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Blaze1

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About Blaze1

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  1. Cheers Scott. The date of the KA-6D retirement was actually another question on my mind. When the Sargent Fletcher buddy store was used on the TRAMs, it also required a Sargent Fletcher Refuelling Control Panel to be fitted somewhere in the cockpit. For TRAM aircraft the only likely placements I can think of for it, are the panel below the ALR-45 azimuth display or the B/N's right side console. For SWIP jets the only available space would be the B/N's right side console. So taking this all into consideration, I assume the right side B/N console was the likely location of the ARS Control
  2. Just a slight correction Jari. The ECM pod was the ALQ-167. The ALQ-126 is the A-6's internal system.
  3. I've got few more questions about the A-6 and would appreciate any help. 1) There came a time when the A-6 was upgraded with the AN/ALR-45 Countermeasures Receiving set. The azimuth display indicator used was the AN/APR-25(V) which was simply carried over from the AN/APR-25 RHAW set. Later the following aircraft: A-6E 162182, 162190 & later numbers, TRAM Retrofit 95 (158537), TRAM Retrofit 131 (154131) & later TRAM Retrofits, as well as aircraft that didn't receive the ALR-67A under AFC 552 all acquired the IP-957 - AN/APR-36(V) azimuth display. The previous model often had its des
  4. Hi Joe Do you know generally what types of changes are made to prevent such occurrences? I ask because the F-15E still deploys the AGM-130 and some F-111's still used the external tanks before retirement. I understand in some cases there are restrictions placed on release speed and weapon loading positions.
  5. Hi Pete Thanks for the advice. I had already contacted MrVark a while back but he's not quite sure when the update was introduced. I think the MSD is going to be one of those tricky little things to pin a date to. Cheers
  6. I read somewhere that the STARM was retired due to cracks being discovered in the motors as well as the arrival of the HARM. I assume if the HARM was still far off, then perhaps the AGM-78 would have gone through some sort of upgrade.
  7. Why thank you HOLMES Is this you being benevolent or you being a fan of the F-111D? :D
  8. Does anyone happen to know when the WSO's Multi-Sensor Display (MSD) in the F-111D was upgraded? Here are a couple of pictures showing the original and the upgraded versions: Original MSD Upgraded MSD As you can see, the original display has eleven white, circular, push-buttons below the display screen. Each push-button has a lamp above it, that illuminates a triangular bulb within in green, when the corresponding button is pushed. The upgraded display features eleven black, square, push-buttons below the display screen. Each push-button has a triangular, LED lamp, embedded
  9. Just an update for all those of you that are interested. A friend of mine managed to get in contact with a former SWIP A-6E B/N, who stated that the Block 1A never made it to fleet so was never operational. He also mentioned that the ALR-67 started to arrive in 1992. Now onto the F-111D :D Cheers
  10. Hi Collin Initially I thought the main differentiating aspect of the Block 1A would be the HUD and that the other SWIP variants possibly had the B/N's MFD, but that is not the case at all. Ignoring the 1A aircraft, the main item to look for I think is the IMP panel on the centre console. The AN/ALR-67A(V) was introduced in 1985 I believe, so there were none SWIP jets flying in the 90's with it installed. The electronic fuel guage may also be an indication of an SWIP bird, but I'm not sure as I don't know when they were installed.
  11. After search further I've managed to find the following cockpit images: http://farm1.staticflickr.com/54/193728704_c7f748e5e1.jpg http://www.flickr.com/photos/divemasterking2000/186716509/ Best of all: http://images.travelpod.com/users/tjstaggs/3.1312486826.a-6-intruder-cockpit.jpg In these photos we can see the old gunsight glass rather than the new HUD, the Integrated Missile Panel (IMP), AN/ALR-67A(V) indicator and controls and no B/N MFD, so we know that these are all SWIP or SWIP Block 1 birds confirming the lack of MFD as you mentioned. As A6BSTARM suggested, I've managed to get th
  12. Thanks VA-115EFR. Your unit must have received the SWIP upgrade, not the Block 1A, because the first flight of the 1A was supposed to be in 1994. Do you notice any similarities to the cockpit image I linked to, such as the IMP on centre console that divides the Pilot and B/N and the B/N's MFD?
  13. Thanks for the help A6BSTARM, you've helped clear up most of my questions So regarding the SWIP Block 1A, do you believe it was actually operational?
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