The F-35 fiasco

[jon_norstog]

He might hurt himself with a gun. Just give him a sharp pocket knife.

He played his last dirty trick on us when he had himself cremated, with a relative keeping the ashes -- there were a lot of us pledged to piss on his grave.

I would have been one of those pissers. take a number! There was a guy ran into him on the ferry to Martha's Vineyard, at night. Caught him on deck and did his damndest to throw the bastard over the side. He couldn't get the job done, unfortunately. Wish I'd been there to assist.

jn

[Vern Humphrey]

I had a five gallon can filled up, and didn't get to use it.

[RED]

Red- not all engagements are at stand-off distance with missles. We learned that in VN; that's why the gun pod was developed for the F4. I saw, I believe, a MIG-29 do a vertical swap ends, at speed, in what looked like less than a footbal field. Like a tank doing a vertical neutral steer.

It wasn't the showoff vertical dance as shown on the I'net.

Neither the USN or the USMC F-4B/J Phantoms ever ever killed a MIG with a gun pod. Maybe the USAF did but they weren't maintaining them on a pitching carrier deck at night. Our squadron had two Hughes gun pods for 14 aircraft and we only trained with them as a ground support tactic. The Navy Phantoms never had a lead computing gunsight and the ammunition load was something like 275 rounds or about one three second burst

US Navy F-4 Versions in Vietnam

F-4B (F4H-1) – Second F-4 version but first major production version of the F-4.
F-4J - Improved F-4B
Major Differences compared to the USAF

Air to Air Refueling with Drogue and Basket
Use of AIM-9B/D/G/H versions of Sidewinder only as Short Range Missile.
Never fitted Guns, not even pods (outside of a brief trial with the GAU-4)
Internal ECM equipment.
Different Radars (AN/APQ-72, -59 & AWG-10 Pulse Doppler)
Had no flight controls in the back seat
In 1972 preferred used of AIM-9G/H Sidewinder over AIM-7E-2 Sparrow
Used more flexible Loose Deuce A-A formation tactics
Carrier and land based (Marines)

[Vern Humphrey]

Neither the USN or the USMC F-4B/J Phantoms ever ever killed a MIG with a gun pod. Maybe the USAF did but they weren't maintaining them on a pitching carrier deck at night. Our squadron had two Hughes gun pods for 14 aircraft and we only trained with them as a ground support tactic. The Navy Phantoms never had a lead computing gunsight and the ammunition load was something like 275 rounds or about one three second burst

That's correct. I always liked to hear the FAC tell us his planes had Nape and 20 mike mike -- the pods were attached and we could expect a little extra from that particular flight.