It’s a long story and I’ll spare you the details, but as an RCAF logistics officer in the 1980’s I was able to finagle a back seat ride in a CF-101. It was an actual mission, not a hop, so I was up there for 90 minutes. Just before they closed the canopy the crew chief came over and asked “Have you ever been in a high performance aircraft before, SIR.” I admitted I hadn’t and he hurriedly stuffed some air sickness bags under the restraint straps. It’s always been a point of pride, even all these years later, that I didn’t need them. Thanks for these amazing videos, they are a true gift that will stand the test of time.
Nice I'm a former US army 69 tango now known as 15 tango crew chief on a UH- 60. I had a similar fly along. A high school buddy or mine was US airforce flying F16 falcon got me a ride along with him in a 2 seat trainer. Absolutely insane best 75 minutes of my life. I loved my uh60 but nothing like a F16. And I didn't use any airsick bags came close a couple times.
You guys are lucky, I’ve always wanted to do the same but in an F-4. However, I think I’d just use the bags while still on the ground, and just get on with it. This is a great channel, Mike, and I love the Cold War coverage - this period of rapid technological expansion and the sheer volume of aircraft types is amazing, and even to this day can be hard to ‘keep up with.’ When watching your work, it brings me back to that National Geographic issue about SAC I poured over and pretty much wore out several times. Fortunately I could find copies of it in antique stores and resale shops, even to this day, which makes me smile.
I was trained as a crew chief on the F-100, F-101, F-104 and F-111. The Aardvark was to be my primary machine for my hitch to Thailand in 1969, but the aircraft had problems and was recalled to the states. So, I was sent to the U.K. to work on RF-4C Phantoms. This video brought back a ton of memories (good, bad and indifferent). Thanks for the history and keep up the good work.
I was army 69tango crew chief on a uh60 black hawk. I always loved the F111. Thought it was ahead of its time with the swing wing and side by side seating. And from one to another thank you for your service to our country and humanity.
Great Video, Mike. When I was assigned to my first duty base (Langley AFB, Virginia) I worked on T-33s & T-39s primarily. However, I'd also get to work on any transient aircraft that happened to flutter in - and quite a variety DID flutter in what with Langley being TAC Hq.. Langley afforded me my one and only chance to lay hands on an F-104 - a TF-104 that dropped by one Friday. With a brigadier general and his colonel chauffer overlooking us (I had a partner), we successfully diagnosed a faulty ignitor unit. Of course - it was such a thrill (to me) to get to work on such a fantastic machine. The two officers were amused at my excitement. At one point we asked the pilot (the colonel) to go thru a start procedure to assist with the diagnosis. After he climbed back out of the cockpit, I asked the colonel "What's it like to fly this thing?" He pointed at the general and said: "Ask him - he won't ever let me have the controls!" Of course, we all had a laugh at that. And I felt brave enough to present my query to the general after we'd all shared the levity of the moment. There was no rank at hand in that moment - it was just this pimply-faced young guy with 2 stripes and a tool bag, his partner, and these two officers. SO - "General - sir - do you hold it close to the ground after you retract the wheels or do you start to climb as soon as you're off?" The general replied: "You two get us going again and I'll demonstrate." A part was flown in overnight and we got the plane fixed early the next day (a Saturday). After the engine was started, I stood there as the canopies closed. The general shot us a thumbs up and gestured that I should watch them take off. With that, I hopped on my bike and pedaled to the end of the runway where they would be airborne. I watched as they turned onto the runway at the far end. I could hear as the throttle was pushed to AB. As the Starfighter sped my way, it lifted just a bit. I could see as the gear tucked away - the plane seeming to stay at just a few feet off the runway. Getting close now - I could see the concrete and white lines reflecting off of the shiny silver missile of an airplane. The thunder of that J-79 drowned out all of my senses as the ship abruptly pulled up maybe a hundred yards from runway's end. Up - up - straight up that flame-tipped thing went. It sped straight thru the high overcast as it disappeard from sight. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. I thought about the plastic model F-104 that was hanging in my bedroom - the bedroom where I'd dreamed about being able to touch the real things one day. And there I was.
What a fabulous and well-written story, thanks Robert. You had me standing right there next to you and your partner at the end of that runway! It's the spirit of your story that personifies the true greatness of people in aviation, and the best of the best in the United States Air Force. I went to Tech School at Sheppard AFB in 1967, but all I ever got to work with in the Air Force was an IBM 1401 computer. While PCS, 'spent every weekend at the Transient terminals watching the coolest USAF hardware of that era. Century Series "Part 2" is posting tomorrow, and thanks for watching!
Hello Robert. Wonderful post. Now here's my F-104 story: I'm an Air Force brat from the 50's & 60's. Dad was an instructor IP and his primary duty stations was either Williams or Luke AFB, AZ. He did fly in the Korean & Southeast Asian Wargames and a tour as a Navy exchange pilot (A-4's). Dad flew the '104 instructing the German pilots (Cactus Air Force9. Anyway, 'bout a year before he retired i got to see the F-104 up really close. I was home from college and dad said i could accompany him to the flight line. Neat!!! Got to sit in on the briefing (maintenance check out), ride out to the bird in the "bread truck," and watch dad do a very thorough pre-flight. One thing that really impressed me was the mutual respect he and the maintenance showed each other. I noticed this bird had no external stores. Important detail. After accepting the a/c, he got strapped in, spooled up the engine (yes, all safety pins were acounted for🫡). Welllll, the crew chief wanted to know if i wanted to watch him takeoff. We rode out to the departure end of the runway and waited to see dad come barreling down the runway. OMG!! I was blown away. He flashed by us, climbed to pattern altitude then circled around as if he would be landing. The crew chief handed me a pair of binoculars. I was able to focus on dad as he turned final snd instead of slowing down to land, he accelerated down the runway (gear up) maybe 50-100' off the deck. It only took a few seconds to get to our end of the runway. Then that silver dart rotated and was out of sight in seconds. You could still that J-79 roaring after he disappeared from sight. Dad passed 2 years ago. I proudly display his flight suit, helmet and spurs. I sometimes think of him at the big Stag Bar, playing liars dice with Chuck Yeager and Kelly Johnson & Tony Lavier kibitzing. I really miss my dad.
If you watch the Star Trek Original Series episode "Return to Tomorrow" the aircraft intercepting the USS Enterprise is an F-104, and it does a take off exactly as you described.
