SIX ISSUE II / 2023 Naval Air Wing 2 NAS Eggebek / German Navy MzHSStaffel Aigen im Ennstal / Austria Athens Flying Week ‘Athens / Greece California Capital Airshow Sacramento / USA Attack Helicopter Part II From Mi-24 to A 129 Grumman F-14 TOMCAT he mighty Navy-Cat Coverstory: RAF Red Arrows checksix-journal.comCHE Ci g@sape the military aviation journal enema ee sca erry Toad Se eae eee Contact Cree ena ae ae hone: +49 (0)177 4867937 eee eon ieee Tena rs ay roar PTs Cea) PUP cg Pete) eae Cents ome tea ee ey Pe es CHECKSIX No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including copying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing by the managing editor. Responsibility for the contents of reports labeled with the name of the author rest upon the author. Letters to the editor presuppose the right to publish the contents. Photographs and reports sent to the editor without prior request will be returned only, if a post paid and addressed envelope is nclosed. We are always happy to receive images and/or articles from our readers. Only if the managing editor deems material submitted to be of interest, will it be used in our journal. The rights on all images and written content submitted belong to the photographer /author.es CON TEN 7 CONTENT 1. Athens Flying Week 2022 04 Greece has repeatedly been in the spotlight in recent years ~ be Iedue to the sovereign debt crisis, the international refugee crisis (or the Increasing tensions with 2. MzHSStaffel / Aigen im Ennstal 16 The use of helicopters in the alpine region poses very special challenges for man and machine. High mountain ridges, jogged rock formations and sometimes very harsh and 3. California Capital Airshow 32 Lighting Is everything in photography. For aviation enthusiasts, Jew things are better than a perfectly It topside pass of @ Fighter Jet or warbird, especially inthe golden hour of ight 4. Naval Air Wing 2/.NAS Eggebek 44 On May 31, 2003, the Chief of Staff of the German Now, Vice ‘Adiniral Feta, official announced the dlsbandment of Naval lr Wing 2 (NAW 2) ‘Marineftiegergeschwader 2 (MFG 2) at 5. RAF Red Arrows 60 Within the League of military aerobatic alsplay formations, the team of the British Royal Air Force (RAF), the RAF RED ARROWS ‘occupies a very special position 6. Attack Helicopter Part II 76 Fora ong time, the Mi-24 was considered an enormaus threat in the Wes, ts performance data was hardly known, as were its weak points. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan 7. Grumman F-14 TOMCAT 90 Js common among pilots to classify their aircraft - fighter planes are generally considered “hot and if they aso look relly 00d as “exy’. One alrcraft that certainly 8. ... behind the image! 111 This ection is for you - our readers! Often we are asked about the camera gear, the settings we use, etc. Well, there are no secrets, just experience which we will share . < RRs ae aed Caecum an cd EE Re ce ya Umea cee ec Cee et CM Deena URC ae om CS special pleasure to accompany this unit for a while CT eC Re Een Co an cae Ci ae was 18 years ago now (2005), yet for me it is almost ene SEC ony Tene RR ea A easy pleased to be able to do so here in our second issue. REM eee) PR aR Reon CRUG Ete rae er ance gk OMe a Ne eR a oy Se aoe I MCN Ciretea CHECKSIXLockheed Martin F-16C / Block 52+ VIPER TANAGRA AIR BASE ™ reece has repeatedly been in the spotlight in recent years - be it due to the sovereign debt, G crisis, the international refugee crisis or the increasing tensions with its eastern neighbor, Turkey. With a population of just over 10.7 million, Greece is one of the smaller European nations, but it has a comparably large army and a particularly powerful air force. This is mainly due to its geopolitically and geostrategically exposed position, which is why Greece is one of the most important cornerstones of the alliance from NATO's point of view. The Hellenic Air Force (Eltiniki Polemiki Aeroporia) is still one of the most efficient within NATO, even if in recent years the financial situation of the country has contributed greatly to the fact that it has become increasingly difficult for those responsible to maintain this standard. story & all images by: Robert Kysela CHECKSIX <S Kt ae eeU-€4 FTv4vY voHelAy-3nNesseq 5 | cnecksixMcDonnell Douglas F-4E PHANTOM II f the 13 active HAF (Hellenic Air Force) airbases, one is particularly interesting - TANAGRA AB, north of the capital Athens. Every yeat, it hosts what is probably the most. important aviation event on the Greek soil - the ATHENS FLYING WEEK (AFW). This is not an official event of the Hellenic Air Force, but it, is an event that has been held in cooperation with a private organizer for ten years now. Tanagra Air Base is the home of the 114th Combat Wing. This consists of two squadrons, the No. 331 All Weather Squadron (Dassault- Aviation MIRAGE 2000-5) and the No. 332 All Weather Squadron (Dassault-Aviation RAFALE F3-R). The RAFALE is the HAFs latest acquisition, Originally, 18 aircraft were ordered from Dassault-Aviation, and in September 2021, the Greek government added six aircraft to this order. In January 2021, the first six RAFALE F3-Rs landed at Tanagra, where they have since replaced the squadron's, aging MIRAGE 2000EGM. Due to the intensive training program that No. 332 Sqn is currently undergoing, only one of the Greek RAFALES could be seen in static at Flying Week. The CHECKSIXESA IRSHOW eee hat makes the Flying Week so interesting (especially for enthusiasts) is, on the one hand, of WwW course, the opportunity to see almost the entire range of the Hellenic Air Force, but also to see rare aircraft. Due to the location of Greece and the very good relations of the country with countries like Saudi Arabia or Israel, the chances are always very high that one or the other highlight from these countries will put the icing on the cake of the already great field of participants. THE highlight of the AFW 2022, was certainly the demonstration of a Boeing F-15C EAGLE of the Royal Saudi Air Force. Boeing F-15C EAGLE t was not the first time that the Saudis were guests in Athens. Already last year they sent an F-15C into static display and the official aerobatic team - the SAUDI HAWKS could be seen in the flying program. According to flightglobal (www-flightglobal.com), Saudi Arabia currently has 211 C/ S/SAaircraft and 21 F-15D trainers in active service. This makes the Saudi Kingdom the second largest operator of the EAGLE - outside the USA. The F-15C/Ds are the first aircraft of this type, which were delivered as early as 1981 (120 aircraft). After the Gulf War, in which the RSAF took an active part with its EAGLE, the RSAF received another 72 aircraft of the F-155 series. The S model is similar in appearance to an F-15E STRIKE EAGLE, but has reduced avionics and also a significantly reduced weapons spectrum. The very latest acquisition includes 24 SA (stands for Saudi Advanced) model aircraft, with the 70 remaining F-15Ss also upgraded to SA standard. The SA is powered by two GE ‘Aviation F110-GE-129 turbofans, the latest variant of this successful and extremely powerful twin- spool turbofan engine. 8 CHECKSIX| 1 addition to the modern engines, the SA variant's entire avionics and weapons systems have been upgraded. A powerful Raytheon AN/APG-63(V)3 AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar in conjunction with a Lockheed Martin AN/AAS-42 IRST (Infrared Search and Track Systems), a LINK-16 Tactical Data Link System and a Collins Aerospace JHMCS (Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System) modular helmet visor ensure that the Royal Saudi Air Force's F-15SA is state-of-the-art. his year, two F-15C were on display, one of them in a very appealing black-green special livery. Both aircraft are from No. 2 Squadron / King Faizal Air Base. The number 91 on the tail of the aircraft has nothing to do with the military unit, but refers to the 91st Saudi National Day, which is celebrated on September 23. Should the Saudis be at Tanagra AB again next year, there will also be another special livery - fingers crossed! CHECKSIX 9AIRSHOW, contrast to the numerous fast-jet displays, the aerobatic teams at this year’s Athens Flying Week were pretty quiet. Both top-class teams, which were on display in 2022, flew with propeller aircraft. The only purely military aerobatic team was the Polish team ORLIK with their PZL-130 ORLIKs (Orlik = Screaming Eagle). This small beginner and advanced trainer was developed by the Polish company PZL (Pafistwowe Zaktady Lotnicze; now part of the EADS Group) in the early 1980s. The