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Modern (1975-today): USA
Modern aircraft of the United States.
Hosted by Jim Starkweather
Squadron crew / pilots Improvements
TOMCAT14
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Warszawa, Poland
Joined: October 10, 2002
KitMaker: 312 posts
AeroScale: 0 posts
Posted: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - 11:55 PM UTC
Hi Guys,

I hear alots of some squadron improvements which help in flight , combat ..etc. which was done only by crew members not Manufactures .
Talk about perhaps : F-14 and her one most popular sqn VF-103 Jolly Rogers , their A/C fryqently flies without exterior fuel tanks - maybe I wrong but this is one of Sqn. that I saw ( from F-14 Sqn.s) which most sorties are without this fuel tanks - cause of this safety of crews goes up, beacause some problems with bad funcionality of fuel system cutoff . Another upgrade that I saw on TV News from live VF-103 - was also with fuel system , rather air refuel probe - is still open ( not refuel position ) but we can see the Probe - I never seen this before in F-14 history - maybe someone helps me to investigate , what improvements is that ?

Cheers

Whiskey
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Texas, United States
Joined: May 30, 2002
KitMaker: 1,038 posts
AeroScale: 252 posts
Posted: Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 03:14 PM UTC
Your inquiry about the refuling probe is that the doors are just plain missing.It seems to be the case of several VF 103 Tomcats.And VF 103 DOES fly with exterior fuel tanks.It would be crazy not to fly with them because the extra fuel carried into a combat zone where a Tanker cant refuel them.One interesting thing about VF 103 is that they are not allowed to paint thier LANTIRN pods in the tactical paint scheme but they have to leave them in the dark gunship "Strike Eagle" gray in which they were delievered.
Linz
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Australia
Joined: March 18, 2002
KitMaker: 181 posts
AeroScale: 0 posts
Posted: Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 03:20 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Another upgrade that I saw on TV News from live VF-103 - was also with fuel system , rather air refuel probe - is still open ( not refuel position ) but we can see the Probe - I never seen this before in F-14 history - maybe someone helps me to investigate , what improvements is that ?


Apparently whilst refuelling, on a number of circumstances the door was damaged (or damaged the hose) meaning that fuel couldn't be passed. It was found that by taking the door off, this interference was no longer evident and there were no severe aerodynamic pentalties.

Cheers,
Linz
TOMCAT14
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Warszawa, Poland
Joined: October 10, 2002
KitMaker: 312 posts
AeroScale: 0 posts
Posted: Friday, November 15, 2002 - 12:15 AM UTC
Hi ,

Thanks Guys for answer me , Yes Zach You have right they fly with external tanks - I don't want to say this usual - and all sorties on combat are that same ,I only read about this sqn. in Combat Aircraft Magazine - and theirs unique improvements - I never heard about similar works from another F-14 Sqn.

Best Regards

 _GOTOTOP