*Fast Eagle*

I was Randy Cunningham's first RIO, and we flew together in training and for VF-96's 1970 Cruise to WestPac in USS America. When we arrived on Yankee Station, our squadron was assigned a few "milk run" missions to get used to flying in SEA. One night we were supposed to land on the 2230 recovery, but the deck was fouled....bad....so they bingo'd our section (CO and his RIO, Randy Cunningham and myself) to Danang to refuel and return for the 2400 recovery. On landing, Randy automatically deployed the drag chute. When we got to the refueling pits to hot refuel, the CO was Pissed....and over the squadron frequency, asked Randy to explain how the hell we were going to get that drag chute back to the ship. CO then came up with idea to have the ground crew climb up and we'd stuff it in my lap. Great.....what if we had to eject!!!!! Around 2330 as we were taxiing out to the runway, tower advised "Make immediate left turn on take off to avoid Charlie Fire". Randy asked me over the ICS what "Charlie Fire" was....and I said I didn't know....but I'd heard of a Firebase Charlie, and maybe THAT was it....maybe they didn't want us to wake up those Marines that late at night. Cleared for takeoff, Randy plugged in the burners, as we needed to burn fuel, lifted up maybe 25 ft., and saw some lights off the end of the runway. He said "why should those guys get to sleep when we were working so late", so continued straight down the runway in full burner. A few seconds later all these flashes were zipping by the canopy. Randy said "Look at those funny flares....I wonder what they are". Tower then came on the radio...."Pull up and Break left IMMEDIATELY...They're SHOOTING at you", then made some rude remarks about those "Navy types". When we got back to the ship, the CO was REALLY pissed and gave us one hell of a chewing out....but...we did learn about "Charlie Fire". Lynn Batterman US Navy RIO VF-96 1969-1971

TIME/PLACE: 1972, nighttime, Udorn AB, Thailand SITUATION: I was an RF-4C pilot assigned from the 14th Tac Recce Squadron, working in the Wing Command Post as the night-shift Duty Controller. INCIDENT: A young F-4 pilot from a fighter squadron at the base called Maintenance Control after landing. A few minutes later, they called me and asked, "What the hell happened to that aircraft out on the taxiway? There's a tree stuck in the landing gear!" Seems that the 2nd LT pilot of that plane decided to fly an unauthorized LORAN approach that was not approved at the time. The lieutenant thought better! What he did is fly almost to the ground. He hit a concrete telephone pole with the keel of his plane! It "bounced" off the pole and flew through a tree! Miraculously, the LT added power just in the nick of time, and made it to the runway about a quarter a mile ahead! FOLLOW-ON: The F-4 had to be Class-26'd. The keel was bent. The LT was grounded, but got off easy because he was on a combat tour. One morning about four years later at Shaw AFB, SC, I walked into a classroom to welcome a new class of ANG students into training to fly the RF-4C. As I came to the podium, I scanned the faces in the classroom. Guess who was sitting in the front row, with his mouth wide open, and a white as a sheet! As I saw him I said, "I remember you*!" He uttered, "Please! Don't tell!" Chuck Munroe St. Louis you can find these at http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/milita...remembertoo.htm

thought you'd like to know you have the honor of the better end of my first of many photos in my Hall of Flame...look and see http://www.pukindogs.net/Hall%20of%20Flame.htm And a nice kill it was at that

but the fuselage reads NAVY

NO I WAS IN FLAMES THERE That was a sidewinder you shot me with after we went around for a few minutes. I broke the circle and paid the price!! <S> And I would be honored to form an alliance with you

Column5, I'd greatly appreciate that, cause I still can't figure it out

We should thank Column5, as it was his site where I first found the link <S> THANKS COLUMN5 FOR YET ANOTHER GREAT SOURCE OF INFO

McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume II, Rene J. Francillon, Naval Institute Press, 1990. McDonnell F-4 Phantom: Spirit in the Skies. Airtime Publishing, 1992. Modern Air Combat, Bill Gunston and Mike Spick, Crescent, 1983. The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987. Post-World War II Fighters: 1945-1973, Marcelle Size Knaac, Office of Air Force History, 1986. The World Guide to Combat Planes, William Green, Macdonald, 1966. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft Armament, Bill Gunston, Orion, 1988. The World's Great Attack Aircraft, Gallery, 1988. McDonnell F-4 Phantom: Spirit in the Skies. Airtime Publishing, 1992. The Lessons of Modern War, Molume II: The Iran-Iraq War, Anthony H. Cordesman and Abraham R. Wagner, Westview Press, 1990 these are the books this info came from, however it is compiled on a website... I'll look for the link and post it EDIT............. Found it. here it is http://home.earthlink.net/~jwgreer/f4history.htm

