The Official F-4 Phantom II Group Build 2011

berny13

Bockscar:

Okay, I recovered.....Berny,

THANK YOU for doing that, THANK YOU for saving that guy, THANK YOU for your story.

I am going to have a cold one in your honour and dry my eyes on the cold beer glass. 

 

Thanks Bocks.  The bad thing is that F-4C never flew again.  After returning back to Hill AFB, I saw that jet laying along side a hanger.  A civilian came up as I was looking at it and commented that the crew that took that aircraft apart should be shot.  The fuselage was so warped by not being in a jig and cradle there would be no way to ever get the parts to fit again.  You can't use putty and sandpaper to get them to fit and fill the gaps. 

Wow Berny, that is an incredible story!  That just confirms what I already thought of you.  A really outstanding person who thinks of others before himself.  And that comment from the civilian just shows how you should never assume anything!  He had no idea the hell you and your crew went through to bring that thing home.  I hope you set him straight.  I am sure you must have received a medal or two for that?

Ken

I hope you got a purple heart at least out of that.  I take it the other guy got an honorable discharge due to his injuries?

berny13

 

Bockscar:

 

Okay, I recovered.....Berny,

THANK YOU for doing that, THANK YOU for saving that guy, THANK YOU for your story.

I am going to have a cold one in your honour and dry my eyes on the cold beer glass. 

 

 

Thanks Bocks.  The bad thing is that F-4C never flew again.  After returning back to Hill AFB, I saw that jet laying along side a hanger.  A civilian came up as I was looking at it and commented that the crew that took that aircraft apart should be shot.  The fuselage was so warped by not being in a jig and cradle there would be no way to ever get the parts to fit again.  You can't use putty and sandpaper to get them to fit and fill the gaps. 

Almost forgot.  Does anyone have a source for SEA white numerical decals?  The correct font for tail numbers?  I need some for good old 69-260.  Everything else is here, so apart from some paint and detail work on other kits, all my build time is now on the E bird.  :)  Oh Berny.  What did you say a typical load out on stores would be for that bird?

Berny -- that's an amazing story and I'm honoured to have provided the venue for the telling. I feel I've helped enshrine a piece of history that deserves to be remembered. Thank you so much for sharing this!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Sparrowhyperion

Almost forgot.  Does anyone have a source for SEA white numerical decals?  The correct font for tail numbers?  I need some for good old 69-260.  Everything else is here, so apart from some paint and detail work on other kits, all my build time is now on the E bird.  :)  Oh Berny.  What did you say a typical load out on stores would be for that bird?

Hi Rich,

Berny described that on page 115.

Ken

Thanks Ken.  I lost track of what page it was on.

Son Of Medicine Man

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

Almost forgot.  Does anyone have a source for SEA white numerical decals?  The correct font for tail numbers?  I need some for good old 69-260.  Everything else is here, so apart from some paint and detail work on other kits, all my build time is now on the E bird.  :)  Oh Berny.  What did you say a typical load out on stores would be for that bird?

 

 

Hi Rich,

Berny described that on page 115.

Ken

Thunderbolt379

Berny -- that's an amazing story and I'm honoured to have provided the venue for the telling. I feel I've helped enshrine a piece of history that deserves to be remembered. Thank you so much for sharing this!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Mike;

Given the tribulations and actions of those guys present but unmentioned, Rex, Ken's dad, and Berny, we can conclude your GB has definitely turned into a Memorial in its own right, and a humbling one, at that.

History isn't just what happened in the past, but what we learn today about it.

Privileged to learn here, Mike.

Sparrowhyperion

I hope you got a purple heart at least out of that.  I take it the other guy got an honorable discharge due to his injuries?

 

berny13:

 

Bockscar:

 

Okay, I recovered.....Berny,

THANK YOU for doing that, THANK YOU for saving that guy, THANK YOU for your story.

I am going to have a cold one in your honour and dry my eyes on the cold beer glass. 

 

 

Thanks Bocks.  The bad thing is that F-4C never flew again.  After returning back to Hill AFB, I saw that jet laying along side a hanger.  A civilian came up as I was looking at it and commented that the crew that took that aircraft apart should be shot.  The fuselage was so warped by not being in a jig and cradle there would be no way to ever get the parts to fit again.  You can't use putty and sandpaper to get them to fit and fill the gaps. 

 

I got the Silver Star and Purple Heart.  The other man got a medical discharge with 50% disibility.  He was awarded the Purple Heart and Air Force Commendation Medal.  The other two who came back to get us were awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal.

