Any Phantom stories out there?
Join Date: Aug 2010
Age: 91
Posts: 144
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Folding Wing FGR2s
Dave - please don't consider that as you didn't actually fly the F4s out of Wattisham you are not part of the story - you are driving your vauxhall to watch the F4J s last flight is all part of the nostalgia !
I don't have my notes with me but in the front of the RAF FGR2 manual is a list of aircraft that had hydraulic wing folding - roughly it was XT891-XT914 and then XV393- XV400 approx no idea why the RAF stopped then
I don't have my notes with me but in the front of the RAF FGR2 manual is a list of aircraft that had hydraulic wing folding - roughly it was XT891-XT914 and then XV393- XV400 approx no idea why the RAF stopped then
Tartare, I'm back. Some great dits here, Guys.
The F4 at very high level does bring a similar event to mind. I was flying FGR2s on 29 and we were getting ready for an MPC. One of our firings was to be a Sparrow/Skyflash against a very high altitude STILETTO target. My nav and I were sent out over the North Sea to try out the acceleration and climb profile that had been devised by our QWI.
We carried out the prescribed series of stepped climbs which put us up around 45,000 and at maximum mach for our final pitch up (to lead the dot) and simulated firing. My youthful enthusiasm took us to about 75 degrees nose up in full blower, rapidly climbing through FL660
The response to my attempt to roll inverted and pull resulted in lots of buffet and pedal shaker, but very little change in attitude. Everything then went very quiet as the donks stopped, followed by a cockpit full of fog and the onset of pressure breathing. I decided to hold everything central and enjoy the ride. Actually, there was very little else I could do.
The F4 was as good as gold, as LTCT said, and flew a lovely ballistic arc and ended up in denser air, nose down and accellerating. The engines relit without a glitch and we went home to explain to the assembled team in Friday ground training how not to fly the new Stiletto profile.
More to come...
The F4 at very high level does bring a similar event to mind. I was flying FGR2s on 29 and we were getting ready for an MPC. One of our firings was to be a Sparrow/Skyflash against a very high altitude STILETTO target. My nav and I were sent out over the North Sea to try out the acceleration and climb profile that had been devised by our QWI.
We carried out the prescribed series of stepped climbs which put us up around 45,000 and at maximum mach for our final pitch up (to lead the dot) and simulated firing. My youthful enthusiasm took us to about 75 degrees nose up in full blower, rapidly climbing through FL660
The response to my attempt to roll inverted and pull resulted in lots of buffet and pedal shaker, but very little change in attitude. Everything then went very quiet as the donks stopped, followed by a cockpit full of fog and the onset of pressure breathing. I decided to hold everything central and enjoy the ride. Actually, there was very little else I could do.
The F4 was as good as gold, as LTCT said, and flew a lovely ballistic arc and ended up in denser air, nose down and accellerating. The engines relit without a glitch and we went home to explain to the assembled team in Friday ground training how not to fly the new Stiletto profile.
More to come...
Sorry, I know a lot of you have seen this before, but most of my F4 stories are in My Journal
Chapters 5, 6 and 7.
Chapters 5, 6 and 7.
Last edited by Courtney Mil; 10th Aug 2012 at 14:00.
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SW PORTUGAL
Posts: 298
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Entertaining incident
In 1976, I attempted a M2.0+ flight in an F4M.
On the Auth sheets, it said IREX 10 with an experienced RAFG pilot undergoing his IRE training. For this flight he was flying from the rear seat, and unusually, the aircraft was “clean wing” since we were also conducting the ACT phase on one of the courses. Since the student was doing very well on his course, and since we had a clean a/c, I suggested the high speed thing to him. He readily agreed.
Out we went to the area off the North Norfolk coast and in the generally recommended manner, we went up and down several times in max power to achieve ever increasing speed, but slowly. Some thousands of pounds of Avtur later, we had about M1.85 on the clock and all was progressing well, when a very loud bang occurred associated with some airframe vibration. From my perspective in the front seat, there was a singular lack of Telelight captions, or indeed anything else. Some relief to be gained there, but no explanation of the aforesaid events. No great thrills, so no drills required, so out of burner, left hand down a bit, back towards Coningsby, and slow decelerating descent.