first flight took place on October 12, 1984. The prototype, as well as some pre- production aircraft, was still powered by a Russian-built nine-cylinder radial engine (M-14PM), but due to its meager performance, the PZL-130 was equipped with a much more powerful turboprop engine. The type flown by Team ORLIK is a TC Il-model, which is powered by a 750sHP Pratt & Whitney Canada-PT6A-25C turbine. The Polish team was founded in 1998 and has been an integral part of the European airshow scene ever since. The ORLIK’s fly (currently) with six aircraft and show a very dynamic, finely choreographed display - the ROYAL JORDANIAN FALCONS - Extra 300 CHECKSIXee 4 RSH OV Tactical Transport Helicopters and four aircraft are in the Special Operations variant. All NH90s belong to the 2 TEAS (2nd Army Aviation Battalion). norder to protect a coastline of app. 8.500 NM, Greece has a powerful navy. The ship- born helicopter used is the Sikorsky S-70B-6 AEGEAN HAWK, which is primarily used in the “The S-70B-6 AEGEAN HAWK can operate up to 100 NM (app. 180 km) from its mother ship” ‘Anti Submarine Warfare and Anti Surface role. For this purpose, the S-70B-6 is equipped with AGM-119B Penguin Mk.2 anti-ship missiles as well as an Mk46 or Mk.54 torpedo. The S-70B-6 ‘AEGEAN HAWK can operate up to 100 NM (180 km) from its mother ship. However, the 5-70 was only on display on Sunday; the Saturday's display featured an AS332C1 Super Puma, which is used in the SAR and CSAR role by the Hellenic Air Force. 12 | CHECKSIXSikorsky S-70B-6 AEGEAN HAWK~ 0) 7 Vwi ee Le ed ee eA eR ae Force, of course, but also to the fact that the program is full of highlights, some of which are rarely or never seen at other events. The great location and of course the relative safety with the fantastic Greek weather does the rest. The next Flying DR Re ee ea Ee eee Cea Ocasis 810 ey ALO) AOL AG Adal JeAérospatiale SA.316B ALOUETTE III v ee MzHSStaffel Aigen im Ennstal / AUSTRIA cone ® 16 he use of helicopters in the alpine region poses very special challenges for man and machine. High mountain ridges, jagged rock formations and sometimes very harsh and, above all, rapidly changing weather conditions are not exactly the ideal conditions for operating aircraft. In addition, unforeseen dangerous upwinds as well as downwinds can occur on mountain slopes. However, it is precisely these conditions that are the daily bread of the Austrian Armed Forces’ Multi-Purpose Helicopter Squadron (Mehrzweck Hubschrauber Staffel = MzHSStaffel) in Aigen im Ennstal. story & images by: Robert Kysela / CHK6 CHECKSIX — 2 llete | cnecksix Ill ALLANOT a9L EVs alenedscusyMILITARY UNIT! ustria consists of almost two-thirds of the Alps, more precisely 62.8% of the country. The highest elevation is the Grossglockner with a height of 3,798m above sea level. This, height is practically the benchmark for the service ceiling of helicopters used by the Austrian Armed Forces. In addition to the conditions mentioned at the beginning, it is primarily the altitude that causes difficulties for the aircraft. Helicopter engines lose power as altitude increases. The rotors also provide less lift the thinner the air is. To counteract this, a helicopter needs large power reserves, an efficient rotor system and a good weight/ power ratio. While most helicopters have a service ceiling of 4,000 to 6,000m, this is of secondary importance as it only relates to the aircraft's capability in forward flight. Rather, the decisive factor fs the altitude at which a helicopter is still safe to handle while hovering (with a full payload). This altitude is referred to as the static altitude (or ceiling) and is usually far below the (dynamic) service ceiling (for most helicopters, this is often less than half the service ceiling). Aérospatiale SA.316B ALOUETTE || CHECKSIXIB Turbomeca ARTOUSTE rom a purely technical point of view, the ALOUETTE Ill can be described as a conventional aircraft. The fuselage was fully enclosed and equipped with sliding side doors. The cabin is spacious and offers room for a total of seven people (including the pilot). The generous glazing of the front area ensures that the entire crew has excellent visibility - a not insignificant factor when operating in rough terrain! Instead of skids, the ALOUETTE II! has a rigid tripod landing gear, which can be equipped with wide snow skids for alpine use (or in winter). A special feature is the open mounting of the engine. helicopter engine is a so-called shaft power unit. The aim here is not to generate thrust, but to apply power to the drive shaft of the turbine, which in turn is directly connected to the rotor system via a reduction gear. This is why the power is also expressed in sHP (shaft horsepower). At the heart of the ALOUETTE Ill is its Turbomeca ARTOUSTE IIIB1 single-shaft engine. This delivers a constant 570 sHP to the rotor, but CHECKSIX thermodynamically the engine is rated at 880 HP. This gives the ARTOUSTE the necessary power reserves to safely power the ALOUETTE Il even at high altitudes. The ARTOUSTE is a simple but very safe and, above all, enormously reliable engine. Just how reliable this turbine really is can be seen from the accident records of the Austrian Armed Forces. In more than 50 years of constant “The ARTOUSTE is a simple, but very safe and, above all, enormously reliable engine” service, seven aircraft had a serious accident, but only one crash was due to engine failure. Another aircraft had to make an emergency landing after a technical malfunction in the engine caused by a faulty seal. Of course, these statistics reflect not only the quality of the engine but also, and especially, the outstanding performance and quality of ‘Austrian Armed Forces technical maintenance personal.he Austrian Armed Forces received their first ALOUETTE Ills on January 17, 1967, when four aircraft were transferred directly from the manufacturing plant in Marignane by Austrian crews. These aircraft were stationed at Linz-Hoersching where they formed the No. 1 squadron of FIR 1 (Fliegerregiment 1/ Aviation Regiment 1). In total, two squadrons of 12 + / iS io 3 fo) = = a S se < a a) ES s & eS G < CHECKSIXaircraft each were equipped at the OBH. The No. 2 squadron was established at Aigen im Ennstal. After the No. 1 squadron was also transferred to Aigen in 1976, all ALOUETTE II! were centrally stationed at this airbase in the north of the province of Styria, which above all simplified the entire logistics as well as thesmaintenance of the aircraft. Maintenance of the aircraft is still carried out today in special built hangars. In order to be able to react very quickly in the event of a disaster, one ALOUETTE Ill is on permanent standby at the helicopter base (outpost) in Vomp/Tyrol, another aircraft is stationed in Klagenfurt/Carinthia at the Annabichl helicopter base. In organizational terms, all aircraft belong to the MzHS-Squadron at the Fiala-Fernbrugg airbase in Aigen.Aérospatiale SA.316B ALOUETTE III Ta . Ss ae . > : = > « “24 | acHEcKsix » » ie 1¢ x. . ee 7 et tw £467Aérospatiale SA.316B ALOUETTE III ver the years, various _—_radio/ 0 communication and navigation equipment on the ALOUETTE Ill have been added or updated. Among other things, an ELT (Emergency Location Transmitter) was installed, which makes it possible to locate aircraft that have been involved in an accident. The lighting system of the SA.316 was adapted for use with night vision goggles (NVGs), and an external FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) pod can also be carried. The rotor blades were exchanged for more effective ‘ones, so that the maximum payload increased by 100kg (the permissible take-off weight thus increased from the original 2,100kg to 2,200kg). Armament of the SA.316 was considered, and there were even brief plans to equip the ALOUETTE Ill with AS.11. anti-tank guided implemented, Armament with a permanently installed machine gun (for a door gunner), as was the case for example in the Bell UH-1 HUEY, was always refrained from. In fact, the use of the SA.316 for transporting troops is not missiles, but this was never practical, as it is not big enough. A the name ‘multi-purpose helicopter squadron” suggests, the tasks of the SA.316 ALOUETTE Ill in the Austrian Armed Forces are very diverse. The repertoire of tasks ranges from border security missions, “A winch with a maximum load capacity of 225 kg is permanently installed on the left side” rescue/emergency medical__missions, transport tasks to disaster relief and firefighting missions. For all these tasks, the ALOUETTE III is equipped with a variety