What a great video! The Century series were some of the coolest looking jets I remember growing up. My mother's best friend's husband when we lived in Gretna La. and I was 10 was an Air Force pilot who flew the F106. As was typical in those days there were several fly overs each week, especially in the summer. When Bill flew over he would always wag his wings to let us know it was him. Mr. Martin retired from Eglan AFB as a Lt. Colonel and a wing commander. He went on to fly Gulfstream jets privately for many years. What great memories! Thanks for bringing them back to mind! As always God bless you and yours and thanks again for all you do! Take care always.👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸😊
My god u get around, Mike! I was watching a video about the F-16 VISTA (apparently called the X-62 now) and u came up with the paintwork! I also enjoyed your talk about Douglas on the Peninsula Seniors Channel! Love your work!
Hi Mike, New to your channel and find it really refreshing to not listen to someone reciting verbatim from a script, makes it so much more conversational and enjoyable.
Another excellent video, Mike! I had the opportunity, as an avionics instrument tech in the USAF during the late 1970s, to work on the F-101B&F Voodoo and the F-106A&B Delta Dart. The F-106 remains one of my favorite jets of all time. It still holds the official record for the fastest single engine interceptor, set in 1959! 1,525MPH!
I was also an Avionics Instruments tech during the late 70's early 80's working on B-52G's and KC-135's (SJAFB) and my favorite Century AC was also the F-106. I got to see them in operation and Griffith AFB near Utica NY around 1980 -- they'd begin the takeoff roll at full military and then after a few seconds the afterburner would kick in with a bang.
@Lance (& Mike) I’m impressed you had the opportunity to work the 101 (One-O-Wonderful?) I too worked the Six as a weapons specialist and it looks like a supersonic fighter should look! I was assigned to the 5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (5th FIS) at Minot AFB, ND in the 1980s. I was on the flightline when the last F-106 left (tail number 006) and was there when the first F-15A arrived and when the last F-15A left as the 5th was deactivated. Mike has a great picture of the squadron commander’s jet (F-15) in the video. That was the last jet to leave…I personally loaded a lot of missiles and 20MM on that very airplane. Great memories! Glad to know there are some fellow Delta Dart guys and gals still out there!
Thanks Vik - really appreciate your generous support of the channel! Loved your idea for a follow-up video on Ventral Fins, and apparently, it's a big hit for the viewers. Thanks again!
I grew up seeing F-106's quite often in the skies as they were stationed at a near-by AFB. One day two jets come blasting down out of the sky, out of nowhere, and I quickly recognized the delta wing configuration as two F-106's came down on the deck out over the bay doing a mock dogfight! Two hotdogs were having some fun!
It's amazing how far aviation has come since the Wright Brothers. As always, a video full of information along with great narration. "MODELS??? I thought you'd never ask!!!" Priceless....... Thanks for your knowledge and your time......
F104 without wing tip tanks is the ultimate freak plane. Saw one at Smithsonian in D.C. and the wins really is amazingly thin with its leading edge sharp enough to send you to hospital! Thank you Mike for the great video on the whacky wild times of 1950's creativity and experimental designs.
Great video! My dad worked for General Dynamics in the mid to late 1960’s as an engineer designing part of the F-111. We lived in Ft.Worth TX from 1967 - 1970 and lived in off base housing while he worked at the plant at Carswell AFB. As a kid I got to see lots of century series fighters as well as B-52’s flying around but my favorites were the F-100 Super Sabre and F-106 Delta Dart besides the F- 111 of course. Dad used to talk a lot about the escape pod on the F-111. I still have a poster of the Navy version of the F-111 with the short nose.
I lived near the Canadair factory in Montreal in the early 60s. Canadair built Canada's version of the Starfighter, the CF104. They flew over our house on a regular basis. We'd also hear them testing engines. It remains my favourite military aircraft. Loved this video. Thanks for making and posting it.
Another fine Mike Machat aviation technology / scale model video. It made me remind the sorely missed Wings and Airpower magazines. All of these were (and are) an important part of our lives. Thank you!
This guy is awesome dude,idk much about planes but when I started working at the science center 2 years ago it became a pass time to read about our planes on display (all century series) and this guy is like a perfect teacher
Great video! As a kid in the 60s I had a huge collection of aircraft and ship models, which included all of the production Century Series fighters. This really beings back fond memories. Subscribed.
As an avid flight nut, I appreciate your time and effort in compiling this into an educational/entertainment video about my favorite subject - flight of any type, by any device. I'm a hang glider and parasail pilot these days and enjoy the quiet flight time, but also due to age and a fixed income, as flight time is getting expensive - fuel, airplane rental, insurance, etc. I will fly as long as I feel safe to do it.
Great history of the "Century Series" including some of the more unusual numbers that never made it beyond mockup stage such as the F-103 and F-108. Thanks for sharing! 1988 was the only time I ever witnessed and photographed a Convair F-106 ("B" version). It was a Montana Air National Guard aircraft that flew into the Des Moines, IA airport visiting the Iowa Air National Guard base at the airport.
Another great video. The evolution of of the aircraft designs is impressive. They seemed to be able to develop air frames that needed engines and avionics where that part of the technology was too slow at catching/keeping up. I can't imagine how disappointed the designers and services were with engine issues that held back or doomed projects because the power plant just couldn't deliver.
Lloyd S. Wright: U.S.Fighters. I still have the book, and its companion, U.S. Bombers. I based my collection of 1:72 scale U.S. fighters on it, going from the Curtis P-1 Hawk, to the Convair XF-81; North American F-82 through the Lockheed F-117; and North American F-1 Fury to the Lockheed F-35, which is well past the book. In all there are 137 aircraft. I can't find model kits for 33 of them. Of the remaining 104, I've now built 72 and have 32 left to build. Almost everything above the P-80 isin my collection;. the vast majority of the gaps are in the low 'P' numbers. Curtiss, Boeing and a few other companies were pumping out updated versions of the same aircraft multiple times a year it seems, and they were getting new designations (e.g Curtiss: P-1 Hawk, P-2 Hawk; P-3 Hawk; P-5 Superhawk etc).
Another fantastic video, Mike. I love how you integrate archival photographs with your amazing artwork...it's easy to imagine oneself flying off the wing of these epic machines.
I had the good fortune to be in the second class at USAF Interceptor training school at Perrin AFB in 1960 to fly the F102A & TF102 which replaced one of the two squadrons there. The other squadron was still flying F86s. My assignment from there was to the 322nd FIS @ Klamath Falls, Oregon flying the F101B starting early 1961. In November of 1963 I was reassigned to the 49th FIS @ Griffiss AFB, Rome NY. I liked your presentation, but as most articles on century series fighters, I feel the F101 is always given slight attention. The F101 was an incredible aircraft as long as it was flown within its limits, but could bite you in the rear if manhandled. The F106 was just entering squadron service in early 1961, and was grounded for long periods because it's advanced electronics were initially unreliable. Whenever we landed at a 106 base we would extend our refueling probes located in front of the windshield as we taxied by the 6's because they looked amazingly similar to the male sex organ. In the era I flew the squadron camaraderie was great.
