15 mins. Ah, those were the days
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Meadowbank,
Various info about posting pics on this thread or PM me if you need any help/advice.
Key is to keep the pics nice and small (approx 640 x 480 pixels, and 72dpi).
Cheers
Treadders
Various info about posting pics on this thread or PM me if you need any help/advice.
Key is to keep the pics nice and small (approx 640 x 480 pixels, and 72dpi).
Cheers
Treadders
Join Date: Aug 2000
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Treadders
I concur with the size of picture but dpi is immaterial (sp?). But please keep the file size below about 80kb it makes them easier to download on dial up.
Most of the one s I post are 700pix wide by whatever the depth works out at and 50 - 70 kb.
Back to the thread.........
I concur with the size of picture but dpi is immaterial (sp?). But please keep the file size below about 80kb it makes them easier to download on dial up.
Most of the one s I post are 700pix wide by whatever the depth works out at and 50 - 70 kb.
Back to the thread.........
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Bob Prest
Bob Prest.
Made a name for himself as a highly capable F4 pilot in the RAF. I often heard him referred to as a “natural” pilot, whatever that means. He also made a name for himself with his book. The powers that be only found out about it at the last minute but, fortunately, did not ban it and allowed it to be published after a rewrite to avoid any embarrassment to the innocent.
He then flew Jaguars for a Middle East air force where he was known as BCP. He had many claims to fame whilst there. The most famous, I suppose, when he ejected from the back seat, in an incipient spin, below 100 feet. The front seat pilot ejected even later and survived. Good old Martin Baker. There was a 40 knot wind blowing and Bob was dragged for over a kilometre across the stony desert. He was lucky to get out of that scrape.
He then became an airline captain with a major Middle East airline and is the only person I have heard of to go straight into the left seat of a big jet having never sat in the right hand seat of any other aircraft, ever. But that is another story.
He is starting a new job with a cargo outfit further east flying 744s.
Bob, perhaps you will blow the dust off your typewriter and give in to public demand.
Another person who should put pen to paper is R*ck Le*. I wish I had the film rights to his life story.
Made a name for himself as a highly capable F4 pilot in the RAF. I often heard him referred to as a “natural” pilot, whatever that means. He also made a name for himself with his book. The powers that be only found out about it at the last minute but, fortunately, did not ban it and allowed it to be published after a rewrite to avoid any embarrassment to the innocent.
He then flew Jaguars for a Middle East air force where he was known as BCP. He had many claims to fame whilst there. The most famous, I suppose, when he ejected from the back seat, in an incipient spin, below 100 feet. The front seat pilot ejected even later and survived. Good old Martin Baker. There was a 40 knot wind blowing and Bob was dragged for over a kilometre across the stony desert. He was lucky to get out of that scrape.
He then became an airline captain with a major Middle East airline and is the only person I have heard of to go straight into the left seat of a big jet having never sat in the right hand seat of any other aircraft, ever. But that is another story.
He is starting a new job with a cargo outfit further east flying 744s.
Bob, perhaps you will blow the dust off your typewriter and give in to public demand.
Another person who should put pen to paper is R*ck Le*. I wish I had the film rights to his life story.
Meadowbank,
I must have been on the same squadron as you, as I remember T+9 at Alconbury, and what a great time we all had fighting the aggressors. Great outfit (us and them). You'll remember Mac McCready, Nick Morgan, Willy Felger, Keith McRobb, etc I expect. Where we as good as we like to remember?
I must have been on the same squadron as you, as I remember T+9 at Alconbury, and what a great time we all had fighting the aggressors. Great outfit (us and them). You'll remember Mac McCready, Nick Morgan, Willy Felger, Keith McRobb, etc I expect. Where we as good as we like to remember?