of additional equipment, or can be quickly converted for this purpose. For example, an electrical powered winch with a maximum load capacity of 225 kg is permanently installed on the left side of the aircraft. This allows a flight rescuer / parametic to rescue ‘an injured person and safely hoist him into the aircraft. The maximum length of the steel rope is 21m. cuecksrx | 25Aérospatiale SA.316B ALOUETTE III n the lower section is a suspension device to which a cargo net or even a fire extinguishing container (Bambi Bucket) can be attached for firefighting operations. The extinguishing tank has a maximum capacity of 6801 of extinguishing water and can be filled by the crew to any lake or river with water in less than a minute. Of course, this is not much for large-scale fires, but in selective operations (building fires, fire nests, etc.) the SA.316B has provided invaluable service over the years. Firefighting operations and disaster relief operations are always carried out in close cooperation with civilian authorities. epending on the purpose of the mission, the crew consists of the pilot, an on- board technician, a flight rescuer and, in the case of a medical mission, an on-board physician and a person trained as a paramedic. Until recently, an ALOUETTE Ill was made available as a permanent emergency helicopter at the nearby Hinterstoisser / Zeltweg air base; in winter, one aircraft is available at a time to search for avalanche victims. The list of domestic missions is almost endless - abroad, the ALOUETTE was mainly used in peace-keeping missions under UN mandate in Kosovo as well as in Bosnia. Here, too, it was mainly humanitarian missions that were flown by the crews of the MzHS squadron. The training of Austrian helicopter pilots is carried out at the “Not far from the Vomper base is the Axamer Lizum mountain training ground” Brumowski air base in Langenlebarn by the helicopter training department based there and lasts two years. The special mountain training (called: high altitude landing course) is completed at the Vomp helicopter base in Tyrol. This course lasts two weeks and it is mainly landings in regions with over 2,000m altitude that are practiced. Not far from the Vomper base is the Axamer Lizum mountain training ground - the ideal place to carry out these operational exercises. CHECKSIXyeyong iquieg / II] ILIENOT a9LE"vs a1eNedso1syb , a LaAShy = me} Wo tasted San(most 2,000 ALOUETTE Ill helicopters were manufactured over the years (more than 1,400 of the SA.316 / SA.319 series and over 500 under license from the Indian ‘company HAL - in India the ALOUETTE is known as the CHETAK). This small, extremely maneuverable helicopter has become obsolete in the meantime. After it was decommissioned in almost all countries where it was in service, its days are also numbered at the Austrian Armed Forces. The last aircraft will be officially decommissioned in December this year and replaced by modern Leonardo AW-169 LION. These are considerably larger and correspondingly more powerful than the venerable ALOUETTE III. The LION is one of the most modern aircraft in its class, but whether it can take over all the areas of the ALOUETTE remains to be seen. The first two aircraft are already undergoing operational trials at Aigen, and ten pilots have already been trained on the new aircraft (the pilot training took place in Italy, future pilots will be trained at Langenlebarn). Of course, everyone is already looking forward to operating the modern Aérospatiale SA.316B ALOUETTE | ‘AW-169, but this joy fs also somewhat overshadowed by melancholy, at least as far as saying goodbye to the ALOUETTE Ill is concerned. CHECKSIX 29x oO = Ill ALLANOT 9LE'VS a1eNedso1syTechnical Specs (Aérospatiale SA.316B ALOUETTE Ill): 33 36 in (10,17 m) 361015 in (1,02 m) 2,520 bb (1.143 kg) 4,850 lb (2.200 kg) {20.mph 10 kn’) 24.325 f (6.500 m) £846 ft/min (4,3 m/s) 216 nh (400 Kim) ‘Turbomeca Artouste Ill Bt rated at 420 kW Rope winch (up to 496 tbs / 225 kg) Bambi bucket (680 It of water) AN/AAQ-22 Safire FLIR cHEcksIx | 31Boeing EA-18G GROWLER 32 ighting is everything in photography. For aviation enthusiasts, few things are better than a ee lit topside pass of a fighter jet or warbird, especially in the golden hour of light that ‘occurs in the late afternoon through to sunset. Conversely, there aren't many more frustrating experiences in the world of aviation photography than the right aircraft at a choice angle from the perfect location silhouetted against a harshly backlit sky. This contrast was on full display from September 30 - October 2, 2022 at the California Capital Airshow which takes place at the Mather Airport, just east of Sacramento, California. story & all images by: Shawn Clish CHECKSIXSaas 4 (RSHOW. kik a: | CALIFORNIA CAPIIAL =p = Alsnuw = MATHER AIRPORT * SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 2, 2022 = CHECKSIx | 33Heritage Flight elebrating its 16th year in 2022, the weekend show is orientated along twin Runways 04-22, with visitors situated on the tarmac to the North, resulting in sight lines that unfortunately look South, directly in to the afternoon sun for most of the flying display. These less than ideal conditions contrasted sharply with the sun angle during the Drive-In style Tailgate Party that took place on Friday evening and featured performances from many of the weekend flying participants as well as a few of the static display arrivals. The evening program commenced in the late afternoon, just as the sun was starting to come around to a very favourable position for photography and continued to improve until the sun set. long with the fantastic lighting on Friday, a second theme associated with the California Capital Airshow is its incredibly enviable location. Being situated fortuitously close to Naval Air Station Lemoore (148 nautical miles away), Naval Air Station Fallon (132 nm), Fresno Air National Guard Base (130 hm), Beale Air Force Base (36 nm), Travis Air Force Base (35 nm) and even the Planes of Fame Air Museum (327 nm) present the show with an exceptional pool of attractions to draw from. These displays were combined “These less than ideal conditions contrasted sharply with the sun angle during the Tailgate Party” with scheduled demonstrations by Air Combat ‘Command's Lockheed Martin F-22 RAPTOR Demonstration Team, including a Heritage Flight with a Lockheed P-38L LIGHTNING, the United States Navy’s Growler Legacy Team flying a pair of Boeing EA-18G GROWLERS and the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Boeing CF-18 HORNET Demo Team and gave the California Capital Airshow arguably the strongest roster of any aviation event in North America in 2022. Amazingly, the official theme of the 2022 show was neither lighting nor location, but rather a celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the United States Air Force. CHECKSIX 35North American F-86F SABRE & MiG-15bis here wasn’t a cloud in the sky when the show began at 3:45pm with a post-anthem flypast by a Beale based Lockheed U-2 DRAGON LADY, which was later joined by a pair of black Northrop T-38 TALONS, also from Beale. The U-2 flew low along Runway 22R then pulled up sharply, using a fraction of the black jet’s impressive climb rate that allows it to reach operating altitudes of 70,000 feet. A rare sight at air shows, it was a pleasure to watch the advantageous afternoon light reflect smartly off the Skunk Works product that was first envisioned by the legendary Kelly Johnson almost 70 years earlier. ultiple aircraft from Travis showed off M the USAF's heavy lift and aerial refuelling capabilities, as flybys were made by a McDonnell Douglas KC-10 EXTENDER, a Boeing €-17 GLOBEMASTER III and a Lockheed C-5 GALAXY. As if the golden highlights made by the late afternoon sunlight weren’t enough, a waxing crescent moon happened to be in the perfect position and provided an opportunistic background for some of the aircraft. ven though the show featured some of the most modern aircraft in the United States inventory, one of the most memorable displays was performed by a North American F-86F SABRE and a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis (NATO Code: FAGOT). The routine, lead by Planes of Fame Air Museum President Steve Hinton in the F-86F SABRE, showed off “It was quite special to watch these Korean War foes fly together peacefully” both aircraft in formation, then individually in a simulated dogfight. It was quite special to watch these Korean War foes fly together peacefully while imagining what their tense meetings above the Yalu River