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The Thunderbirds F-4E and Blue Angels F-4J Thread


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Posted (edited)
29 minutes ago, Tomcat Trebor said:

Off topic, @ya-gabor l remember listening to Kenny Everett on Capital 194 on Saturday at 12.00 and the adventures of Captain Kremmen.

 

Robert

Hi Robert,

 

WOW It is good to know that I am not alone and others also remember some things!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I did tape many of his shows back then (still have them), (and of course the adventures of Captain Kremmen and his boossssomy friend Carla (in a way modelled after Cleo)) there was a tape recorder next to me with a cassette, so just pushed Rec while study for "O" levels . . .

 

Unfortunately did not have a VHS in late 70's, so now have to search for some of Kennys Video shows on Thames Television to see them again. 

 

I don’t think many people realise how big an influence he was as a DJ going back even to the days of The Beatles, playing some of the latest releases first hand from one of the Pirate ships.

Not to mention that he was the very first person to play on air in his Capital show Queens Bohemian Rhapsody! We all know now what happened after that.

 

He was far more than just a looney person playing around with tape loops!!!  : )   : )   : )

 

Best regards

Gabor

Edited by ya-gabor
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Went to the movies last night and saw The Blue Angels in IMAX.  Typical documentary about a year in the life of the Blue Angels - BUT - the formation flying in IMAX format was mind blowing!

 

Mike

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  • 3 weeks later...

I updated the post on page 1 showing the BA’s instrument panels with more and larger images. 
 

Also, comparing the T-Birds and BA smoke systems is interesting. If the BAs tried the colored fuel dump these days, the EPA would have a cow! 😄

7AiNAXJ.jpg

 

UAxXZPc.jpg

 

Ben

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Hi Ben and fellow demonstration squadron fans. Actually, I think the BA colored “smoke” was dyed water. I’m not sure the EPA would be cool with the white smoke as it is light machine oil. The Chemtrail crowd would have a heyday with that bit of knowledge. They wouls say it contains “nano particles” that will connect you to the 5 g network!

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Shhhhh! We're not supposed to be talking about the chem trails until everyone is connected to 5G! 😉 

chemtrails-photo.jpg

 

Since the EPA wasn't set up until 1970, it probably never occurred to anyone that dumping fuel would be a bad thing. In the manual, it looks like the dye tanks on the Blues jets were linked to both the fuel dumps and the smoke system. According to the Googles, they still use a paraffin oil to generate smoke: Link to interesting article  

 

Ben

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I was the T Bird maintenance liason at Reese for two show seasons and was responsible for ordering their smoke oil and other stuff. Cant remember the NSN but the nomenclature was “light machine oil”. Apparently it has minimal environmental effects. I think the colored water thing was in the F-11. Water makes total sense since oil would have to be heated to turn to smoke. 
Ben, what do you think of expanding this to other MDSs or even demo teams like the Reds or Frecci. Those guys do some great formation work WITH colored smoke!

love your chemtrail response. Amazing that people bite on that rubbish!

 

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A buddy of mine is a check airman for Southwest. This is in the cockpit of a bird they recently bought from Mexicana…

 

 

 

IMG_1151.jpeg

Edited by Illu
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15 hours ago, BillS said:

I was the T Bird maintenance liason at Reese for two show seasons and was responsible for ordering their smoke oil and other stuff. Cant remember the NSN but the nomenclature was “light machine oil”. Apparently it has minimal environmental effects. I think the colored water thing was in the F-11. Water makes total sense since oil would have to be heated to turn to smoke. 
Ben, what do you think of expanding this to other MDSs or even demo teams like the Reds or Frecci. Those guys do some great formation work WITH colored smoke!

love your chemtrail response. Amazing that people bite on that rubbish!

 


That would’ve been amazing to work with the T-Birds!

 

I wouldn’t mind expanding the thread to cover some of the other display teams. I know very little about the planes they fly but I did see the Snowbirds put on a heck of a show at Smyrna, TN back in the ‘80s.