You deserved the honor Berny.  I was a grunt, and was in between wars, but I tell ya, the things you AF guys did, made us a lot safer on the ground.  I know folks usually think of support personnel as non-combat, but anyone with any kind of military background knows that this is not true.  Support staff sometimes have to work in the worst conditions, and under the most pressure.  And sometimes are as/if not more exposed to hostiles than the unit they are supporting.

berny13

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

I hope you got a purple heart at least out of that.  I take it the other guy got an honorable discharge due to his injuries?

 

 

berny13:

 

Bockscar:

 

Okay, I recovered.....Berny,

THANK YOU for doing that, THANK YOU for saving that guy, THANK YOU for your story.

I am going to have a cold one in your honour and dry my eyes on the cold beer glass. 

 

 

Thanks Bocks.  The bad thing is that F-4C never flew again.  After returning back to Hill AFB, I saw that jet laying along side a hanger.  A civilian came up as I was looking at it and commented that the crew that took that aircraft apart should be shot.  The fuselage was so warped by not being in a jig and cradle there would be no way to ever get the parts to fit again.  You can't use putty and sandpaper to get them to fit and fill the gaps. 

 

 

 

 

I got the Silver Star and Purple Heart.  The other man got a medical discharge with 50% disibility.  He was awarded the Purple Heart and Air Force Commendation Medal.  The other two who came back to get us were awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal.

Sparrowhyperion

Oh Berny.  What did you say a typical load out on stores would be for that bird?

When I built my model I had it loaded with four AIM-7F's, four AIM-9J's, two 370 wing tanks, a 600 gallon centerline tank, one AN/ALQ-87 ECM pod on the left inboard, a AN/ALQ-101 ECM pod on the right inboard.  That would be the loadout for long range MIG CAP.  Hungry for bear and ready for the kill.

berny13

Sparrowhyperion:

I hope you got a purple heart at least out of that.  I take it the other guy got an honorable discharge due to his injuries?

 

berny13:

 

Bockscar:

 

Okay, I recovered.....Berny,

THANK YOU for doing that, THANK YOU for saving that guy, THANK YOU for your story.

I am going to have a cold one in your honour and dry my eyes on the cold beer glass. 

 

 

Thanks Bocks.  The bad thing is that F-4C never flew again.  After returning back to Hill AFB, I saw that jet laying along side a hanger.  A civilian came up as I was looking at it and commented that the crew that took that aircraft apart should be shot.  The fuselage was so warped by not being in a jig and cradle there would be no way to ever get the parts to fit again.  You can't use putty and sandpaper to get them to fit and fill the gaps. 

 

 

I got the Silver Star and Purple Heart.  The other man got a medical discharge with 50% disibility.  He was awarded the Purple Heart and Air Force Commendation Medal.  The other two who came back to get us were awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal.

You most certainly deserved those medals!  I have to ask you this after knowing what I have gone through when I lost my Dad.  Have you told your children this story?  Even if you have, if they haven't heard it again recently, you should tell it to them again.  And anything else about you that is of merit.  They will be very glad that you did.  And by no means think of it as bragging.  I know that it is not your style to brag about what you have done.  They will surely feel proud of you!

Ken

Great :), I am off on a stores hunt. lol.

Rich

berny13

 

 

 

When I built my model I had it loaded with four AIM-7F's, four AIM-9J's, two 370 wing tanks, a 600 gallon centerline tank, one AN/ALQ-87 ECM pod on the left inboard, a AN/ALQ-101 ECM pod on the right inboard.  That would be the loadout for long range MIG CAP.  Hungry for bear and ready for the kill.

berny13

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

Oh Berny.  What did you say a typical load out on stores would be for that bird?

 

 

When I built my model I had it loaded with four AIM-7F's, four AIM-9J's, two 370 wing tanks, a 600 gallon centerline tank, one AN/ALQ-87 ECM pod on the left inboard, a AN/ALQ-101 ECM pod on the right inboard.  That would be the loadout for long range MIG CAP.  Hungry for bear and ready for the kill.

LOL....

Sparrowhyperion

Great :), I am off on a stores hunt. lol.

Rich

 

 

berny13:

 

 

 

 

When I built my model I had it loaded with four AIM-7F's, four AIM-9J's, two 370 wing tanks, a 600 gallon centerline tank, one AN/ALQ-87 ECM pod on the left inboard, a AN/ALQ-101 ECM pod on the right inboard.  That would be the loadout for long range MIG CAP.  Hungry for bear and ready for the kill.

 

 

berny13

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

I hope you got a purple heart at least out of that.  I take it the other guy got an honorable discharge due to his injuries?