Also, Mike, I have to say, with all my research and study of aircraft, it dawned on me that I’ve not seen the majority of the pictures you’ve presented. Along with your perspective, that fact makes watching your work on the more rewarding.
Great video, thanks for making this. The F101 had a rotating weapons bay, it flew with the missiles internal. The B model also carried the Genie nuke tipped missiles to intercept Russian bombers. My dad was crew for 101Bs at Charleston AFB in the early 60s. The 444thFIS.
Actually, of the four missiles carried, two were external and two internal, as the weapons platform rotated to select. Falcons on one side, Genie rockets (unguided) on the other side.
My favorite airshow memory (out of many) was being at abbotsford in '82(I think). Waiting for the next demonstration round and having several CF-101's come from behind us without notice and doing a pullup with afterburners just after clearing the crowd. It felt like they were only a 100' off the deck, but shock and drama compressed the sensations so much that it was hard tell what was reality from impressions. The Century Series has always been my favorite. I spent quite a number of rolls of film admiring WA-ANG F-106's flying in and out of McCord AFB in the 80's.
At the very least visually, the 'Teen Fighters' are also clearly members of the same family in design philosophy, as the Century Series were, yet not as diverse. Looking forward to your episode about the Century Series' counterparts in the Navy.
Nicely done, Mike. FYI, re: the Aurora F-110A kit, in 1964 I built and super detailed it. I entered the model in Orange Show competition in SoCAl. I won first place with it. Long time fan of yours. Just now subbed.
What an AMAZING video!! 😊 Thank you for posting this highlighting these "Cold Warriors"! Did you know, and I came across this interesting tidbit while doing research for my master's thesis, that in the mid 1970s (I want to say 1977/78), there was a proposal to re-engine the Phantom with the PW F100 engine. If memory serves there were several modified aircraft based on the F-4E. These significant advantages over the existing F4s, including greater speed, payload, climb, and a nearly 20% longer range. This "super-Phantom", was to have been re-equipped with a single seat cockpit, utilizing the fire control systems and radar of the then brand-new F-16. I believe, that in the very late 1980s the Israelis did convert a number of their Phantoms to utilize the F100 engine and the F-16's radar, but retained the two-seat layout. The Germans did similar, but retained the existing J79 engines.
That was a glorious era of aeronautical development. Engineers were raising expectations across the board and spawned an accelerated development of many industries. The competition of an aircraft against the missile was much more humbling than aerospace planners admitted. It still carries over today into the space program. The pilot was considered the most important part, but even pilots had to compete against avionics for that status. The speed of events created a huge load for even the best pilots. Glorious results prevailed.
I recall seeing F-106 aircraft being flown by the Montana Air National Guard out of the Great Falls airport in the late 80s/early 90s. The best looking of the bunch, IMO.
So many beautiful and interesting planes! It’s tough to decide which plane is my favorite. It can’t be done. They all have unique appeal and fascination.
Brings back a lot of memories as in the 1960s I was crazy about the Century Series and bought plastic kits of all I could get my hands on in the UK. I later had all the 1/48 Monogram Century kits which were the best and most accurate in their day.
Great video ... usually I hate videos that are mostly still photos, but your voice and easy to follow explanations, plus the high quality of the photos, more than make up for the lack of animation ... plus, I just loved the scale modelling part at the end, nice touch 😃 ... you've got a new subscriber. Cheers.
As a kid I remember having a model of the F-100 and the Bomarc. Loved that SuperSaber. I love the story of the Cornfield Bomber, the F-106 that landed itself after the pilot ejected.
Germany purchased a lot of F-104's from us.No mention here of all the brave pilots who lost their lives flying this plane in peacetime. I enjoyed this video!
I think they even built them under licences in Europe. In Germany they were used as a multi roll aircraft something the 104 was not really designed for. But German was still not capable of creating its own Fighters, and would never be instead become of the members that developed the Tornado Multi Roll aircraft and the current Europe Fighter, but History is repeating itself with Germany now buying F35's for Lockheed let's hope it proves to be less deadly to its pilots than the F104. I think most of those deaths were during landing or dealing with the F104's high speed stalling or engine failure.
Our local air museum has the first production model of the F-105, and we are soon to receive a TF-101B, which was a two-seat trainer conversion of the single seat B model, different from the two-seater shown here. I'd love to see a couple more of the century series fighters in out museum. The F-106 has always been my favorite.
George Welch, of Pearl Harbor fame, was a test pilot for North American Aviation. He was killed test flying the short-tail F100-A on Oct 12, 1953. As a result, North American determined that they needed a taller tail.
Nice piece. 25:38 While the Aardvark was the first, from scratch, attempt to produce a "one fits all" fighter....de facto the F-4 performed that role much earlier.
I always include the B-58 hustler as a honorary century series plane because it visually fits the vibe of the century aircraft, it kinda fits into the story as a for part of transition from the LABS system of dropping a nuclear payload into ICBMs as a payload delivery system. The Hustler just for me embodies that transition as it came at a bad time so It usually gets swept under the rug. The plane was only in service for about 10 years compared to the other bombers out at the time and also the rest of the century series it was retired very early in its service life.
my grandfather was a crew chief for f105’s stationed in Thailand during Vietnam. Lots of crazy stories and even one about a thunderchief landing with a massive hole in the wing
I always loved the F-100, even with all its shortcomings. While I never worked on them, I was based with F-105s in Thailand, and it is my fav of the century series.
I've been watching your video's approx. a month now, and I'll tell you, the topics you cover are very interesting. Between your channel and the "Dailey Aviation" channel, you guys cover some darn good subjects. Nice thing is, I know quite a bit about aircraft due to my being brought up in an aviation influenced family, and so I'm quite sure you're not pulling facts out of your head like the "Dark" channels and their clickbait videos.
You can see a lot of Alexander Lippisch in that delta layout especially the vertical stabiliser. Not knocking the USA's own resarchers and designer. But operation paper clip did lead to a mountain of documentations and a lots of designers and technical people from Germany starting a new life in the USA thus boosting or giving giving designers a new direction to look into.
Photo at 1:23 is of an early P-84, not an F-84G! F-84 E and G models had a stretched fuselage, nuke capability, in flight refueling and an autopilot, etc. A minor quibble...