Conspiring not to mention speed to anyone we handled the aircraft at slow speed without event and entered the Coningsby circuit for a couple of touch-and-goes flown from the rear. Not a particularly easy exercise, but it was going well until the fullstop version which was smoothly and fairly accurately flown to a position quite close to the runway. A fast taxi, and we were all the way onto 08.
In dispersal, the groundcrew showed a fair amount of interest in the mud spattered Phantom with the missing panels. For that was what had occasioned the big bang and airframe vibration. Two large underside engine panels were gone. Missing. Never to be seen again.
I bought the beers since I allowed the student to err. He became known as “Threshhold” since this was not dissimilar to his real name, which, of course, remains anonymous. As does mine.
On the Auth sheets, it said IREX 10 with an experienced RAFG pilot undergoing his IRE training. For this flight he was flying from the rear seat, and unusually, the aircraft was “clean wing” since we were also conducting the ACT phase on one of the courses. Since the student was doing very well on his course, and since we had a clean a/c, I suggested the high speed thing to him. He readily agreed.
Out we went to the area off the North Norfolk coast and in the generally recommended manner, we went up and down several times in max power to achieve ever increasing speed, but slowly. Some thousands of pounds of Avtur later, we had about M1.85 on the clock and all was progressing well, when a very loud bang occurred associated with some airframe vibration. From my perspective in the front seat, there was a singular lack of Telelight captions, or indeed anything else. Some relief to be gained there, but no explanation of the aforesaid events. No great thrills, so no drills required, so out of burner, left hand down a bit, back towards Coningsby, and slow decelerating descent.
Conspiring not to mention speed to anyone we handled the aircraft at slow speed without event and entered the Coningsby circuit for a couple of touch-and-goes flown from the rear. Not a particularly easy exercise, but it was going well until the fullstop version which was smoothly and fairly accurately flown to a position quite close to the runway. A fast taxi, and we were all the way onto 08.
In dispersal, the groundcrew showed a fair amount of interest in the mud spattered Phantom with the missing panels. For that was what had occasioned the big bang and airframe vibration. Two large underside engine panels were gone. Missing. Never to be seen again.
I bought the beers since I allowed the student to err. He became known as “Threshhold” since this was not dissimilar to his real name, which, of course, remains anonymous. As does mine.
Mentions of zoom climbs always put me in mind of the NF-104 AeroSpace Trainer. Basically a modified F-104A with an additional rocket motor, reaction control system for exo-atmospheric flight and aircraft system mods to cope with the profile....
The initial climb was at 450KIAS/M0.86 to FL310, then a climbing turn was flown onto the zoom heading, before accelerating at FL350 to M1.9 in full A/B, whereupon the rocket motor was ignited. On reaching M2.15, a +3.5G pull up was flown to 70° n-u, holding the attitude until 16° AoA was reached with minimum pitch rates. At some stage in the climb, the J-79 was throttled back to stay within limits, then shut down at around 85000ft. Zero roll and yaw was essential, initially with aerodynamic control, converting to reaction control somewhere above 110000ft. As the top of the zoom was reached, the tail trim was reset and the aircraft was pitched over to 140° n-d, the speedbrakes were extended and the IAS allowed to build until a re-light could be attempted....
Pilots reached around 120000ft flying this hugely demanding profile - until big head Yeager tried it, screwed up and eventually had to punch out. He tried blaming everyone except himself, but it was clear that he never managed to achieve the +3.5G pull to 70° n-u correctly and failed to reset the tail trim....
The initial climb was at 450KIAS/M0.86 to FL310, then a climbing turn was flown onto the zoom heading, before accelerating at FL350 to M1.9 in full A/B, whereupon the rocket motor was ignited. On reaching M2.15, a +3.5G pull up was flown to 70° n-u, holding the attitude until 16° AoA was reached with minimum pitch rates. At some stage in the climb, the J-79 was throttled back to stay within limits, then shut down at around 85000ft. Zero roll and yaw was essential, initially with aerodynamic control, converting to reaction control somewhere above 110000ft. As the top of the zoom was reached, the tail trim was reset and the aircraft was pitched over to 140° n-d, the speedbrakes were extended and the IAS allowed to build until a re-light could be attempted....
