Jump to content

F-4 pic i can't believe is real


Recommended Posts

There was a thread about the F-8's a while ago but it basically boiled down to the fact that the control surfaces were inboard of the hinge so it could still fly with the wings folded. Apparently that's the case with the F-4 as well although I thought they were on the outside. Shows how much I know! :yahoo:

Incredible photo though. Bet some people couldn't believe their eyes when they saw it!

Matt

Link to post
Share on other sites
There was a thread about the F-8's a while ago but it basically boiled down to the fact that the control surfaces were inboard of the hinge so it could still fly with the wings folded. Apparently that's the case with the F-4 as well although I thought they were on the outside. Shows how much I know! :yahoo:

Incredible photo though. Bet some people couldn't believe their eyes when they saw it!

Matt

That is correct. The ailerons and flaps on the Phantom and Mighty Crusader are inboard of the wing fold. Both have movable leading edges on the outerwing panels.

Also on the F-4E the wing fold is human powered not hydraulic powered like the Navy/Marine Phantoms.

Evidently both the crew and the crew chief missed the unlock indicators prior to launching.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Pics in this topic are amazing, but my guess is, Photoshop.

Um, no. They've all been documented situations. In the case of the F-8 I believe it occurred in the neighborhood of eight different times.

Edited by David Walker
Link to post
Share on other sites
F-8 Crusader (including cat shot!);

My word, that would have been interesting to watch. I read that in at least one F-8 incident they were able to unload the wing and get the wing tips to snap down into place.

Edited by David Walker
Link to post
Share on other sites

Never fear, your trusty pilot is here! How can you go through pre-flight checks, taxi out, runway line up, end of runway/last chance check, etc without looking out & seeing that or someone on the ground noticing it.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Never fear, your trusty pilot is here! How can you go through pre-flight checks, taxi out, runway line up, end of runway/last chance check, etc without looking out & seeing that or someone on the ground noticing it.
how does the whole catapault crew not notice that the wings are up??

These are both very good questions, someone should have noticed???

Link to post
Share on other sites

I believe several of the instances happened at night, and also the wing tips could appear to be in the down position without being LOCKED in the down position.

Edited by David Walker
Link to post
Share on other sites

Talking about this with my brother, he mentioned an F/A-18 doing this and I thought about it and wondered if it was possible. I mean, the flaps act as ailerons at low speed right? I figured they probably can't because there's something in the computer system that won't, but could it?

Matt

Link to post
Share on other sites

Just before I left the Air Force we got a briefing about an F-4 the crashed on takeoff when the wing tip folded. The aircraft flipped over on its back.

Link to post
Share on other sites

May be all they had seen was that the wingfods were down. May be they had not checked if there were any safety pins or what so ever.

And after take off as the speed grew up and up the lift made the wingfolds move up and then a inboard situation.

AFAIK the wingfolds stand with 90 degrees to the wings but the photos show an angle more than that, may be as a result of lift produced by the aerofoil section of the wingfold which is a part of the wing.

Best regards,

Arkut

Link to post
Share on other sites
how does the whole catapault crew not notice that the wings are up??

Although it never happened with us, I know Flight ops get very hectic and some crews probably could forget. I would be willing to bet that all the F-8 incidents and that VF-14 incident all happened during the Vietnam war. Things could get very exciting on a deck during war time. One thing you have to remember is that the aircraft dont start unfolding their wings till they approach the catapult. With big aircraft like the E-2 or S-3, you would see the PCs and other deck crew making sure that the unfolding wings did not hit other aircraft. A much smaller concern with the A-7s, Hornets and A-6s.

Link to post
Share on other sites
×
×
  • Create New...