My Marine squadron was the first F4B unit in Vietnam and we were on our own as far as equipment. The Navy also had the F4 but they got all of the support equipment that we Marines never got. Our crews actually loaded 1,000 bombs by hand from a flatbed wagon! When the Air Force F4s eventually arrived in Da Nang, they had motorized hydraulic lift carts to load their bombs. At that time when we first arrived, the AF used F-102s to stand as the airfield alert protection. We were also assigned two F4s to back them up. When we got an alert, the 102s would launch first, and then about ten minutes later if needed, the F4s would launch. We typically would catch up and pass the 102s en route. It was a time when old and new aircraft were flying together and it all worked. I remember waiting for TO clearance in my F4B behind two A1 Skyraiders and then a C47. There were F100s, 105s, and T28s along with the brand new A6 Intruder. The Army had Mohawks and of course, a lot of helicopters. We also had F8s, A4s, B57s, and A7s working with us. For aviation buffs, it was heaven!
Anigrand makes 1:72 cast resin models of the XF-103, XF-108, and XF-109; Trumpeter makes an injection mold kit of the F-107. They're all in the 60-80 USD range, if you want to have a complete collection of century series fighters.
I was an instrument repairman with the US. Air Force working on mostly F-100's and F-105's with the 388th A & E, Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 1966-67. They were "Magnificent Flying Machines" back then and a challenge to work on. The pilots were outstanding and loved flying that beast every day. One fantastic aircraft.
Great videos! You have covered the planes I grew up with and I had many of the plastic models as well. Please consider discussing McNamara's decision to force the Navy to re-designate their aircraft. Thanks again!
I don't know if you noticed this with the F-35 pictures at 26:11, but the first picture of the F-35A is a Dutch F-35A showing how the F-35 is going to see service across many different countries. Then let's first hop over to the F-35B which seems to be the X-35B prototype. I guess that shows one aspect of the F-35's development. I'm not too sure, but it is possible that the pictures of the F-35A and F-35C show a development airframe from the time that F-35s were already being produced and entering service, while not even having finished testing. If the F-35A happened to be a development airframe then it also shows how testing was also conducted by both the US and some of its closest allies. I may have looked way too deep into these pictures, but I thought that it was neat and that it deserved to be pointed out.
Thanks for the comment, and yes, you are correct. A mix of Lockheed-released photos were used to show the three F-35 models because they were the best views for each frame. I flew chase missions during the JSF fly-off competition in 2000, and use my own photos whenever possible, but since these were inset spots, I show the X-35B next to the F-35C to contrast the single vs. twin nose wheels. To your point, had this been a full feature on the F-35 Program, all correct photos would have been used. Appreciate the comment and thanks for watching!
F-100, F-101, F-102, F-104, F-105 and the F-106. I did this listing at the very beginning of the video. I had models of all Six Plus, F-86, 89 98 A-4. There is an RF-101 on display at the old air guard base. Local veterans groups keep it clean. Oh forgot they have an RF-4C on static display too
Thank you Mike. Just one observation. Regarding the tape instruments and cockpit layout for the F-105. The tape instruments were starting to make an impact, like on the later models of the F-106 and the F-111. However, the gunsight glass on the F-105 was not a "HUD", it did display a reticle and was a lead computing gunsight as well. Just like the F-104, and previous USAF and US Navy fighter jets that had a gun. The reason I do not define F-105 gunsight as a HUD is that it did not give airspeed, altitude, artificial horizon, or heading information like the F-15, F-16, Tomcat or F/A-18.
It’s a long story and I’ll spare you the details, but as an RCAF logistics officer in the 1980’s I was able to finagle a back seat ride in a CF-101. It was an actual mission, not a hop, so I was up there for 90 minutes. Just before they closed the canopy the crew chief came over and asked “Have you ever been in a high performance aircraft before, SIR.” I admitted I hadn’t and he hurriedly stuffed some air sickness bags under the restraint straps. It’s always been a point of pride, even all these years later, that I didn’t need them. Thanks for these amazing videos, they are a true gift that will stand the test of time.
Appreciate the comment and great story, thanks!
Nice I'm a former US army 69 tango now known as 15 tango crew chief on a UH- 60. I had a similar fly along. A high school buddy or mine was US airforce flying F16 falcon got me a ride along with him in a 2 seat trainer.
Absolutely insane best 75 minutes of my life.
I loved my uh60 but nothing like a F16. And I didn't use any airsick bags came close a couple times.
You guys are lucky, I’ve always wanted to do the same but in an F-4. However, I think I’d just use the bags while still on the ground, and just get on with it.
This is a great channel, Mike, and I love the Cold War coverage - this period of rapid technological expansion and the sheer volume of aircraft types is amazing, and even to this day can be hard to ‘keep up with.’ When watching your work, it brings me back to that National Geographic issue about SAC I poured over and pretty much wore out several times. Fortunately I could find copies of it in antique stores and resale shops, even to this day, which makes me smile.
Did you wind up using the bags 🤢.. awesome tale.
Very cool. I produced an Airshow video for CATV one year. Stood in front of the Blackbird, and shot video, while the pilot and RSO egressed.
I was trained as a crew chief on the F-100, F-101, F-104 and F-111. The Aardvark was to be my primary machine for my hitch to Thailand in 1969, but the aircraft had problems and was recalled to the states. So, I was sent to the U.K. to work on RF-4C Phantoms. This video brought back a ton of memories (good, bad and indifferent). Thanks for the history and keep up the good work.
I was army 69tango crew chief on a uh60 black hawk.
I always loved the F111. Thought it was ahead of its time with the swing wing and side by side seating.
And from one to another thank you for your service to our country and humanity.
@@robertgutheridge9672 Even in those contentious times it was my pleasure to serve. And, thank you, sir for your service.
I grew up with the Century series. I watched them fly and saw some crash. Life as a dependent in the Air Force was outstanding.
The F-104 captured my imagination at a very yonge age.
Great Video, Mike. When I was assigned to my first duty base (Langley AFB, Virginia) I worked on T-33s & T-39s primarily. However, I'd also get to work on any transient aircraft that happened to flutter in - and quite a variety DID flutter in what with Langley being TAC Hq.. Langley afforded me my one and only chance to lay hands on an F-104 - a TF-104 that dropped by one Friday. With a brigadier general and his colonel chauffer overlooking us (I had a partner), we successfully diagnosed a faulty ignitor unit. Of course - it was such a thrill (to me) to get to work on such a fantastic machine. The two officers were amused at my excitement. At one point we asked the pilot (the colonel) to go thru a start procedure to assist with the diagnosis. After he climbed back out of the cockpit, I asked the colonel "What's it like to fly this thing?" He pointed at the general and said: "Ask him - he won't ever let me have the controls!" Of course, we all had a laugh at that. And I felt brave enough to present my query to the general after we'd all shared the levity of the moment. There was no rank at hand in that moment - it was just this pimply-faced young guy with 2 stripes and a tool bag, his partner, and these two officers. SO - "General - sir - do you hold it close to the ground after you retract the wheels or do you start to climb as soon as you're off?" The general replied: "You two get us going again and I'll demonstrate."
