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Kill Markings

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  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Orlando, Florida
Kill Markings
Posted by ikar01 on Sunday, February 26, 2023 11:56 PM

Here's a shot I took on my scond tour during VIetnam.  F-4D number 463 stopped off for a short visit and I managed to get a shot of her while aircraft maint. did whatever they were doing.  Take a good look at the top markings.

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Monday, February 27, 2023 11:32 AM

Hello Bob!

That's a spectacular shot - there are not so many people out there who can claim to have photographed that famous bird while it was in service!

But I can't quite make out the top markings - what's there?

Can you post that photo in higher resolution?

Thanks for sharing and have a nice day

Paweł

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Orlando, Florida
Posted by ikar01 on Monday, February 27, 2023 6:59 PM

It's a Ryan Fire Bee drone.  The same type they would launch from a DC-130.

I tried posting a larger shot from a short time later after the people left.

  • Member since
    June 2017
  • From: Winter Park, FL
Posted by fotofrank on Monday, February 27, 2023 9:33 PM

So, seven air-to-air victories!

Any idea who was flying this airplane? Is the pilot's name just below the windscreen?

OK. In the stash: Way too much to build in one lifetime...

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Orlando, Florida
Posted by ikar01 on Monday, February 27, 2023 10:51 PM

No idea, I stayed away to sort of keep the peace between the crew Chiefs and our squadron.  They didn't like us so we kept our disatance except when necessary to keep the friction down.  We were the most unpopular squadron on the base, and were tolerated at best.  Other squadrons would do what they could to us, such as hold up releasing our vehicles from motor pool, slow down supply requests, and so on.  Anything to make it harder on us.  Eventually we did find a way to get back at them through visitor control mistakes they would make.

  • Member since
    April 2020
Posted by Eaglecash867 on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 5:55 AM

fotofrank

So, seven air-to-air victories!

Any idea who was flying this airplane? Is the pilot's name just below the windscreen?

 
66-7463 was assigned to 2 different flight crews.  The first was Major Ivy McCoy (Pilot) and Major Fred Brown (WSO).  The second was none other than Captain Steve Ritchie (Pilot) and Captain Chuck DeBellevue (WSO).  I believe McCoy/Brown were responsible for the first kill, with Ritchie/DeBellevue being responsible for the remaining 5. 
 

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Orlando, Florida
Posted by ikar01 on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 7:13 AM

Makes you wonder, who got the drone and what's the story behind it.  Recon drones were a fairly expensive piece of equipment so you normally would not blow one out of the sky without a very good reason.  I took these shots on my second tour in 1974, just before the war ended.

  • Member since
    December 2022
  • From: Canada
Posted by Tcoat on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 8:01 AM

HMMMMM. I have a spare F4-D kit in my stash that I was going to do up as a Navy version but an in flight 463 with 5 kill markings lauching a sidewinder sounds intriguing. 

Would go nicely with my Col.Olds Scat.

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