must have been like. CHECKSIXW ith the Canadian air show season complete for another year, the CF-18 Demo Team flew south fn search of warmer weather. Although the 2022 display jet was not as colourful as some of those in the past, the tactical grey paint scheme paid tribute to forty years of Canadian HORNET operations at home and abroad with its geometric pattern similar to that found on the wings of its namesake. The performance by Captain Jesse “Modem” Haggart-Smith was superb and showcased the aging CF-188A fighter in one of his final displays as the team’s solo pilot. n id = 3 ia ira) = oe irr) a = a Lockheed Martin C- 38 | CHECKSIXnother highlight among the many highlights was the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) display by the California Air National Guard Lockheed Martin C-130J SUPER HERCULES. The MAFFS unit can be loaded into a C-130 without any structural modifications to provide emergency assistance to suppress forest fires. AMAFFS C-130 can discharge its entire 3000 gallon load of water or slurry in less than five seconds through a discharge tube located at the left rear door of the aircraft, then be airborne again after a reload time of less than 20 minutes. CHECKSIX 39NTN WES DS) Were era ss bis innit nd mmRRTUEIES 7/40) 0SY 5 [@)|(1/ osnsdeieiiniiiaedes ass iniialassansEnian In PeeryBoeing F-15C EAGLE fter taking off from Mather earlier in the show, a Boeing KC-135R STRATOTANKER returned with two California Air National Guard Boeing F-15C EAGLES for a simulated refuelling pass before splitting off to perform separately. The impressive pair from the 144th Fighter Wing at Fresno performed multiple enthusiastic passes, highlighted by a glowing afterburner each time they pitched up into the clear blue California sky. It is hard to believe these exceptional examples of air superiority are in the process of being retired, as the prototype Eagle first flew more than 50 years ago, on July 27, 1972 he aircraft replacing the F-15C in the air superiority role in the USAF is the Lockheed Martin F-22 RAPTOR. The Raptor Demo Team was in town and as usual, showed off the unique flight envelop that is only possible on this side of the world in an F-22. The Raptor's design, advanced flight controls, thrust vectoring Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines and high thrust-to-weight ratio allow it perform maneuvers like the tail slide and power loop. After showing off the Air Force's premier fifth generation fighter, display pilot Major Joshua “Cabo” Gunderson was joined by a Lockheed P-38L LIGHTNING for the five-pass routine known as the “The F-15’s from the 144th Fighter Wing at Fresno performed multiple enthusiastic passes” Heritage Flight. As impressive as the F-22 is, the P-38 was easily the focal point of this pair as its metal skin glistened in the evening sun. he Navy took centre stage for the final two acts of the Tailgate Party. A Lockheed Martin F-35C LIGHTNING II from the VFA-97 Warhawks based at Lemoore, flew in for a weekend on static display but used some of the extra fuel remaining after such a short flight to perform some afterburner passes and a very impressive touch-and-go. Finally, it was the pair from the Growler Legacy Team in their electronic warfare evolutions of the — CHECKSIX reSUPER HORNET that got to perform in the last of the light. Their routine featured formation work and even some sneak passes, much of it with a lengthy afterburner glowing behind the twin General Electric F414-GE-400 turbofan engines. Even though the duo wasn’t joined by a Legacy aircraft, they flew the entire Legacy routine after their own performance and landed in the last light of dusk, well after sunset.A gain, lighting is everything, although it doesn’t hurt to have a high number of bases and museums in such close proximity. The California Capital Airshow’s Friday Tailgate Party was one of the best events | have ever attended. Drive up, bring your own food and drinks and enjoy the action packed 3-hour flight program that featured modern fifth generation stealth fighters along with historic World War I! and Korean War fighters in picturesque photography conditions Hopefully this aspect of the California Capital Airshow will return and maybe even become a permanent fixture of their annual event. Shawn Clish / CHK6rs CV meee a STE Cee eet CT 0 eT eee ee ee ee Eve ea em Ae Cer oe a ee eC Station (NAS) Eggebek. With this.short-sighted political decision, the Navy. Prema Reco Sea a ee meme eS German Tornado unit were to be taken over by the Luftwaffe with the closure of NAS Eggebek on December 31,2005. This marked:the end of an-era for the German Rey eerie eae nan ers es cA eee eee Eee Ur Baca er ne cg aircraft unit capable of supporting the German Navy! Dp Pee ota re eC eee ry iaresedes] . YARIS eo Panavia TORNADO IDS‘image by: Robert Kysela Lockheed TF-104G STARFIGHTER pe a unit usually happens relatively fast, but creating a new one is a difficult and lengthy process. This was the task facing the first Commanding Officer of the 2. Marine- Fliegergruppe (2. MFlgGrp)/2 Naval Air Group, _Fregattenkapitan (Commander) Kliimper, when he received orders to form the brand-new unit and begin service operations with an effective date of 01 April 1958. Just over a year later, the designation Marine-Fliegergruppe was changed to Marinefliegergeschwader (Naval Air Wing). The first operational types of the new wing were of British origin - Fairey GANNET AS.4 (anti-submarine aircraft) as well ‘as Hawker SEA HAWK Mk. 100. The first location of the new unit was originally supposed to be Naval Air Station (NAS) Nordholz, but since the site was still under construction, flight operations were provisionally started at NAS Jagel. In March 1963, the wing was finally transferred to the newly built NAS Nordholz. The stay there, however, did not last very long. In the course of restructuring measures at the Luftwaffe, the reconnaissance squadron CHECKSIX———_——_Panavia TORNADO IDS he F-104 had a very dubious reputation in Germany when it came to safety. However, a closer analysis of the flight accidents of the NAW shows that these were rarely related to the aircraft or its technology, but rather with the very different tactical requirements of the air-operation in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. German Navy pilots often trained at very low altitudes, which lead to many bird strikes and sometimes even contact with the water. At these altitudes it was impossible to recover and resulted in the loss of aircraft and sadly, the pilot as well. n September 11, 1986, the first two Panavia TORNADO IDS landed at NAS Eggebek, replacing the venerable F-104 STARFIGHTERS. The TORNADO IDS is the basic version with the abbreviation IDS standing for Interdiction/Strike. The naval TORNADOS differed from those of, the Luftwaffe in only one respect - they carried the AS.34 KORMORAN anti-ship missile. For this purpose, the TORNADO had to be equipped with a special launcher using an CHECKSIX adapted data interface. The KORMORAN was a guided missile weighing about 600 kg (the advanced KORMORAN-2 variant weighed 630 kg) which could engage targets up to a distance of more than 30 km in the high subsonic range (Mach 0.9). The KORMORAN was developed by the French company Aerospatiale and the former German company MBB, so it is not surprising that the AS.34 is “The KORMORAN-2 was an improved version with a bigger warhead and longer range” technically very similar to the AM.38 EXOCET developed by Aerospatiale at the same time (e.g, both early versions used the same target seeker). The AS.34 is a. fire-and-forget weapon, which gives the TORNADO pilot the chance to bring himself and his WSO (weapons system officer) to safety after firing the missile. The KORMORAN-2 was an improved version with a bigger warhead, digital electronics, active seeker and longer range. images by: Robert KyselaPanavia TORNADO IDS n addition to the AS.34 KORMORAN, naval aviators also used AGM-88 HARM guided anti-ship missiles! The HARM (Highspeed Anti-Radar Missile) was originally developed as an air-to-surface guided missile to combat enemy radar installations, using it in the anti-ship role was actually not intended. However, since every warship must have a powerful radar system to defend against an ‘enemy attack, the HARM is thus also suitable for combating sea targets. While the first variants of the HARM (AGM-88A/B/C) could only hit their target if the enemy radar remained switched on until impact, the newer versions (AGM-88D and later) are also capable of tracking a target once it has been