Late '50s to Early '60s Interceptors

TC · by TC » 24 Jul 2010, 08:47

Gums, was it the Voodoo or the Deuce that you nearly "boomed" Lafayette with? :lol:

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 05 Aug 2018, 10:15

VOODOO voodoo Flight Manuals: F-101B/F Voodoo Flight Manual (Later) [& Earlier]

15 Jul 1963: http://www.filefactory.com/file/1i80qqr ... Manual.pdf (81Mb)

01 Nov 1980: http://www.filefactory.com/file/1lcz6jp ... ter%29.pdf (53Mb)

http://aviationarchives.blogspot.com/20 ... later.html

mixelflick · by **mixelflick** » 05 Aug 2018, 19:13

I really liked the Voodo, though I only saw them flying once over Ottowa. At airshows, I saw the following century series...

F-104
F-106

The F-106.. I couldn't believe the wing droop on takeoff (may have been an optical illusion, given heat coming off runway) and speed/noise. The F-104 I recall having a particular howling like noise. Which surprised me, because I was fortunate enough to see plenty of Phantoms fly with the same engine. Maybe it had to do with the intake?

The F-4 was my favorite. Big. Ugly. Fast. LOUD. Great airshow plane

The F-102 was too late for my time, as was the F-100 and F-105. I'm not sure if you count the F-111 as a century series bird, but again was fortunate enough to see several of them. All beautiful birds in their own way, all deadly in their own way too...

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 06 Aug 2018, 20:22

VOODOO Walkaround photos aplenty:

http://aviationarchives.blogspot.com/20 ... round.html

Gums · by **Gums** » 06 Aug 2018, 21:02

Salute!

TNX for the great links, Spaz.

- The Sluf "dive brake" is a more accurate term than "speed brake". And no way using it on an approach, nor was there any reason as the plane had more drag than we wanted. Except for takeoff using Newton's basic rules of F=m*a, we were like the Viper being mre drag limited than weight limited. You know, rolling 8,000 feet on a 9,000 foot runway at Korat with 10 * MK-82.s and two * 300 gallon drops.

- The wimpy tail hook on the Voodoo was so far back that we rolled the nose gear over the departure end barrier one day and were still debating whether to drop the hook. Runway had RCR of 6 or below, as in glare ice!! If not for drag chute and decent headwind we would have used the barrier. So rolled over the cable at 1 or 2 knots and managed to turn around on the overrun. GASP!!!

A RAF or RCAF "Argosy" (?) pilot that had just cleared the runway commented on the radio, "Good show, mate!". He had lied like hell about the approach vis and runway condition to let me take a stab at it.

- @ TC

It definitely was an "almost" boom at Lafayette ( University of Southwest Louisiana in those days). And I was in a VooDoo on a cold, clear morning for that part of the country. As mach is mostly a function of temperature below 30 or 40 miles, I screwed up. I still followed the cardinal rules, " one pass, head into the sun, stay subsonic and have another plane around to put the blame on". Seems a Navy base was close enuf to assign guilt, heh heh. In those days we had old altimeters and they went bat sh!t right before the mach, then stabilized once above the mach. Mine started to unwind and I barely managed to keep the thing at 0.95 or so by chopping power and pulling up into the sun.

I would rate the Thud and VooDoo the premier buzz job jets of the era due to the ease of going real fast and the "hard light" of the burner(s).

Gums recalls those days of old....

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 07 Aug 2018, 06:55

Thanks. I was only referring to SLUF in the Navy S/Bs during carrier approach. Out of interest how did you use AoA, S/Bs for your USAF approach/landings? I think earlier you have indicated you flared a smidgeon to preserve stuff underneath.

Gums · by **Gums** » 07 Aug 2018, 18:15

Salute!

No speed brake used for Sluf approach - boat, especially.

The thing would scrape the deck just ahead of the hook, even when only partially extended.

Most USAF guys did a slight flare to reduce the “impact angle/ descent rate”. After all, the rwy was not moving forward at 20 knots. I personally drove the thing on using the standard AoA bracket unless very heavy, and then only barely flared.

Ask Outlaw.

Gums sends....

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 07 Aug 2018, 19:52

Thanks 'Gums' - did not know that about 'the SLUF S/B'. Just as an off-topic note: The MB-326H Macchi jet trainer had a 'similar' large speedbrake which extended well below the undercarriage IF the solenoid preventing such did not work when wheels down to reduce angle of S/B to be above wheel height. Once in a while I'm told this solenoid switch malfunctioned, bringing fun results but I do not know more than that. Photo via e-mail - VA-12 Ubangi Ubetcha Corsair II.

Without checking my 'vague' impression was that the Corsair II speedbrake did not have the long dangly bit at the end - just the main area. The 'green paint scheme' pic shows the s/b well. https://78.media.tumblr.com/981ae9c827f ... 1_1280.jpg ALSO Iowa ANG greenies: https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Poster-Many-Siz ... hHYKu5x0iw

Corsair II S/B open: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... _1978.JPEG

Then the pair: VA-12 A-7E Corsair IIs near USS Dwight D_ Eisenhower CVN-69 late 1970s

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 07 Aug 2018, 21:09

Long article about the Corsair II with/without improved engines. I note NO S/B in Photo. Some USAF Pilots got lucky....

The LTV A-7 Corsair II
01 May 2018 greg goebel

"...* The US Marines never acquired the A-7, having doubts it was the right fit for frontline battlefield support, and preferring to obtain the improved A-4M Skyhawk instead. However, even before the A-7 went into Navy service, the US Air Force (USAF) had decided to acquire the type as a replacement for the North American F-100 Super Sabre and the Douglas A-1 Skyraider; in fact, three USAF pilots were part of the initial deployment of the A-7A on the USS RANGER, the Air Force men becoming proficient at carrier take-offs and landings, as well as participating in strikes.

