Compared to Distiller’s last one, i think it’s very gentle.
First check-up… with contributions so far by Frank, SOC, EWR, Fantasma and Dutchy
Even though i think Distiller’s still busy, another check-up in green
To make your eyes hurt even more, the final corrections in purple.
Wrong answers given so far are obviously red
-1-
Of the following aircraft, give the variant with the most prominent hunchback, or just the hunchback variant if only one applies.
a- A-4
Frank’s A-4E will do, but it would be nice if all the other variants could be mentioned too…which Jeroen did with mentioning the N, OA-4M, M, KU and L. A few more variants to go…
b- MiG-21
EWR is correct with the SMT
c – F-105
The F-105D T-Stick II is the one i was looking for. Some 30 were modified with LORAN in an enlarged spine, and an improved radar. This should make navigation and bombing more accurate for use over Vietnam, but the system never got to work reliably enough so the T-stick IIs flew from the US only, first with the 23TFW (McConnel AFB), later with 457TFS, AFRes, at Carswell AFB.
d – MiG-29
Again the biggest hunchback-Fulcrum is called SMT (although not necessarily humpbacked), Sean this time.
e – F-16
All answers given so far combine well: the F-16’D’s as flying for Israel, Singapore and Greece, as well as the F-16I and the Block60
f – Su-17Good job for EWR, the Su-22M4 (or Su-17M4 as they are airframe-wise identical, amongst others) is the Fitter with the fattest spine.
-2-
What was the last factory to build:
a – single-engined Hueys
Scratch one for Fantasma, it was Fuji
b – Starfighters
…and another point for Greece, it was Fiat/Aeritalia to build the last F-104 with the exception of one hand-built civilian 104
c – MiG-21s
It wasn’t Nasik 1984, and it wasn’t Gorki in 1985 to build the last MiG-21. In 1986, the last one left the factory at Tbilisi, it was of course a MiG-21UM.
d – Yakovlev fighters
Finally, Distiller has got ’em. The last Yak fighters to be built were the Yak-38M’s delivered in 1988 from Smolensk. The Yak-41 prototypes were actually built before that. As for Sammie’s absolutely brilliant Yak-9 replica-comment, i’m afraid the current ‘production’ Yak-9s are no longer considered fighter aircraft but vintage/replica (which they technically aren’t)/light aviation. But i have to admit, this is me trying to crawl out 😀
e – Sikorsky S-61
I’m actually in doubt about this one myself, but i think the last Sea King built ever was actually an Agusta-built AS-61R / HH-3F for the Italian Air Force, MM81351 c/n 6235, first seen in July 1994. The last Westland-built Sea King, ZH545 c/n W1011 could have been finished but not delivered by then but i’m not sure. Anybody’s help would be appreciated of course!
Still not completely sure about this though. I think the last Westland-built Sea King was later than 1990. It could well be a matter of months between the two plants.
-3-
A number of European countries designed their own bizjets, and took them up into their air force. Name the countries, and the bizjet(s) involved. I want at least four, extra credit for the fifth one.
French Da20, -50, 900 – check.
German HFB320 Hansajet – check
Britain’s BAe-125 – check
Italy’s PD808 – check.
The Italian Airbus does not count, obviously. It’s a modified airliner, nothing more. Just like the Dutch F70 (for those who don’t know, the Dutch government has a Fokker 70 for VIP-stuff).
The bonus-fifth is missing, i’m actually counting on Distiller for this one as it’s tricky. I’m also still missing two French types, one familiar one, one less so.
Missing were the French Falcon 10, an extra-small Falcon used by the French Navy for patrol work, and the SN601 Corvette, a pretty much failed twin-engined bizjet which had been used by the CEV
The bonus one is the Learjet in the Swiss Air Force. William Lear designed the Learjet when he was living in Switzerland, based on the Swiss wing which was designed by FFA for the P-16 attack plane. It was originally planned to built the bizjet in Switzerland by a new company called SAAC (Swiss-American Airplane Company, with substantial input by FFA. This didn’t go fast enough according to Lear, so eventually he started production (initially with some FFA-built components) at Wichita, Kansas
-4-
What was the last base and/or unit (i’ll be nice) to operationally fly the:
a – Yak-28P
I’m glad some people eventually started reading that Yak-28P post i made… it took me a lot of translating! 641IAP it was, at Novaya Zemlya, in 1988.
b – F-105
The final Thuds flew from Hill AFB, UT where they were in the 466TFS/419TFW, an AFRes unit. This squadron also flew the only European One (green/green/grey) camouflaged Thunderchief ever.
MM81350
c – Buccaneer
Yeah, Lossie. With 208sqn until 1994
d – C-119
Finally! Taiwan retired it’s last C-119s only in late 1997.
e – USAF OA-37B
SOC has got ’em – the 24th Wing at Howard AFB, Panama.
f – RF-4B
VMFP-3 at MCAS El Toro indeed was the last operator of the Marines’ Recce Rhino. As for there being two variants: well, do you mind if i say three? The last 12 of 36 examples were built to F-4J standards (structurally, engine-wise and with wing bulges for the landing gear), and were called RF-4B’s while being inside the block allocations (41 and 43) for the F-4J. The last three of those had the ’round’ nose instead of the chisel-nose, and had one camera fixed which was moveable in the other 43 RF-4Bs.