detected, even if the enemy radar is no longer emitting. The disadvantage of the HARM in contrast to the KORMORAN is the relatively small warhead (66 kg, in contrast to the KORMORANS 160 or 235 kg). This shortcoming is in turn compensated for by the HARM's high kinetic impact energy, as it accelerates to almost 2,300 km/h on final approach. he Panavia PA-200 TORNADO (as it was officially designated) was developed in the early 1970s as a multi-national project and had its maiden flight on August 14, 1974 at the Manching Test Facility, Germany. At the beginning of its service with NAW 2, the TORNADO was considered the most advanced aircraft in the NATO arsenal. Above all, the powerful terrain-following radar in combination with standoff weapons, such as the AS.34 KORMORAN, enabled the crew to approach enemy targets (ships) in extreme low level flight at high speed and engage them from a relatively safe distance. Theoretically, a TORNADO could approach its target at sea level at a maximum speed of Mach 1.2, but since the German TORNADOS flew with reduced engine power, they barely reached the sound barrier. NAW 1 emblem NAW 2. emblem NAW 2 emblem (1959 - 1993) (1958 - 1993) (1994 - 2005) CHECKSIXPanavia TORNADO IDS £ he German Navy literally used its TORNADOS as true multi-purpose fighters. In addition to its maritime target engagement role, NAW 2 crews flew reconnaissance missions, missions against ground targets and even served as air tankers. The latter is known as buddy-buddy refuelling, and involved attaching an under fuselage pod (Sargent Fletcher Buddy-Buddy Store Model 28-300), which had a capacity of 1,136l of F-34 fuel. This significantly extended the operational range of the Navy TORNADOS. Speaking of range, NAW 2's area of operations included the entire North Sea, starting with the Dutch North Sea coast, the Skagerrak, and the entire Baltic Sea. In the course of arms reductions in the 1990’s, Naval Air Wing 1 was disbanded (1993). Parts of the squadron as well as ten TORNADOS. were integrated into NAW 2. Due to the merger of the two wings, a new wing emblem was created at the beginning of 1994, combining the former emblems of both squadrons into one. CHECKSIX 53nid SGI OGVNYOLL BlAeuedPutting on the G-suits he first naval TORNADOS were given the same attractive paint scheme that was used on the F:104, This involved painting the top of the aircraft in a color designated RAL 7012 basalt-gray, and the underside in a very light shade of gray designated RAL 7035 light- gray. This camouflage paint scheme was known as Norm 76 within the Navy. Later TORNADOS were given a Luftwaffe-like paint scheme, which was called Norm 87. The complete aircraft was painted with a very dark protective coating, consisting of dark gray paint with the designation RAL 5008 gray-blue and an equally relatively dark shade of green with the designation RAL 7009 green-grey. Since the Navy did not repaint all aircraft immediately, there were still some TORNADOs with the Norm 76 paint until at least 2003. These were also (unofficially) referred to as "white bellies” by maintenance and technicians. t the time of its decommissioning, Naval Air Wing 2 was divided into three sections: the Wing Staff, the Flying Group and =e the Technical Group. The Flying Group was divided into three squadrons, with the first two Flying Squadrons being operational squadrons and the third squadron responsible for training, simulator training and tactical evaluation. The Technical Group was split up into a Maintenance Squadron, an Electronics Squadron, a Weapons Squadron and a Supply Squadron. In addition, a naval medical center was also located at NAS Eggebek. “Only during an exercise would the crews stay together for more than one mission” avy crews differed from their Air Force N comrades, at least as far as their clothing was concerned. Over their navy-blue flight suit they wore a cold protection suit, which was also called “Frankenstein” by the pilots. This was necessary because almost all missions were flown over the sea and in the event of an emergency ditching (or if they have to bail out) to ensure survival in the —>Last line-up / 18.06.2005 ice-cold North Sea and the no less cold Baltic Sea as long as possible. In addition to the Anti- G trousers, the obligatory life jacket (with swim collar) was also part of the standard equipment. he normal duty routine for the crews of Naval Air Wing 2 usually started at 0545 am, the briefing for the upcoming training mission was already on the duty roster at 0600 am. First, all information was presented (situation picture, threat situation, weather situation, schedule, alternate airfield in case of an emergency, etc.) and then the planned mission scenario was discussed. Which crew holds which position and above all who sits with whom in the cockpit. Unlike other units, where the same crew (pilot and weapon system officer) always sat in their assigned aircraft, it was normal for Navy crews not to have a fixed buddy. Only during an exercise or a potential emergency the crews would have stayed together for more than one mission. The planned training missions were always different, but nevertheless an attempt was always made to cover the entire spectrum of operational scenarios. This means, that two TORNADOS were planned as recce-aircraft, one or more aircraft took on the air refueling role, and two up to eight aircraft took on the actual attack role. One or more TORNADOS always acted as bandits (if no other aircraft from the LUFTWAFFE or other NATO units were available). The whole briefing took about half “After the external check, the aircraft is boarded” an hour, after which it was time for the actual flight planning. Next step was to put on the flight gear, then the crews were transported to the aircraft. After the external check, the aircraft was boarded, engines started and a pre-flight check was performed. Once everything was fine, the TORNADO left the shelter just to stop on the last-chance position for final check before the crew positioned their aircraft on the runway. Then the pilot applied full afterburner and another training mission in the Baltic sea could begin. images by: Robert Kyselacoh naire 7 FSS 0 @ 7 9 ncnnm at cL DT (eT TF Mahe Cora aTanr Uae tLe oie) Panavia TORNADO IDS / Pilot: Commander Jehn / WSO: DOE OCR eae Rea s N coe ER nee ee ae CU EC Bere RR eon em ae co OC ese CRE ar LUC aR eco esa One cece co COS ee ete ene Re Re Ra SMC ee CR Re cS ce cece ea Cote Fe ete a Pree ele 04INV Reef W TEE a nes RE Rem NATO, one pilot answered: “As long as one of our ships is at sea, we are in the air!" The naval BVOC R CO aie are cca any circumstances and all conditions to protect and support their own ships and coastline. TRA RP RC ea ene ea Marae Cr a cha Res Pe ee crea) tl 0 ar)SLi AA Et OY SOM Bar YU iiss a fo) wie rent Ue Can CCRC Rene cn ore a cree aPC) occupies a very special position. Not only because they are among the Cee Ue UR See a ode) aL So neces Aree Sec RRC ae CUT displays - a record that no other aerobatic team can compete with! Te on aac 60 | cHECKSIXJAEROBATIC TEAM:Hawker Siddeley GNAT T.Mk1 he reason, why th but not celebrated as euphoric and enthusiastic like the Italian Ai e FRECCE TRICOLORI by the Italian “TIFOSI", or Js Air Force THUNDERBIRDS by their fel inly nothing to do with f interest but with the typical British ich is the Bri countrymen, has cer ry the people from the ave a very close relationship with their Air s hardly surprising but c e and so it that a ( light appears in the no teardrops) of the Britis the RAF, the RAF RED Al above the British islands mentioned founded in 196 maintain a aerobatic team for the RAF. Previously e of different teams, like the Hawker HUNTER F.MK6 (equipped with Hawker saw the BLAC the YELLOWJA Siddeley GNAT T.Mk.1) or the RED PELICANS (flying Percival JET PROVOST T.Mk 4). Th for th ly formed team where the GNATs Cake Co consisted of Flying Instructors from Central Nera) Ga MMR as Per Pac ag fone RM ACAD aah anol Ae CLT “The GNAT was used until 1979 MORE Ca tem yma Bae Systems HAWK T.Mk1” Pee ANRC are mee) eee es Fee Re Uae Re ct COCO a aOR nO a OE ee a See URC Cr Rc ee CMa nae) Co mean OCR ST Ra Oa SC Pee Re ree er Cty rane RD UR Cor Rao ces] Cee cer (eu LaRAF Red Arrows / Shuttle Roll Peetu aR De Gey Cone ma Nene CMS Uae ee Cnt ae CE cer eno Ca BUCS ae Um CC Ree ms Ue COR OR Ly Bo Ce Ale eR eo Pa er em Ir Rel CeO Rue eS Oa eC oR maintaining the aircraft, all kind of logistics, CeCe ome mn CaS CE mae 7 COR Cok ce) ase erat Rn Se Oe nC Ce CTA ceca eae a LCR Ca a ae con) by the end of last season, the