Jug

I am the only person you're likely to meet that has ever really been to Area 51. It is not what you think and it is not even close to what oher people think it is. Sorry to pop the bubble, but no spacecraft.

To hell with the hat, the red nose is the counter. I recommend a lively evening at the pub near the sea and several straight shots of Pyrat Rum (har-har-har). Use Chapstick though, it's a rough low lip-crawl over cobblestones.

60 yrs of age, married 35 years - suggest you suffer through this year (you probably will anyway) and next year there will be no surprise requests and if in the future she forgets the rollout of this year you can remind her.

littlesmoke - love the pic of the team photo and the house going up in the background!

Not a zoomie, but an Auburn ROTC type. Back then Vietnam cannon fodder was the objective. Otherwise I'd have never made it to pilot training (played football and the height to weight thing chased me my entire career. I am a 1000 hr duce driver, but loved flying the 38. Spiffy little jet to run around in. Excellent photography. Really looking forward to this model to fly in this sim. Aren't the modders here amazing? I love 'em all!

Got some hours in this puppy too and I might add to FastCargo's difference list that the F-5B has hard points for pylons under the wings (2 per wing I think), a center fuselage hardpoint, and on the mounting points on the wingtips (usually fuel tanks); the T-38 can carry only a fuselage centerline pod (non-fuel) and the entire fleet was not modified to carry even that. The T-38As assigned to Beale AFB are all painted a gloss black with red low vis decals (BB on the tail) and are sweet looking. Actually I think they are a might bit faster than the white ones?!!? You might ask why station T-38s at Beale (U-2S and Global Hawk base) and the answer is that all of the real U-2s are deployed keeping an eye on the bad guys and the pilots at home have to fly something to keep proficiency. The U-2 pilots are all dual qualified in both aircraft.

Not quite for the turn and burn crowd, but this is one beauty! Sweet.

Let's not go overboard either. Against who have the Israelis been gaining their combat experience. AK-47s and RPGs in the hands of poorly trained ground troops. Not opening a political thread here, just stating facts. The deck has been loaded in their favor for some time now.

Paul, Gave up plastic modelling some time ago, but I have two or three storage boxes of old kits. Want them? Jug

As an old cold warrior, how can you not love Mikoyan-Gureyavich's finest, the MiG-25. Overwhelming brute power and persistantly underestimated fighting ability. Same as my western favorite, the Thud. Then again, I like muscle cars too!

Congratulations and Well Done. Remember promotion is not a reward, it is a higher expectation. Press On!!

In my opinion, Vietnam is an interesting scenario, but Europe has a broader base for future campaigns and missions and more aircraft across a broader time period. When you get through loading all of the add-on aircraft really used in VietNam and realize that the bad guys only had three types of aircraft defending, it stuns you why the US lost the war. Correction, gave up and came home from the war. Going for the tie (Korea and Vietnam) or just quitting (Vietnam) is not really in the American concept except in political circles where compromise is the name of the game. Most of the rest of the planet are not aware enough of democracy to recognize that a compromise where people stop killing each other is a win. Then again, who am I? Just another addict to both WoV and WoE.

Meus parabens de novo, amigo. Feliz Navidad!

Didn't the Falcons whip both the Army and the Navy this year? So this is all about second place, right?

Hey guys, is the Kestrel real? The P.1127 forerunner of the Harrier is the only Kestrel I know of. Great job, but from whence cometh the curious humpback shape?

Try EditPad Lite (freeware). Been using it for years now and it still serves my needs best. (Google: editpad lite)

Lost my father when he was way too young. He, also was a USN CPO during WWII. My condolences to you and your family. May he rest in peace, a job well done, in the Lord's loving arms.

Happy Birthday! Altitude below you, lotsa mash, favoring tailwind, one remaining missile and one....more....MiG!

I kinda like the urban warfare paint job. Not sure the Phantom can make some of the corners though?

Congratulations, Oh Mighty Infidel Bagwan, Wrench. You good lookin' dog, don't you ever die!

Can I join in and say Happy Anniversary to TK, our sim (SFP1/WOV/WOE/FirstEagles), and our community (specifically CombatAce). As I told my wife after retiring from flying real jets, I don't chase broads, I don't drink too much, I don't gamble very much, but a man's gotta have a hobby and this one is mine. She thought about it and has never complained when I spent some money on a new XPS through the years. In the midst of this sim, I get all the warm fuzzies I used to get flying real jets and everytime I smoke down the Red River in my Thud, I am flying with my friend Tommy Zorn in his Wild Weasel. Tommy made feet-wet, but bought the farm, 17 September 1969, when he and his backseater punched from a flaming 105G. One of many fearless men who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, but he is who is always my backseater. Its all about speed and brass balls and TK has given me some good times with a friend again. Thanks. Bye the way, being an old fart means there is quality all about you. You're still standing!!!!

I always heard #24 as: "The three most useless things to a pilot are altitude above you, runway behind you and airspeed you used to have." Flight planning emulates measuring with a caliper, marking with a crayon, and cutting with an axe. It is amazing how often that TLAR works (That Looks About Right). Sierra Hotel as opposed to Whiskey Delta.

I seem to recall that SAC did some testing on the BUFF with an AIM-9 pointed rearward and with it pointed forward. At the end of the day maneuvering the defensive aircraft (the BUFF) usually moved the offensive aircraft (attacking fighter) out of the missile's acquisition cone and a good lock was never achieved for the rear-facing missile. Better luck was obtained when making a closing fighter overshoot and light him up as he smokes by with a forward facing missile. At low altitude the ground kept getting in the way of the missile and lock-on in either case so the project was scrapped since low-altitude penetration of enemy airspace was standard and high-altitude defense was considered out moded. Besides with the Su-27s capability to bend itself around a turn and achieve extremely high AOA (angle of attack) why would you want a rear-firing missile.

Been at airshows where there was no doubt what was about to appear as the Lightning lit up her over-n-under burners. She was a real beauty and is still fun to fly in our sim. However, the sound wav file that goes with the FMK6 is real dinky sounding as opposed to the deep throaty roar from the real thing. I have a good speaker system and like to roll the kids out of bed to the sound of freedom (jetnoise), but I cannot get the thunder I need from the FMK6 engine wav file that comes with the kit. (early apologies to the kit construction team) Any suggestions?

A real beauty. Well Done!