Skull Leader

I wouldn't call it a matter of being raw so much as perhaps not used to dissimilar combat training. I'm far from being an expert on how USN pilots train in basic combat manueuvers, but our Aggressor squadrons almost universally use different aircraft for the role (F-16Ns, F-5Es, A-4s, etc later Tomcats and Hornets were added to the roster as Flanker and Fulcrum simulators) largely because most of the aircraft we deem our pilots likely to encounter from "the enemy" are smaller and more maneuverable (although except for maybe the case of flankers, "Faster" is doubtful). I seriously doubt that pilots go into Fighter Weapons School without SOME inkling of the capability of the aggressor jets. Consider, as an analogy, the air war in Vietnam. The Navy was flying arguably "better" (read: more capable) aircraft, while the NVAF was flying the less technologically advanced MiG series (17,19,21). Although our jets were usually much faster (and in the case of the phantom, far more capable in the vertical/high-alpha situations), MiGs still managed to land plenty of kills against our forces. In fact, before the advent of the Navy Fighter Weapons School, (as much as I hate to paraphrase the movie), our kill-ratio was in jepardy of going into the negative. Top Gun taught our pilots to take advantage of the strengths of our aircraft to maintain the upper hand (Hard rule probably often heard in the late 60s/early 70s: "NEVER get into a turning fight with a MiG!") Knowing something like that I suppose you'd be forced, by default, to consider navy pilots as "raw" until they'd completed the FWS syllabus. In turn, knowing THAT... we could guess that the ratio of wins/losses for the active duty squadrons vs. the aggressors probably flip-flops as the syllabus progresses (reflecting the training of the pilots) This is all guesswork, mind you, but it makes sense in MY head at least! Furthermore, with tensions as high as they are constantly with Iran, I'm amazed we're not maintaining an aggressor squadron of F-14As...

Yeah, an F-8H was a pretty boss ride. I personally can't see any A-4 (regardless of the variant) doing anything but getting it's ass handed to it, but NAS Miramar and NAS Fallon's records are absolutely loaded with classroom hops where Aggressor skyhawks made chumps out of pretty much every F-prefix aircraft the Navy has flown for the past 40 years. I attribute that to pilot skill though. In an even-up skill setting, I'd still say F-8H for the win.

Well, you're pretty thorough, not much to ask about, not that I plan on getting a diecast superhornet! My questions will come once you get the witty Tomcat

Harmony Gold: "In case we didn't butt-rape Macross fans enough before... bend over, 'cause here comes round 2!!"

Since our tomcat participated in the bombcat trials of the early 1990s with VF-101, we want to configure it as such (with bombracks). I don't know much about the Tomcat AMRAAM adapter, having never seen a picture of it myself. I would *assume* it's probably not much different than what is used on the Legacy Hornet/Super Hornet, and if it were indeed like that, one could reasonably assume that you could launch an AIM-9 from it. We'd have to talk to some of the guys out at PMTC who were part of the program to be sure.

Even if we couldn't get a AIM-120 (and I'm pretty sure that we wouldn't be able to get one), the local model-rocketry club in Tulsa could probably fashion a replica for us. They built (and flew) our AIM-54C replica (now bolted improperly to station 8B) Here's what we're planning to get for our jet (if our budget will allow us to ship it out) -2 LAU-138 BOL sidewinder rails (NAS Oceana and Pax River evidently have a surplus of these, getting a pair is almost guaranteed) -2 LAU-92 (I think that's the number?) Phoenix rails with fairings for under the jet -2 Bomb-rack adapters for said rails. The actual bomb-shackles are evidently still in use with hornets, so they're not getting rid of those -1 Phoenix missile pylon for Station 1B -1 AMRAAM pylon for station 8B OR 1 LANTIRN rail (if we can't get the AIM-120 adapter). The 4 AMRAAM adapters are still sitting out at "Pointless" Mugu. We could evidently get a TARPS pod if we wanted one however, our Tomcat is not a TARPS jet, and I have no inclination to drain the Museum's resources on something THAT big if we're not gonna stick it on the jet, lol. No idea about droptanks though.

Got it... 1000 photos if we get one (hope your inbox is big...)

