OT Cool pic from the cold war, circa 1967

From my collection...

 

It never ceases to amaze me how much knowledge there is on this forum!

Neat post.

 

really neat picture, but the stories and history that you guys have is what amazes me...

so is it a badger or a bear....?

 

Yes, I think you are right. The www.vf-114.com website had the jet labeled as a Bear but I do remember from an old pic and talk from the F4 pilots that the actual Bear was a turboprop. Both were huge. The website is run by George Jones who is the son of one of the Fighter Jocks that I worked with. Some of his info may not be totally accurate as may be the case for the info from my warped, demented, and booze altered mind.

pigpen

 

If I had been a BT, I might not be here today. During the cruise of '65-'66, on the Kitty Hawk, we had a bad engine room fire. It totally wiped out engine room #3. We lost twelve BT's in that fire. Some of them were found, still trying to man the fire hose, still standing, burned to a crisp. You never hear about many of the things that happen during a war. Those BT's should be the ones getting the honors and atta-boys today. I was extremely lucky to have been scrubbing trays in the scullery, on mess cooking duty, during that time.

pigpen

 

werent these the answer to the US's B-36 long range bomber?

both the Bear and B-36 were HUGE... just like the B-52's

ive got some really cool pictures of planes my dad crashed during the korean *conflict*

 

Brings back memories Pigpen! I was on the Shang, VF-13, fixing Crusaders (AQ, Radar Tech) back then (66-68). Somewhere in my files of pics, got several that one of our F-8 Jocks took of the Bears that would always shadow us.
Too Cool,
Don

 

In ref. to reverse engineering B-29's, the History Channel has a program entitled "Stealing the Supertfortress" that they air every now and then. I think its about 2 hours long. It deals with how the Soviets acquired and reproduced the B-29. At least they knew a good thing when they saw it And here's to all the guys, then and now, putting their lives on the line for MY freedom. Thanks...Sincerely!

 

Great pics... Here's one close to home.

When you need a slightly bigger bullet.

Rolling down Main Street, Roswell, N.M. (I think that's St. Mary's church in the background). There were a number of Atlas missile sites circling Roswell back in the day. Duck and cover, ya'all !

Dan

 

The sure were shiny, huh? From Walker AFB, Roswell.

 

Perhaps this thread isn't all that OT after all. Triva question. What did they call the access panel on the fuselage of the F8 directly behind the cockpit? That's right! The "Buick Hood"! Here's another shot that I like from back in the day. Like we used to say, "Have a HAPPY Navy day!"

pigpen

 

Don't minimalize your contribution to the effort PigPen.

There are NO unnecessary crew on a Military vessel. the jobs may be different and not all are glorious or visible...but EVERY job is important and has an affect on the overall operational preparedness of the vessel.

However good the pilots and other "visible" crew were...their effectiveness would surely suffer if they were returning from a long flight to be given a cold meal on dirty dishes.

Every cog on the wheel is important. You have my respect for having been there serving your country.

 

Thanks a lot. You are too kind. I finally got out of he hot steamy scullery and became a "Phantom Fixer (Phixer)". Over the next twenty years, I became a slightly bigger cog in the machinery and sometimes, every once in awhile, I was the monkey wrench in the gear box. You have to keep those college boy officers straightened out don't you know.

pigpen

 

Exactly Right! Even the rudder pedals had the Boeing logo cast into them! I have watched ever Wings show on Discovery!

 

Eh... whadaya gunna do,,, thats the reason we salute the brass,,, makes em think they run things

 

The Jet was the Badger, the prop was the Bear. BUT! To the average guy in the fleet, any Russian plane was either a Bear (Bomber) or Mig (Fighter).

Kinda like Coke or other brands becoming the generic name for their type of product.

 

The russians didn't only copy the B-29...the Tupolev 154 looks like a 727 and a Tupolev TU-144 "concordski" is a copy of the concorde.....silly russians..

 

didnt the ruski's also build a carbon copy of the shuttle orbiter that they never did quite perfect and abandoned after the cold war?

T

 

not sure, but it wouldn't surprise me..

Tony

 

Thanks for the memory jog. I was a ship's electrician on a bird farm that made Med cruises in the 60's. Ever hear of the three airliners that got hijacked to Aman, Jordan? We were at modified battle stations with armed nukes in the air for 33 days until the hostages were released and the planes blown up. That was a long time to stay puckered but I was a lot younger then.

 

Cool pics, pigpen. I'm a fair bit younger than some of you guys, but when I was growing up in Springfield, IL in the '70's and early '80's, our Air Guard unit flew Phantoms. In fact, my best friend's dad was a back-seater. (He had previously done three tours of 'Nam in P-3 Orions.) I used to love the sight and sound of those F-4's as they would come tearing overhead. Probably the most lasting memory was when the unit celebrated it's 40th anniversary....by putting every flight-ready Phantom they had into the air at the same time. If memory serves, it was over 20 aircraft, and it sounded like hell was coming for you. Gives me chills to this day thinking about it....

Thanks to all of you guys that got out there and busted (or are busting) your butts to protect us. We all owe you a lot!

 

sure thing when you comming over

 

"BADGERS..., we don't need no steenkin "Badgers"...!

One ride in a "Phantom" and suddenly I become an Expert...!

I've got some photo's from inside a KC-135 refueling the Last flight of U.S. (active) Phantoms over Nevada.

I think the German airforce has the F-4's and have training missions over the Desert...!(?)

 

Here's a cool pic I had on my 'puter. WWII, B-17

 

That's a B-17.

 

yeah fiddy the BURAN, a we can do it too response....

http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/rsa/buran.html

 

Well, I'll be damned...

 

The B-29's that raided Japan had very long missions to fly that put them very close to the limit of the fuel. That's why we kept taking islands closer to Japan. In fact, while the Marines were still fighting to take Iwo Jima, a B-29 landed because it was in serious trouble.

 

You didn't know that...???

I've got Cosmonaut medalions from a Russian Shuttle pilot I met in Oshkosh...! I drove him around in a Willys jeep the whole day and let him drive the boat on Winnebago..., it was a fair trade for him...!!!

 

We may have, you never know. PM me with some more specifics about when he was there. I've already received one other PM about serving at Ubon.

Missouri Mike,
F-4's and f-111's are real neat that way. When they come in real low at you they are hard to hear because from the front of a jet all you will hear is the compressor whine. Its after they have passed over you, and you are already dead, that you hear the roar of the exhaust. The North Viet Namese called the F-111's "Whispering Death" because they were so silent coming up on you. You can hardly hear the compressors from the front.

gregga,
I remember when those aircraft were hijacked. Thanks for covering our a$$.

pigpen and fiddy four,
I was enlisted when I served so I know that side of the world. I also got my engineering degree after I got out, so I know that side as well. It helps to know both sides of the world. But we all know why our military runs so well. Our non-commissioned officers run the show. The good officers know it and work with it. The Russians have non-coms, but they have NO power or real authority. As a result their military was and is very inefficient. The only other militaries that have non-coms with real power and authority are the British and the Aussies. Maybe some others.

Good story. One day at lunch, I went to the BX (Base Exchange) and I passed an officer with his hands full of packages so he couldn't return a salute. I snapped him a perfect left-handed salute and kept on going. When I got in the BX I looked out the window and saw him standing there bewildered knowing something was wrong with the salute but not knowing exactly what. Helped to keep them on their toes.