GW8345

Best I can find, there's some shots that show the sway-brace placement. As far as the suspension hooks, it looks like the forward hook is just aft of the forward sway brace, then you will have another hook 14 inches further aft of the forward one. https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-last-propeller-pulled-corsairs-f4u.html GW

To me the nose looks too small/skinny, looks like they jammed a 1/72 scale nose onto a 1/48 scale bird. GW

The level of detail is giving me flash backs of the real thing, makes me want to go dive the ducts (ie fod check the intakes) again. Very impressive build! GW

Yes, that should be a legal load.

For USN/USMC, The following missile launchers were used from Vietnam to present; AIM-7 Sparrow - For eject launch, just use what comes in the kit since the launcher was recessed in the aircraft. For rail launch the LAU-115 was used for the F-18A-D and for the F-4 the mid-wing stations was the LAU-17. For the F-14 only ejected launched the Sparrow so there's no need for an aftermarket launcher for the Tomcat. AIM-9 Sidewinder - The LAU-7 and LAU-138 (F-14 only) was used from the mid 60's to present day (except for the F-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35 Lightning I

As other's have stated, that is a CNU-188 (called a Blivet), which is a converted AERO-1D Fuel Tank. Early in the Tomcat's career it was authorized to be carried on the forward weapons rail stations but starting sometime in the early 80's that was changed to be only authorized to be carried on station 5R (right aft weapons rail station). That pic linked by LDM shows the weapons rail configured with a BRU-10 and BRU-10 Adapter that was used to carry the Blivet before the BRU-32 Bomb Rails were introduced to the fleet. What's interesting is that it still has

Rob, We always taxied the aircraft over the speed bump, they were made of heavy duty steel so the only issue with taxing over them is that the plane had to come up on power so you had to be careful on what was behind it when directing the bird into spot. Even when we towed a bird out to the line, we would drive over the speed bump with the bird in tow. GW

Rob, Your edits are spot on. That build you linked, the only thing I see is the electrical power cord is plugged into the aircraft and the power cord that is connected to the junction box is "dead-ended" and just lying there. We could never disconnect the power cord from the junction box and don't ever, ever, get caught leaving the power cord unwrapped, even if you are coming back in 5 minutes (it was either plugged into the aircraft or wrapped up). I like how the builder has a grounding strap (yellow wire going from the wing to the yellow/black circle), the

The electrical power junction box was at the "fuel supply unit", there was a toggle switch to turn on/off the electrical power once you had the power cord connected (and prior to disconnecting) to the aircraft. The electrical power for the aircraft was that dark grey box on the speed bump, the cables coming out of it was the power cord that plugged into the aircraft. Some stations, the cord/cable was just one big cable (about 2~2.5 inch diameter), some bases they were multiple cables with large cable ties about every three feet to keep them together. When not in use the cable/cord was neatly w

You got a keeper right there.😉

Pic 1 - Is NAS Oceana and I would say the timeframe is the mid to late 70's. Pic 2 - Is NAS Cecil Field and I would say the time frame is the mid 70's to early 80's. Pic 3 - Is NAS Fallon in the early to mid 80's Pic 4 - I'm thinking this is NAS Key West in the mid to late 80's hth GW

Rob, The "speed bump" housed the air hose and electrical lines for aircraft electrical power. The "fuel line" is actually a hard rubber hose for high pressure air that was used to start the aircraft engine, basically, huffer air. There was a high pressure air "plant" and air storage tanks on the side of the flight line, the speed bump was the connecting lines out to the flight line parking spots. For the electrical, the power cord was connected at the junction where the for the air hose connects to the speed bump and on/off switch was there also. There was no "fue

As already been stated, those are air starter units (huffers) from various USN/USMC air fields. B is the air started unit that was at NAS Oceana, Miramar and Cecil Field back in the late 80's/early 90's. They could have been at at other bases but I know they were at Oceana & Miramar. K was the kind that Fallon had back in the 80's (along with other air fields). It's smaller since it was only the control box and didn't contain any provisions for electrical like the A and B did. A is was the newer type, I think Oceana had those in the late 90's (wasn't something I fe

That's because the Blue Angels are way better than the thunder chickens.