Warbird Information Exchange

I scanned some more of my slides I took in the 1960's. Taken at Minot AFB.

Very cool old pics! Thanks for sharing that blast from the past. Not much else going on in Minot! Why does the one AC have the black tail? Inquiring minds want to know.

The black tail is from being the slot man. He rides in the exhaust of the leader.

AhSo! So they painted it black because it would go that way anyways!? When did they abandon that practice, after engines got cleaner and paint got better?

Wow, I'm speechless.!

I was a six years old the first time I saw the Thunderbirds (in the F-100C), and I've just had some great memories come back to me while viewing your photos. I was privileged to see them in the D as well.

As I recall, the slot ship tail was painted just like the rest of the airplanes and nature was then allowed to take its normal course, with just some cleaning up of the fuselage at the base of the fin.

Scott

Yup, the black was all exhaust - a badge of honor of sorts.

Yikes, that's one dirty bird then! Does the constant heating like that take a toll on the airframe?

I have no idea where it is, but I got a great hand-out from the T-birds in the early '70s that is a modeler's dream. It has photos and line drawings of every aircraft type flown by them up to the Phantom, including the transports and T-33s. Some of the photos showed the slow transformation of the slot's tail from standard Thunderbird colors to soot black. I'm not sure, but it seems they actually painted the fin black on the F-4--do you recall, Ken?

As to heat, I believe it was cool enough that all the modifications they needed to do on the Super Sabre was to replace the fin-tip antenna with a metal blanking plate. Again, I'm probably wrong, but it did address exhaust impingement in the book.

The tail stayed clean from the T-38 forward.

Excellent thread!!!!
Scott

Neat pictures. Thanks for sharing!

Oh, how cool!

I've never had the pleasure of seeing an F-100 in flight.

Thanks for sharing your pics!

Cheers,

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

What a difference a few years makes. The crowd allowed to walk right up to the planes. Nowdays your lucky if you get within 200 yards!

Dean, you've never lived until you have witnessed the opener back when the T-Birds flew the F-100. I believe the maneuver was called the "sneak attack" or some such. Envision the Diamond doing a nice pass down show center and the Solo coming from crowd rear. Fast, and I mean FAST! I will remember that first opener for as long as I live.

Scott

Some F-16 pix with soot ...

http://home.comcast.net/~bzee1b/Nellis0 ... birds.html

This says the tail was never actually painted black ...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crosstrippin/2609118615/

Shot of the F-4 tail shows it is not paint ...

http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Ai ... 57682d4064

Thanks for that photo link, Ken. It is very similar to the F-100 fin photos in my long-lost book.

Scott

I was at Etain AB, France in'63 or '64 when the Thunderbirds toured Europe. When the 'Birds appeared at Toul-Rosières Air Base, a large contingent of us who wanted to see the show were bussed over to "Toul". First time I had seen the 'Birds. That "sneak attack" probably caused a lot of "pee pee leaks" amongst the distaff side of the viewing folks, and possibly a few skid marks in the shorts of some of the guys.
Absolutely great stunt! Wish they still did it.

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Steve Turner, USAF aircraft refueler 54+ years ago.