A part was flown in overnight and we got the plane fixed early the next day (a Saturday). After the engine was started, I stood there as the canopies closed. The general shot us a thumbs up and gestured that I should watch them take off. With that, I hopped on my bike and pedaled to the end of the runway where they would be airborne. I watched as they turned onto the runway at the far end. I could hear as the throttle was pushed to AB. As the Starfighter sped my way, it lifted just a bit. I could see as the gear tucked away - the plane seeming to stay at just a few feet off the runway. Getting close now - I could see the concrete and white lines reflecting off of the shiny silver missile of an airplane. The thunder of that J-79 drowned out all of my senses as the ship abruptly pulled up maybe a hundred yards from runway's end. Up - up - straight up that flame-tipped thing went. It sped straight thru the high overcast as it disappeard from sight. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. I thought about the plastic model F-104 that was hanging in my bedroom - the bedroom where I'd dreamed about being able to touch the real things one day. And there I was.
What a great story!
When you are a kid, you think you will be doing those things forever.
What a fabulous and well-written story, thanks Robert. You had me standing right there next to you and your partner at the end of that runway! It's the spirit of your story that personifies the true greatness of people in aviation, and the best of the best in the United States Air Force. I went to Tech School at Sheppard AFB in 1967, but all I ever got to work with in the Air Force was an IBM 1401 computer. While PCS, 'spent every weekend at the Transient terminals watching the coolest USAF hardware of that era. Century Series "Part 2" is posting tomorrow, and thanks for watching!
Hello Robert. Wonderful post. Now here's my F-104 story: I'm an Air Force brat from the 50's & 60's. Dad was an instructor IP and his primary duty stations was either Williams or Luke AFB, AZ. He did fly in the Korean & Southeast Asian Wargames and a tour as a Navy exchange pilot (A-4's). Dad flew the '104 instructing the German pilots (Cactus Air Force9. Anyway, 'bout a year before he retired i got to see the F-104 up really close. I was home from college and dad said i could accompany him to the flight line. Neat!!! Got to sit in on the briefing (maintenance check out), ride out to the bird in the "bread truck," and watch dad do a very thorough pre-flight. One thing that really impressed me was the mutual respect he and the maintenance showed each other.
I noticed this bird had no external stores. Important detail.
After accepting the a/c, he got strapped in, spooled up the engine (yes, all safety pins were acounted for🫡). Welllll, the crew chief wanted to know if i wanted to watch him takeoff. We rode out to the departure end of the runway and waited to see dad come barreling down the runway. OMG!! I was blown away. He flashed by us, climbed to pattern altitude then circled around as if he would be landing. The crew chief handed me a pair of binoculars. I was able to focus on dad as he turned final snd instead of slowing down to land, he accelerated down the runway (gear up) maybe 50-100' off the deck. It only took a few seconds to get to our end of the runway. Then that silver dart rotated and was out of sight in seconds. You could still that J-79 roaring after he disappeared from sight.
Dad passed 2 years ago. I proudly display his flight suit, helmet and spurs. I sometimes think of him at the big Stag Bar, playing liars dice with Chuck Yeager and Kelly Johnson & Tony Lavier kibitzing.
I really miss my dad.
If you watch the Star Trek Original Series episode "Return to Tomorrow" the aircraft intercepting the USS Enterprise is an F-104, and it does a take off exactly as you described.
Good to see a shot of Kartvelli and the models he designed. Still remember him shuffling down the aisles in engineering at Republic in the early 70's.
I’m a huge fan of 50’s aircraft, and the Century Series were always a kit modeling focus. Even have a kit of the F-107. Thanks for this Mike!
What a great video! The Century series were some of the coolest looking jets I remember growing up. My mother's best friend's husband when we lived in Gretna La. and I was 10 was an Air Force pilot who flew the F106. As was typical in those days there were several fly overs each week, especially in the summer. When Bill flew over he would always wag his wings to let us know it was him. Mr. Martin retired from Eglan AFB as a Lt. Colonel and a wing commander. He went on to fly Gulfstream jets privately for many years. What great memories! Thanks for bringing them back to mind! As always God bless you and yours and thanks again for all you do! Take care always.👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸😊
Thanks Martin, and what a fabulous story!
I clicked seeing the F-108 Rapier as a big fan of the XB-70. Nice editing and accuracy.
North American took all of their research on the F-108 to produce a Mach 2 version of the F-108; they sold it to the US Navy: The A-5 Vigilante.
My god u get around, Mike! I was watching a video about the F-16 VISTA (apparently called the X-62 now) and u came up with the paintwork! I also enjoyed your talk about Douglas on the Peninsula Seniors Channel!
Love your work!
Many thanks, and great to have you aboard!
It's good that your intro and extro image include the six Century Series jets.
Thanks, and 'always loved the Century Circle photos from Edwards AFB. I'll be showing a modern adaptation of that in Part 2 posting this Friday.
Hi Mike, New to your channel and find it really refreshing to not listen to someone reciting verbatim from a script, makes it so much more conversational and enjoyable.
Another excellent video, Mike! I had the opportunity, as an avionics instrument tech in the USAF during the late 1970s, to work on the F-101B&F Voodoo and the F-106A&B Delta Dart. The F-106 remains one of my favorite jets of all time. It still holds the official record for the fastest single engine interceptor, set in 1959! 1,525MPH!
I was also an Avionics Instruments tech during the late 70's early 80's working on B-52G's and KC-135's (SJAFB) and my favorite Century AC was also the F-106. I got to see them in operation and Griffith AFB near Utica NY around 1980 -- they'd begin the takeoff roll at full military and then after a few seconds the afterburner would kick in with a bang.
@Lance (& Mike) I’m impressed you had the opportunity to work the 101 (One-O-Wonderful?) I too worked the Six as a weapons specialist and it looks like a supersonic fighter should look! I was assigned to the 5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (5th FIS) at Minot AFB, ND in the 1980s. I was on the flightline when the last F-106 left (tail number 006) and was there when the first F-15A arrived and when the last F-15A left as the 5th was deactivated. Mike has a great picture of the squadron commander’s jet (F-15) in the video. That was the last jet to leave…I personally loaded a lot of missiles and 20MM on that very airplane. Great memories! Glad to know there are some fellow Delta Dart guys and gals still out there!