Pilots reached around 120000ft flying this hugely demanding profile - until big head Yeager tried it, screwed up and eventually had to punch out. He tried blaming everyone except himself, but it was clear that he never managed to achieve the +3.5G pull to 70° n-u correctly and failed to reset the tail trim....
Last edited by BEagle; 10th Aug 2012 at 16:53.
Starter door fastening.
I can remember a similar incident on 43 regarding "missing doors". Aircraft landed and the underside starter door was missing. It turned out that not all the fasteners to secure the door had been fitted. Not an isolated incident, after that all fasteners were always done up 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Granada, Spain
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
43(F) Sqdn 1974 - 1976... J/T / Cpl...L Fitt AC
Mixed feelings about my time at Leuchars,
4th July Barbies on the beach by the Eden estuary in the company of the crews and engineers of a 4 aircraft det from Bitburg (I think)... their aircraft fitted with Sargeant Fletcher tanks especially modified to carry Golf Clubs and mucho Budweiser... Watched in amazement when said USAF engineers completed an engine change on of their mounts in about two hours... Changing a Spey took two days as I recall...
A detachment to Leeuwarden sponsored by 323Sqdn KLu.with a side trip to Amsterdam the high point of which had to be one of our number (a member of Leuchars MRT) shinning up a very tall flag pole outside the Royal Palace, intent on having a flag away as a souvenir and having to be coaxed down by the Amsterdam Police; full marks to our JEngO for convincing the police that no further action was required and that the RAF would show him the error of his ways...
Tacevals and Minivals and all sorts of other -vals that invariably were called at 3am... the cascade phone system that was used to bring me and other groundcrew in from Glenrothes... why the hell the airforce put Squadron personnel 25 miles from base Lord knows...
Of me feigning death from radiation poisoning when during one such exercise we were all kitted out in NBC kit doing Op Turn rounds. Exposure time 12 minutes laddie... after 30 minutes with no sign of a replacement, I 'retired and sat under the wing and stripped off gas mask and gloves totally pissed off with the whole stupid game.
Dutch Major as referee came rushing over shouting at me to put my mask and gloves back on... "I'm dead" I said... "Exposure time is 12 minutes I've been out here for half an hour... By your rules I'm dead..." Dutch major looked at me then said totally deadpan ... "you are your replacement and your replacement's replacement... You still have six minutes...."
The line and hangar on our shift was run by a very capable Flight Sergeant and a Chief Tech both of whom like me were fairies. The Flight Sergeant was probably the best and quickest aircraft parker I have ever met, spinning our aircraft into 43's hangar as if they were toys, absolute genius. He could clear the line of 8 aircraft in a matter of minutes... This was in the days before HASes came into existence.
QRA... oh what fun... my favourite time... good company, good food, and lots of it. One particular session coincided with the station's AOCs parade and Q was a good way to avoid the nause but on this particular occasion Ivan decided to have a real probe at the UK defences *must have known it was AOC;s!) First launch came at about 3am with our second aircraft being launched about 30 minutes later. We dragged another a/c out of the hangar and got it armed up then it too was launched... By 7am we had every available aircraft either in the air or recovering, Our brothers on 23 with Lightnings were on standby and had their available aircraft armed and hot to trot... Victor tankers by the dozen or so it seemed.
Needless to say the AOC's parade was a joke; all of the two squadrons eng personnel were far too busy to participate...
Lots of gotchas with the FG1... the LOX bottle door for instance... In 1993 I was put on a course of chemotherapy (Non Hodgkins Lymphoma) which meant I lost all my hair and the damage to my skull was exposed for the first time; multiple gouges in my scalp incurred during Before or After flight inspections when I would inadvertently collide with a semi dropped LOX door panel *(A semi dropped door was an indication to other groundcrew that a replacement LOX bottle was required,)
The dreaded PTR374A V/UHF radio... what a stupid place to put it... floor level left hand side Nav's compartment... Seat pan out for every radio change and that involved just about every aircraft trade... 2 hours plus to do a radio change... or hanging upside down, suspended by the ankles, with a mirror and a torch while trying to repair the soldered connections on the radio mounting tray...
