Phantom Friday
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Scruff
Thanks for that info. As I said, I was not sure and where would we be without apocryphal stories (as long as they are good ones).
The Sweep
Thanks for that info. As I said, I was not sure and where would we be without apocryphal stories (as long as they are good ones).
The Sweep
BSweeper
Many thanks for the full story about that RHAG engagement. I'm not sure if you were still down south when the RHAG provider's globe trotting "expert" pitched up at Phandet to show us some high speed footage he'd taken of some our subsequent engagements.....the amount of upwards whip generated in the cable in some engagements cause a few "cor blimeys....."
amongst the assembled multitude..I think there were a couple of instances of it almost flicking the hook back up against the lower fuselage, which as you'd appreciate given the F-4 hook was no mean feat.......
Ah, that's old age for you (mine), for some reason I'd started to think of CM as sort of being "omnipresent".....my mistake....
Rgds
wiggy
Many thanks for the full story about that RHAG engagement. I'm not sure if you were still down south when the RHAG provider's globe trotting "expert" pitched up at Phandet to show us some high speed footage he'd taken of some our subsequent engagements.....the amount of upwards whip generated in the cable in some engagements cause a few "cor blimeys....."

Oh and by the way, despite what has been said, CM was NOT there at the time

Rgds
wiggy
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This is a nice F4 pic but there is something quite odd about it for me.
Firstly, I clearly took it as I have the colour negative but, when I was on 29 Sqn.,I cannot remember ever flying formation with an OCU bird.
Also the crews are wearing white domes and I do remember flying 3 hour sorties in ASI wishing I had one. The head temp was way high and the legs, due to full on air conditioning, were frozen.
There is also a strange pod on the lead ac. I do remember a trial (Trial Unity?) when we flew against the OEU who were trialling a training ECM pod. Does anybody else know what was going on here?
The Sweep
Last edited by BSweeper; 8th Sep 2015 at 16:06.

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Strange Pod
I think its a Bullpup missile pod - used when we fired Missiles at Valley - but i can't see a live missile fitted - the nearest aircraft also seems to have a multi launcher on the right sgt fletcher station - When i was on the OCU we used some of 29 Sqn s jets as they had left some behind before heading to APC at Akrotiri
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-RP
p.s. 419 also flew as 'G' with 23 Sqn after 228 OCU but, since you were on 29 Sqn at the time of the photo, I'd doubt it was a 23 Sqn jet!
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Guys
You are right and thanks RP for the input - well done.
Checking through my logbooks, I flew in 419 some 20-30 times on 29. Al Riley (RIP) and I took it to Keflavik in August 81 - remember the F4s in Iceland badge. However, sorry to be so mis-informed about it appearing to be an OCU bird - I thought all of ours had the Triplex badge (as it indeed has in SF's fantastic pic).
Still not sure what a Bullpup missile was - I certainly never flew with one.
Sweeps
You are right and thanks RP for the input - well done.
Checking through my logbooks, I flew in 419 some 20-30 times on 29. Al Riley (RIP) and I took it to Keflavik in August 81 - remember the F4s in Iceland badge. However, sorry to be so mis-informed about it appearing to be an OCU bird - I thought all of ours had the Triplex badge (as it indeed has in SF's fantastic pic).
Still not sure what a Bullpup missile was - I certainly never flew with one.
Sweeps
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I think its a Bullpup missile pod....
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KenV
I rather suspect you are right. The UK did have a high speed target missile - I forget the name - that we fired Sparrows/Skyflash against on the Hebrides range. This may be what it is - however, it may still be the training ECM pod I originally thought.
No doubt an expert on this forum will have all the answers and certainly more than I can come up with. Cue BEagle/CM!
Sweeps
I rather suspect you are right. The UK did have a high speed target missile - I forget the name - that we fired Sparrows/Skyflash against on the Hebrides range. This may be what it is - however, it may still be the training ECM pod I originally thought.
No doubt an expert on this forum will have all the answers and certainly more than I can come up with. Cue BEagle/CM!
Sweeps
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It is a Bullpup hanging off XV419, but it's the missile body only, they were used as camera pods to record live firings etc, as SF and PEI 3721 have alluded to, and as shown in TEEJ's photo. 
-RP

-RP
BSweeper
"Stiletto"? (Shorts built varient of the AQM-37)
https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightP...20-%202802.PDF
The UK did have a high speed target missile - I forget the name
https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightP...20-%202802.PDF
Last edited by wiggy; 10th Sep 2015 at 06:32.
Yes, it certainly looks like the camera pod we carried for missile firings at STCAAME. The port in the side was for recording Sparrow/Skyflash ejection, motor ignition and initial fly out.
A shame that Duxford could scrounge the radar fuse antennas for their Skyflash there.
A shame that Duxford could scrounge the radar fuse antennas for their Skyflash there.
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Were there any 92 sqdn guys who were on the Deci detachment 30Nov1977 ? see posting 367. Must be someone out there alive and kicking, I remember one of the pilots was Flt Lt Hunt .
Memory also of a brilliant practise display one sunny morning for the Goodwood air show circa 1974. Got right up the nose of one of the locals who went to print in the Chichester observer complaining about the once a year noise! Everyone else loved it .
Memory also of a brilliant practise display one sunny morning for the Goodwood air show circa 1974. Got right up the nose of one of the locals who went to print in the Chichester observer complaining about the once a year noise! Everyone else loved it .
