Hey Senga where'd you find those Aim-54's! Navy got rid of 'em some time ago.
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Hey Senga where'd you find those Aim-54's! Navy got rid of 'em some time ago.
Nick, great to see another Military weapons buff.
I totally forgot the Pheonix had been retired. The creator of this particular F-14 model uploaded it flightsim.net on 03-20-2004. The Pheonix left US service in September 2004 and that would explain why the developer of this fs2004 F-14 created it with the model. Too bad he didn't make a "clean" model. Maybe he updated it.
Senga
Quote:
Originally Posted by lijk604
Hey guys....I have been down to the AAM about every day to take pictures mutible times a day. I have over 2000 shots EASY! I tried to document it as best I could. I was also the last person who was inside the Tomcat and took the last shots of it before they shut the canopy for good....THEY CAN NO LONGER OPEN IT without damaging the canopy itself. It was amazing this week, watched the gun come out...watched the entire interory get torn out after being kicked out of the cockpit by the crew so they could start.... ahh hell, It could take an entire day to type all the neat, but sad thing I witnessed.... The worst was the hydrolic fluid.
I have not updated any images since the first day because I have had NO SLEEP..... Now that the job is done, My job of sorting and posting starts....
Few days of rest first!!! PHEW!
(I can not tell you what an honor it was to be the last person in the last operational U.S. Tomcat)
Fred,
YOU SUCK!! LOL
That would have been real cool to sit in one again.. (remember the story Dad and I told you?).
Way cool bro... good for you. Were there anything instruments left in her??
You lucky bastard, Fred! But hey, you deserve it.
So I guess they're going to leave the cockpit clear, and not black it out?
Still working on my pics...
Its...light blue
Home Deopt only had navy, light blue and white
It was the best choice and looks nice!
SHEESH. I HATE it when they do that.
Senga
It looks like crap IMO, looks like a toy now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Derf
Can someone post a pic please.
It looks to bad when they do that to planes
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/mig1.jpg
Senga
They always paint the canopy for static display's. I of course would rather none...but the blue is different than the normal black they usually use!
Last night...first night with the paint....I also has the entire painting process.... Very Sad :(
http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/ny...n/IMG_3763.jpg
I do not get why they paint out the canopy. That is stupid if you ask me.
Well, I know they do it to prevent UV rays from getting in the cockpit and hurting anything, but I still hate it. Leave it clear, put a fake seat and insturment panel in there, and maybe some green lights to simulate the instrument lights, might look kindof cool.
I have seen several static aircraft that haven't had the cockpit lights painted over. I just wonder how someone can think its a good thing to do when the decide to.
Senga
When I was at the Museum the morning Felix came in, I overheard the gentleman from Northrop describing how she was going to be displayed at Bethpage to Cmdr. Howe of VF-31.
The plan is to have her up on a pole wings swept, in a bank.
I guess the idea behind the light blue is to simulate the sky through the canopy.
They are using the same look as an F-14 with the one single pole inQuote:
Originally Posted by Dan N
somewhere in Florida...
the color idea was simply.... Home Depot only had 3 colors of the type
they needed....White, Lt Blue and Navy... The gentleman below in the
picture made the decision at that time
http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/ny...n/IMG_3354.jpg
Oh my, What crime that is! Someone stop that man!
Senga
What a shame! It really detracts from the appearance...
He worked for Grumman back in the day and I think with the hundreds of
Grummanites that showed up to visit their baby....little were more upset
that this gentleman was.... You could hear it when he was smacking the
canopy hardware to secure it with a hammer to make it impossible to
open! As he says... "I am just doing my job... I don't have to like it...but
it IS my job"
Would you rather the aircraft be sent to AMARC or displayed?
Hmmm...... AMARC it would be able to stored and could be fixed orQuote:
Originally Posted by Nick
would probably have become a drone...but I hear they are chopping all
the F-14's and the only ones that are being saved are the ones for display
and 20 in the desert at AMARC....
I like to be able to shoot this... for the last 14 to land home, it is special.
But watching what was happening to this aircraft all week made me sad
yet pumped because I got to watch it. This shot is what the final
condition of the cockpit looks like. (Picture taken within 1 hour of closing
the canopy)
http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/ny...n/IMG_3340.jpg
Fred that's a wild picture, amazing they can strip a plane that quickly. A lay man would never know just a week ago that plane was flyable. Rather a powerful shot for those of us who know the recent history of the plane.
to think that one week ago she screamed over my head at probably 250 knots wings swept ready to go and now the only thing the scrap man has not taken yet is the landing gear lever, three handles and a red button. Crikey! Even the rudder pedals are out of that thing already.
The only aircraft currently being converted to drones from Davis Monthan AFB are (Q)F-4 Phantoms. By the time they run out of the old Rhino there should be a gaggle of F-16's baking in the sun. I don't believe the Tomcat will ever be converted for use in a target program mainly because it would be cost prohibitive. Hornets make far better aerial cannon fodder anyway!
As far as number of F-14's at AMARC there are currently 115 A's, 36 B's and 18 D's.
Are there still any A-7 , QF-106 Drones left? When I visited Tyndall in the late 90s there was a fleet of A-7s (unshootable) QF-106s (Unshootable) and the F-4s.
I wish I tried a little harder then to get the A-7s and the QF-106s.
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/drones01.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/drones02.jpg
Senga
Quote:
Originally Posted by MORS-AB-ALTO
THANK YOU, Now I feel a little better!
http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/gal ... /101844719
I have about 200 shots uploaded... I wish I could show all but sum will have to wait to be seen....
:lol: :wink:
The cockpit shots at night came out real good Fred. I like the production plate with the flag and bloodlike hydraulic fluid at night shots as well!
Outstanding Fred! Glad that someone who cares was there to document her last days.
Fred, Fantastic photos!
Thanks for sharing them with us.
Ok, Phew.... last update to the site is now complete. The lastest batch has the Cockpit shots
http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/gal ... /101844719
http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/...02197806-L.jpg
It just seems so wrong
I agree Ryan. Sad!
FINISHED THE VIDEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please let me know what you think
http://fromtheflightdeck.com/VideoLIW/F-14-640.wmv
Please send this to everyone!!!
Thank- Fred
Thanks for explaining why they paint the canopy and make it look so crappy. When my friend was flying out of Myrtle Beach for a Fedex Feeder, there was an A-7 and an A-10 parked near the FBO to evoke the field's past days as an Air Force base. The canopies were sprayed black and I wondered what the reason was. It totally nixed any ideas I had of a Top Gun-style "need for speed" photo standing next to a warbird, because the paint makes it look kind of fake, like a mock-up or model. While I don't know what it is, there has to be a better way to address the issue of sun exposure AND preserve a realistic-looking cockpit!
Another aboslutely outstanding, breath-taking vid Fred! I love that time-lapse photo set at the end, brilliant!
Eckerd still has yet to finish my pics from that day...is it about time for me to hurl a brick through thier window yet?
They usually cover the cockpit to keep the UV out.....they paint it because
the plane on display is suppose to look operational, incact and ready to
pack quite a punch. If you were able to go up and see all the wires in the
cockpit with no instruments... It would be a reminder of an aircraft lost
and not the symbol of power it is suppose to give.
Everyone wants the canopy clear, Everyone would be disgusted lookin
inside. If you could see inside, people would want to climb ontop of it to
see....I WOULD WANT TO TOO!
My .02c
Thanks, AFTER post proccessing, it took around 5 hoursQuote:
Originally Posted by GrummanFan
Glad it is over! ....The Video that is!
Fantastic video great job
Took me long enough, but I finally had a chance to go through and work on my pics. Here's just a few.
I still shoot film, so please excuse the bad quality and photoshop skills.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...elwellsigs.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1.../TomcatBWa.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...mcat_taxi1.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...n/tailhook.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...manFan/RIO.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1.../jetintake.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...nFan/blast.jpg
This one's still a work in progress, but you get the idea. Who needs a wide angle lens?
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...inprogress.jpg
I have to say to all that posted pics in this thread you guys have done an amazing job! I've thoroughly enjoyed seeing everybody’s different perspectives of this historic event.