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United States Air Forces in Europe Group Build proposal


USAFE GB, a good idea?  

63 members have voted

  1. 1. I will join a USAFE GB

    • Sure
    • Meh... there's no Bf-109's in it, so no


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Another excellent set Scott! Good to see some more Eagles in this batch as well, and you can never have too many Phantoms. :worship:

Here's some more. Forgive me for any repeats, I'm losing track of what I've posted already.

80-0012RamsteinABSep21983ScottRWilson.jpg

80-0016RamsteinABJune231984ScottRWilson.jpg

80-0022ZaragozaABJune21984ScottRWilson.jpg

80-0022ZaragozaABJun21984ScottRWilson.jpg

80-0023RamsteinABJune231984ScottRWilson.jpg

80-0049RamsteinABJune181984ScottRWilson.jpg

This next photo has special meaning to me, not because of the F-15. The Piper Tomahawk (N9209A) in the background belonged to the Ramstein Aero Club, and was the airplane i flew my first solo in. I never got around to photographing the aero club planes I flew, but happened to catch 09A in this shot.

80-0051RamsteinABJune181984ScottRWilson.jpg

81-0020RamsteinABJune181984ScottRWilson.jpg

Edited by Scott R Wilson
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The deployment of the Seymour-Johnson Phantoms to Ramstein for Reforger was called "Crested Cap." Anyone know what the First Fighter deployment was called and where they went for their FOL? I seem to recall the 33rd Wing from Eglin deplyed to CFB Baden-Sollingen, but I don't recall seeing any of their Eagles at Ramstein.

81-0021RamsteinABJune181984ScottRWilson.jpg

81-0029RamsteinABJune181984ScottRWilson.jpg

81-0046RamsteinABAugust161983ScottRWilson.jpg

81-0046RamsteinABOct221983ScottRWilson.jpg

81-0065RamsteinABJune221984ScottRWilson.jpg

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The deployment of the Seymour-Johnson Phantoms to Ramstein for Reforger was called "Crested Cap." Anyone know what the First Fighter deployment was called and where they went for their FOL? I seem to recall the 33rd Wing from Eglin deplyed to CFB Baden-Sollingen, but I don't recall seeing any of their Eagles at Ramstein.

Does this site help? http://sharpshooter-maj.com/html/coronet_index1.htm

Lovely shots once again.

Koen

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That is SWEEET Scott! A wicked assortment of aircraft... most of the major types from this period. Thank you.

Seeing them (particularly with the bunkers) is inspiring me to do an F-16 with a B-61 underslung.

Glad I could inspire you so. FWIW, aircraft sitting Victor Alert (loaded with nukes) were kept inside their TAB-V hardened aircraft shelters. Come the day when they had to create artificial sunshine they'd have started engines in the shelter and then taxiied out of the shelter to head to the runway and the end of the world as we know it.

Obviously for a model you can display it any way you want, but if you're going for an accurate diorama of an F-16 parked outdoors you'd need to put a BDU-38 on it instead of a B61. The BDU-38 was the training shape of the B61 bomb. And not to be completely pedantic, the designation for nukes doesn't have the dash; B61 is a nuke, B-61 would be an aircraft (in this case the Matador missile, http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2692 )

Here's a BDU-38:

F-4EBDU-38B61ScottWilson.jpg

BDU-38B61MikeParedesZaragozaABSpainJune71984ScottRWilson.jpg

BDU-38B61tailJune71984ZaragozaABScottRWilson.jpg

And here's a nice shot from a DOD site of a Hahn jet carrying BDU-38s:

85-1416.jpg

And shots of inert versions of the B61 on display; the real deal looked just like this (except that according to Jim Rotremel the aluminum was not as bright but was more of an oxidized gray, if memory serves me correctly). At Ramstein we always referred to these bombs as "silver bullets". I never got to see a real one as my unit (526 TFS) was pure air-to-air. The 512th Dragons had the air to ground and nuke mission. Photos from a DoD site:

DF-ST-90-09841.jpg

DF-ST-90-09840.jpg

Edited by Scott R Wilson
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Alright, we (the mods), are too excited to wait untill February for this GB, so we want this to start at December 1 now., Same subject, just earlier.

