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The AIM-9G and H were externally hard to tell from the AIM-9D, if that helps.  Some kits and armament sets will tell you they have one or the other, but either will do for both. 

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1 hour ago, scotthldr said:

AIM-9L was in full production by 1977, so depending on the exact timeframe could all 3 versions have been in use?

Yes, all three were in service (use) at the same time but it would be mid to late 77. Even though the Lima's were in full production in 77 it would take a several months before they would reach the fleet. It take time to get the logistics/maintenance support in place. Probably during the late 77 through 78 into early 79 you would see all three on deck, Lima's on the Tomcat's/Phantoms and G/H's on the A-7's. After 79 there should have been enough Lima's for both the fighters and attacks thought the G & H's would still be around for a while for missile shoots. When I was in A-7 back in 84 to 87, we shot several G's and H's during missile shoots.

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12 minutes ago, Hornet14 said:

Are both the AIM-9 and AIM-7 two different colors or are my eyes playing tricks on me?


There's some shadow play going on, but IIRC, 79-80-81 is when the missiles started switching over from white to grey. It's entirely possible that missile is partially repainted? 

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1 hour ago, Hornet14 said:

Are both the AIM-9 and AIM-7 two different colors or are my eyes playing tricks on me?

 

The various sections of a missile are not necessarily produced by the same manufacturer, and as the missiles transitioned from white to Light Ghost Gray for a base color the manufacturers adopted the new scheme at varying rates, so missiles could be all one color or a mix of gray and white.

 

LXEHyhf.jpg

 

gBp9wDE.jpg

 

5YBcWTD.jpg

 

Regards,

Murph

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Yes, the were two different colors, it looks like the ships ammo storage got the latest depot'ed missiles with the grey motor section and retained the white guidance & warhead section.    They weren't all like that as the pic below is from the same cruise and it looks like the motor section was white and guidance/warhead gray.

Vf213_006c2a.jpg

Edited by Viper_944FW
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The missiles came as AUR's (All Up Rounds), the ship/station weapons departments simply uncanned them and then sent them to the squadron. The missiles are assembled at the depot/factory. Missile were cycled through depot level maintenance  on regular intervals and refurbished components were used to replace components that needed rework or mod's. When that was done the reworked components were finished in the new paint scheme while the components that were still serviceable were left in the original paint color. After a few cycles through the depot all the components would eventually match up.

 

The missiles flight hours were tracked and after so many flight hours the missile would be sent back to depot. I remember having to track what missiles we had loaded on what plane and how many flight hours it flew each sortie. After the flight schedule, I had to fill out the "captive carry cards" and turn them into CAG Ordnance (along with that days expenditure report, which was due one hour after the last plane landed). I wish I kept all those "wheel books" I had, it had a list every aircraft BUNO, side number, date, event number, all ordnance (including serial numbers) loaded and flight hour for each event.

Edited by GW8345
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On 6/25/2018 at 2:09 AM, Viper_944FW said:

My cruise with the USS America in VF213 we used Limas  80-81, pay no attention to the wooden airman prop 🙂:

 

$(KGrHqF,!oMFHj5kPnq1BR7g6OCPfg~~60_57.JPG

 

Off topic but was the America the carrier that had the horrific night time crash and fire back then?

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3 hours ago, Mr Matt Foley said:

 

Off topic but was the America the carrier that had the horrific night time crash and fire back then?

The carriers that had bad fires were the Oriskany, Forrestal and the Enterprise. Oriskany's fire was caused by an ordnance man accidentally igniting a flare during stowage and then chucking the burning flare into a magazine full of flares and then shutting the door. I think both the Forrestal and Enterprise fires were caused by accidental launch of a rocket on the flight deck during flight ops. The Forrestal's fire is what initiated thermal coating being applied to bombs.