 

I got out of the business before the chem trails BS started. At one of my former employers, we did have one plane that sported a panic button for a while until a Fed happened to notice it.😀

 

Ben

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  • 5 weeks later...
2 hours ago, Finn said:

Here is a interesting accident:

 

5e0055315c72f0e109c23329ca58f6c2.jpg

 

Jari

 

Was this the landing after the mid-air incident at El Centro in March 1973?

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20 hours ago, Finn said:

Here is a interesting accident:

 

5e0055315c72f0e109c23329ca58f6c2.jpg

 

Jari

According to Peter Greengrass: Drifted left on approach and blew a tire on landing at Stallings Field, N.C. on 30 July 1972. The pilot, LCDR Donald K. Bently, attempted to take off again but the aircraft departed the runway, so he ejected. Aircraft then struck this unoccupied pickup. 153080 received temporary repairs and was subsequently flown to NARF Cherry Point where it underwent further repairs until October.

 

It was returned to the Blue Angels (it was one of the lead-nosed Js) and then lost in a mid-air on 8 March 1973. See https://thanlont.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-short-tragic-operation-of-f-4.html

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Posted (edited)

@Tailspin Turtle
 

Back in 1984, I was living in Kinston, NC, taking flying lessons through their community college aviation program. Stallings Field was then known as Eastern Regional Jetport (KISO). I got a job as a lineman pumping airplane fuel at the FBO there and the head lineman told us a story about the Blue Angels once flying F-4s there and one crashed. We sort of discounted the story, because why would the Blues perform there instead of at nearby Seymour Johnson AFB or MCAS Cherry Point. About 15 years ago, I discovered on YouTube several videos of 8mm movies shot by a German exchange pilot flying F-4Ds with the 336th TFS out of Seymour. Damned if there wasn’t film of the Blues at Kinston! There was even a great shot of them taxiing past the hangar where we had our charter and flight instruction offices. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I thought to look up the Blue’s old schedules to learn the date of the show. And, not until today have I ever seen any mention of an accident at Kinston. Now I have the rest of the story! Thanks, Tommy!

 

Ben

Edited by Ben Brown
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Excellent thread Ben. I have in 1/72 Fujimi and Monogram F-4J, which would work best for a Blue Angels bird? Not sure but I may have a couple F-4B exhausts in the spares box. Thanks-Jon.

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13 hours ago, jonwinn said:

Excellent thread Ben. I have in 1/72 Fujimi and Monogram F-4J, which would work best for a Blue Angels bird? Not sure but I may have a couple F-4B exhausts in the spares box. Thanks-Jon.

Hi John,

 

Thanks for the kind words! I'm sorry but I'm not very familiar with 1/72 F-4 kits, although I've read that the 1/72 Monogram kit is just as good as their 1/48 kit. Perhaps one or more of the 1/72 builders on the forum can comment.

 

Cheers!

 

Ben

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Thanks, the kit is a pantograph of the 1/48 Revell Monogram kit with correct back seat consoles and IP for a Navy bird plus the correct Navy pylons. The Fujimi is nice but a lil more "spartan" I guess is the best word.

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On 7/16/2024 at 11:31 AM, jonwinn said:

The Fujimi is nice but a lil more "spartan" I guess is the best word.

 

Use the Monogram kit to detail the Fujimi. Better still, wait a couple of months to [really (!)] treat yourself to the FineMolds kit! Besides the decals and an excellent pilot figure, you'll also get some nice weapons, pods, and pylons for your spares box. Win win.

 

11075180b3.jpg

 

Gene K

 

Edited by GeneK
typo
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Thanks, I looked at the Fine Molds kit, it's to "busy" for my likings but a very nicely detailed kit. I built a Fine Molds IJN Amagiri years ago and was impressed by the level of detail. I guess you're right as Fujimi and Monogram both have good n bads so cross kitting would be nice.

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Got a good start on Blue Angels F-4J with old Monogram 1/72 kit. What kit do I need for the F-4E Thunderbird? Which wing, early unslatted wing? An F-4EJ kit?

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