And here's a nice vid of the Bitburg Open House in the 60's. You can see F-102's, F-100's, F-101, F-105's and F-4's.

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Sabre crews posing in front of an F-86F-35 probably at Chambley-Bussieres Air Base, France

f86f.jpg

Must be ground crew, those are all enlisted men. Only officers were pilots. It actually looks like the guys are lined up in front of a large photo to me, though. Somehow they don't look like part of the F-86 photo. I'd sure love to see a close-up of the nose art on the Sabre! Where did you find this cool photo?

Scott Wilson

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And shots of inert versions of the B61 on display; the real deal looked just like this (except that according to Jim Rotremel the aluminum was not as bright but was more of an oxidized gray, if memory serves me correctly). At Ramstein we always referred to these bombs as "silver bullets". I never got to see a real one as my unit (526 TFS) was pure air-to-air. The 512th Dragons had the air to ground and nuke mission. Photos from a DoD site:

WOW Scott, thank you very much for this. What aircraft is carrying that BDU-38 in the first photo? I assume its a F-4, but what squadron is it from? Do you have any photos of 526 aircraft? Also, would it be accurate to have the CO's plane on victor alert? The reason I ask is the only decal set I can find is of the 512 and 526 CO planes (peppermint patty and the dragons' emblem schemes.) Finally... what versions of F-16s were in use?

Edited by -Neu-
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Must be ground crew, those are all enlisted men. Only officers were pilots. It actually looks like the guys are lined up in front of a large photo to me, though. Somehow they don't look like part of the F-86 photo. I'd sure love to see a close-up of the nose art on the Sabre! Where did you find this cool photo?

Scott Wilson

Here you go Scott ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:21st_Fighter-Bomber_Group_-_WC_AC_-_North_American_F-86F-35-NA_Sabre_-_52-5222.jpg"

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WOW Scott, thank you very much for this. What aircraft is carrying that BDU-38 in the first photo? I assume its a F-4, but what squadron is it from? Do you have any photos of 526 aircraft? Also, would it be accurate to have the CO's plane on victor alert? The reason I ask is the only decal set I can find is of the 512 and 526 CO planes (peppermint patty and the dragons' emblem schemes.) Finally... what versions of F-16s were in use?

The aircraft loaded with the BDU-38 is a 512th TFS F-4E from Ramstein. I took the photo at Zaragoza Air Base, Spain. The guy standing next to the BDU-38 is a former co-worker and friend of mine, Mike Paredes. He was pretty much exactly 6 feet tall, for scale. I saw BDU-38s on Spang jets as well while I was at ZZA, both from the 81 TFS and 23 TFS. I missed seeing the 480th at ZZA, unfortunately.

By the time I arrived at Ramstein in May 1983, the 512th no longer stood Victor Alert, but did have a nuclear strike role which they practiced for. The 526 TFS was pure air-to-air during my time there, we never did any air to ground training. After the conversion to F-16Cs and Ds in 1986 that may have changed, but I left Ramstein in May 1986 during the conversion and never worked on F-16s or stayed in contact with anyone who did so I don't know the tasking of each squadron. I know for sure Hahn and I believe Spangdahlem both had Victor commitments during the time I was in USAFE. Neither of those bases had Zulu commitments, and both were tasked with primarily air-to-ground with secondary air-to-air.

As for wing or squadron CO painted jets standing alert, I'm sure they did. All of the 526 TFS aircraft rotated through Zulu during the time I was at Ramstein, it didn't matter what markings or whose names were painted on the canopies. Each jet stood alert for a week. I have no reason to believe it was any different for Victor Alert.