Or down on hands and knees trying to repair Rad Alt cables in the pouring rain or sleet...
Or exploding GTS starters...spitting out bits from Door 19...
Of spectacular wet starts... not so much a problem on The FG1 because we always needed ground power for starts but an FGR2 with a dodgy battery was always good show of pyrotechnics!
Does anyone remember a certain Nav who managed to unlock his canopy at 400Knots... nature took its course of course and whisked it away, leaving one very draughty and nigh-on frozen to death Nav... if memory serves correctly it couldn't have happened to a more deserving chap... Full marks to the QRA team back at Leuchars who had the ice skating Score Cards out waiting for his return... perfect 6's all round...
By the way and in possible answer to a point raised earlier about the non use of the No.7 tank... isn't that where the FGR2's HF Radio was installed; our FG1's weren't fitted with HF.
Lots of memories...
Mixed feelings about my time at Leuchars,
4th July Barbies on the beach by the Eden estuary in the company of the crews and engineers of a 4 aircraft det from Bitburg (I think)... their aircraft fitted with Sargeant Fletcher tanks especially modified to carry Golf Clubs and mucho Budweiser... Watched in amazement when said USAF engineers completed an engine change on of their mounts in about two hours... Changing a Spey took two days as I recall...
A detachment to Leeuwarden sponsored by 323Sqdn KLu.with a side trip to Amsterdam the high point of which had to be one of our number (a member of Leuchars MRT) shinning up a very tall flag pole outside the Royal Palace, intent on having a flag away as a souvenir and having to be coaxed down by the Amsterdam Police; full marks to our JEngO for convincing the police that no further action was required and that the RAF would show him the error of his ways...
Tacevals and Minivals and all sorts of other -vals that invariably were called at 3am... the cascade phone system that was used to bring me and other groundcrew in from Glenrothes... why the hell the airforce put Squadron personnel 25 miles from base Lord knows...
Of me feigning death from radiation poisoning when during one such exercise we were all kitted out in NBC kit doing Op Turn rounds. Exposure time 12 minutes laddie... after 30 minutes with no sign of a replacement, I 'retired and sat under the wing and stripped off gas mask and gloves totally pissed off with the whole stupid game.
Dutch Major as referee came rushing over shouting at me to put my mask and gloves back on... "I'm dead" I said... "Exposure time is 12 minutes I've been out here for half an hour... By your rules I'm dead..." Dutch major looked at me then said totally deadpan ... "you are your replacement and your replacement's replacement... You still have six minutes...."
The line and hangar on our shift was run by a very capable Flight Sergeant and a Chief Tech both of whom like me were fairies. The Flight Sergeant was probably the best and quickest aircraft parker I have ever met, spinning our aircraft into 43's hangar as if they were toys, absolute genius. He could clear the line of 8 aircraft in a matter of minutes... This was in the days before HASes came into existence.
QRA... oh what fun... my favourite time... good company, good food, and lots of it. One particular session coincided with the station's AOCs parade and Q was a good way to avoid the nause but on this particular occasion Ivan decided to have a real probe at the UK defences *must have known it was AOC;s!) First launch came at about 3am with our second aircraft being launched about 30 minutes later. We dragged another a/c out of the hangar and got it armed up then it too was launched... By 7am we had every available aircraft either in the air or recovering, Our brothers on 23 with Lightnings were on standby and had their available aircraft armed and hot to trot... Victor tankers by the dozen or so it seemed.
Needless to say the AOC's parade was a joke; all of the two squadrons eng personnel were far too busy to participate...
Lots of gotchas with the FG1... the LOX bottle door for instance... In 1993 I was put on a course of chemotherapy (Non Hodgkins Lymphoma) which meant I lost all my hair and the damage to my skull was exposed for the first time; multiple gouges in my scalp incurred during Before or After flight inspections when I would inadvertently collide with a semi dropped LOX door panel *(A semi dropped door was an indication to other groundcrew that a replacement LOX bottle was required,)
The dreaded PTR374A V/UHF radio... what a stupid place to put it... floor level left hand side Nav's compartment... Seat pan out for every radio change and that involved just about every aircraft trade... 2 hours plus to do a radio change... or hanging upside down, suspended by the ankles, with a mirror and a torch while trying to repair the soldered connections on the radio mounting tray...
