Enzo Matrix wrote:
CD wrote:
"Netko" wrote in message
x.com...
The pictures in this post consist of nothing but F-8 Crusaders.
Apart, that is, from any A-7s which may have slipped through.

Thanks for the photo series Netko. Though I would Google the F-8
Crusaders for a bit of research and found this interesting story at
wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-8_Crusader

In October 1974 (on the Clemenceau) and June 1977 (on the Foch),
planes from 14.F squadron participated to the Saphir missions over
Djibouti. On
May 7th 1977, two Crusaders went separately on patrol against
supposedly French Air Force (4/11 Jura squadron) F-100 Super Sabres
stationed at Djibouti. The leader intercepted two fighters and
engaged a dogfight (supposed to be a training exercise) but quickly
called his wingman for help as he had actually engaged two Yemenite
Mig-21 Fishbed. The two French fighters switched their master
armament to "on", but in the end everyone returned to his base. This
was the only ever combat interception by a French Crusader.


They went on a training mission with live ammunition? That doesn't sound
like a good idea.

A similar situation led to an RAF Phantom shooting down an RAF Jaguar on 25
May 1982. The Phantom, XV422 of 92 Sqn, had been on QRA duties and was fully
armed. After being released from Q, the aircraft was tasked on an exercise
sortie as part of Wildenrath's TACEVAL. Due to the exercise, there were no
groundcrew available to download the missiles and replace them with training
rounds, so the decision was made to allow the flight with live missiles.

The aircraft duly launched and intercepted a flight of incoming Jaguars. In
order to score a "kill" the master arm switch on the Phantom had to be
placed at "Arm" and the trigger squeezed to activate the gun camera. Of
course, all of this only served to actually fire a live missile! The pilot
later freely admitted that he had forgotten that the aircraft was carrying
live rounds.

The aircraft fired an AIM-9G, which shot down Jaguar GR1 XX963/AL of 14 Sqn.
Thankfully the Jaguar pilot ejected and was uninjured.

The practice of using live rounds on training missions was not actually
stopped, despite the recommendations of the subsequent Board of Inquiry, but
maintenance procedures were changed to ensure that the master arm switch was
lockwired in the "Safe" position.


So...does the victor have the right to paint an RAF victory roundel on
his plane? ;-)

--
Heaven is where the police are British, the chefs Italian, the mechanics
German, the lovers French and it is all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is where the police are German, the chefs British, the mechanics
French, the lovers Swiss and it is all organized by Italians.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/paul1cart/albums/