Another month older, but any wiser? Let’s see! (As usually everything is military and post ’45.)
That was fast – again!
Correct.
I decided to be picky today. Wrong or something missing.
>>> Those I filled in.
#1 — the ABL YAL-1
1.1. What are “COIL”, “BILL” and “TILL”?
1.2. Who builds the big mirror?
1.3. Who builds the turret assembly?
COIL = Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser
BILL = Beacon Illuminator Laser
TILL = Track Illuminator Laser
All three are built by Northrop in El Segundo I think.
Brashear LP in Pittsburgh, PA builds the turret assembly.
But that big mirror is built by somebody else!
>>> The big mirror is built by Xinetics Inc., Devons, MA
#2 — What are the differences between the F-84F and the RF-84F?
Right. The intakes, the RF had them in the wing roots vs. in the nose on the F. Plus there were spoilerons and those fences on later modells of the RF. Those guns on the RF have a rather strange position that must have caused considerable problems with the engines when fired.
#3 — What was the first carrier based jet photo reconnaissance aircraft?
The Photo-Banshee was second.
>>> F9F-2P in late 1950, the Banshee didn’t go aboard a boat before June 1951.
#4 — What was the first manned supersonic photo reconnaissance aircraft?
Can’t fool an expert! That handful of RF-100A “Slick Chicks” with their noses full of buldges and fairings. First missions in the spring of 1955.
#5 — When was the last operational Grumman F9F retired? Country, unit, date
Argentina is partly correct, those F9F-2 were the last of their kind in 1969. But some F9F were still used in another country a couple of years later. Cougars they were.
>>> The F9F-8T/TF-9J of VT-4 in 1974.
#6 — There was one USMC fighter unit outfitted with Lockheed single engine jets. Type, dates, unit and base
TO-1/F-80C (not TO-2), VMF-311 “Willy Lovers” from April to September 1948 (transferring to F9F-2), based out of MCAS El Toro (they had left Yokosuka for the jet training).
#7 — The first British air combat mission of the Korean war. Date, aircraft, base, perhaps target
3Jul1950. 12 Seafire F.47s from 800sqn, and 9 Fireflyes of 827sqn from HMS Triumph. Against Kaishu/Haeju airfield.
#8 — Name the last biplane operational on a carrier. Type, unit, approx date of retirement
I mean flying from a deck in a daily routine. Was kind of British, but no Swordfish.
>>> The Supermarine Sea Otter (a biplane floatplane) on HMAS Sydney and HMS Triumph. Last recorded action 19Jul1950, rescueing a downed USN Corsair pilot. Replaced by Sycamore helicopters in mid-1951.
#9 — Name at least 10 aircraft that fly/flew with a disk on top (like the AWACS)
12 plus 2! Wow! E-1 (doughnut-top), E-2, E-3, EC-130V, P-3AEW, WV-2E/EC-121L, A-50, Be-976, Iraqi Adnan-1, An-71/72/74, Chinese Tu-4, Tu-126; plus Japanese E-767 and Indian HS-748.
#10 — Name at least 5 aircraft that fly/flew with two or more GE-J79 engines
Hm. Four we got. A3J/A-5 (RA-5 I count in), B-58, F-4, X-21 (very good!)
But that Super-Tiger never flew and so – one is still missing!
>>> A single U.S. Navy Convair UC-880, used as tanker at Pax River, involved in the Tomahawk testing, blown up at Pax River in 1995 in a cargo-hold bomb test. Of course the engines weren’t called CJ-805, not J79, but the only difference was the name.
#11 — A couple of code names
11.1. “Red Richard”
11.2. “Operation Freloc”
11.3. “Queens Row”
11.4. “College Cadence”
11.5. “White Shoes”
Red Richard – the withdrawl of US military forces and nukes from France.
Operation Freloc – Fast REdeployment of LOCs-getting the Army out of France by April 1967.
Queens Row – the first deliveries of CF-101B’s to Canada.
College Cadence – 318th FIS deploying F-106’s to Korea after the seizure of the Pueblo.
White Shoes – 498th FIS deploying F-106’s to Alaska in 1963.
#12 — What was the last USAFE Tactical Fighter Wing to leave their French homebase? Unit, type flown, date
366th TFW at Chaumont/Chambley/Etain, July 1963, F-84F (not nuclear capable, so they were allowed to stay a little longer).
#13 — What was the last USAF unit to leave their French homebase and where did they go? (the activities of the 9th SRW at Le Tube don’t count, as Beale is the homebase, not Le Tube)
SOC – no. Arthur – could you settle for one?
>>> 26th TRW from Toul-Rossieres to Ramstein, RF-4C, 05Oct1966
To be compleate: 66th TRW on 01Sep1966, 513th TCW on 08Jun1966
#14 — What was the first American military aircraft to make a scheduled landing in the People’s Republic of China?
Had something to do with Nixon, but wasn’t Air Force One. But month and year is right.
>>> On 01Feb1972 a 62th MAW C-141A (S/N 66-00141) from McCord became the first American military aircraft to land in the Peoples’ Republic of China (in support of Nixon’s trip).
#15 — What are THEEESE?
right – aft cockpit of the IL102, left – nose of a IL40. Verrry strange ideas indeed! Do you think that backward facing guy gets seasick?
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April 1, 2004 at 7:45 am