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Funny you should mention that (fire), the ship was conducting night carrier quals during ORE 1981 and an A-7E hit the back end of the ship which caused a fire but I don't remember what happened to the pilot.  Yes, there was a fire but it was quickly extinquished by the flight deck crew.  I was asleep at the time and my compartment was just below the flight deck near the aft end of the ship, I just remember this horrific sound that woke me up and then the claxon going off and the announcement of GQ with a fire on the flight deck.  Needless to say I quickly scurried out of there in case the world opened up above my head and fire/fuel spilling inside.  Thank god that didn't happen and the ship learned how to fight a flight deck fire quickly that evening.  See link below:

 

https://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cv66-81/028.htm

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All I remember is it was a carrier off the East Coast doing flight Ops and men died from it. It was also a catalyst (I was active duty Army at the time) for Command Urinalysis across all branches of service. We were told (rumor maybe?) there was THC on board some of the dead at the time. Suffice it to say things were changing significantly when Reagan took the helm.

Edited by Mr Matt Foley
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I believe he is talking about the Nimitz fire back in 81, when the EA-6B went down the port ladder and into the four row, taking out 3 Tomcats and 14 people total. That crash started the Command Urinalysis (known as the "wiz-quiz for us military folks) since several of those killed on the flight deck had drugs in their system when they did the autopsy on them.

 

The Forrestal was cause by an accidental firing of a 5.00" rocket, the Enterprise was cause when a huffer was parked too close to a 5.00" rocket pod and the hot exhaust cook-off a warhead.

Edited by GW8345
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Never even heard of that incident.  Goes to show that being on a cruise back then was like a floating prison ship, the only news you got was what the ship broadcasted via CCTV or letters from home, it was a complete information void during that 6 month cruise, only broken up by short spells of binge drinking at our port calls to Perth, Mallorca, and Singapore.  Even then one didn't go out and read newspapers and such, only the tag sizes on removed girly undies who visited our freedom lounges (rooms) while in port.  Nothing like sitting back drinking a lot and enjoying the view 🙂

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32 minutes ago, GW8345 said:

I believe he is talking about the Nimitz fire back in 81, when the EA-6B went down the port ladder and into the four row, taking out 3 Tomcats and 14 people total. That crash started the Command Urinalysis (known as the "wiz-quiz for us military folks) since several of those killed on the flight deck had drugs in their system when they did the autopsy on them.

 

The Forrestal was cause by an accidental firing of a 5.00" rocket, the Enterprise was cause when a huffer was parked too close to a 5.00" rocket pod and the hot exhaust cook-off a warhead.

 

That's the one! DOD didn't mess around and it really cleaned house with all branches of service.

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27 minutes ago, Viper_944FW said:

Never even heard of that incident.  Goes to show that being on a cruise back then was like a floating prison ship, the only news you got was what the ship broadcasted via CCTV or letters from home, it was a complete information void during that 6 month cruise, only broken up by short spells of binge drinking at our port calls to Perth, Mallorca, and Singapore.  Even then one didn't go out and read newspapers and such, only the tag sizes on removed girly undies who visited our freedom lounges (rooms) while in port.  Nothing like sitting back drinking a lot and enjoying the view 🙂

 

Those were great days to be a US Serviceman...er...member.

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1 hour ago, Viper_944FW said:

Never even heard of that incident.  Goes to show that being on a cruise back then was like a floating prison ship, the only news you got was what the ship broadcasted via CCTV or letters from home, it was a complete information void during that 6 month cruise, only broken up by short spells of binge drinking at our port calls to Perth, Mallorca, and Singapore.  Even then one didn't go out and read newspapers and such, only the tag sizes on removed girly undies who visited our freedom lounges (rooms) while in port.  Nothing like sitting back drinking a lot and enjoying the view 🙂

Yep, remember those days well. Did four cruises before the internet came along (2 with e-mail), the only news you got was what the ship told you and what the misses wrapped your care package stuff in.:thumbsup:

Edited by GW8345
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