Jump to content

Helmet design on VF-111 1972 cruise


Recommended Posts

I have only been able to find one photo that shows the markings of the helmet worn by pilots of VF-111 on their MiG killing cruise of 1972. On page 15 of Osprey's 'US Navy F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers 1972-72' is a photo of Garry Weigand and Bill Freckleton after their well known MiG kill. Was this 'setting sun' design only on the front/visor protector or did it extend to cover the entire helmet? If you look closely the red of the design seems to extend to the top portion of Freckleton's helmet.

Are there any references or photos that show the entire helmet worn on this cruise?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for helping out. Never considered yellow! It looks like the design changed from cruise to cruise. Wonder if that photo is from the 1972 cruise?

Just checked out several inflight shots just before the '72 cruise. Helmets are yellow. That often reproduced port side photo of 202 about to be launched also indicates yellow. Learn somethin' new every day!

Edited by Brian J.
Link to post
Share on other sites

CVW-15 (NL)

CVA-43 USS CORAL SEA

Nov.12, 1971 - Jul.17, 1972 (Vietnam War)

VF-111 (F-4B)

200

201 153019

202 149430

203 150418 (*3) --> 151459

204 150466

205 151444

206

207

210

211 151468

212

213

214

.

.

) .

.

.

(*1) Apr.27, 1972 Combat loss

(*2) Mar.3, 1972 Operational loss

(*3) Dec.30, 1971 Combat loss

(*4) 153030 transferred out on Jan.27, 1972

(*5) received 150426 from VMFA-115 on Mar.16, 1972

(*6) received 152245 from VMFA-115 on Mar.28, 1972

(*7) received 152269 from VF-121 on Jun.12, 1972

Edited by sgt dutch
Link to post
Share on other sites

aph6custom-26.jpg

US Navy APH-6 custom or APH-6E with Oxygen mask MS 22001 in the color of VF-111 "Sundowners" during the middle of the 70s.

aph6custom-11.jpg

aph6custom-09.jpg

F-4 pilots, Bill Freckleton, Garry Weigand and MCNary from VF-111 in the 1972 wearing the early APH-6 custom fitted or a custom fitted helmet based on DH-151 shell. The USN APH-6s customized with USAF HGU-2A/P custom fit form take the designation of APH-6E. (US NAVY)

Edited by sgt dutch
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for the detailed input and photos. I plan on doing 1/32 pilots from VF-111 using the very detailed Master Details heads (32007) on the Tamiya pilot bodies. The Tamiya pilots are more realistic in size to fit in the cockpit. That nice colour photo showing the red and white front and yellow helmet has the large 'Omar' on the side of the helmet as well as yellow/gold edging to the sunset. Photos I have seen suggest that detail was not on the helmets for the 1972 cruise. Are my assumptions correct?

Link to post
Share on other sites

First picture (above) is a helmet from the 1972 deployment thread #5. In Fred's color photo you can see the yellow on the helmet, not the visor. if you look close you will the yellow. Remember pilots had the option to add any additional markings as they wish. The only way to find out the truth is borrow Dr Who's time machine. Or as they say google is your friend.

More images to drive you insane.

8d4b.jpg

72f0.jpg

2e9a.jpg

c256.jpg

Here is an image of Randy Cunninghams helmet from the Pensacola Naval Air Museum Looks like he added the kill markings.

aph6custom-10.jpg

Edited by sgt dutch
Link to post
Share on other sites

NL-203 became the 151489 and not 151459 probably a typo !

BTW here is a photo ( Copyright D. Hanover )of a Sun Downer F-4B ( 1972 ) during a fire drill , No Omar on the helmets and yellow !

151489%20F-4B%20VF-111%20NL-203%20fire%20drill%201972.jpg%20edit_zps4aprtndx.jpg

HTH , Henk

CVW-15 (NL)

CVA-43 USS CORAL SEA

Nov.12, 1971 - Jul.17, 1972 (Vietnam War)

VF-111 (F-4B)

200

201 153019

202 149430

203 150418 (*3) --> 151459

204 150466

205 151444

206

207

210

211 151468

212

213

214

.