Or down on hands and knees trying to repair Rad Alt cables in the pouring rain or sleet...
Or exploding GTS starters...spitting out bits from Door 19...
Of spectacular wet starts... not so much a problem on The FG1 because we always needed ground power for starts but an FGR2 with a dodgy battery was always good show of pyrotechnics!
Does anyone remember a certain Nav who managed to unlock his canopy at 400Knots... nature took its course of course and whisked it away, leaving one very draughty and nigh-on frozen to death Nav... if memory serves correctly it couldn't have happened to a more deserving chap... Full marks to the QRA team back at Leuchars who had the ice skating Score Cards out waiting for his return... perfect 6's all round...
By the way and in possible answer to a point raised earlier about the non use of the No.7 tank... isn't that where the FGR2's HF Radio was installed; our FG1's weren't fitted with HF.
Lots of memories...
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: The Great Midwest
Posts: 245
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was right out of pilot training, F-4 training, and then off to Korat RTAFB for my combat tour in 1971. I started with missions in Laos dropping where the FAC told us to. Not very rewarding (mainly turning trees into toothpicks. However in the last half of my tour during the dry season I flew 91 night missions flack suppression escorting AC-130 gunships along the Ho Chi Min trail which was a lot better mission. We would be a flight of two but would takeoff independently with on plane heading for the AC-130 and the other going to the tanker. We would rotate between the tanker and AC-130 over about a four hour time frame.
The mission consisted of flying at about 12,000’ with the AC-130 at about 10,000’. We would fly pretty slowly at about 300 kts. in an orbit outside the gunship’s orbit. The way we tracked the AC-130 was by three small lights on the top of its wing put there for that purpose. Everything else was blacked out and of course we flew lights out in the target area. It was interesting keeping track of the gunship as its turn rate in the orbit was higher than ours and we would occasionally loose the tracking lights and would have to guess where it was in its orbit.
We were usually armed with two M36E2 weapons and six CBU-58s. The M36E2 was an old weapon that resembled a 50 gal. drum (with a drag index to match) weighing about 750 lbs. It was filled with 136 thermite bomblets that would burn for a long time. In addition to trying to hit the target with them, they also provided a much needed ground reference. We tried to drop one of the M36E2 during each escort period so that we could have that ground reference for the other aircraft to find us during our rotation to the tanker. The CBU-58 contained a grapefruit sized bomblet and the canister was fused with an FMU-56 radar fuse set to open the canister at 1,500 ft. which provide a good coverage.
When the guns fired at the AC-130 we would track the tracers (could usually tell the caliber of the gun by the number of rounds it fired) and estimate about 100’ down the trajectory to allow for the tracer ignition time. We would call “bulls-eye” so the AC-130 would stop shooting since we would be inside its target area. Then roll in and I would try to keep the approximate target point as I put the pipper on the target. Then as we pulled off the target we had to estimate the AC-130’s position to avoid a mid-air. Fortunately the F-4E had an early version of an automatic release using the radar to input range and a computer calculating the release point based on our trajectory. It wasn’t quite as accurate as the current systems but it was a lot better than a manual release, since it was a dark as being in a cave with no ground references most of the time.
As I mentioned we had to estimate the position of the gunship during our pull-out. One night I had just lost the AC-130 in its orbit when a gun came up. I rolled in on the gun and then I estimated where the gunship was and eased off on my pull-out to miss it. Well I estimated badly and as I came off target this really large black aircraft filled my wind screen; I must have missed the gunship by about 50’. The AC-130s flew with the ramp down and a guy hanging out the back to spot for AAA fire and when I finally got back into my orbit the gunship copilot called me to say I scared the sh*t out of the scanner during the pull-out (I didn’t tell him I had scared the sh*t out of myself).
The other issue was keeping track of the terrain as the AC-130 traveled down the trail as the elevations changed a lot and the karst outcroppings could be pretty steep and the trail generally followed the valleys. I had a good friend that flew into the ground on one of his night missions, probably because he and the WSO lost track of the terrain.
