Warbird Information Exchange

I'm sorry, I just have absoloutely nothing nice to say about that.

I mean, it has a nose gear!

Can you imagine the look on the face of the fed when he got that stack of 337s.

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The more I learn about aircraft, the more I realize I still have to learn.

Needs Shark Teeth

Looks like it is for real...

11/23/2007 - AUSTIN, Texas (AFPN) -- An F-16C Fighting Falcon from the Texas Air National Guard's 111th Fighter Squadron is flying with a special paint job in honor of the squadron's 90th anniversary. All the colors and markings have specific meanings, reflecting the unit's nine-decade history.

The rudder is painted like a JN-4 Jenny, which the squadron flew in the 1920s. The schemes for the wings and flaps recall the paint schemes of the pre-World War II era.

The blue fuselage represents the Korean War, in which the squadron earned credit for two air victories. The gray underside represents the jet age.

The "N5 A" was the insignia the squadron's P-51 Mustangs sported during World War II, in which the squadron claimed 44 air victories. Also representing World War II is the star on the fuselage, while the star on the wing represents the pre-World War II era.

"Ace in the Hole" and the star on the tail replicate the markings of the squadron's F-84s during the Korean War. The ventral fin, partially obscured, reads "Est. 1917."

Today the 111th FS is part of the 147th Fighter Wing, based at Ellington Field in Houston.

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It looks pretty cool, but there reasoning for certain attributes don't make any sense with the colors shown. The pre war insignia with the late war insignia looks really bad...

I've been involved with some of the ceremonies regarding the dedication of this aircraft as the 90th Anniversary F-16. That is we helped to repaint the static Mig Killer F-4 and the fear amongst some of the leadership was that the F-4 would look better than the pet F-16 when finished.

There is a method to the madness that is the paint scheme for this Viper. They attempted to incorporate as many of the elements of the paint schemes of all of the aircraft the unit had flown during their 90 years of existence. The vertical stripes on the rudder are from the JN-4, the blue fuselage and yellow wings are off of the recce aircraft flown after the war as well as the Star and Ball insignia, The insignia on the tail is the " Ace in the Hole " unit insignia, The WWII Star and Bar and the N5-A were on the P-51As that they flew in WWII, and the EF tailcode is for Ellington Field. When this flight was made they also flew two of the grey jets with the colored Texas flag lightening bolt that they have carried since the F101 days. The markings on this jet were actually finally completed the day before the dedication. Flags from all of the countries the unit has served in, all of the ribbons earned by the unit, and finally swastikas were applied that counted the tally of Gernman aircraft confirmed during WWII.

They are trying to get the jet allocated to put on a pole in Austin at Camp Mabry when the jets are retired early next year. If that doesn't happen then AMARC requires that the jet be repainted in grey before it's turned in.
USAFM is acting like they aren't in any hurry to allocate the jet as a pole sitter.

I think it looks neat.

I like the pre-war roundels (stars).

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David
1953 M38A1 jeep owner
& Student Pilot soloed 09/09/06
USAF 1984-1986

that'd make a cool looking model!

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Taylor Stevenson

I'm not really feeling it, sorry

B

AWESOME!!

About darn time too! Long live the USAAC.

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It's really awfull. IT would have been better to have picked one re3ally cool paint scheme and replicated it on the airplane. Example; when the U.S. Navy was celebrating their 70th anniversary of Naval Aviaton and they paid Connie Edwards to paint his PBY Catalina like a 1920's seaplane. At least it had a continuity to it.
The F-16 looks like one of those $2.OO toy planes made in China for sale at Wal-Mart or at gas stations.

Most of the 147thFW 111FS members call it the Blue Goose, or Pimp My Jet. There was talk of getting chrome curb feelers for it. However, the Major who spearheaded the project thinks its the greatest thing since sliced bread !

I'd fly it. I think some angles on that plane look better than others - there are some things there that just don't match. I did think it was kind of pretty when I saw it at Wings Over Houston. I would have left off the Jenny stripes on the tail, put the stripes that are on the flaps, on the tail instead.

Ryan

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The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

The funny thing is.

20 years from now, all you modelers will be doing that scheme because it was a one of a kind.

listen to yourselves

sheesh!!!!!!!!!!