 

 

berny13:

 

Bockscar:

 

Okay, I recovered.....Berny,

THANK YOU for doing that, THANK YOU for saving that guy, THANK YOU for your story.

I am going to have a cold one in your honour and dry my eyes on the cold beer glass. 

 

 

Thanks Bocks.  The bad thing is that F-4C never flew again.  After returning back to Hill AFB, I saw that jet laying along side a hanger.  A civilian came up as I was looking at it and commented that the crew that took that aircraft apart should be shot.  The fuselage was so warped by not being in a jig and cradle there would be no way to ever get the parts to fit again.  You can't use putty and sandpaper to get them to fit and fill the gaps. 

 

 

 

 

I got the Silver Star and Purple Heart.  The other man got a medical discharge with 50% disibility.  He was awarded the Purple Heart and Air Force Commendation Medal.  The other two who came back to get us were awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal.

Berny; I had to have a beer for the two like-minded guys that hauled your bacon outa' the mud!

Sparrowhyperion

You deserved the honor Berny.  I was a grunt, and was in between wars, but I tell ya, the things you AF guys did, made us a lot safer on the ground.  I know folks usually think of support personnel as non-combat, but anyone with any kind of military background knows that this is not true.  Support staff sometimes have to work in the worst conditions, and under the most pressure.  And sometimes are as/if not more exposed to hostiles than the unit they are supporting.

 

 

berny13:

 

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

I hope you got a purple heart at least out of that.  I take it the other guy got an honorable discharge due to his injuries?

 

 

berny13:

 

Bockscar:

 

Okay, I recovered.....Berny,

THANK YOU for doing that, THANK YOU for saving that guy, THANK YOU for your story.

I am going to have a cold one in your honour and dry my eyes on the cold beer glass. 

 

 

Thanks Bocks.  The bad thing is that F-4C never flew again.  After returning back to Hill AFB, I saw that jet laying along side a hanger.  A civilian came up as I was looking at it and commented that the crew that took that aircraft apart should be shot.  The fuselage was so warped by not being in a jig and cradle there would be no way to ever get the parts to fit again.  You can't use putty and sandpaper to get them to fit and fill the gaps. 

 

 

 

 

I got the Silver Star and Purple Heart.  The other man got a medical discharge with 50% disibility.  He was awarded the Purple Heart and Air Force Commendation Medal.  The other two who came back to get us were awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal.

 

 

Starting to make sense Rich, THANK YOU as well, mind you Rich, you build more in an hour than I do in a week...lol...when I retire....I've got a huge factory planned.....

I don't get as much built as I used to anymore.  Shaky hands mean slow laborious work.  Oh... Almost forgot something.  Berny.  I have seen different styles of tail markings for the ship numbers on the SEA decals I got.  Some have dark prefix numbers and some have white.  Which one would be accurate for 69-260?  Is the AF and 69 dark or white?

Rich

Sparrowhyperion

I don't get as much built as I used to anymore.  Shaky hands mean slow laborious work.  Oh... Almost forgot something.  Berny.  I have seen different styles of tail markings for the ship numbers on the SEA decals I got.  Some have dark prefix numbers and some have white.  Which one would be accurate for 69-260?  Is the AF and 69 dark or white?

Rich

The AF and 69 was in black.  The ED and 260 was in white.

Thanks!  That's all I needed to know.  All I need to do now is track down some ECM pods..

berny13

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

I don't get as much built as I used to anymore.  Shaky hands mean slow laborious work.  Oh... Almost forgot something.  Berny.  I have seen different styles of tail markings for the ship numbers on the SEA decals I got.  Some have dark prefix numbers and some have white.  Which one would be accurate for 69-260?  Is the AF and 69 dark or white?

Rich

 

 

The AF and 69 was in black.  The ED and 260 was in white.

Sparrowhyperion

Thanks!  That's all I needed to know.  All I need to do now is track down some ECM pods..

 

 

berny13:

 

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

I don't get as much built as I used to anymore.  Shaky hands mean slow laborious work.  Oh... Almost forgot something.  Berny.  I have seen different styles of tail markings for the ship numbers on the SEA decals I got.  Some have dark prefix numbers and some have white.  Which one would be accurate for 69-260?  Is the AF and 69 dark or white?

Rich

 

 

The AF and 69 was in black.  The ED and 260 was in white.

