neu Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 (edited) Hello ;) I know here are some Inruder experts in the forum, I'm wondering if you could help me! I'd have a couple of questions I did not find exact answers for: - When the perforation was disappearing from the speedbrakes? I've seen totally flat ones, and once with small disks maybe riveted on the holes to cover them, and the old perforated one. But I don't know how and when it was changing. - When the metal wings was replaced to composite wings? - When the slime lights on the fuselage were applied? Greetings, neu :D www.carrierbuilders.net www.deploymentproductions.com Edited November 21, 2006 by neu Link to post Share on other sites
A6BSTARM Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 The preforated fueslage speed brakes were on the A-6A and some of them were left over when a number of the A-6A's were upgraded from the late 70's to the E standard. So most of them were modified from 1976 till 1980. A few still had the fueslage brakes up till 1981/82 timeframe. The fueslage speed brakes were modified a number of ways when it came out that they were found to be an issue. Some squadrons intially just removed the brakes from the hydralic systems and bolted them downto the fueslage. Others removed them hydralics, and patched the holes individually with sheets of alminum, and finally others just outright fabracated replacement panels to replace the fueslage speed brakes. From talking to my sources that were inside the Grumman tech reps office at Whidbey, they told me that this seemed to vary from squadron and between the USN and the USMC when the airframes change came out. When the contract was written for the A-6E upgrade some of it was upgrading in lieu of production. So the A-6A's and A-6B's out there that still had the old fueslage brakes had them replaced by a piece of solid airframe and the hydralic system and electrical systems were modified to remove those selection. The composite wings started to replace the metal wings in 1992-93 however not all of the squadrons in the fleet got the upgrade. I don't have a firm answer about the slime lights. Various sources I have offer conflicting information about when the slime lights were applied and how many were upgraded. Link to post Share on other sites
neu Posted November 22, 2006 Author Share Posted November 22, 2006 WOW! Actually that was a really satisfying anwer, you're the man for this Do you have any tips which year the slime light were applied for sure? I mean a year when most likely all the Intruders had them? Greetings, neu :D Link to post Share on other sites
A6BSTARM Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 Once personal source I have states the slime slighters were started to be added in mid-80's and were standard in the fleet by the start of Desert Shield 1990. The range that I have been told is anywhere from 1984 up to 1986. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts