FREE Software Modelers will find VERY useful!!!!

The gun fire over-ride switch is on the landing gear???????    

Just joking buddy  

The gun fire over-ride switch is on the landing gear???????    

Just joking buddy  

Gun Tech wrote:

The gun fire over-ride switch is on the landing gear???????       Just joking buddy

I understand you're joking, but I'll clarify for other folks.  I actually mis-labelled in the tag for that part.  The real name is " Groundfire over-ride switch ".  It's enclosed in a small sheetmetal box ( about 2-1/2" square and about 1-1/2" thick ) that is mounted on the strut and attached to the top link of the scissor links by an articulating flat metal bar ( about 1/8th inch thick by about 1/2 inch wide ).  When the A/C was on the ground. the switch would interrupt the electrical circuit from the gunfire control solenoid to the guns.  When on the harmo range to boresight the guns, that scissor link would be disconnected and the top half held down with a bungy cord so the guns could be fired.  We'd also do that when checking the guns and missile rails power circuits during weapons loading operations.  The Hun was the first A/C I worked on out of tech school, back in 1967 at Luke AFB, AZ.  On the F-4 Phantoms, that switch was located on the left main gear and referred to as the " Squat Switch". 

Before a bunch of F-4 guys point out that the Phantoms before the " E " model didn't have guns, I'll simply point out that they did carry a buuuuuch of missiles and gun pods; and I think they could carry the Genie rocket.  That switch cut all power to those firing circuits. ( just as it did on the Hun ) 

Hey Tinker.... Thanks for sharing that link with us.I downloaded it and plan on using it from now on.Thank you very much.BTW are you based there @ Tinker? 

Zone V Afterburner wrote:

Hey Tinker.... Thanks for sharing that link with us.I downloaded it and plan on using it from now on.Thank you very much.BTW are you based there @ Tinker?

I retired out of the Air Force at Tinker in 1988 after 22 fun filled years.  I hit " topcap " and had to hit the road.     My last 3 years were as an ART on the E-3's.   

That's cool..... Right now I'm building a 1/32 F-15E.But in the next year or so I think I am going to start building an F-4D from the 465th that was based there probably while you were there.F-4D S/N #66-550... It's one of the F-4's that were based there that had MiG kill markings on the intake. I used to live in the approach pattern SE of the base.Those F-4's are alot of the reason why I am so interested in aviation now.Well anyhoo...... take care!

Scot

 Scott,

I got to Tinker in the latter part of 1984 ( after going to Tech School for AWACS RADAR ) and was assigned to the 964th AWAC Sq.   I FINALLY got a flying job after being on active duty for 18 years.    Have you had the chance to go onto the base and take any measurements off of their display A/C?  The B-29, B-52, F-105D, and the EC-121  would take awhile.   I was there when the volunteer crew flew the EC-121 onto the base to be mothballed for display.  It was the last time one of those airplanes flew.  I left the area and am now living in the South. 

I'm really glad that I found this software ( FotoTagger )  because I still have various training manuals leftover from my technical schools ( Aircraft Weapons Mechanic; Instrumentation Technician; and AWACS Radar Technician ) and can use the tagger to point out specific equipment in any drawings and pictures from these books that I might post on this forum.  This application is small and simple to use plus its FREE.  I cannot afford $260 + for Photoshop as well as all that memory. I'm very happy with the simplicity and " cost " of Fototagger and I think other posters on this forum will, too, once they check it out. 

HEY GUN TECH--  I gave you some wrong info, above, concerning the location of the F-100's  Groundfire Override Switch.  It is on the nosegear strut, but it is actually mounted on the upper-half of the scissor switch instead of the strut.  Here's a photo showing what I mean:

At least I got the approximate SIZE right.   

Also, do not forget this piece of software, Paint.net:

http://www.getpaint.net/index2.html 

It is widely considered to be as powerful as Photoshop, but its free.

 Hey, RonUSMC--

There are several freeware photo manipulating applications available today.  I have GIMP which is just as indepth as Photoshop.  As I already said, I like this FotoTagger because it is a basic software, loads extremely fast, and is designed to be very easy to use because it is so s-i-m-p-l-e  to use.  I can have FT loaded and in use by the time GIMP fully loads.  FT does one thing--lets you tag things in  photos and that's it.  No layering; no morphing, no watermarking, no " fixing " red-eye, etc.  Just tagging.   I think that will appeal to more people.  People who are not interested in some Superfagillistic Do Everthingunderthesun photo software--free or otherwise.     Of course, that's just my never-humble opinion.

Man thanks for the links. This will help out all on FSM if they hear about it.

Tinker, I to was with the 964th at Tinker. I was in the Phase Dock working on the E-3s from 93-94.