@@Raptorman0909 That delayed AB light was pretty cool wasn’t it?
@@millerdp -- Yes it was ... it took me by surprise at first but they'd start the role and a few seconds latter ... bbaaaBAM!
@@Raptorman0909 Yep! Heard the same “boom” with F-105s…same PW J75 engine!
A very fine presentation, Mike. The Century Series, a very broad subject which you covered very well.
Many thanks!
Thank you Mike. Another great episode. Keep them coming.
Thanks Vik - really appreciate your generous support of the channel! Loved your idea for a follow-up video on Ventral Fins, and apparently, it's a big hit for the viewers. Thanks again!
An excellent presentation, thank you for great work on the famous century series.
Great history, facts and stories about the century series. Thank you.
I grew up seeing F-106's quite often in the skies as they were stationed at a near-by AFB. One day two jets come blasting down out of the sky, out of nowhere, and I quickly recognized the delta wing configuration as two F-106's came down on the deck out over the bay doing a mock dogfight! Two hotdogs were having some fun!
It's amazing how far aviation has come since the Wright Brothers. As always, a video full of information along with great narration. "MODELS??? I thought you'd never ask!!!" Priceless....... Thanks for your knowledge and your time......
Appreciate the comment, thanks Mike!
F104 without wing tip tanks is the ultimate freak plane. Saw one at Smithsonian in D.C. and the wins really is amazingly thin with its leading edge sharp enough to send you to hospital!
Thank you Mike for the great video on the whacky wild times of 1950's creativity and experimental designs.
Great video! My dad worked for General Dynamics in the mid to late 1960’s as an engineer designing part of the F-111. We lived in Ft.Worth TX from 1967 - 1970 and lived in off base housing while he worked at the plant at Carswell AFB. As a kid I got to see lots of century series fighters as well as B-52’s flying around but my favorites were the F-100 Super Sabre and F-106 Delta Dart besides the F- 111 of course. Dad used to talk a lot about the escape pod on the F-111. I still have a poster of the Navy version of the F-111 with the short nose.
I lived near the Canadair factory in Montreal in the early 60s. Canadair built Canada's version of the Starfighter, the CF104. They flew over our house on a regular basis. We'd also hear them testing engines. It remains my favourite military aircraft. Loved this video. Thanks for making and posting it.
Loved the markings on those CF-104s!
Another fine Mike Machat aviation technology / scale model video. It made me remind the sorely missed Wings and Airpower magazines. All of these were (and are) an important part of our lives. Thank you!
Great comment, thanks!
Lovely video, I wish the thunderwarrior was made, such a special design, really spaceship aesthetic
Great simple straightforward videos- thanks
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
This guy is awesome dude,idk much about planes but when I started working at the science center 2 years ago it became a pass time to read about our planes on display (all century series) and this guy is like a perfect teacher
Great video! As a kid in the 60s I had a huge collection of aircraft and ship models, which included all of the production Century Series fighters. This really beings back fond memories.
Subscribed.
As an avid flight nut, I appreciate your time and effort in compiling this into an educational/entertainment video about my favorite subject - flight of any type, by any device. I'm a hang glider and parasail pilot these days and enjoy the quiet flight time, but also due to age and a fixed income, as flight time is getting expensive - fuel, airplane rental, insurance, etc. I will fly as long as I feel safe to do it.
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
Great history of the "Century Series" including some of the more unusual numbers that never made it beyond mockup stage such as the F-103 and F-108. Thanks for sharing! 1988 was the only time I ever witnessed and photographed a Convair F-106 ("B" version). It was a Montana Air National Guard aircraft that flew into the Des Moines, IA airport visiting the Iowa Air National Guard base at the airport.
Another great video. The evolution of of the aircraft designs is impressive. They seemed to be able to develop air frames that needed engines and avionics where that part of the technology was too slow at catching/keeping up.
I can't imagine how disappointed the designers and services were with engine issues that held back or doomed projects because the power plant just couldn't deliver.
Agreed. The J46 debacle killed or crippled many otherwise promising aircraft.
What a great video Mike! Your channel is one of the rare gems of TH-cam!
Thanks Jeffrey, and really appreciate the comment!
Used to have a book carrying every aircraft up to YF-17.
Lost it decades ago. You are so correct with this video.
Great job 👏
Lloyd S. Wright: U.S.Fighters.
I still have the book, and its companion, U.S. Bombers. I based my collection of 1:72 scale U.S. fighters on it, going from the Curtis P-1 Hawk, to the Convair XF-81; North American F-82 through the Lockheed F-117; and North American F-1 Fury to the Lockheed F-35, which is well past the book. In all there are 137 aircraft. I can't find model kits for 33 of them. Of the remaining 104, I've now built 72 and have 32 left to build. Almost everything above the P-80 isin my collection;. the vast majority of the gaps are in the low 'P' numbers. Curtiss, Boeing and a few other companies were pumping out updated versions of the same aircraft multiple times a year it seems, and they were getting new designations (e.g Curtiss: P-1 Hawk, P-2 Hawk; P-3 Hawk; P-5 Superhawk etc).
There is a Voodoo gate guard in North Bay Ontario Canada. Really large airplane.
Superb channel.
Thanks for watching!
Another fantastic video, Mike. I love how you integrate archival photographs with your amazing artwork...it's easy to imagine oneself flying off the wing of these epic machines.
Thanks Jeff. Was thinking of you with the F-102!
This was great a lot of old favourites here...I love the F101 Voodoo for one, very stylistic plane.. seemingly underrated
You deserve a lot more subscribers. It's rare that TH-cam actually recommends something relevant to me....today is such a blessed day. Great work!
Many thanks!
Another great video and as always a very interesting subject. And a great selection of photos. Great stuff.
Thanks John, and it was fun doing a video on a favorite USAF era!
I had the good fortune to be in the second class at USAF Interceptor training school at Perrin AFB in 1960 to fly the F102A & TF102 which replaced one of the two squadrons there. The other squadron was still flying F86s. My assignment from there was to the 322nd FIS @ Klamath Falls, Oregon flying the F101B starting early 1961. In November of 1963 I was reassigned to the 49th FIS @ Griffiss AFB, Rome NY. I liked your presentation, but as most articles on century series fighters, I feel the F101 is always given slight attention. The F101 was an incredible aircraft as long as it was flown within its limits, but could bite you in the rear if manhandled. The F106 was just entering squadron service in early 1961, and was grounded for long periods because it's advanced electronics were initially unreliable. Whenever we landed at a 106 base we would extend our refueling probes located in front of the windshield as we taxied by the 6's because they looked amazingly similar to the male sex organ. In the era I flew the squadron camaraderie was great.
