Anyone know this guy?

[A4sForever]

Great Pic'! Gave me the best belly laugh I've had in a awhile!
(Especially as long as it's at an F-8's expense.)

Your later model A-4 depicted may have been more than mere cannon fodder for a "real fighter" than earlier models... a more worthy opponent, but "I" certainly never saw one from that aspect …except at "the pass."

BTW, what's that ugly thing sticking out above the gun muzzle? Did that driver forget a folding a step? Or was it permanent? Or was that a "secret" and then, a highly classified, A-4 canard? :slaphappy

Jeez, Louise ... I was waitin' for you to finish your post so I could have some warm milk and go to bed.

Never saw one like that??? Good thing you didn't fly with -201/-202 or the Dallas Marines ... 'cause then you would have .... they did.

ACTUALLY .... the few Super Foxes and Mikes/Limas we got did pretty well ... love that 'ol P-408 ... with a 150 gallon centerline and slick wing and all the electonics removed from the hump and nose ... we could go vertical with almost anyone back-in-the-day ... even the F-15's/-16's 'cause they were seldom "fought" properly. Really suprised the Canucks @ Cold Lake with their then-new CF-18's on a det ....

But yeah ... the T-birds and -Echos with the P-8 were the mainstay and acquitted themselves well for a subsonic, old design, in my opinion.



The "step"?? ... permanent ... some guys thought it was a "flash" protector for the intakes --- from blow-back debris from the 20mm muzzles ... but some A/C mods that never carried a cannon (like above - port cannon never there) still had the step on both sides. Soooooooo .... just that ... a step.

Remember the ladder to get up/into the cockpit??? If the ladder wasn't there --- you needed the step to get into the single seat cockpit or the rear cockpit in the two-seater from the port side. Not really needed for the starboard side, as you had the probe to tip-toe on. Sometimes we looked like a ballet dancer balancing on the probe to move up to the front cockpit on a X-country.

Navy ballet. Positively a plie .... just for the Air Force kibitzers .... careful, now .... be graceful.

 

[Harrier Dude]

I remember when my IP took me on my first XC in the TA-4J. I asked him how we were supposed to get down without the ladder. He said "Just shimmy down the probe to the wing and jump off the trailing edge."

I thought he was kidding. I thought for sure I was going to kill myself in all that gear (and size 13 boots) on that little probe while holding on to the canopy rail.

The only plane more difficult to get in/out of on a XC is the TAV-8B. Same basic problem, only no probe to shimmy down. You have to stretch from the front cockpit to the LERX and then walk down the wing. Nearly impossible when flown solo and less than 6' tall (luckily I'm 6'4"). Good times.

 

[Catmando]

.......The "step"?? ... permanent ... some guys thought it was a "flash" protector for the intakes --- from blow-back debris from the 20mm muzzles ... but some A/C mods that never carried a cannon (like above - port cannon never there) still had the step on both sides. Soooooooo .... just that ... a step.

Amazing the things one can forget. I've got some Scooter time, but I totally forgot about that "step". Don't think I ever used it either…just the ladder, or swinging off the probe.

As far as those late model A-4's, I (ahem) knew this guy (ahem) that ran into a Marine section of them in his new, "air-superiority" F-14. Let's just say the ensuing 2 vs. 2 encounter still sticks out in this guy's memory, vividly today… but he ain't gonna talk about it.

 

[A4sForever]

...As far as those late model A-4's, I (ahem) ..... ran into a Marine section of them ..... Let's just say the ensuing 2 vs. 2 encounter still sticks out in this guy's memory, vividly today… but he ain't gonna talk about it.

Yeah, well (*ahem* cough*choke*) ... it wasn't a fair fight.

These Gyrenes are always blathering on about how they are a "Marine Officer" first ... Aviator second. So you were up against two guys who think they're "second" right out of the opening gate ....

Watch out for these guys, however ... they don't believe in points for second place.

In fact, they have been know to eat people's faces .... (*ahem*cough*choke*ahem*)