RED ARROWS Cea aC Toe CL ae Cy Pues RCE em Ydi A FROBATIC TEAM MOQSSOID / SMOY Pay IVYSuesswoog / SMO.UY pay IVY CHECKSIX 66RAF Red Arrows / Phoenix Teen a Ce Ca Ps Cue Re om aa EO Rea sue aa ere na a PO SCO at an Mee “The HAWK was originally Cola toal rem Colm EU tela speed (Mach 0.88)” called a Synchro Pair (Red Six/Synchro Leader and Red Seven/Synchro Two). This name rece cee Sua RU ere Ra a cu ea cc PRR ae cae Pe ee PU eC et a CUS Cone OMe es me various rolls and inverted maneuvers. For the OC a ny Se met ee Ay a UeCnC Cm me cre es ee Oa cel ea to) OO a enue UR gs PSR ee anc Mod VCO oC BDU d ae) ec Re La ee Pere MCN EME ee ce CO et Between 30 to 50 applications are registered ee CS eo Srna fter a period of intensive training with the De eNO Rem eu TCR eG on OTC cue nee Peep Renae Cet Me Cau OMe UCM a Crk Meee ao Mo momen ec a Se aC a Cs LC = CO cae a Mme Mees a RAF Red Arrows / Bae HAWK T.Mk1a his tour only exception is the team leade with the RAF RED ARROWS can last up to six rs (three as a regular team member and another three as the team lead). The current (as for 2023) Officer RED ARROWS is Wir Collins, ommanding of the Commander A a forme 10 (safety super and comme! “During this time, the new team members are briefed” A' the end of the display season, the team relocates to RAF Akrotiri / Cyprus, ney perf displays pe m intensive training (flying up to 3 y!) for the next single da orthcoming season. During this time, th ne ‘eam members are briefed. Upon completion of the training phase, the team will receive official permission from Commander in Chief IC) of the Royal Air Force to perform flying displays in front of the public, but not b has convinced himself professionalism of the team back eat (in all different positions)JAEROBATIC TEAM Smoke on!RAF Red Arrows / Synchro Pair 70 TIP ecause we were inverted’ - one of the most beautiful maneuvers for spectators as well as for photographers (of course depending on where you stand) is the inverted pass of the Synchro Pair. Especially here you can see the high art of formation flying and one can imagine why the position of the synchro pair requires the most experienced pilots only. CHECKSIX71 CHECKSIX bIW*L MPH / SMOUY pay IVYTALS ihr L4 Pea ae sce Cea eo OR cud CO enue ee eRe CR PRR CRM Sead REDs or “only” served with one of the RAF’s Dom ce eo oC Cd Ra eee eee CE a eee CLL Crete Rpm n cs Position and serves not only to amuse the EN eee ont CR Ra DR COR Ut Pan ce a ceo a cee tea aes CN ek eT ea OC CC me cre Cm aa ea RCE ee RRC em Ud ena On ora esa Wei ee a ol ag CT Ca Cm Ls fe a) age ea ae a orld displays in teams of this genre. Almost 5000 ) years counts for itself. What is even more imp tant (for m sive the fact, that the RED ARROWS have maintained always an incredible consistency in case of the quality of their displays. 1 am watching them now since 20+ years on many airshows, but not for a single time saw a display, which | would rate only as average (I “To date, only one woman has made it onto the team” can not say the same in case of some other aerobatic display teams). To watch the RAF RED ARROWS is always a great ple: t matter whi ure, them or how th ng € you s ns are! ner conditiSHOW SCHEDULE 2023* JUNE* AUGUST* 02-03 Midlands Air Festival 12-13 Blackpool Airshow 03-04 English Riviera Airshow B Whitby Regatta 08 Isle of Man TT 16 Cromer Festival in RAF Cosford Airshow 17-20 Eastbourne Int. Airshow 24 Falmouth Armed Forces Day 20 Folkestone Air Display 25 IWM Duxford Summer Airshow 24-25 Clacton Airshow 25 Sidmouth Airshow JULY* 26-27 Rhyl Air Show Bournemouth Air Festival 1 Teignmouth Airshow 1-02 Wales Airshow on 13-14 03 Bournemouth Air Festival 14-16 Royal Int. Air Tattoo / RAF F Southport Airshow 2 Peterhead Scottish Week Ayr - Festival of Flight 29 Old Buckenham Great North Run Jersey Int. Air Display Guernsey Air Display IM Duxford Battle of Britain AS * The above data is as of March 24, 2023 and includes events in the UK only. Participation at international events are not listed here. You can find the updated dates on the official website: https: / /www.raf.mod.uk/display-teams/red-arrows/displays/ CHECKSIX Ena 4A FROBATIC TEAM ee 73Py AEROBATIC TEAM 5 ~ ya rr. atte 0 aATTACK HELICOPTER < / f Mil Mi-8AMTSh (NATO Code: HIP) 76 | CHECKSIXor quite some time, the Mi-24 helicopter was considered a ies threat by the West, technical data regarding the type was scarce, let alone knowledge on how to defeat it. However, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan clearly demonstrated that this attack helicopter was not invulnerable, with the ever increasing threat of STINGER anti-aircraft missiles making life increasingly more difficult for the Russian crews. Nevertheless, the Mi-24 was feared by the Mujahideen, naming it the "Devil’s Chariot”. story & images by Robert Kysela CHECKSIX 77Mil Mi-24V (NATO Code: HIND-E:[Eee ROTARY AVA ———EEEe Mil Mi-8AMTSh (NATO Code: HIP) he main reason for Soviet losses in Afghanistan was poor tactical doctrine and, at least’ the beginning, a vast underestimation of their opponent. The Mujahideen also possessed very few heavy weapons in the early days of the fighting, a time when Soviet pilots felt safe and flew relatively freely over enemy territory. When this situation changed, the Soviets took far too long to react effectively. The Afghans positioned their heavy machine guns as well as captured light anti-aircraft. guns (mostly 23mm) at neuralgic points on the ridges and along the flight paths of the Soviet helicopters, observers equipped with radios ensured gunners had adequate warning of an approaching Russian helicopter. These tactics resulted in 74 Mi-24 helicopters being shot down (according to official figures) by the time the Soviets withdrew in February 1989. Oo ne major drawback of the Mi-24 was its inability to conduct night operations. There was no functional night vision equipment available to the pilots, nor were cHECKSIx | 79MBB Bo-105 PAH1-A1 A pplying lessons learnt during the Vietnam war, Hughes (now Boeing) later went on to develop the formidable AH-64 APACHE. As an attack helicopter the AH-64 was not only heavily armed but was also equipped with a variety of modern self-protection systems. ‘Most importantly, the AH-64 was capable of undertaking a variety of roles in all conditions including complete darkness. The success of the AH-64 concept later became apparent during the first Gulf war when in January 1991 a handful APACHE helicopters of the 101% Airborne Division knocked out several key Iraqi radar sites, and successfully commenced Operation Desert Storm. To this day, the Boeing AH-64 APACHE remains the benchmark by which all other combat helicopters are judged. he development and acquisition of combat helicopters is a complex and ‘expensive business, and as such only nations with strong economies are capable of producing these advanced weapons platforms. Other countries have the option of either CHECKSIX buying these from a major manufacturer (a friendly nation) or look for an alternative solution. One alternative solution is to convert an existing platform into a combat helicopter. A good example is provided by the German MBB Bo-105, a small and extremely maneuverable helicopter converted to the anti-armor role by installing six HOT anti- armor guided missiles, each with a maximum “The Swedish Army also procured the BO-105 (designated HKP 9A)” range of 4 km. The Bo-105 was intended to attack and decimate armor formations in the event of an attack by the Warsaw Pact. The Swedish army also procured the BO-105 (designated HKP 9A), however the Swedish version was equipped with AGM-71 TOW missiles that utilized a photo-electric fire control system called HeliTOW, developed by the SAAB company. This consists of a gyro- stabilized, two-axis housing in which a laser rangefinder and a high-resolution optical camera unit are housed.eNOS OB PVD NATO B LO) mm ea eR ecu eR Cu cmc am ee cece Rn aie enc] arr Ce oe CC a ee Ue Cee cae Ome Tee a ec eR ene aL Ch oe pa Rec ye a Rr eae CR POR ee cant cane ae nee MBB HKP 9A / Swedish Army Peal tebeon Ray aN * GE TOR PV O-A Use] nn Oe Za riers ae)IROTARY AVIATION: ‘ost Western European countries such as Germany, France and the United Kingdom envisaged a solution based on an existing machine in the form of a combat enhanced or modified light to medium helicopter (MBB Bo-105 / Aerospatiale GAZELLE / Westland Lynx) as an interim solution until a dedicated combat helicopter became available. Italy took a more pragmatic approach and developed a combat helicopter that incorporated all of the characteristics of this