Another photo website

[BlackLion213]

Hello,

 

I found another nice photo repository online, it is full of pictures from that seem either unpublished or not widely publicized. I've looked at a lot of Tomcat pictures over the years and most of the photos on the website are new to me. Most of them are "ramp shots", but there are some relatively rare subjects/schemes buried in there. I found some excellent photos and even found a real picture of NH211 (been looking for a complete photo of it for 10 years...that got my attention :)).

 

Here are a few of my favorites, there are over a hundred more on the site.

 

http://www.flickriver.com/groups/2848142@N25/pool/

 

The topic aircraft are very familiar, but the actual photos are unique to my eyes.

 

VF-111 CAG from their 1986-87 cruise, great looking bird in Gull grey and hi-viz markings.

 

 

Again at NAS Fallon during work-ups.

 

 

NH200 of the VF-213 in disruptive camo for a detachment, these were actually water colors! It is also one of the best photos for showing demarcation lines for TPS. For some reason, VF-213 photos haven't shown these well.

 

 

Here is similar disruptive camo peeling off a VF-2 aircraft in 1988.

 

 

VF-32 in fresh TPS (more or less) in 1985.

 

 

And now a shot of the TPS as it ages...much harder to sort out the scheme after a few years.

 

 

 

Unique TPS pattern for this VF-103 Tomcat during the mid-80s (around the time of the Achille Lauro incident), most would sport a more "standard" scheme.

 

 

Here is VF-103 in 1984, just after the TPS transition.

 

 

And a VERY blotchy VF-103 Tomcat 2 years later. Looks like the aircraft was arbitrarily touched up with the dark, topside color throughout. That happened a lot, most maintainers didn't think too much about that when touching up, especially in the 1980s.

 

Also of interest, AC212 is a TARPS Tomcat and is carrying the CATM-7 ballast weights on the forward sparrow recesses. These blue sparrow bodied weights were used to optimally balance the Tomcat for TARPs missions and were most often seen in training. During fleet operations, Tomcats more often used Phoenix pallets or live AIM-7s for ballast, though the CATM-7 was the best option. Tomcats needed to carry something on the forward fuselage to balance the TARPS pod in the rear of aircraft, otherwise the CG would shift too far rearward for safe operations. The CATM-7 was quite dense, it weighed 1000 lbs.

 

 

VF-24 CAG in 1988, when CVW-9 switched to the Nimitz. This scheme is of interest since there are only a few Tomcat squadrons that served on a Nimitz class carrier during the mid-late 80s. Since Eagle Dynamics is creating a Nimitz class carrier for DCS, this scheme would seem to be more relevant than some.

 

It also sports a false canopy, which VF-24 only used for their 1988 cruise (from what I can tell). It is a different pattern than that used by the Tomcats of CVW-11 (VF-114/VF-213). Among Tomcat squadrons, false canopies were only used by VF-114, VF-213, VF-2, and VF-24. Both VF-2 and VF-24 used the false canopy for one cruise in the late-80s. VF-114/VF-213 had their false canopies for multiple cruises (at least 3 for each squadron).

 

 

Sister squadron CO bird, VF-211 during her first cruise on Nimitz - 1988.

 

 

Here is a crew shot of NG105 from the same cruise. The VF-211 low-viz scheme looked the same as the CO bird, except that all markings were "Euro Gray" and applied over standard TPS. The low-viz visor was sported intermittently by VF-211 for many years.

 

 

VF-51 CAG for their 1986-87 cruise, first US Carrier visit to the Bering sea in many years. Photo taken at Fallon.

 

 

VF-213 line bird around 1984, during their transition from gull grey to TPS schemes:

 

 

The only colorful line-bird in VF-114 in the mid-late 1980s (from what I have seen) - NH107

 

 

VF-114 in 1987 at Fallon. The aircraft of VF-114 and VF-213 were quite weathered during the 1980s, as were most TPS birds during the era. I find these aircraft to be fascinating to look at. The underlying TPS scheme starts to disappear under the endless number of touch-ups. Part of it is the photo (might be slightly over-exposed), you can see a Tomcat nose in the left background with comparatively clear demarcation lines.

 

 

Regular photos of VF-213 during the mid-late 1980s are surprisingly rare, I've been hunting them for years. VF-114 photos seem to outnumber them 10:1, not sure why. I've been looking for a photo of NH211 for a long time (are partial shot of NH211 was my avatar for a while) and this photo finally allowed me to confirm the BuNo.

 

 

There are LOTS of other photos, many of which are more colorful. I'm fond of these since I like grey Tomcats from the West Coast, but there is an excellent variety on the website, including some later photos and Tomcats in museums. I hope you like the website. :)

 

-Nick

 

PS - if anyone would like a hand finding photos for a specific squadron or era, I'm happy to help.

Edited February 17, 2016 by BlackLion213

[SCPGrinder66]

Excellent! Thanks for posting... I have not previously seen any of these either.

[Akatsuki]

Nice find Nick, thank you for sharing.

[NineLine]

:thumbup:

 

:joystick:

[CAT_101st]

Yea more photos instead of in game progress screen shots.

Sorry bad morning

[BlackLion213]

Yea more photos instead of in game progress screen shots.

Sorry bad morning

 

Yeah, all I can do is hand you a magazine while you wait... ;)

 

I'm not one of those privileged (and very hard working) few who gets to see progress shots of this masterpiece.

