RATPACK wrote:
airnutz, I know this is an old topic but I am trying to find out more info regarding which 3 Phantoms of VF-194 got this paint scheme. I know that 212 & 213 did, but what was the third aircraft? Did the CO's aircraft 201 get that scheme? The CO at this time was Cdr. J.S. Bertrand. Any input is much appreciated.........RATPACK........
Well RATPACK, after a day and a half of this subject sucking-up my curiosity, I'm certain of one thing. Ship #212 has gotten entirely too much attention and the other 2 birds, entirely too little! The search tho, eventually revealed a satisfactory conclusion I think.
F-4J #201, BuNo 153878 can be seen about 1/3 the way down in the following link from the Coral Sea preparing to be catapulted during the '77 WestPac in the standard hi-viz scheme of the day
http://usscoralsea.net/pics1970s6.phpBTW...she was lost at sea in '79 after an air collision with a TA-4J
Just in case you were dyslexic like myself, I then searched for #210, BuNo 155580 + Ferris and found photos of her in the VF-194 Reunion book...also not in Ferris Camou.
http://vf-194.synthasite.com/1977-coral-sea.phpBTW...she was converted to an F-4S and then later a QF-4S Drone, SOC 21 April 2000
To make a long story short, I eventually found a aircraft roster of CVW-15(NL), composed of VF-191 and VF-194 for the 1977 cruise.Aircraft and a/c# and BuNo's for VF-191 were 100-107 and 110-114. VF-194's a/c#'s were 200-207 and 210-214(no BuNo for #214). I started at the top of the list and began googling the aircraft number/BuNo of each aircraft starting with #200. As luck would have it and in of all places, in Wikimedia Commons, the first search returned a photo of the third VF-194 Ferris bird...#211. Yippee! Photographed at NAS Miramar on 25 November 1976 just before they transferred aboard Coral Sea. Just behind #211, BuNo 153879, you can see the noses of the other two Ferris birds. This is a zoomable link..
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... r_1976.jpgBTW...this bird still survives and Baugher has #211 in storage at Naval Air Depot, North Island for Resto to the USS Midway Museum. Back in 2009, it was on display at the USS Hornet Museum, Alameda, Calif. link to follow..
http://www.midwaysaircraft.org/acft/F4_2.htmAs is well reported, the VF-194 aircraft in the photo you posted intercepting the Bear are #212, BuNo 153798 piloted by Don Duffington/ with RIO Wayne Cheatum nearest the Bear. The 2nd F-4J, nearest the camera is #213, 153871 flown by William Dvorak with RIO J.T. Wailor. Early in my search, I ran across a post by Dvorak to a IPMS modeler of #213 confirming this and I spent a lot of time looking for his contact info in order to find the ID of the 3rd bird, to no avail...tho that led me to the VF-194 Reunion page to attempt to contact him. Then, I lucked into the squadron/aircraft roster. That was FUN! Hope this helps!
EDIT-Repaired Miramar link and added Midway ink.
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