Finn

Not a F-4 or even a Zuni but these pics shows how the rocket pods are connected with just a short cable: Jari

Marcel there is a simple drawing in the file here: http://aviationarchives.blogspot.ca/2016/10/douglas-4ta-4-skyhawk-tactical-pocket.html on pg 46 it shows the rocket harness location, for a pod on the shoulder station that pod's harness would connect to the O above where the bottom one is on the TER. Probably just a matter of adding a wire to the pod and the TER at proper locations. Jari

Your call Marcel, i've been trying to find a pic that shows the cable in place but no luck so far. Here is a drawing: the Rocket Harness Assembly is the cable for hooking up rocket pods electrically to the TER. Jari

Going back to the start of your build i noticed one other detail you may want to add to the LAU-10 and TERS, there was a cable that connected the rocket pod to the the TER so you could fire the rockets. On the LAU-10 there was a receptacle just aft of the lugs and on the TER you can see where the other end went, just forward of the aft cover panel line: i don't think Navy TERs had that plug. Jari

Hi Marcel, long time no see. Nice work, hope the masking goes well. Anyway i found some additional info on the Rockeye that may be of help, download the manual here: http://aviationarchives.blogspot.ca/2016/11/av-8a-airborne-weaponsstores-loading.html scroll down to section 12-1 for a few more details on the Mk-20, especially the stencils along the conduits. Jari

Before you get too carried away with the AGM-78, the one in the kit has a few problems, compare it with a real one on a Thud: note the strakes are closer to the tail fins and the Target Detectors are near the nose. Also check the length and dia of the kit missile. Here is a drawing of one: Jari

I saw 702 every day when i went to work as it sat on the pole, the reason why it has a blanking plate now is to keep the birds from nesting, most planes that are outdoors on display have all the openings covered up to keep birds and other critters from making a home inside. Jari

Here is the tie down layout on the USS Shangri-La: http://images.google.com/hosted/life/b8336fa055afe5a0.html no date, probably sometime in the 50's but it should give you an idea on spacing of the tie downs. Jari

The gun started to be added to the CF-104 in 1974, of course it took awhile before they all got them but being an AETE bird you are doing i'm sure it did get it's gun as some point. Naturally you can have it during the period when it didn't have a gun. DACO products for the 1/48 F-104 does have the option for a fuel tank instead of ammo bin: http://www.hyperscale.com/2015/reviews/accessories/p7hg_img_15/fullsize/07_fs.jpg if you leave the cover closed not much will be seen. Jari

Here is a look at Showtime 100, caption says Feb 72, note the weathering: Jari

If you want to do something different, a Y rack on one side and a single rail on the other: Jari

Some O2 pics here: http://366th-tfw.net/index4.html Jari

Here are a few more F4U detail pics from a cold carrier deck off Korea: http://images.google.com/hosted/life/404203fd83db1ec8.html http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/24f1235254e224c1_large http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/8d51e92e7cb40711_large http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/67fc30ff3e308f4f_large http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/778970cb6aba8f46_large Jari

Here are some with and without the armour plating, of course they look factory fresh so the plates may not be installed yet. Note some photos are reversed. With: http://images.google.com/hosted/life/ea25432593322eb5.html http://images.google.com/hosted/life/72c17769e48196b5.html http://images.google.com/hosted/life/bb69878d4b10162b.html without: http://images.google.com/hosted/life/bf72eff2c13f974b.html http://images.google.com/hosted/life/6dfade1657376513.html http://images.google.com/hosted/life/54240e95b7fac530.html Jari

Mike a walk around of a CF-104 has just been posted here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235012227-lockheed-canadair-cf-104-starfighter/#comment-2546137 some details you may find useful. Jari

Mike PM sent. The single rocket pod was carried on training flights, normally 2-4 rockets were loaded, rarely all 6 and a few times they had a pod on each pylon. Being AETE i don't know how often they went with a single pod but to keep qualified they had to go to the range quarterly so a single pod would be okay. The nose fairing was very rarely, if at all, installed as the range wasn't far from the base but the tail one was in place. Jari

Hi Mike, the 1:32 Zoukei-Mura US Aircraft Weapons Set 2 has the LAU-68 7 tube pod although it won't be hard to scratchbuild, the LAU-5002 was 6 tubes. I have the dimensions of the sway braces and tail weight if you need them. The pylon tanks didn't have sway braces, and sometimes when the tanks were removed the regular sway braces were not installed. I hope your family and friends back in NZ are safe and sound after the seismic event. edit: here is a pic with wing pylons on but no sway braces installed: note there is a safety pin installed in the pylon as the pylons were jettisonable so a explosive cart was in the pylon even if nothing was loaded on the pylon. Also note just to the right of the safety pin flag at the bottom of the pylon you'll see a little bump. That was the weapons away switch guard, just a bent piece of metal that protected pin of the weapons away switch. Jari

Some more pics of staggered and non staggered waist positions: Jari

Here is an early B-17's waist positions: http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/8a56edcc5a8aa700_large http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/fa11c8ebeb2d412f_large from here: http://images.google.com/hosted/life/8a56edcc5a8aa700.html Jari

Mike will you be installing the wing pylons and external tanks, just the pylons or no pylons. Any of those is acceptable as they flew with various configurations however being AETE they probably had the pylons on as it was easier to test various stores and such with pylons already in place. Jari

Not in the best shape, and a few pieces missing, but some walk around pics of a F-8C can be found here: http://www.net-maquettes.com/pictures/vought-f-8-crusader/ Jari

Great work Mike however i do believe the green seen in the afterburner section only happened in engines that have not been run in awhile, if you look here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/24526864@N03/sets/72157608651159104/ scroll down a bit to see the inside of a J79 that has been recent in use. Jari

Allan it looks like some a/c had the numbers and others didn't: note they are present on the one in the background but only one or two numbers on the one in front. Jari

They had them on the bottom of the wing as well: http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/652acf74ccb3d488_large not as big, so the Ordies know what store to load on what station. Jari

With so many pylons it was probably the result of experience they added the numbers, especially if the pilot wanted to fire off some rockets and a bomb comes off. This one has bigger numbers: Jari