The mission consisted of flying at about 12,000’ with the AC-130 at about 10,000’. We would fly pretty slowly at about 300 kts. in an orbit outside the gunship’s orbit. The way we tracked the AC-130 was by three small lights on the top of its wing put there for that purpose. Everything else was blacked out and of course we flew lights out in the target area. It was interesting keeping track of the gunship as its turn rate in the orbit was higher than ours and we would occasionally loose the tracking lights and would have to guess where it was in its orbit.
We were usually armed with two M36E2 weapons and six CBU-58s. The M36E2 was an old weapon that resembled a 50 gal. drum (with a drag index to match) weighing about 750 lbs. It was filled with 136 thermite bomblets that would burn for a long time. In addition to trying to hit the target with them, they also provided a much needed ground reference. We tried to drop one of the M36E2 during each escort period so that we could have that ground reference for the other aircraft to find us during our rotation to the tanker. The CBU-58 contained a grapefruit sized bomblet and the canister was fused with an FMU-56 radar fuse set to open the canister at 1,500 ft. which provide a good coverage.
When the guns fired at the AC-130 we would track the tracers (could usually tell the caliber of the gun by the number of rounds it fired) and estimate about 100’ down the trajectory to allow for the tracer ignition time. We would call “bulls-eye” so the AC-130 would stop shooting since we would be inside its target area. Then roll in and I would try to keep the approximate target point as I put the pipper on the target. Then as we pulled off the target we had to estimate the AC-130’s position to avoid a mid-air. Fortunately the F-4E had an early version of an automatic release using the radar to input range and a computer calculating the release point based on our trajectory. It wasn’t quite as accurate as the current systems but it was a lot better than a manual release, since it was a dark as being in a cave with no ground references most of the time.
As I mentioned we had to estimate the position of the gunship during our pull-out. One night I had just lost the AC-130 in its orbit when a gun came up. I rolled in on the gun and then I estimated where the gunship was and eased off on my pull-out to miss it. Well I estimated badly and as I came off target this really large black aircraft filled my wind screen; I must have missed the gunship by about 50’. The AC-130s flew with the ramp down and a guy hanging out the back to spot for AAA fire and when I finally got back into my orbit the gunship copilot called me to say I scared the sh*t out of the scanner during the pull-out (I didn’t tell him I had scared the sh*t out of myself).
The other issue was keeping track of the terrain as the AC-130 traveled down the trail as the elevations changed a lot and the karst outcroppings could be pretty steep and the trail generally followed the valleys. I had a good friend that flew into the ground on one of his night missions, probably because he and the WSO lost track of the terrain.
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: home of the donkey jacket
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
phalconphixer. Oh yes the joys of the PTR change and even better trying to replace the PTT foot switch in the rear cockpit. as for the HF that was fitted behind door 61L above the Stabilator PFCU. 99 screws in door 61L and they had to be removed every 30 days to check the pressurisation of the T/R and antenna coupler. The Rad Alt T/R was another bloody nightmare to replace as well, the panel was too high for you to sit under to remove it and too low to stand under meaning you had to remove it in a painful half crouch and almost invariably you would find something nice and sharp to dig into your back as you moved about under the aircraft. Oh the Joys of being a Phantom Phixer!
I think we should have followed the German lead -updated our F4s with a digital cockpit, new radar etc and nursed them along until Typhoon arrived into service in the mid/late 90s
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I had the happiness of being a USAF F-4 WSO/EWO in the late 70s and early 80s. I flew the F-4Cww, F-4D (one sortie, but who's counting), F-4E, and F-4G.
In terms of human factors there are better places to work than the apply named 'pit' of the F-4.
The F-4G was about 35 years ahead of its time. I'd be surprised if the F-22 or F-35 could locate radars in three dimensions as well the F-4G.
Since there is interest in the wing fold systems, the USAF birds I flew all had wingtips that were locked down mechanically. They could and were folded by maintenance at times, folding was a purely manual process. If the wing was unlocked a small red tab popped out of the top of the wing.
