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Jolly Rogers INITIAL TPS scheme


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The 1/32 JR decal thread made me think about this.

The original Jolly Rogers TPS scheme, circa 1983, had the bones AND AJ on the outside of the tail. I have a pic that I took of a tail on cruise, and there is another full view pic in my cruise book of a different airframe. This is NOT the hardline demarcation scheme of the Nimitz 1987 cruise, which I have seen modeled before. The topside of the jet in the cruise book is clearly medium gray 35237, and it has a feathered demarcation on the forward fuselage about halfway down, below the level of the intakes. All of the markings are very dark gray, except for the modex on the nose and tail, which are black. I have never seen any other pics of this scheme anywhere. Has anyone else seen it or have a pic? I can scan them if everyone here is clueless about this scheme.

Edited by DutyCat
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Yes, that is the scheme. Unfortunately, the TPS paint was new at the time and as everyone knows, it had major durability and color fidelity problems in the beginning. I remember being embarrassed to show friends and family pics of our airwing planes because they looked so bad. The Navy finally got a handle on it about the time F-18 was introduced. Anyway, I always liked the AJ being on the outside of the tail with the bones, and this was the only TPS scheme that featured it. Here is a pic from my cruise book, which at least looks a little better than that mottle job pic you posted.

VF-84InitialTPS.jpg

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