 

 

Here are the instructions:

Here's the kit link on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Hasegawa-07209-1-48-F-4G-Phantom-II-Wild-Weasel-/110685587798

They look similar to the ones a number of pages back, but I haven't developed an eye for the pods yet, so I'm not sure which model number it is.

jimbot58

It seems that model building is a lesson in problem solving: Before I got too carried away with painting the bottom of the 'Geasel', I needed to think about the ALQ-119 pod to be mounted in the LH forward Sparrow bay. Naturally, the Hasegawa kit doesn't provide any underwing stores, so I had to get one of their add-on weapons kits to obtain one. (Same with the required AGM missiles) The other problem was the pylon for the pod! They don't provide that either! I knew I would likely have to scratch one, but I didn't know what it looked like.

I came up with an alternative: The Italeri kit in my stash has a "G" option and provides both the pod and the pylon! The part in question is already mounted to its pylon, but like the rest of the kit, details are 'soft', poorly done, with ejector pin marks deeply embedded in the side. The pylon would be usable though.

Cutting off the locater pins from the bottom, I cemented the whole piece into the bay, using the other kit part as a guide:

The Hasegawa part that will be used is held there by a bit of tape for comparison.

Once set, I cut away the crappy Italeri pod, leaving the two tiny rods that where the new one will mount (hard to see with my stupid camera, I know!). How I will mount it securely will be a problem for another day, but maybe some brass wires drilled in may be the answer:

New part taped in place to get a 'feel' for it:

Comparing the good and the bad:

Hopefully, it will someday look somewhat like this:

As always, sorry for the quality of my pictures, I wish I had a better camera.....

Also I would mention that after examination of the Italeri kit with its raised panel lines, poor fit, lots of ejector pin marks in all the wrong places, and lack of decent detail issues, I decided this kit is fair game for savaging parts, including the decals that will go to the Hasegawa 'Geasel'! No intentions to ever build it.

Rich, I found Jim's post, not really sure what those are either, but it may help. That's back on Page 62.

Rich:

Here's a better Ebay link;

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-48-F-4G-PHANTOM-II-WILD-WEASEL-HASEGAWA-7209-/310288369087?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item483ea0c5bf#ht_1034wt_1141

If that pod is of any use let me know.

That's an ALQ101 pod I think.  From what I understand, there isn't a lot of physical difference between the two, but I found the same pod at several web sites, all listed as the ALQ101 which is the one we need. Along with the pylons of course. lol  I'm still trying to find that Testor's G Wild Weasel kit I have around here.  I know that Hasegawa Weapons Pack B has the ALQ87 in it.  But it's kind of pricey just for the couple of items we need.  Although I suppose if I pick it up, I could re-arm the kits I took the AIM9Js and AIM7Fs out of. I'll see what Wifey says.

How's this look:

US$32, + shipping.

Good for the missile ordinance, but the B weapons kit has the ALQ pods.  $32.99 is a bit pricey for this one (C Kit).  I have seen them for under $20 and shipping.

Bockscar

How's this look:

US$32, + shipping.

Heres a link to the same kit $16.99 and like $4.99 to ship.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Hasegawa-Aircraft-Weapons-C-X48-3-MINT-sealed-3-3-/260780003566?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb7b310ee

This is the kit with the ALQ Pods.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Hasegawa-1-48-36002-AIRCRAFT-WEAPONS-B-U-S-GUIDED-BOMB-/260751651472?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb6027290

So I've decided to extend the functionality of the intake ducts, and the flat medial duct wall is now a medial fuselage bulkhead, bs, lol, I've cut the card to attach to the wing keel to further bolster the duct.

Now I need to replicate the shebang to the Port side, still in paper, guys, ...oh, by the way, stop sending me so many thousands of emails asking for more, my staff can't keep up......

Still can't get the image of using an acetylene torch to cut the heads off of the bolts and punching others out... on an F-4.....I may never forgive Berny for putting that image into in my last remaining neuron.....

  pssst.  Hey, over here.  I couldn't help but overhear that you were looking for an AN/ALQ-101 pod.  It just so happens that I know where you can find one.  Just click here http://www.djparkins.com/acatalog/1_48th_Post_War_USAF_NATO_Russian.html , scroll to the bottom of the page, and tell 'em Ken sent you.

LOL.  I wish I had gotten this message before I ordered weapons pack B. lol

Son Of Medicine Man

  pssst.  Hey, over here.  I couldn't help but overhear that you were looking for an AN/ALQ-101 pod.  It just so happens that I know where you can find one.  Just click here http://www.djparkins.com/acatalog/1_48th_Post_War_USAF_NATO_Russian.html , scroll to the bottom of the page, and tell 'em Ken sent you.