 

This helps me to pass the time, like you I'm really anxious to see what the real Tomcat module looks like.

 

Excellent! Thanks for posting... I have not previously seen any of these either.

 

Nice find Nick, thank you for sharing.

 

:thumbup:

 

:joystick:

 

Thanks guys!

 

-Nick

[Grundar]

Yea more photos instead of in game progress screen shots.

Sorry bad morning

 

To be fair Nick is an F-14 enthusiast and not a Leatherneck Employee so he wouldn't have any in game progress screenshots...

 

....unless it's not really "Nick" but actually Nicholas Dackard aka Cobra847!!

 

*attempts to rip off Nick's fake mustache*

 

*not a fake*

 

*flees*

 

 

;)

[BlackLion213]

To be fair Nick is an F-14 enthusiast and not a Leatherneck Employee so he wouldn't have any in game progress screenshots...

 

....unless it's not really "Nick" but actually Nicholas Dackard aka Cobra847!!

 

*attempts to rip off Nick's fake mustache*

 

*not a fake*

 

*flees*

 

 

;)

 

:megalol:

 

I do have a mustache, but it's not fake. It was extensively "stress tested" by my 6 year old daughter (mostly when she was younger than 6), I can attest that it's quite solid. ;)

 

That said, in this context, I find it's a funny coincidence that I have a twin brother...and his name is Michael. (No, not a joke).

 

-Nick (NHP)

Edited February 19, 2016 by BlackLion213

[Rangi]

Great photos and interesting comments, thanks for posting.

[Donut]

Thank you for the great photos and helping us pass the time in anticipation of the Tomcat.

 

Proud member of the mustache club here as well. Isn't the mustache standard issue for naval aviators?

[BlackLion213]

Proud member of the mustache club here as well. Isn't the mustache standard issue for naval aviators?

 

I think Dave "Bio" Baranek commented in his book: "mustaches weren't required, but nearly all of us had them."

 

It seemed pretty standard issue in the 1980s....not so much now (sometimes people make bad choices :D).

 

Glad you enjoyed the pictures. :)

 

-Nick

[Frisco1522]

Your service to the anxious Tomcat community is inimitable. :thumbup:

 

Thank you BlackLion.

 

Frisco1522

[Woogey]

Not that these are the highest quality photos, but I found them interesting. Nick I think you will recognize one of your birds here. These were all taken on board the "Big E" during the SoCal local training in 1984. I am not sure what scenes from the Ranger made it into the movie, as all the scenes I can find all lead back to CVW-11 and USS Enterprise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Woog

[Drag0nWIng]

It seems we can watch the live stream of tomcat until next 28th Nov.

sigh.

[BlackLion213]

Not that these are the highest quality photos, but I found them interesting. Nick I think you will recognize one of your birds here. These were all taken on board the "Big E" during the SoCal local training in 1984. I am not sure what scenes from the Ranger made it into the movie, as all the scenes I can find all lead back to CVW-11 and USS Enterprise.

 

[ATTACH]150921[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]150922[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]150923[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]150924[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]150925[/ATTACH]

 

-Woog

 

Thank you! I love seeing Lions and Varks on the deck of Big E. :D

 

Where did you find these images?

 

-Nick

[Woogey]

Nick,

 

A fellow artist over at Groomlake Simulations was watching a cheesy movie called "The Thing Below". He brought it to my attention. The opening sequence uses stock footage that must have been filmed for Top Gun originally. As you can clearly see both the Iceman an Maverick jets on deck along with NH615 the Seaking that brought the boys back to the boat in the final Flight scenes of the movie.

 

-Woog

[Woogey]

These photos illustrate a memory most won't recall. Maverick and Ice participated in the San Francisco Fleet Week during 1985, a year before the movie was to become the Summer blockbuster of 1986!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Woog

[BlackLion213]

These photos illustrate a memory most won't recall. Maverick and Ice participated in the San Francisco Fleet Week during 1985, a year before the movie was to become the Summer blockbuster of 1986!

 

[ATTACH]151001[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]151002[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]151003[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]151004[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]151005[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]151006[/ATTACH]

 

-Woog

 

Nice! :)

 

We just had Fleet Week, but sadly I had to work (like usual...). Caught a few glimpses of the Blue Angels at a distance, but it's not like seeing Tomcats in formation.

 

My wife grew up in San Diego during Miramar's peak (early-mid 80s) and found the F-14's to be quite a nuisance. :huh: She said that it was like living next door to train tracks - when they appeared over head you had to wait for the noise and shaking to stop before you resume your activities. :D

 

When she met me, she was amazed that someone might actually like that. Sadly I never got to see it in person, but she gave such a great description.

 

Thank you for the photos!

 

-Nick

[Woogey]

Ironically your wife's description of trains is amusing. I used to live directly across the street from a busy set of train tracks. They were noisy, my house would vibrate. But when I moved away, It took me the longest time to get used to the silence. It was hard to go to sleep without.

 

I have lived in the Seattle area most of my life, and never got to see Tomcats in their natural state. Whidbey Island is not too far away, and Prowlers were a common site here. We also had 318th FIS F-15's, and later on the "Bulldogs" A-10A's of the 354th FS were stationed at McChord AFB about 15 miles from my home. None of these match the presence of a Tomcat or an entire Tomcat base for that matter. Your wife should consider herself lucky to have been inconvenienced by the noisy Tomcats! Lol

 

-Woog