Great comment, thanks!
Absolutely got into this!! Bring on more!!
Thanks for the comment, and here's Part 2: th-cam.com/video/QSRIojjZQBY/w-d-xo.html
Also, Mike, I have to say, with all my research and study of aircraft, it dawned on me that I’ve not seen the majority of the pictures you’ve presented. Along with your perspective, that fact makes watching your work on the more rewarding.
Appreciate the comment, thanks Ron!
Thanks!
Thank you for supporting the channel!
Very enjoyable video. Thanks
Great video, thanks for making this. The F101 had a rotating weapons bay, it flew with the missiles internal. The B model also carried the Genie nuke tipped missiles to intercept Russian bombers. My dad was crew for 101Bs at Charleston AFB in the early 60s. The 444thFIS.
Actually, of the four missiles carried, two were external and two internal, as the weapons platform rotated to select. Falcons on one side, Genie rockets (unguided) on the other side.
Thanks for the correction!
Just found your amazing channel. You do an incredibly good job making these videos. Thank you so much!
My favorite airshow memory (out of many) was being at abbotsford in '82(I think). Waiting for the next demonstration round and having several CF-101's come from behind us without notice and doing a pullup with afterburners just after clearing the crowd. It felt like they were only a 100' off the deck, but shock and drama compressed the sensations so much that it was hard tell what was reality from impressions. The Century Series has always been my favorite. I spent quite a number of rolls of film admiring WA-ANG F-106's flying in and out of McCord AFB in the 80's.
Great story, thanks!
Beautiful photos sir ! Wow - Thanks . Over & out …
At the very least visually, the 'Teen Fighters' are also clearly members of the same family in design philosophy, as the Century Series were, yet not as diverse.
Looking forward to your episode about the Century Series' counterparts in the Navy.
Nicely done, Mike. FYI, re: the Aurora F-110A kit, in 1964 I built and super detailed it. I entered the model in Orange Show competition in SoCAl. I won first place with it. Long time fan of yours. Just now subbed.
What an AMAZING video!! 😊 Thank you for posting this highlighting these "Cold Warriors"! Did you know, and I came across this interesting tidbit while doing research for my master's thesis, that in the mid 1970s (I want to say 1977/78), there was a proposal to re-engine the Phantom with the PW F100 engine. If memory serves there were several modified aircraft based on the F-4E. These significant advantages over the existing F4s, including greater speed, payload, climb, and a nearly 20% longer range. This "super-Phantom", was to have been re-equipped with a single seat cockpit, utilizing the fire control systems and radar of the then brand-new F-16. I believe, that in the very late 1980s the Israelis did convert a number of their Phantoms to utilize the F100 engine and the F-16's radar, but retained the two-seat layout. The Germans did similar, but retained the existing J79 engines.
Great comment, thanks!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 ☺☺☺
Mike…..you are correct. That gate guard is in ND. I just google earthed that bad boy. It is still there. Nice video.
That was a glorious era of aeronautical development. Engineers were raising expectations across the board and spawned an accelerated development of many industries. The competition of an aircraft against the missile was much more humbling than aerospace planners admitted. It still carries over today into the space program. The pilot was considered the most important part, but even pilots had to compete against avionics for that status. The speed of events created a huge load for even the best pilots. Glorious results prevailed.
My absolute favorite era of aviation and series of aircraft!
Superb narrative, quite interesting and informative.
Excellent video! Thanks Mike for sharing!
I recall seeing F-106 aircraft being flown by the Montana Air National Guard out of the Great Falls airport in the late 80s/early 90s. The best looking of the bunch, IMO.
Agreed 100%!
So many beautiful and interesting planes! It’s tough to decide which plane is my favorite. It can’t be done. They all have unique appeal and fascination.
Agreed!
You've done it again... a great video with new information and insights so well described.... you have such vast knowledge....
Many thanks Jim!
Brings back a lot of memories as in the 1960s I was crazy about the Century Series and bought plastic kits of all I could get my hands on in the UK. I later had all the 1/48 Monogram Century kits which were the best and most accurate in their day.
Agreed on those Monogram kits - faithfully represented the airplanes at a perfect size for detailing!
Great video ... usually I hate videos that are mostly still photos, but your voice and easy to follow explanations, plus the high quality of the photos, more than make up for the lack of animation ... plus, I just loved the scale modelling part at the end, nice touch 😃 ... you've got a new subscriber. Cheers.
Thanks and great to have you aboard!
As a kid I remember having a model of the F-100 and the Bomarc. Loved that SuperSaber. I love the story of the Cornfield Bomber, the F-106 that landed itself after the pilot ejected.
Perfect way to start my day.
Thank you!
Great review of the Century Series. I've just subscribed to your videos! Please keep em coming.
Thanks and great to have you aboard!
The golden age of military aircraft. Amazing designs - all of them.
The F-104, F-105, and F-106 are some of my favorite aircraft!
Germany purchased a lot of F-104's from us.No mention here of all the brave pilots who lost their lives flying this plane in peacetime. I enjoyed this video!
I think they even built them under licences in Europe. In Germany they were used as a multi roll aircraft something the 104 was not really designed for. But German was still not capable of creating its own Fighters, and would never be instead become of the members that developed the Tornado Multi Roll aircraft and the current Europe Fighter, but History is repeating itself with Germany now buying F35's for Lockheed let's hope it proves to be less deadly to its pilots than the F104.
I think most of those deaths were during landing or dealing with the F104's high speed stalling or engine failure.
One of your best videos. Thanks so much!
Many thanks!
This is the best thing I ever saw.
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
Thanks, Mike. It had a lot of delta-winged planes which are my favorites!
Same here!
Love this Mike, it's great !
Excellent post. I have the highest respect for you content.
Many thanks!
First video that I have seen of yours, and I have subscribed. Looking forward others.
Thanks, and great to have you aboard!
Thank you for posting
Our local air museum has the first production model of the F-105, and we are soon to receive a TF-101B, which was a two-seat trainer conversion of the single seat B model, different from the two-seater shown here. I'd love to see a couple more of the century series fighters in out museum. The F-106 has always been my favorite.
Great video as always.
Those 1950s promo B&W photos are works of art. As a kid I devoured Aviation books from the Library .
Thanks, and same here. Years later, I found many of those school library books at aviation swap meets. Great stuff!