genre - the Agusta A129 MANGUSTA. With ‘Agusta (now Leonardo), this country has an innovative and capable company that took up the challenge of developing its own extremely capable combat helicopter. Due to its geographic location, Italy actually has only a relatively narrow corridor where it is vulnerable to attack by armored units, this being in the northeast of the country at its border with Slovenia, the majority of Italy is surrounded by a coastline of approximately 7,600km. Accordingly, Italian requirements for a future combat helicopter differed greatly to that of Germany and France. Eventually the Aerospatiale SA.342M GAZELLE / armée de Terre CHECKSIXROTARY AVIATION: weapon for destroying light armored and soft skin vehicles or for suppression of enemy dismounted elements. This is also an Achillies heel for light attack helicopters, as generally they are not capable of carrying guns greater than 30mm. A good compromise is the General Dynamics Armament System M197 Gatling-gun used on the A 129, which is installed in an OTO-Melara chin turret and designated the “So far, a total of 60 A 129s are in service with the Italian Army” TM197B, the turret including the gun, weighs fn at just 138kg. The M197 is based on the General Electric M61 VULCAN, but has only three barrels and therefor a lower rate of fire. The M197 gun is electrically powered (by a 28V DC motor) and has a theoretical rate of fire of 730 rounds/min. In combat the practice is to fire the gun in 30- to 50-round bursts. While the 20 mm projectile is incapable of penetrating the heavy armor of modern main battle tanks, for most other (soft) targets its punch is more than adequate for the job. CHECKSIXPuss TODAY! pS “ 7 TO TAKE AN Sarat AIR ADVENTURE RIDE ON ONE OF OUR FIVE HISTORIC AIRCRAFT Yankee Air a onune 47884 D Street | Belleville, MI 48111 YANKEEAIRMUSEUM.ORG | 000O © far, a total of 60 A129s have been delivered to the Italian Army, with the only export customer being Turkey, where the MANGUSTA is manufactured under license by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in Akinci under the designation T129 ATAK. The successor to the A129, designated AW249, made its maiden flight last year and will replace the MANGUSTA in the long term. ~» to be continued in the next issue! Agusta A 129 MANGUSTA Technical specs (Agusta A129 MANGUSTA): Length: 46 ft 14 in (14,29 m) Rotor diameter: 39ft 1 in (11,9 m) Empty weight: 5.578 tb (2.530 ka) Payload: 40.141 Ub (4.600 kg) Max speed: 173. mph (278 km/h) Ceiling: 15.500 ft (4.725 m) Rate of climi 2,610 ft/min (10,2 m/s) Range: 280 ni (510 km) Performance: Rolls Royce Gem 2-1004D rated at 668 KW ‘Armament: 1.x 20mm OTOBreda TM197 Gatling gun 8X AGM-114 Hellfire or 8GM-71 TOW 38 x 81mm Medusa unguided rockets ss | CHECKSIXCHECKsIx | 89$80q BULINd,, €/1-4A / LVIWOL Gr} -4 ueWWINID 90 | cuecsrx| t is common among pilots to classify their aircraft - fighter planes are generally considered hot’ and if they also look really good as “sexy”. One aircraft that certainly fit both attributes was the Grumman F-14 TOMCAT - one of the most famous aircraft of modern times. For more than three decades, the F-Fourteen formed the backbone of the U.S. Navy's flying carrier units. Few aircraft had caused more of a stir in its career and been in the spotlight more often than this two-seat fighter. TOMCATs were responsible for the downing of Libyan fighter jets in the 1980s, but it was the Hollywood movies “Top Gun” (starring Tom Cruise) and "The Last Countdown” that really made the F-14 famous even with the non-aviation interested public. On September 22, 2006, the era of the Grumman F-14 TOMCAT came to an end in the U.S. Navy. story & all images by: Robert Kysela CHECKSIX 94»Sladeay WLID,, LOL-4A / IWIWOL ap}-4 UeWUINI CHECKSIX 92Grumman F-14B TOMCAT / VF- 32 “Swordsmen“ I" the early 1960s, development of a subsonic missile carrier (Douglas F6D MISSILEER) for the Bendix XAAM-N-10 "EAGLE" long-range guided missile was abandoned for cost reasons as well as__ technical Another project was also doomed to failure. The intended carrier variant of the General Dynamics F-111AARDVARK turned out to be too heavy, too unwieldy and also too underpowered for carrier operations, so that the U.S. Navy urgently sought a replacement for its Vought F-8 CRUSADER and McDonnell Douglas F-4 PHANTOM ll. After the official end of the F -111B in 1968, the U.S. Navy initiated a tender for the development of a two-seat fighter designated VFX (Navy Fighter Experimental). Among the companies bidding were General Dynamics, McDonnell Douglas, Ling Temco Vought, North American and Grumman "Ironworks", whose design with the internal designation G303-£ finally won the race considerations. two-seat swing-wing De asa interceptor with two Pratt & Whitney TF-30 turbofans, originally developed for the F-111, the aircraft, now designated the Grumman F-14A, had considerable potential. Before the first aircraft was built, two mockups were presented, one of which was “For this purpose, a single General Electric 20mm gatling gun was installed” wooden and featured a single horizontal stabilizer in its original configuration. The prototype, which made its maiden flight on December 21, 1970, already had the twin tailplane that became significant for the F-14. In contrast to the already mentioned F6D MISSILEER, the new fighter should not only be able to intercept enemy bombers and cruise missiles at long ranges, but it should also be superior to all current Soviet types (MiG-21, ‘MiG-23, as well as the MIG-25) in dogfight. For this purpose, a single General Electric 20mm gatling gun was installed in addition to the pure missile armament - lessons had been the Vietnam conflict. The test phase did not —> CHECKSIX 93Grumman F-14B TOMCAT / VF-143 “Puking Dogs“ go entirely smoothly. Just nine days after the first flight, the prototype crashed due a catastrophic hydraulic failure during landing. The two test pilots, William Millar and Robert Smythe, managed to eject at the last second and escaped with minor injuries. espite this setback, development progressed very quickly, so that just 21 months after the maiden flight, the very first unit, the VF 124 "Gunfighters" from Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar received their first production aircraft. This squadron was a Fleet Replenishment Squadron (FRS), which was responsible for training Navy crews. Normally, there were two squadrons for each aircraft type (one for the Atlantic Fleet and one for the Pacific Fleet). The VF-124 was disbanded in 1994 as part of the post-Cold War disarmament. This left the VF-101 "Grim Reapers” as the sole unit for F-14 training, which was decommissioned on September 30, 2005. The first operational squadrons were the VF-1 "Wolf Pack” and the VF -2 "Bounty Hunters” aboard the aircraft carrier CVN-65 ENTERPRISE”. In the meantime, the Grumman F-14 also received its official name: TOMCAT. Supposedly the (involuntary) name giver was the then Vice-Admiral Thomas F. Connolly, whose commitment against the ill-fated F-111B contributed greatly to the introduction of the F-14. His call sign as a naval aviator was TOMCAT.” Since Grumman gave many of its predecessor models cat names (e.g., F-4F “In the meantime, the Grumman F-14 also received its official name: TOMCAT” WILDCAT, F-6F HELLCAT, F-7F TIGERCAT or F-8F BEARCAT), it was not unusual to continue this tradition with the new fighter. n early 1975, the first two Tomcat: | squadrons were deployed on the aircraft carrier CVN-65 / USS “Enterprise” (Big "E"), securing the American withdrawal from Saigon. However, combat operations with the North Vietnamese MiGs did not occur. Instead, learned from F-14A increasingly to contend o4 | cnecksix»Siadeay WH, LOL-4A / LVIWOL Vb}-J UeWUNID, 95 CHECKSIXwith technical problems, which accumulated in 1975. Within a short time, two aircraft crashed due to engine fires caused by defective turbine blades. However, it took several years (until 1979) before an improved version of the TF-30 engine (TF-30-P-414) was introduced. The problems with the Pratt & Whitney turbines, however, accompanied the F-14A until its “retirement”. At high angles of attack, it was common for a stall to occur in the engine (compressor stall), causing an immediate loss of Power and stopping the turbine. Overall, the performance of the TF-30 engine was unsatisfactory. Therefore, Grumman engineers attempted to address the problems with the vulnerable TF-30 engines by installing more powerful engines (General Electric F401-PW400). However, the F-401s ‘were too complex and too expensive, so