Hey all, I asked about this at sim hq and got mixed feelings on the subject. Why not try to put the tomcat in this game? It was in service during the games era and flew CAP in vietnam. I have all the specs and technical data if anyone wants to give it a go. Please post your opinion on this The F-14 entered the fleet in 1973, replacing the F-4 Phantom IIin 1986 If we are going for realism then this is a must

I have all the skins for the f-4b interchanged with the f-4e

this is the early variant of the Phantom, in the late 50's-early 60's. as the first 18 operational Phantoms were equipped with threat warning and detection systems

I see the point in your post, but the difference in price is, imho, why combat flight sim looks cartoonish. the game is decent, but it looks like a cartoon. I think that you avoid this fake look by using the best software for the job, regardless of price. (which sucks for guys like us) I've heard that there is going to be a way to use Gmax for SFP1, but this is only rumor, and I'm definately not the authority on modding/skinning, so don't quote me on that. But I've read about it at sim hq. I'll try to find the post and make a link to it here for you if you are interested

needs some more work, as I'm not finnished yet, but please check it out and let me know what you think http://4.46.138.255 THANKS

I can't figure out the php stuff yet. If anyone can help let me know please

cant wait, it looks pretty damn good so far. BRAVO ZULU

Does anyone use this?? game voice, from microsoft. I just got 1 and its kinda cool, but I can't find anyone else to talk to

a copy of a decal set for a model plane...if it helps any... this plane looks like the one you found, but I guess you can pot the devil where ever you like, like the photo I found

Hammer, meet nail You sure hit the nail right on the head with that thought. My sentiments exactly

check this out http://www.microsoft.com/products/hardware.../GV/default.asp I have rw and have used it for years. I like it, but picked this up for the hell of it. It's actually pretty cool because you don't have to use keys, you can speak commands. this works killer for me so far. no more fumbling with keyboard while in flight you can chat with team and all also while in flight, if they have this too...thats the lame part, but the mic works with rw, so if you run em both it works out

Here's another one

ok thanks, didn't see it, but I haven't been there in a while

Just gotta say that the terrain by Deuces is great. pretty realistic too. heres a photo I found while surfing...this is not a screenshot. notice the terrain below the plane...

heres the page I saw this at. there are some facts and pics www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/f4/bluebook/record.htm

heres some serial numbers: Serials of the F-104A: 56-0730/0736 Lockheed F-104A-1-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1018/1024 56-0737/0747 Lockheed F-104A-5-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1025/1035 56-0748/0763 Lockheed F-104A-10-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1036/1051 56-0764/0788 Lockheed F-104A-15-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1052/1076 56-0789/0825 Lockheed F-104A-20-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1077/1113 56-0826/0877 Lockheed F-104A-25-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1114/1165 56-0878/0882 Lockheed F-104A-30-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1166/1170 56-0939/0956 Cancelled contract for Lockheed RF-104A Starfighter Specification of the F-104A: Engine: One General Electric J79-GE-3A/3B turbojet, 9600 lb.s.t. dry and 14,800 lb.s.t. with afterburning. Performance: Maximum speed 1037 mph at 50,000 feet. Stalling speed 198 mph. Initial climb rate 60,395 feet per minute. Combat ceiling 55,200 feet. Service ceiling was 64,795 feet. Normal range 730 miles. Maximum range with external drop tanks 1400 miles. Fuel: Internal fuel capacity was 897 US gallons, and maximum fuel capacity with two wingtip tanks and two underwing tanks was 1627 US gallons. Dimensions: Wingspan 21 feet 9 inches, length 54 feet 8 inches, height 13 feet 5 inches, wing area 196.1 square feet. Weights: 13,184 pounds empty, 17,988 pounds combat, 22,614 pounds gross, 25,840 pounds maximum takeoff. Armament: Armament consisted of a single 20-mm M61A1 cannon in the fuselage with 725 rounds, plus a pair of wingtip-mounted AIM-9B Sidewinder infrared homing air-to-air missiles. Alternatively, these wingtip shoes could carry a 141.5 or a 166.5 Imp.gall. droptank