One day during my F-4G schooling at George AFB I was standing in my flight commander's office getting an ass chewing for something or other. I don't recall what, but I'm sure I deserved it. Suddenly a hysterical voice came over the PA system yelling for everyone to evacuate the building. So we run out the back door on to the flight line to see two guys gathering up their parachutes.
A minute or so earlier my wife was driving onto the base when she saw an F-4 take off, and then fly a graceful parabolic arc as it rolled to one side. She saw the crew punch out and the airplane crash and blow up in the desert just outside the fence.
She wasn't sure what to do, so she stopped at the gate and told the Sky Cop that an airplane had just crashed, and pointed to the column of black smoke rising into the sky. The Sky Cop told her 'don't worry ma'am, that's just the fire department practicing."
It turns out the crew (student pilot, IWSO) had taken off with one wing unlocked. A few years latter I ran into the IWSO. He was blamed for the crash.
The F-4 could fly fine with both wings unlocked, but not with one locked and one unlocked.
In terms of human factors there are better places to work than the apply named 'pit' of the F-4.
The F-4G was about 35 years ahead of its time. I'd be surprised if the F-22 or F-35 could locate radars in three dimensions as well the F-4G.
Since there is interest in the wing fold systems, the USAF birds I flew all had wingtips that were locked down mechanically. They could and were folded by maintenance at times, folding was a purely manual process. If the wing was unlocked a small red tab popped out of the top of the wing.
One day during my F-4G schooling at George AFB I was standing in my flight commander's office getting an ass chewing for something or other. I don't recall what, but I'm sure I deserved it. Suddenly a hysterical voice came over the PA system yelling for everyone to evacuate the building. So we run out the back door on to the flight line to see two guys gathering up their parachutes.
A minute or so earlier my wife was driving onto the base when she saw an F-4 take off, and then fly a graceful parabolic arc as it rolled to one side. She saw the crew punch out and the airplane crash and blow up in the desert just outside the fence.
She wasn't sure what to do, so she stopped at the gate and told the Sky Cop that an airplane had just crashed, and pointed to the column of black smoke rising into the sky. The Sky Cop told her 'don't worry ma'am, that's just the fire department practicing."
It turns out the crew (student pilot, IWSO) had taken off with one wing unlocked. A few years latter I ran into the IWSO. He was blamed for the crash.
The F-4 could fly fine with both wings unlocked, but not with one locked and one unlocked.
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 543
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just airborne from 23 at Wattisham, gear up flaps up and round the corner on departure. Next minute as we hit about 300 knots there was a LOUD knocking from outside the canopy on the left hand side. I nearly died from shock before visions of the old Kenneth Williams sketch came to mind.
Turned out that the heavy rubber seal that was normally fixed to the lower sill of the canopy had come loose and was hanging outside and banging around in the airflow. I must have been looking at something else when the canopy came down. Certainly no drill for that in the FRCs and it really sounded as if it was going to make a hole in the cockpit side. After burning off we put it back down. Of course, none of my mates mentioned it again.........................
Another time during an airtest. As the negative G came on during the inverted flight check, the INAS came out of its housing on the console and drifted towards the canopy closely followed by a cheese sandwich. It was tricky to phrase the write up for the post flight snag
Turned out that the heavy rubber seal that was normally fixed to the lower sill of the canopy had come loose and was hanging outside and banging around in the airflow. I must have been looking at something else when the canopy came down. Certainly no drill for that in the FRCs and it really sounded as if it was going to make a hole in the cockpit side. After burning off we put it back down. Of course, none of my mates mentioned it again.........................
Another time during an airtest. As the negative G came on during the inverted flight check, the INAS came out of its housing on the console and drifted towards the canopy closely followed by a cheese sandwich. It was tricky to phrase the write up for the post flight snag
Last edited by Geehovah; 12th Aug 2012 at 07:29.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
One I recall was a film of an F4 doing a zoom climb. The rocket duly departed mother earth, the sky became increasingly deeper blue and the contrails brilliant white.
Then the jet started a tail slide down through its contrail, the nose dropped, and it entered an upright spin. Round and down, round and down, the sky became a lighter blue and still the F4 span. Then the canopy went, the GiB ejected followed by the driver. The F4 then ceased rotation and made a smooth wheels up landing on the salt lake.