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The Great, Constantly Changing Picture Gallery

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scoolbubba said:
What's the reason for the kneel? I've seen it in pics and films, but never figured out why they do it prior to the cat shot. Is it common to all tailhook aircraft or just the tomcat?
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I was just the LSO :) ... at the other end of the BOAT ... perhaps BigIron can explain it mo' bettah' as he was/is a shooter ... but the birds used to 'squat' when the CAT took up tension ... it didn't matter which type of bird it was ... they ALL 'squatted' when the CAT snubbed 'em up prior to the stroke when everything (whatever nose arrangement & holdback fitting) was attached.

I think a couple of birds that 'needed' the extra AOA off the CAT actually 'extended' the nose strut ... ???
 
scoolbubba said:
What's the reason for the kneel? I've seen it in pics and films, but never figured out why they do it prior to the cat shot. Is it common to all tailhook aircraft or just the tomcat?
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The KNEEL position of the F-14's nose gear served a few purposes. It allowed the Launch Bar on the nose gear to drop. This let the launch bar guide the aircraft onto the catapult track and especially to engage the catapult shuttle for launch.

It also compressed the nose strut so that at the end of the cat stroke, it automatically extended before leaving the deck. This gave the F-14 a noseup pitching moment to rotate the aircraft to a fly-away attitude, without the need of pilot input.

The KNEEL postion was also used in towing F-14 aircraft.

The F-4 and F-14 nose struts were completely opposite for launch. This was because the F-14 used the nose launch bar for the cat shot, and the F-4 used the bridle system. Thus, the F-4's nose strut was fully extended for a cat shot (to provide a much needed nose-up attitude) while the F-14's nose strut was fully compressed to lower the launch bar into the catapult shuttle.

And that's about all I know about that. :sleep_125

launchbar.jpg
 
Mumbles said:
I know Shnugg owns at least a set or two! He's an old Vark alumn.
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I've got one that I wore for years afterwards ... got it off of a VF-114 VARK in exchange for a couple of OK passes ... :D

They were also 'available' at VX-5 @ China Lake ... take 'em down a couple of cases of OLY or Rainier beer on a X-Country ... BINGO -- you got an ORANGE Zoom-Bag ... :D
 
A4sForever said:
I've got one that I wore for years afterwards ... got it off of a VF-114 VARK in exchange for a couple of OK passes ... :D

They were also 'available' at VX-5 @ China Lake ... take 'em down a couple of cases of OLY or Rainier beer on a X-Country ... BINGO -- you got an ORANGE Zoom-Bag ... :D
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In my NavAir recruiting manuals, everyone had one - an orange flight suit - but were phased out by the time I started training. I always secretly wanted one (but would never let one of those Varks know).

But I did (and may still have) a Nomex pure white flight suit, and a white torso harness... you know, so the atomic blast/rays wouldn' t fry me. :D :o
 
Catmando said:
... But I did (and may still have) a Nomex pure white flight suit, and a white torso harness... you know, so the atomic blast/rays wouldn' t fry me. :D :o
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WOW ... LEGEND!!!!

SIOP !!!!

Goin' DOWNTOWN on VLAD and/or SHANGHAI !!!

The "NUKE" suit !!!

I saw one ... heard of many ... never had one ... so I had to settle for an old school Khaki, a Cherry Red (China Lake), a Royal Blue w/shoulder pads (don't remember where that one came from, but it looked GOOD in the C-12 w/ spit-shinned shoes :D) ... an ORANGE bag (mentioned above) ... and the issue couple of first generation 'NOMEX' really, really flimsy' (but breathable) 'tropical' green bags ... and the many, many 'heavier' feldgrau (German WW2 color) NOMEX bags of the '70s and '80s ... :)
 
A4sForever said:
I ... but the birds used to 'squat' when the CAT took up tension ... it didn't matter which type of bird it was ... they ALL 'squatted' when the CAT snubbed 'em up prior to the stroke when everything (whatever nose arrangement & holdback fitting) was attached....
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A lot of guys had the shit scarred out of them when they transitioned from the F-4 to F-14.

The F-4 cat shot was straight forward, honest, and no funny business. You saluted, and off you went. If it squatted, (and it may have) I don't remember it.