this project (F-148 SUPER TOMCAT) was dropped. Se tans ee a — = signated F-Technical Specs (Grumman F-14D TOMCAT): Length: 64 ft 12 in (19,14m) Height: Wingspan: 2 in (11,65 m) Take-off weight: lb (33.720 ks) Max speed: 41.544 mph (2.485 km/h) Ceiling: Rate of climb: Combat range: Performance: Armament:& Q 6 F 2 + w S re 5 6Grumman F-14B TOMCAT / VF-32 Swordsmen he most advanced version of the TOMCAT, the D-model was developed in parallel with the F -14B and used the same engine. However, all avionics were digitized (MIL- STD-1553G) and a modern Hughes AN/APG-71 radar was installed in place of the analog Hughes AN/APG-9. Other improvements included the ASN-130 INS system, as well as a General Electric Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system mounted in an elongated pod below the nose of the aircraft (the second pod contains a Television Camera System (TCS). In addition, the D-model incorporated the new Martin Baker Mk.14 Navy Aircrew Common Ejection Seat (NACES), which allowed for ejection at speeds in excess of 800 mph. Originally, 127 of this modern version were to be built, but only 37 new aircraft left the Grumman Corporation's assembly lines (the last aircraft was delivered July 20, 1992). The altered political situation, as well as budget cuts were the background for this. For Grumman, the lack of orders was disastrous and led to the merger with Northrop company in May 1994. In addition to the 37 new built aircraft, another 14 F-14A-models were converted/upgraded to the D-standard. “For this purpose, the F-14 was to have two FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red) systems” n order to cope with the threat of the latest Soviet technology like the Mikoyan & Gurevich MiG -29 (NATO Code:FULCRUM) and the Sukhoi Su-27 (NATO Code: FLANKER), a number of upgraded versions were designed , all of them are based on the F-14D. The first of these projects was designated Quickstrike and was based on the idea of providing the TOMCAT with an extended ground attack capability like the Boeing F-15E STRIKE EAGLE. For this purpose, the F-14 was to have ‘two FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red) systems, one for target identification, the other for target marking. In addition, the capability to carty state-of-the-art air-to-ground guided ‘weapons (such as the AGM-84 HARPOON, AGM- 85 MAVERICK, etc.) should be provided. CHECKSIXGrumman F-14A TOMCAT / VF-101 “Grim Reapers“ he next project was designated Tomcat 21 and, in addition to the Quickstrike's avionic upgrades, featured modifications to the airframe to accommodate more internal fuel. The Attack Super Tomcat 21 (ASF-14) went even further. This was to include a modified version of the F110 engine (General Electric F110-GE-129), which was to greatly improve the F-14' supercruise capability . Thrust/vector control was also contemplated. All of these projects never got beyond the drawing board stage. Precisely because of the great potential that the Grumman F-14 possessed, it is more than questionable whether the decision in favor of the F/A-18 E/ F/G Super Hornet was the most cost-effective and technically the best. though the F-14 saw action during the Vietnam War, it had to wait a few more years before its first live mission. When tensions between the U.S. and the Libyan People's Republic increased in the early 1980s, the situation escalated in the Great Syrte (Gulf of Sidra). This sea area was unilaterally CHECKSIX declared Libyan territory in 1973 by the then Libyan leadership under Colonel Ghadaffi This was not recognized internationally because, according to a UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of December 10, 1982, a coastal state was entitled to a sovereign zone of only 12 nautical miles. Until then, the (recognized) sovereign territory of a coastal state extended to 3 miles. To emphasize the “Both Sukhois were outmaneuvered within a short time and shot down with an AIM-9L Sidewinder each“ so-called “freedom of the seas", the US Navy moved two of its carriers, the USS Forrestal (CV-59) and the USS “Nimitz” (CVN-68), into this sea area in August 1981 to conduct maneuvers. During these maneuvers, an incident occurred on August 19 in which a CAP (Combat Air Patrol) from the VF-41 "Black Aces" was attacked by two Libyan Sukhoi Su-22s (NATO code: FITTER). Both Sukhois were outmaneuvered within a short time and shot down with an AIM-9L Sidewinder each.TT = z my is} wn w Fo = OT L ,Siadeay WL, LOL-4A / LWIWOL db}-4 UeWWUNID SeedGrumman F-14D TOMCAT / VF-31 “Tomcatters“ 102 his incident not only demonstrated the superiority of the F-Fourteen (admittedly, it must be pointed out that the Su-22, while a quite capable fighter-bomber, has never been a serious adversary to a Grumman F-14 ), but also marked the beginning of a new kind of war. American involvement against Libyan revolutionary leader Muammar Ghaddafi, as well as his involvement in terrorist attacks, were harbingers of what is now called the “War on Terror.” The U.S. Navy carrier units with their Grumman F-14 units were the Americans’ ‘big stick.” Just a few years later, in October 1985, TOMCAT’s intercepted an Egyptian airliner (Boeing 737) that the hijackers of the ACHILLE LAURO hijacking had on board, forcing it to land in Sicily. In the following years there were repeated incidents with Libya, which escalated on 04 January 1989, when two Libyan MiG-23 (NATO code: FLOGGER) were shot down. These shootdowns were achieved by two aircraft of the VF-32 "Swordsman" from the USS Kennedy. CHECKSIXhe first Gulf War in 1990/91 was not all that glorious for the F-14 Tomcat and its crews. Their mission was fleet protection, but also reconnaissance. Although massive Iraqi attacks on he ships and aircraft carriers of the U.S. Navy and its allies were expected, they never took place. Reconnaissance missions were therefore all the more dangerous. In all, the 99 Tomcats deployed in the Gulf War (on five different carriers) flew 4182 missions. The only shootdown of an enemy aircraft was achieved by an F-14A from the VF-1 “Wolfpack” (USS Ranger) on February 6, 1991, when an iraqi Mil Mi-8 (NATO code: HIP) was shot down. Unfortunately, the US Navy lost one of its Tomeats to ground. fire during the Gulf War. A VF-103 "Jolly Rogers” F-14B was shot down over enemy territory on January 21, 1991. Both crew members were able to parachute out, with one becoming an Iraqi prisoner and the other being rescued by friendly forces. CHECKSIX 103Grumman F-14B TOMCAT / VF-101 “Grim Reapers“ U nknown to many is the fact that Iran is the sole export customer of the Grumman F-14 TOMCAT. In fact, the former Iranian ruler, Shah Reza Pahlevi ordered 80 TOMCAT’s to equip his air force with the most modern weapon system available at the time. The main reason for the Tomcat procurement was the constant airspace violation by Soviet Mikoyan & Gurevich MiG-25 (NATO Code: FOXBAT). A full 79 aircraft were delivered by the time of the Iranian Revolution in 1978/79, but only 284 of the 714 AIM -54A PHOENIX guided missiles ordered could be delivered before a trade embargo cut off tran’s supply of. spare parts. In the first years after the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the supply situation of the existing fleet was so bad that only a few aircraft were ready for service. This situation improved over time with the development of Iran’s own aviation industry, but also with the supply of spare parts through secret channels, including from the Israelis and the United States (Iran-Contra affair). During the First Gulf War (conflict with Iraq, 1980-88), the F -14s often acted as CHECKSIX ‘AWACS replacements thanks to their powerful radar system. Shootdowns of Iraqi aircraft are also confirmed, although there are different source reports about their number. According to unconfirmed information, there are currently 50+ F-14A Tomeats still in iranian service, but only a small number of them are operational (between 10 and 15 aircraft). “However, budget cuts made it impossible to upgrade all Tomcat to the higher-thrust engine“ he operation of this high-performance combat aircraft did not always run smoothly. The Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-414A Turbofan engine in particular was a constant source of complaints. Compressor stalls, short service life and poor maintenance accessibility were annoyances that were only solved by the new General Electric F110- GE-400 turbofan engines. However, budget cuts made it impossible to upgrade all Tomcats to the higher-thrust engine (102.75 kN as opposed to the TF-30's 93 KN).