You may already know this, but each pilot in the squadron was randomly assigned a jet to fly on any given day. If it happened to be the one with his name on the canopy it was pure chance and certainly not anything planned. The only exception I can think of was when the 86 TFW Wing CO (a Brigidier General) came out to get his monthly sortie for flight pay, we painted no less than three jets with his name on the front canopy (primary plus two spares) and the crew chiefs had to "Armour-All" the nose radomes to make them shine. After his sortie the General's name was removed from all three aircraft and the original pilots' names were reapplied. Our crew chiefs hated that, but our squadron command staff would do anything for "brownie points" no matter how much inconvenience it caused us.

Are you looking for F-4Es or F-16s of the 526 TFS? I have a few Vipers and lots of F-4Es.

Scott W.

Edited by Scott R Wilson
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I think we can conclude the best thing is post em all! :woot.gif:

I just went back through the thread to see, and I've already posted roughly a dozen 526 TFS F-4Es. Here's the only two 526 TFS F-16s I've scanned so far. Note these were early C models with the Pratt & Whitney engine. About a year later those jets were reassigned to other units and the 86 TFW took on GE powered jets. Sorry i don't know F-16 block numbers.

84-1295April101986RamsteinABScottRWilson.jpg

84-1296April101986RamsteinABScottRWilson.jpg

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The aircraft loaded with the BDU-38 is a 512th TFS F-4E from Ramstein. I took the photo at Zaragoza Air Base, Spain. The guy standing next to the BDU-38 is a former co-worker and friend of mine, Mike Paredes. He was pretty much exactly 6 feet tall, for scale. I saw BDU-38s on Spang jets as well while I was at ZZA, both from the 81 TFS and 23 TFS. I missed seeing the 480th at ZZA, unfortunately.

By the time I arrived at Ramstein in May 1983, the 512th no longer stood Victor Alert, but did have a nuclear strike role which they practiced for. The 526 TFS was pure air-to-air during my time there, we never did any air to ground training. After the conversion to F-16Cs and Ds in 1986 that may have changed, but I left Ramstein in May 1986 during the conversion and never worked on F-16s or stayed in contact with anyone who did so I don't know the tasking of each squadron. I know for sure Hahn and I believe Spangdahlem both had Victor commitments during the time I was in USAFE. Neither of those bases had Zulu commitments, and both were tasked with primarily air-to-ground with secondary air-to-air.

As for wing or squadron CO painted jets standing alert, I'm sure they did. All of the 526 TFS aircraft rotated through Zulu during the time I was at Ramstein, it didn't matter what markings or whose names were painted on the canopies. Each jet stood alert for a week. I have no reason to believe it was any different for Victor Alert.

Wow, thanks for this information... That's really great stuff.

Are you looking for F-4Es or F-16s of the 526 TFS? I have a few Vipers and lots of F-4Es.

Scott W.

Either or. Given the treasure trove of photos you've posted and your experiences makes me want to build those specific planes. I think it makes it more rewarding. I've ordered 1/72 superscale decals for the CO for 512 F-16C... now I need to find something for the 526 TFS. Maybe I'll try to find a hasegawa 1/72 F-4E and the correct decals... or maybe I'll do a second F-16: I have a thing for building the lightweight fighters in the role they were originally intended for.

Edited by -Neu-
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Can't resist any longer ! I'd like to do a couple of F-4Ds from the 81st and 50th TFWs. I also have a Bitburg F-4E in my future. My current USAFE builds are a Spangdahlem EB-66C, F-4G and F-16CJ but they have to be finished by November.

Haydn.

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Some nice build suggestions so far, guys. :coolio:

And now for some Canadian love; here are some Starfighters with their crew lined up at CFB Baden-Söllingen. Canada used the CF-104 in the Nuclear Strike and Recce role first, but later converted to the conventional fighter bomber role. The first CF-104 has a SUU-21 practice bomb dispenser at the centreline station. The CF-104 was eventually replaced by the CF-188 Hornet.

Cancol11.jpg

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Staying on today's theme, here's a pic of some Strike Eagles.

F-15E Strike Eagles, 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, line up on the taxiway preparing to move onto the runway for takeoff in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. October 8th, 2001:

DF-SD-03-16035.jpg

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