The Air Force did want a more powerful engine, settling on the Allison TF41, a license-built British Rolls-Royce non-afterburning Spey bypass turbojet tweaked to US specifications. The first USAF version, the "A-7D", was fitted with an Allison TF41-A-1 with 64.5 kN (6,575 kgp / 14,500 lbf) thrust, and performed its initial flight in September 1978. The TF41 provided a fair step up in power relative to the TF30; some sources hint that the TF41 was well more reliable than the TF30, which had some teething problems. The A-7D also featured a number of other major changes as per USAF requirements, including:..."

Photo: “A-7A/B comes in for a landing (US Navy)” http://www.airvectors.net/ava7_02.jpg

Source: http://www.airvectors.net/ava7.html

outlaw162 · by **outlaw162** » 07 Aug 2018, 21:13

Hi guys,

I vaguely remember a video of an LTV test pilot landing at the old NAS Dallas/LTV factory in foam with the speedbrake fully extended after a malfunction of some sort, possibly connected with some requirement to iso the utility systems, but I can't find it with the obvious searches. The landing as I recall ground a bunch of it off and the aircraft stopped in a kind of weird nose up attitude propped up by what was left. I may be wrong but if it did happen I'm sure taxi in was challenging.

I used a partial flare from the 17.5 bracket AOA for landing.

One day for grins I rolled one on in a full flare with a little extra speed and when I came into ops from debrief a ranting crew chief followed me in carrying one of the main tires which was bare on the outboard portion edges. :shock:

He 'thanked' me for the double tire change. A case of beer made everything all right again. The struts and gear were canted inboard to some extent prior to actual touchdown when they then straightened out like a real airplane. Never did that again.

Our AF advisor, 'Silver' Bulat RIP, always planted the thing like a Navy aircraft and I wondered how he had any teeth left for his usual 'chaw'. I also think planting it did a number on the FLR ranging capability over time.

edit: you can see the cant of the gear in Spazs' pic.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 07 Aug 2018, 21:34

Thanks for the stories - I'll look for the 'trench digger' info. :mrgreen:

Just for comparison here is the A-4C 'dirty' S/Bs open + a bobtail centerline tank. D/Ts on at wing stations had fins, removed from centre due catapult strop entanglement.

http://a4skyhawk.info/sites/default/fil ... midway.jpg

Youse may find the USN A-7 Corsair II Association website interestin'? http://corsair2.us/index.html

Many USN/USAF & others photos: http://corsair2.us/photos.html

WonkyWheels: http://corsair2.us/uploads/3/4/4/7/3447 ... onhand.jpg

MORE crazy wheels (note pilot looking left at the ball, LSOs close watch): http://corsair2.us/uploads/3/4/4/7/34474709/1658482.jpg

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 07 Aug 2018, 22:19

Pilot comment:

"...Unlike the F-8, the A-7 wing did not pivot, so the approach speed was quite high making carrier landings challenging.... It was difficult to handle on a wet runway mostly due to high residual idle thrust and high landing speeds...." https://www.quora.com/How-popular-was-t ... -4-Skyhawk

VOUGHT A-7E CORSAIR II SALES FILM "IN CORSAIR TRADITION" 76954 [MANY INFORMATIVE DETAILS]

outlaw162 · by **outlaw162** » 07 Aug 2018, 22:43

I would rate the Thud and VooDoo the premier buzz job jets of the era due to the ease of going real fast and the "hard light" of the burner(s).

A comment about the VooDoo,

When I was at Niagara waiting for my F-101B checkout, a little podunk burg on the south-east shore of Lake Ontario requested an F-101 'flyby' at their 'little podunk airport' for some appropriately patriotic occasion. A part-time Guardsman, who was also a respected newspaper editor in NYC led the 4-ship 'flyby'.

Beware of part-timers.

The letter that came back to the CO, with cc to State HQ, thanked the Niagara NYANG profusely for its brilliant display of....

...."Air Dare-Deviltry". :shock:

Needless to say, all future "Air Dare-Deviltry" was cancelled.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 07 Aug 2018, 23:39

Hahaha. BEWARE of MUTHAs also. Macchi pair of RAN FAA tyros go for a navex overnight up north. Fly over the farmhouse of one pilot family. Mother writes a nice letter to our CO NOWRA thanking him 'for the display' (whatever it was) etc. :mrgreen:

Captain of NAS Nowra forwarded letter to CO 724 then according to LINEBOOK Senior Pilot called in the perpertrators (result OK). :doh:

Nanango is at TOP LEFT CORNER above letter, they stayed o'nite RAAF Amberley. 'The pilot' later transferred to RAAF after our Fixed Wing Folded in 1984 to fly F-111s from AMBERLEY - did he do it again? Dunno. :roll:

Click the pic to zoom in to read the letter. Early RAAF aero team in 1968 "TELSTAR" with speed brake down (dirty config).

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 28 Aug 2018, 23:23

McDonnell F-101 Voodoo Booklet #1 (Revised)
28 Aug 2018 Aviation Archives

"One of the promotional pamphlets issued by McDonnell Aircraft for the F-101 Voodoo."

PDF DOWNLOAD: https://www.docdroid.net/HhxMBTt/mcdonn ... klet-1.pdf (1.4Mb)

Source: http://aviationarchives.blogspot.com/20 ... vised.html