GW8345

Same color as the tail cone interior, in fact, the whole engine bay was same color as the tail cone.

To confirm, it is a LAU-3 Rocket Pod (19 shot) with RADHAZ barrier, RADHAZ barriers are required on board USN ships. As for fairings, the are installed after loading the pod on the aircraft and are usually used when RADHAZ barriers are installed. On ship, barreies are mandatory, fairi gs are optional.

The missiles were painted FS 17875 as stated but they weathered/faded differently then the aircraft so if your missiles and aircraft are the same shade, you're doing it wrong. 😄 The one thing about missiles, they are well maintained and cleaned regularly (especially when they are downloaded). If they get dirty after loading they are cleaned so there shouldn't be any hand prints on them. Examples of white missiles on Grey/White aircraft. https://www.ar15.com/forums/general/10_Years_Gone__the_F_14_Tomcat_s_Last_Flight/5-1911912/

Maybe but all the A-7E's I saw on the flight line at NAS Cecil Field had zinc chromate painted on the interior areas (except for the cockpit). We aren't talking about modern day primer's, the primers we are talking about are at least 34 years old or older. Kind of funny how the spray paint we used to do touch ups for panels (inside) was labeled yellow zinc chromate.

Yes, the zinc chromate was used even up to the last cruise (VA-46 and 72 in 1990/91). https://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cv67-91/051.htm

When I was in A-7E's (VA-82 1984-87) the tail cone was zinc chromate yellow but very dirty Here's a pic from the 85 Cruise Book, this is a VA-86 bird but our birds were the same color (inside); USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Mediterranean Cruise Book 1985 - VA-86 (navysite.de) USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Mediterranean Cruise Book 1985 - VA-86 (navysite.de) VA-82 birds USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Mediterranean Cruise Book 1985 - VA-82 (navysite.de) USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Mediterranean Cruise Book 1985 - VA-82 (navysite.de) other A-7's a-7e_158825_335mira_05_of_22.

the blue for the blue stripes (and over all inert bombs) is FS35109. ;-)

Never heard a maintainer call them slime lights, they were always referred to as formation lights. Agree with ALF, never heard Hornets called bugs, they were always Hornets and when the Super's came around we called them either Legacy Hornets or Baby Hornets.

But....But....But....1/72 scale is dead, no one builds 1/72 scale anymore!!! BTW, Dutch, I have an extra set of that sheet if you want it, just PM me your address. GW

For USN/USMC; The majority of inert bomb bodies (Mk 80 Series, small caliber practice bombs, etc) will be overall blue (FS 35109), rarely will you see inert Mk 80 Series Bomb Bodies with blue stripes. As Joe mentioned, the inert BLU-109 warhead will have a blue stripe, it's kind of the exception, all other bomb bodies will be overall blue. You may see museum birds with inert bombs with blue stripes, that is not fleet representative. The above is for bomb bodies, missiles are a different story. Generally, the CATM-9 is overall blue but other missiles will be painted as n

Since we are talking about Dual Launcher Adapters (DLA), the USN had a DLA that was used (rarely) on the A-4 Skyhawk (station 2 and 4) and tested on the A-7 Corsair. The adapters were called the ADU-316/A (LH) and the ADU-315/A (RH) that allowed two AERO-5A-1/-2, AERO-5B or ADU-299 (w/LAU-7) to be mounted. This allowed either two AGM-45 Shrike's or two AIM-9 Sidewinder's to be loaded. There is a picture of the adapter with a AERO-5B (says it's a 5A but it's really a 5B) and a ADU-299/LAU-7 loaded on an A-7 while being tested in 1975 at China Lake; http://www.chinal

It was VFP-63 attached to CVW-8 on the USS Nimitz.

My attempt at the Hasegawa/Ventura 1/72 RF-8 conversion; Decals came from the Mircoscale EA-6A sheet that had VMCJ-1 markings and spare decals. Been waiting for years to have a decent kit of the RF-8 Crusader in 1/72 scale released, glad someone finally stepped up to the plate to do one. Now, what do I do with my other Airmodel, Ventura and RVHP conversion sets?

All ordnance comes from the manufacture in the specified color and the only painting done by the "fleet" is minor touch up painting. If a piece of ordnance requires complete painting it has to be sent back to the manufacture for rework. (the only exception to this rule is inert ordnance, they can be painted at the weapons department level with approval. Missiles are "babied" out in the fleet, they are not stored for long periods outside, are cleaned regularly and are handled with care (relatively, what ordnanceman consider "care"). When the switch over from

Technically, the "NACA Vents" (which are the injector air inlets) just behind the main landing gear are as follow; Left side (Port Engine), outboard nacelle Right side (Starboard Engine), inboard nacelle

In 2014 the Sparrow was still a front line missile and was carried occasionally in combat. For the LAU-117, as stated above, is used by every aircraft that is authorized to carry/employ the AGM-65 Maverick.

For the Sparrow - AIM-7M Always a pleasure to help out. 😉 GW

The designator pod would go on the left cheek station (left intake station / station 4). For that time frame they would be carrying AIM-9X's on the wingtip's and you can put a Sparrow on the right cheek station (right intake station / station 6). I would also recommend a centerline (station 5) drop tank along with a tank on station 7 (this was called double ugly), F-18's are famous for needing all the gas they can get. For station 3, I recommend an empty pylon on it, they normally won't remove the pylons unless they absolutely had to so an empty pylon would be more realistic. You don't have to

Correct, they are "dumb" weapons so no designator is require, however, as mention above, they are usually carried no matter what is being flown (unless it is not permitted next to what is being flown on station 3) Also, it is legal to fly 4 x GBU-31 (sta 2/3/7/8) and a ATFLIR Pod on station 4, the pilot will just have a reduced field of view for the pod but it is a legal load. Post what you want to load on it and I can tell you if it's a legal load. 😉 GW

Yes, this is a legal load, did they ever do it, who knows.

All Mk 20 / CBU-99 / CBU-100 Rockeye's have been replaced by the CBU-99B/B Rockeye in Aug 2008. ATFLIR is not required to carry and employ JDAM's, the aircraft can generate GPS coordinates.

It depends on the time frame, before 2011 (Feb) you could use the M904, MXU-735, Ogive or DSU-33. The M904 went away (for USN/USMC) in Feb 2011 so that left only the MXU-735, Ogive or DSU-33 and the weapon was fuzed with a tail fuze.

For the F-14A+ with painted over ECM Antennas, they came from the factory like that, the squadrons didn't paint them over. VF-74 and VF-103 had brand new F-14A+'s during Desert Shield/Storm, both squadrons got them only about 18 months prior to going on cruise (Aug 90) for DS.

As stated above, for an early F-14B (F-14A+) the cockpit is the same as an F-14A so you can use a F-14A cockpit for a F-14A+.

The nose plugs are called MXU-735 Steel Nose Plugs (SNP) and to my knowledge I don't think the USAF uses them (they use a short pointy nose plug that is not authorized for USN/USMC). The MXU-735 comes in two color, olive drab or light ghost grey and are used on Mk 80/BLU-11x (110/111/117) series GP and JDAM bombs.