Roo 'zapped' F-4 in the NMUSAF

[JDK]

Can anyone explain the story behind the Roo 'zap'?



Pic by my good friend Glenn, who says he din't do it, honest.

[Owen Miller]

I have a different question. I always thought the first two
numbers on USAF serials from this period were the last
two numbers of the year the plane was contracted for.
The pictured F-4 has a " on it, so this can't be correct.
Can someone set me straight?

Thanks,
Owen

[RickH]

The aircraft pictured is the F-4 flown by Gen Robin Olds in Viet Nam. The aircraft is 64-0829. The original USAF serial number ID system was changed to the format you described. It also uses the earlier placement on the tail. When the formation lights were added the tail marking placement was changed. If you look closely at the picture you can see where the formation strip light was painted over in order to be able to use the earlier format.

[Nathan]

wow didn't know this plane was saved. Glad to see it was!

[JDK]

...that's an interesting answer. As for the original question, anybody?

[mustangdriver]

I am not sure what the story is behind this one, but it was not uncommon for U.S. planes to get zapped by the RAAF even more so if this F-4 was visiting a base.

[CAPFlyer]

It's not uncommon for ANY airplane to get zapped by ANY service other than its own when it "strays" from safe ground.

Hell, an RAF Vulcan came back from a Giant Voice competition painted in the complete markings of the 2nd Bomb Wing, including the SAC sash and Stars & Bars. A B-52 several years later was the recipient of the Vulcan crews' revenge as it returned from the UK version of that competition with RAF Roundels and markings of the Waddington Wing.

Gary put up a post not too long ago of a Super Bug that used the CAF hangar and he zapped on its way out.

I think we got an ASIG or Signature Flight Support sticker on every C-130 and F-16 that was at Denver International during the summer of 2003 while they repaved the runway at Buckley AFB.

[JDK]

Indeed, but that's not news (although I'd like to see a Vulcan painted as a B-47 and there was a Vulcan with a Kiwi roundel.)

The point is zaps are very rare on national museum aircraft; and I'd say particularly so on aircraft (if I understand correctly) that have been repainted for/by the museum...

Also, Air Force museums rather have a habit of wanting to tell the 'official' story. Zaps aren't normally welcome in that environment. Ergo, I'm guessing that's not any old zap.

So - what's the specific story?

And there's another zap there too...

[m50a1ontos]

?

And there's another zap there too...

The little red thingy on the rudder?

We usually zapped birds in obscure places...wheel wells, inside panels (if we had to fix a transient bird, we left a calling card!)

Drop tanks were also a favorite.

Then everything went all "PC" and folks tended to get real bent about things like that.

[Oscar Duck]

zapped a USAF C-141 once at Fairbairn RAAF Base circa 1971 at the request of the crew. They asked for a second set of daglo kangaroos as the aircraft was due for a repaint!

Zapping very common prac tice indeed...

[T33driver]

It's not uncommon for ANY airplane to get zapped by ANY service other than its own when it "strays" from safe ground.

Somewhere there's a Navy Super Hornet with an obese mud flap girl sticker on the nose gear door. Guess not all airshow hot ramps have airtight security.

[mattsb2000]

Interesting thread.

Can someone here tell me what the roos are about on this?

[JDK]

Maybe if I'd asked for a comple history of the zap I've found out all about this specific zap...

[Rossco]

There is an Ilyushin airliner getting around Russia with a Qantas skip on the wingtip thanks to a cargo van running into it at Mascot circa 1990...

Can someone here tell me what the roos are about on this?

Support missions maybe??

[Richard W.]

I'm just guessing, but the kangaroo stencil on Col. Olds' aircraft might be related to a special arrangement he had with No. 79 Squadron, RAAF, to conduct joint training with his F-4 pilots.

The story here:

http://www.fighterpilots.net/Bounce.htm