.

) .

.

.

(*1) Apr.27, 1972 Combat loss

(*2) Mar.3, 1972 Operational loss

(*3) Dec.30, 1971 Combat loss

(*4) 153030 transferred out on Jan.27, 1972

(*5) received 150426 from VMFA-115 on Mar.16, 1972

(*6) received 152245 from VMFA-115 on Mar.28, 1972

(*7) received 152269 from VF-121 on Jun.12, 1972

Edited by sundowner
Link to post
Share on other sites

CVW-15 (NL)

CVA-43 USS CORAL SEA

Nov.12, 1971 - Jul.17, 1972 (Vietnam War)

VF-111 (F-4B)

205 151444

Bu.no. 151444 is the MiG killer from VFA-143, Oct 20th 1967. Wonder if she carried any kill markings?

It has always frustrated me that the bort numbers for VF-111 are so difficult to come by. Luckily I have 2 of Academy's F-4B's, and should hence be able to create NL202 if I can scrounge up the correct Bu.no's ;)/>

Edited by Niels
Link to post
Share on other sites

The tail numbers came from the original documents of aircraft on broad the Coral Sea for VF-111 during that cruise. Modex number can be changed any time an aircraft has left the squardon for overhaul or transfer. So the numbers are fluid. Unfortunately we are looking back 50yrs. A lot of the guys on that deck are gone forever. Finding pictures are almost impossible. I had a buddy how had thousands of pictures. His ex-wife destroyed them all. The best way to find photo is go to the VFW, DAV and Foreign post there for picture you might get lucky. Also facebook is a good place to find people. A buddy I had seen in 30 yrs found me. Good luck.

151459 was assigned to MAG-11 Jul64-AUg65. MODEX 8 for VMFA-531. Scrapped in 1984

here is 151489 today A Gate guard at Gitmo

6b89e53c-8714-4e10-bbe1-3d12c7d39f11.jpg

Edited by sgt dutch
Link to post
Share on other sites

Many thanks Sgt dutch for your informative and very helpful input. That last photo of 203 verifies my conclusions as to the colour of the helmets on that cruise. It is interesting to note that several members of the deck crew also wear helmets with the 'setting sun'. The following inflight photo is most interesting. It has the 201 modex on the nose and appears to have a different Bureau Number. There are several photos of the Mig Killer F-4 before and during the '72 cruise. What caught my eye is that the shark teeth on the nose differs in detail from these photos. From the photos I have seen, again, taken before and during that cruise there does not appear to have the carrier name on the fuselage. Hopefully others can clarify the discrepancy between these photos. That often reproduced photo of this MiG Killer after it was cleaned up and repainted was taken at Miramar and has the carrier name on the fuselage as well as new crew names on the canopy rails (CDR Bob Rice and LT Jim Laing)

Just got one more picky question. Would the helmets worn on the '72 cruise have the yellow/gold edging on the red on the visor?

Link to post
Share on other sites

This last photo, of black modex 211 appears to have been taken at a slightly different time. A photo at the top of page 76 of 'US Navy Phantoms: Atlantic and Pacific Fleet Units 1960-2004' by Patrick Martin and Andreas Klein shows similar markings i.e. black modex with the caption, "VF-111 displayed the change in markings in early 1972". During the '72 Vietnam cruise the slanted modex was white with a black shadow. Interesting photo!

Link to post
Share on other sites

NL-202 was on the 71/72 cruise BuNo 149430.

Bu.no. 151444 is the MiG killer from VFA-143, Oct 20th 1967. Wonder if she carried any kill markings?

It has always frustrated me that the bort numbers for VF-111 are so difficult to come by. Luckily I have 2 of Academy's F-4B's, and should hence be able to create NL202 if I can scrounge up the correct Bu.no's ;)/>/>

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 6 years later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...