George Welch, of Pearl Harbor fame, was a test pilot for North American Aviation. He was killed test flying the short-tail F100-A on Oct 12, 1953. As a result, North American determined that they needed a taller tail.
Great Video Thanks
Awesome video sir, thanks for the time spent in making it.
Many thanks!
Nice piece. 25:38 While the Aardvark was the first, from scratch, attempt to produce a "one fits all" fighter....de facto the F-4 performed that role much earlier.
Another great one Mike, thanks ! :Subscribed !!
Many thanks, and great having you aboard!
I always include the B-58 hustler as a honorary century series plane because it visually fits the vibe of the century aircraft, it kinda fits into the story as a for part of transition from the LABS system of dropping a nuclear payload into ICBMs as a payload delivery system. The Hustler just for me embodies that transition as it came at a bad time so It usually gets swept under the rug. The plane was only in service for about 10 years compared to the other bombers out at the time and also the rest of the century series it was retired very early in its service life.
my grandfather was a crew chief for f105’s stationed in Thailand during Vietnam. Lots of crazy stories and even one about a thunderchief landing with a massive hole in the wing
I always loved the F-100, even with all its shortcomings. While I never worked on them, I was based with F-105s in Thailand, and it is my fav of the century series.
Both great airplanes in their day, and I'm a huge '105 fan myself. Thanks for watching!
I've been watching your video's approx. a month now, and I'll tell you, the topics you cover are very interesting. Between your channel and the "Dailey Aviation" channel, you guys cover some darn good subjects. Nice thing is, I know quite a bit about aircraft due to my being brought up in an aviation influenced family, and so I'm quite sure you're not pulling facts out of your head like the "Dark" channels and their clickbait videos.
Many thanks!
You can see a lot of Alexander Lippisch in that delta layout especially the vertical stabiliser. Not knocking the USA's own resarchers and designer. But operation paper clip did lead to a mountain of documentations and a lots of designers and technical people from Germany starting a new life in the USA thus boosting or giving giving designers a new direction to look into.
Excellent presentation!
The term Sabre Dance comes to mind
Yes, that was a problem with the early F-100s.
Photo at 1:23 is of an early P-84, not an F-84G! F-84 E and G models had a stretched fuselage, nuke capability, in flight refueling and an autopilot, etc. A minor quibble...
Yes, you are correct.
My Marine squadron was the first F4B unit in Vietnam and we were on our own as far as equipment. The Navy also had the F4 but they got all of the support equipment that we Marines never got. Our crews actually loaded 1,000 bombs by hand from a flatbed wagon! When the Air Force F4s eventually arrived in Da Nang, they had motorized hydraulic lift carts to load their bombs. At that time when we first arrived, the AF used F-102s to stand as the airfield alert protection. We were also assigned two F4s to back them up. When we got an alert, the 102s would launch first, and then about ten minutes later if needed, the F4s would launch. We typically would catch up and pass the 102s en route. It was a time when old and new aircraft were flying together and it all worked. I remember waiting for TO clearance in my F4B behind two A1 Skyraiders and then a C47. There were F100s, 105s, and T28s along with the brand new A6 Intruder. The Army had Mohawks and of course, a lot of helicopters. We also had F8s, A4s, B57s, and A7s working with us. For aviation buffs, it was heaven!
Anigrand makes 1:72 cast resin models of the XF-103, XF-108, and XF-109; Trumpeter makes an injection mold kit of the F-107. They're all in the 60-80 USD range, if you want to have a complete collection of century series fighters.
Thanks for the good model info!
Very informative and well presented. Thank you. Liked and subscribed.
Many thanks and great to have you onboard!
I was an instrument repairman with the US. Air Force working on mostly F-100's and F-105's with the 388th A & E, Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 1966-67. They were "Magnificent Flying Machines" back then and a challenge to work on. The pilots were outstanding and loved flying that beast every day. One fantastic aircraft.
Great comment, thanks!
Great video! How's your Patreon channel coming along? Hail Mike!
Many thanks!
Great videos! You have covered the planes I grew up with and I had many of the plastic models as well. Please consider discussing McNamara's decision to force the Navy to re-designate their aircraft. Thanks again!
Thanks Matt, and I'll be covering the 1962 designation changes in "'Part 2" posting tomorrow morning. Thanks for watching!
I don't know if you noticed this with the F-35 pictures at 26:11, but the first picture of the F-35A is a Dutch F-35A showing how the F-35 is going to see service across many different countries.
Then let's first hop over to the F-35B which seems to be the X-35B prototype. I guess that shows one aspect of the F-35's development.
I'm not too sure, but it is possible that the pictures of the F-35A and F-35C show a development airframe from the time that F-35s were already being produced and entering service, while not even having finished testing. If the F-35A happened to be a development airframe then it also shows how testing was also conducted by both the US and some of its closest allies.
I may have looked way too deep into these pictures, but I thought that it was neat and that it deserved to be pointed out.
Thanks for the comment, and yes, you are correct. A mix of Lockheed-released photos were used to show the three F-35 models because they were the best views for each frame. I flew chase missions during the JSF fly-off competition in 2000, and use my own photos whenever possible, but since these were inset spots, I show the X-35B next to the F-35C to contrast the single vs. twin nose wheels. To your point, had this been a full feature on the F-35 Program, all correct photos would have been used. Appreciate the comment and thanks for watching!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Not sure if I would call the wrong photos though
Kool Mike 💯💘😉. The, F-106 Delta Dart is my favorite 💖
F-100, F-101, F-102, F-104, F-105 and the F-106. I did this listing at the very beginning of the video. I had models of all Six Plus, F-86, 89 98 A-4. There is an RF-101 on display at the old air guard base. Local veterans groups keep it clean. Oh forgot they have an RF-4C on static display too
Wouldn't have fancied my chances bailing out of the F-107 [ 19:52 ] with that big intake above and behind!!
Thank you Mike. Just one observation. Regarding the tape instruments and cockpit layout for the F-105. The tape instruments were starting to make an impact, like on the later models of the F-106 and the F-111. However, the gunsight glass on the F-105 was not a "HUD", it did display a reticle and was a lead computing gunsight as well. Just like the F-104, and previous USAF and US Navy fighter jets that had a gun. The reason I do not define F-105 gunsight as a HUD is that it did not give airspeed, altitude, artificial horizon, or heading information like the F-15, F-16, Tomcat or F/A-18.
Good catch Michael, thanks!
Thanks for mentioning the RCAF!
I think I know a lot about aircraft…nope, you do. Thanks for keeping me humble and learning.