Navy F-4 Phantom Questions...

[82Whitey51]

OK, so, when using the drag chute, was it customary to pop it prior to being on deck...or is this just being a bad a$$?

 

 

 

 

Second question, typically fighter squadrons in the CAG are 100/200 series. If more than two fighter squadrons are on board, does that next squadron pick up the "600" series (after the E-2C and Queers of course) of modex numbers?

 

 

BTW, these pics are from a site that is stacked with photos taken outside the fence line of Atsugi, Misawa, Kadena...100s of great reference shots and oddities! Have a look:

 

http://www.agc-art.com/idobata/joyful.cgi?pg=300

Edited March 2, 2017 by 82Whitey51

[scotthldr]

The Luftwaffe pilots used to deploy the chute about 20 ft above the deck which more or less caused the a/c to slam down on the runway, never seen it done as high as the pictures above indicate.

[Rex]

Nose numbers such as NG-611 is carrying was at one time "normal."

 

A "parent air group" and parent air wing at one time had 6 squadrons attached, but, mostly deployed with only 5 of them (sometimes only 4.) This caused more squadrons per wing than what was attached during a deployment.

 

For VF-96, they had previously been VF-142, moved to CVW-9, and got redesignated to VF-96. They displaced VF-91 (100 numbers with F-8s) in the wing, and picked up the 600 as the next open slot in the parent wing. That is also the reason they have black  trim.

 

You will see this with many squadrons in the early to mid-sixties, VF-114, VF-143, VF-24, VF-193, and (edit to add) VF-154, etc, all with the trim colors matching the last digit of their designation. It was later on,,,,about the time of the next cruise after your photo, that they were moved into the "first and second squadron being the 2 VFs" that we are more used to seeing. In some wings, the detachments that had been using the -100 or -200 slot got displaced to higher numbers to make the VFs fit into the system. The same happened to the Attack Squadrons also, see VA-27 and VA-97 move down to lower numbers after a while, for the best example.

Edited March 2, 2017 by Rex

[82Whitey51]

Thanks Rex! Great explanation.

[11bee]

Cool pics.  With regard to those Phantoms deploying the chute in flight, I've never seen that before.   Would be real curious as to the reason why.   Only thing that comes to mind is that due to some issue with the runway, there is a higher chance of a go-around and they need to keep the engines at an elevated power level?  Or possibly that they are landing on a short runway and need max braking as soon as they hit the ground?

 

 

 

 

[Rex]

11bee, it is also possible that the runway was fine, but, they were training in short runway landings.

 

After all, just about everything any of us might possibly have to do got trained into us, so that we would already know it if we needed it.

[Scooby]

I suspect the drag chute may be deployed for a short runway or an airborne emergency, such as a hydraulic failure. It may also be in the training syllabus for such emergencies or procedures.

[Tailspin Turtle]

Deploying the F-4's drag chute on final was a no-no according to the flight manual but was sometimes done (deliberately) to minimize the landing roll if field length was marginal.

[Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy]

Defecting MiG-29 pilot Alex Zuyev told a hushed story from the USSR in which the Mikoyan Bureau was trying desperately to convince the top brass that the MiG-23 could be cleared for short field landings. So at the official demonstration the pilot came down to the runway at low power, and while still airborne the drag 'chute was popped at the same time the power was chopped to idle. It hit the runway so hard that it HAD to stop quick. After the round of congratulations and the brass left, it was seen that the aircraft had blown all 4 tires and bent its gear (not easy to do in that bird).

[82Whitey51]

19 hours ago, Tailspin Turtle said:

Deploying the F-4's drag chute on final was a no-no according to the flight manual but was sometimes done (deliberately) to minimize the landing roll if field length was marginal.

Atsugi is 8,000 ft...plenty long. I call hot dogging! LOL

 

Grampa Pettibone would not be pleased...