The F-14 was different. You saluted, and instead of "off you go" there was a 'jerk', then a hesitation, and only then - which seemed like an eternity - "off you go". I know a lot of guys (myself included) that on our first few F-14 cat shots, we thought something had gone wrong, something had broken, etc.

Today I guess the jerk and delay were the initial remaining squat of the aircraft before being hurled off the deck. But the F-4 with its different bridle system didn't have that awful jerk and delay.

Although my RIOs always took a cat shot with their hand by the D-handle, on my first few F-14 cat shots, I thought about reaching there too. :eek:
 
A4sForever said:
WOW ... LEGEND!!!!

SIOP !!!!

Goin' DOWNTOWN on VLAD and/or SHANGHAI !!!

The "NUKE" suit !!!

I saw one ... heard of many ... never had one ... so I had to settle for an old school Khaki, a Cherry Red (China Lake), a Royal Blue w/shoulder pads (don't remember where that one came from, but it looked GOOD in the C-12 w/ spit-shinned shoes :D) ... an ORANGE bag (mentioned above) ... and the issue couple of first generation 'NOMEX' really, really flimsy' (but breathable) 'tropical' green bags ... and the many, many 'heavier' feldgrau (German WW2 color) NOMEX bags of the '70s and '80s ... :)
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The "NUKE" suit I got was from my boss at NADC. He got his at TPS, and asked if I wanted one. Hell yes, I said. (Never wore it in public, though.)

I never did get the "gold visor". But a few guys at NKX had them.

The white torso harnesses were given to all new T-2 SNAs in VT-7 at Meridian. We hated them, and if you knew/bribed/cumshawed a 'rigger' you could get a "real green torso harness" just like the instructors had... so you didn't stand out so bad! And for a case of beer, you could even get the salty, cut-away version. :)
 
Catmando said:
..The white torso harnesses were given to all new T-2 SNAs in VT-7 at Meridian...
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No shit ???

What year were you there ... ???

The 'gold visor' was STILL available @ NUW in the early '70s ... but only 'visible' @ the WEPs School ...
 
Catmando said:
Checked in Oct. '68.

Unfortunately, my hometown paper published a photo of me in that 'ugly' and unwanted, white torso harness.

whitetorso0001.jpg
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WOW !!!

You must have been a 'slo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oow' STUD ... :D 'Cause I caught up to you in WestPac ... :D

My hometown paper published a pix of me that ID'd me as a Greek god AND baby Naval Officer ... 'cept my Adam's Apple was about 3" stickin' out (!!!) as I was so skinny (think muscular & fit :D:eek::sleep_125) ... I'll see if I can find it and put it up on the website w/ 'appropriate' editing ... :D:sleep_125
 
A4sForever said:
WOW !!!

You must have been a 'slo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oow' STUD ... :D 'Cause I caught up to you in WestPac ... :D

My hometown paper published a pix of me that ID'd me as a Greek god AND baby Naval Officer ... 'cept my Adam's Apple was about 3" stickin' out (!!!) as I was so skinny (think muscular & fit :D:eek::sleep_125) ... I'll see if I can find it and put it up on the website w/ 'appropriate' editing ... :D:sleep_125
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Hey. Eat your heart out, attack puke!

Timing is everything!

When I got to NKX, I was put in a six-month pool :icon_boun with no reporting requirments.... until some guy in our pool wanted his paycheck sent to Mexico while he was on vacation. After that, we had to muster once a week... and then were dismissed for the week. Tough duty!

So we had a paid, 6-month 'summer-of-love', sort of, vacation in San Diego. :D Yeee Haaah!!

Then later since another guy just beat me out at CQ, he immediately joined the Ranger, while I joined my squadron just starting turnaround work-ups for another few amazing months at NKX.

Back then I lived under a very lucky star! :D:D
 
Catmando said:
Hey. Eat your heart out, attack puke!

Timing is everything!

So we had a paid, 6-month 'summer-of-love', sort of.....! :D:D
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Timing is ALWAYS EVERYTHING !!!

Fighter Puke ... :D

And I hear you on the 'summer of love' ... as I almost dropped out 'cause of this ... :)


endless-summer.jpg


I really, really DID want to surf that little, deserted beach in South Africa ... :)
 
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