Roo 'zapped' F-4 in the NMUSAF

[JDK]

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.

Ah, that makes a lot of sense, Richard, thanks. Can anyone complete the link for us?

[mattsb2000]

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

Support missions maybe??

I suppose.

Sometimes you cant see the forest through the trees.

[Steve Nelson]

I know of at least one "zap" at NMUSAF. A freind and I were in the Annex a few years ago. He was looking in the nose wheel well of the YF-12A, and found a sticker from some RNZAF squadron. I don't know if it was put there when the plane was flying, or after it came to the museum..but as a test prototype, I rather doubt if it ever flew to New Zealand.

SN

[mustangdriver]

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...

James, I really don't think there is a specific story, just the same as all the others. When the NMUSAF researches a paint scheme, they try and get it down to the smallest detail. If it carried the zap marking at the time they pick to represent the aircraft then it gets it. I think that it is important to tell the importance of these different little markings and what they mean. Kind of like patches on a flight jacket.

[ffuries]

My father relayed that during the time period that aircraft is painted to represent, that Gen Olds aircraft had been "zapped". So he thinks that when the museum repainted the aircraft, the "zap" was original and historic for the time period depicted. So being true to the paint scheme they painted the "zap" on the aircraft. So apparently a lot of research went into getting all the details correct, if this is in fact a correct assumption on the "zap".

My father is a 26 year USAF veteran, who served in Viet-Nam, was an aircraft mechanic and spent almost his whole career working on F-4s.


Mike in Florida
USAF Aircrew Life Support (Retired)
"Your Life Is Our Business"

[Shay]

Zap of all Zaps

1966-67 - This VA-25 A-1 Spad must have diverted to the USS Constellation. As is tradition when another carriers plane lands on your deck, new markings are applied as a reminder of the visit.



http://www.usscoralsea.net

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[JDK]

Thanks guys, just a little analysis to the statements -

James, I really don't think there is a specific story, just the same as all the others. When the NMUSAF researches a paint scheme, they try and get it down to the smallest detail. If it carried the zap marking at the time they pick to represent the aircraft then it gets it. I think that it is important to tell the importance of these different little markings and what they mean. Kind of like patches on a flight jacket.

Think about the two underlined statements together - let's not confuse 'not knowing' with 'nothing to say'. We don't know - the question is does the NMUSAF know?

There IS a specific story, and all applause to the NMUSAF for trying to get it 'right'. Either the zap was known about but not why it was applied, because that wasn't recorded or noted at the time or since, or someone does know but we haven't found out.

Now who do I know who volunteers at the NMUSAF, and could ask? Hmmmmm.....

[Baldeagle]

I guess this counts, but when I worked at the old Weeks Air Museum in Miami back about 1991 some Cubans defected to Tamiami Airport in a Russian helicopter. By the time the Cubans sent some military pilots to fly it back it was covered with bumper stickers, "Fly Navy", one from the country music station, and so forth.




-

[The Inspector]

Alaska Airlines had until retired, a 737-200QC gravel kit freighter that carried a salmon profile under the pilots sliding window after the airplane got smacked in flight over Alaska with a fish dropped by a clumsy bald eagle, and the crews refered to the airplane from then on as 'the salmon thirty salmon'

[mustangdriver]

Thanks guys, just a little analysis to the statements -

James, I really don't think there is a specific story, just the same as all the others. When the NMUSAF researches a paint scheme, they try and get it down to the smallest detail. If it carried the zap marking at the time they pick to represent the aircraft then it gets it. I think that it is important to tell the importance of these different little markings and what they mean. Kind of like patches on a flight jacket.

Think about the two underlined statements together - let's not confuse 'not knowing' with 'nothing to say'. We don't know - the question is does the NMUSAF know?

There IS a specific story, and all applause to the NMUSAF for trying to get it 'right'. Either the zap was known about but not why it was applied, because that wasn't recorded or noted at the time or since, or someone does know but we haven't found out.

Now who do I know who volunteers at the NMUSAF, and could ask? Hmmmmm.....

I will try to find out for you.

[JDK]

I will try to find out for you.

Good man.

[ZRX61]

A US F4 landed on the Ark Royal many years ago & by the next day it had grown "Royal Colonial Air Force" along the side of it...