Page 76 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

GLORY DAYS // LUFTWAFFE FATHER AND SON

adding that the F-4F tended to hold-up predecessors at Laage — the MiG-29. [GCI] officer, and we were able to fight
at Mach 0.95, whereas the F-104 ‘just ran ‘In Poland I got a ride on the MiG-29GT,’ against multiple targets,’ says Helmut
through it!’ he says. ‘The ‘Fulcrum’ can’t keep up Schelchshorn, who then progressed to
The transition to the F-4 for with the Eurofighter — the radar, for become the deputy commanding officer
Schelchshorn junior in 2010 was example, is far more sophisticated. [The] of the ‘Richthofen’ wing from 1995-98.
somewhat different. ‘The handling of the ECR-90 of the Eurofighter is very user- His son says of his conversion from
F-4 was similar to the T-38C, but it was friendly — you drag-and-drop, like on the F-4F to the Eurofighter: ‘I grew up
a step back from the glass cockpit into your home computer.’ in the air-to-air role. [In the Eurofighter]
the old analog layout of the Phantom. When his father flew the F-104, he I still have the AMRAAM, but instead
But because I didn’t get a full transition had to work with the relatively simple of the AIM-9L Sidewinder we use the
course, I always flew with an instructor NASARR-F-15-A radar, but he recalls that IRIS-T air-to-air missile, plus the 27mm
in my back seat.’ the switch to the F-4 was far from an Mauser cannon has 7mm more diameter
In fact, he only logged 59 hours in the advance when it came to the avionics. than the M61 Vulcan of the F-4F, but five
F-4F during his time with ‘Richthofen’, He explains, ‘It displayed the surface barrels fewer,’ he adds with a smile.
but in 2013 he flew the final jets to Jever [picture] better than the old AN/APQ-12 The younger Schelchshorn has been
for scrapping. ‘It was a honor to be their of the F-4F, and the F-104 also navigated at the center of development of the
last pilot,’ he says. more accurately.’ air-to-surface role for the Luftwaffe’s
Today, he flies the Eurofighter EF2000 The big leap ahead for the German Eurofighters. He attended the Weapons
and has logged some 750 hours in the Phantoms came thanks to the ICE Instructor Course (WIC) at Laage earlier
jet. ‘I am happy to be a single-seat pilot. (Improved Combat Efficiency) upgrade in 2019, when the role was integrated
The excellent visibility from the cockpit, performed on 110 F-4Fs, which were for the first time. He was able to drop
the acceleration, the agility — it’s just modified between 1991 and 1996. This two GBU-48 laser-guided bombs on
marvelous.’ essentially added the AN/APG-65 radar the Vidsel range in Sweden during
and the ability to use the Raytheon the course.
Eurofighter meets the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Discussing the latest Luftwaffe
‘Fulcrum’ Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). ‘Suddenly, advances, his father compares these
The young Hauptmann Schelchshorn is we could see on the radar scope things with his time in the Starfighter wing at
able to make an interesting comparison that we had formerly only heard of Memmingen in the Cold War, recounting
between the EF2000 and one of its from the ground control intercept the two NATO tactical evaluations

76 January 2020 // www.Key.Aero

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