-5-
Name the two different types of push-prop aircraft serving with the one European air force i’m also asking.
The P180 Avanti is one of two push-props with the Italians, now which is the other one?
Milavia has got the other one, the Piaggio P166.
-6-
Two countries developed light armed variants of Alouette helos. Name the countries, name the sort of Alouette used, and name the armament-toting Alouettes.
India’s Cheetah upgrade of the Alouette Lama (an Alouette II with an Alouette III engine) is one, but there is a far more agressive looking but hardly more capable shoot-Alouette.
As Jeroen pointed out, it’s Romenian. More!
-7-
What was the first country to retire the…
a – MiG-25
Bulgaria it was.
b – MiG-29
Having flown them almost exclusively at airshows abroad, the Czechs indeed retired theirs and were the first to do so.
c – A-4 Skyhawk
Australia retired theirs when they lost their carrier HMS Melbourne, in 1982.
d – F-104 Starfighter
It was Spain, the US kept the F-104 in service with the Puerto Rico ANG until 1975, three years after Spain retired theirs. Jordan flew them until 1982, Pakistan until 1975.
-8-
For a very short time, the USAF operated a twin jet transport in lizard camouflage in a role where such camouflage was absolutely unnecessary. Which aircraft was this, what was the role it was used for, and what happened with the aircraft?
Yes, the incredibly hideous C-29A it is! These were BAe 125-800s (well, they are called Raytheon in the US like all the other stuff the world is not to know that it’s not an American design) painted in European One camo, for facility checking missions. They only served with the USAF for a year or two, three. After that they went to the FAA for which they still fly (serialled N9x ), now flying in boring bizjet-colours rather than ugly lizard camo. Good call, Pegasus!
-9-
There are two airbases in Europe at which Skyhawks are based. Which ones?
Cazaux is the well-known correct answer given so far…
The other ones are at Wittmund, these ex-IDF/AF A-4Ns are with BAe Systems and replaced the F-100F’s in the target tug role.
-10-
What is the meaning of the following Soviet/Russian subvariant designations?
Milavia has got rough translated meanings, now i want the words behind the acronyms
a- Su-25BM
Buksir Mishen’ (different endings for different cases) it is, meaning Target Tug.
b- Ka-25Ts
Tsele’ykazatel’ – “Targeteer”
c- Tu-16PP
Postanovchik Pomekh, Jamming Station
d- MiG-25RBS
Razvedchik-Bombardirovchik, Sablya – Recce-Bomber, with Sablya SLAR
e- MiG-23MLD
Modifikatsii, Lyogkii, Dorabotnyi – Modified, Lightweight, Updated
f- Su-15TM
Taifun modifikatsii – Typhoon (radar) modified
g- Mi-6VKP
Vozduchnyi Komandny Punkt, meaning Airborne Command Post.
-11-
What was operation Northwood?
Milavia’s got it! It was a cunning plan by a bunch of high-ranking generals in the Chiefs of Staff, to start a war with Cuba by attacking targets in the US and blame those acts on Cuba. Somehow, the Kennedy administration didn’t approve it.
-12-
Second hand stuff: who was the previous military owner/operator of the following aircraft:
a- Dutch CH-47D
Yes, they were ex-Canadian
b- USAF E-8 (two answers)
Canada is correct.
Another contributor to the E-8 fleet was the Luftwaffe, as Pegasus noted.
c- Thai Harriers
Yes, these are the ex-Spanish AV-8S Matadors.
d- Belgian SF260 (some)
In 1990, Belgium added 7 SF260s to it’s training fleet. Previously, these seven aircraft had flown with the Burmese Air Force.
e- Indonesian A-4E
Israeli they were.
f- USAF F-4G (some)
Indeed, 21 of the to-be F-4G’s were in the Australian F-4E lease, while waiting for the F-111C to arrive.
g- Soviet Il-28s deployed to Cuba in 1962
I can’t really blame anyone for not knowing this. But a reasonable number of the Beagles the Soviets deployed to Cuba, were ex-Hungarian. These aircraft had been in storage in the Soviet Union (most likely at Kirovograd in the Ukraine) since 1956, when the Hungarian Spring was crushed, and the Hungarian military put on a leach by their Soviet puppet masters. When the Soviets quickly needed more gear to expand their OrBat in Cuba, some of the Beagles prepared and delivered from the maintenance plant for deployment were ex-Hungarian ones.
h- Hungarian L39
These got their L39ZO’s from German stocks, after reunification.
i- Peruvian Su-25
Former Belarus of course.
j- Israeli S-65 (three of them)
After some random shots, Flood has got ´em± Israel took over the three Austrian S-65s.
k- the latest RAF Puma’s.
Yep, the RAF’s new Pumas were previously used by the SAAF.
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January 14, 2004 at 8:48 pm