I have pics of the tomcat that TESTED the AMRAAM, but no pictures of it carrying one. (as an interesting sidenote, the plane that did the AIM-120 testing was the 80th and final Ali-Cat airframe that Iran did not receive. Since so much was removed from the aircraft for delivery to Iran, it was deemed perfect for test service. The test missiles were likely in white, but I doubt seriously that there has been a service AMRAMM that was anything but light grey of some shade or another. Same with the 9mikes and 9xrays... test missiles were probably white, but I don't think any went to the fleet like that. You might find the occasional 9lima or Sparrow that is still white floating around the fleet, but most of those have been fired off or dismantled already. (my friend who served on the Kitty Hawk through 2001 said that Black Knights Tomcats, Royal Maces AND Golden Dragons legacy hornets occasionally wore a white sparrow, and more often than not, they didn't come back with them. He saw a white sidewinder one time, but he can't remember who's jet it was on. Roughly 1/4 of the Phoenix missiles 154 was jumping off the boat with were still white. (as another sidenote, I have the opportunity to snag one of the AMRAAM pylons for our museum tomcat... there were only 4 made, I'm hoping we get one!)

Not SUPER easy to see, Dave, but you can tell the wingtips and H-stab tips are black. Also checked the paint instructions on the "Black Knights History" kit I have, and they also say it's accurate. Odd, but I guess WoV got this one right! It's also worth noting that on their last tomcat cruise, VF-154 was flying some of the oldest Tomcat airframes ever produced and still managed a busier and more effective combat record than a lot of the super tomcat squadrons participating on OIF/OEF. They DID lose one jet to an engine failiure, but I believe that was due to an ingestion of some sort, not sure.

Looks like it's an exact replica of the Hasegawa kit... right down to the huge friggin seam right behind the canopy. Yes it is an F-14A, but they still managed to malf things up. It's got the early F-14A gungrills on it (which by the time they squatting Otis was on the tail in 2000, they'd been using NACA ducts for almost 10 years... Not TOO bad on the paintscheme, but I would've made the glove-sealing plates a less obvious shade of green... nothing 5 minutes and a paintbrush can't cure though. Also, I'm fairly certain the aircraft didn't have black piping on the outer edges of the wings and h-stabs. I'll look through my pics to check that out though. [Edit: Ok, checked my photos, it DOES have the black piping... that's good!]

Pulled these two from Airliners.net some time ago... about the only other CAG shots I have at the moment. They're one of the F/A-18F squadrons using pre-lot 26 jets (with the original WSO pit in them instead of the ACS pit)

That article was good for a laugh over breakfast... I hope Uwe Boll gets a terrible case of whiskeydick on his honeymoon (assuming, of course, he could find a woman willing to put up with him)

4chan FTW.

I had the "build your own" GI-joe... I don't ever remember a Cobra one. If I remember correctly, they even gave you a filecard with some made up info you send them

Very true, but Kojima is probably capable of finding someone who WOULD be a good director for it, and then serving as an advisor where needed.

I keep hearing rumors that the Fighting Omars are going VFA, but I've never seen any proof... David, you know anything?

Umm, where do you see his name on the Gundam?

Your very first post, and you dig through the logs for a thread over a year old???

Refer back a few pages in this thread for info about Dale Snodgrass possibly picking up some tomcats. Beyond that, the government has no plans to sell Tomcats to anyone (AMARC, as of January 1, upgraded the Tomcat's status to D, which means they have been taken off the 72-hour turnaround reserve and will commence destruction immediately. I'm sure it will take some time, but because of this, it's making it difficult for those of us who take care of Tomcats in museums to get the parts we want/need. Supposedly this is being done to reduce the risk of spare parts winding up on ebay and potentially in the hands of the Iranians (which still have 20 or so Tomcats flying)

Because Macross Plus music is truly among the greatest of the musical arts, worthy to sit on the highest pedestal with musical gods such as those I mentioned. 369485[/snapback] Macross Plus had some great sounds, but I wouldn't go that far. As for those "musical gods", I would add Blank and Jones, plus ATB to that list. 369498[/snapback] Merely citing examples.... the list is long and distinguished

Because Macross Plus music is truly among the greatest of the musical arts, worthy to sit on the highest pedestal with musical gods such as those I mentioned.

I want!!! How much do these things run and where can I find one??

I have a workroom dedicated to such things, with a fan going at all times.

Not that Macross Plus didn't have great music, but since when are dance clubs with their shitty techno, the standard of good music? If anything, I'd be offended to hear Plus's music degraded to that. 369250[/snapback] You fail at life. PERIOD. You're just wasting everyone else's air now. A club I used to frequent in Little Rock did play a macross plus tune every once in a great while (a couple of other japanese techno tunes were also played, but I didn't recognize if they were from anime or not). What's more it was well received and fit in very well with the rest of the music being played. I'd hardly call the likes of Paul Oakenfold, Jan Johnston, and Paul Van Dyk "shitty".

the existence of Reba West in this universe makes me want to nuke a gay whale for baby jesus.