Page 91 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

Being the operational test F-14 Tomcat ‘Silver Eagles’, VMFA-232 ‘Red Devils’, Once at altitude we worked our way
unit, VX-9 was responsible for validating VMFA-312 ‘Checkerboards’ and to the tanker through the gloomy haze Above left to
right: QF-4N BuNo
software updates, new systems, and VMFA-451 ‘Warlords’, before being and clouds — very rare in the area and 150465 blasts out
aircraft upgrades. converted into a QF-4 with the potential just typical given the scope of what we of San Nicolas
to be own unmanned as well as had in front of us that day. Much to my Island for the
unmanned test
‘Rhinos’ roll conventionally piloted. delight, the tanker turned out to be an fl ight.
‘Shantini’ and myself squeezed into our I had never had the opportunity to y 18th Wing/909th Air Refueling Squadron A VX-9 ‘Vampires’
ight gear, strolled out onto the buzzing in a ‘Rhino’ before and it was like going ‘Shoguns’ KC-135R Stratotanker from F-14B lets rip
ight line and began the process of for a ride in a classic car like a ‘57 Chevy. Kadena Air Base, Japan, unusual in with an AIM-54
Phoenix over the
clambering into our 1960s-vintage, To my surprise, the back-seat instrument these parts at that time. Since it was Pacifi c Missile
intrepid steed. It was McDonnell cluster was rather sparse and missing con gured for navy ghters with Test Range.
Douglas QF-4S BuNo 155810, which several dials — not that I needed them. probes it had the ‘wrecking ball’ drogue Below: The empty
began life as an F-4J-35-MC and was The engineers red up the ‘hu er’ attachment installed on the end of QF-4N cockpit
during the NOLO
eventually upgraded into an S-model (ground power unit) and soon we had the boom. It held true to its nickname fl ight. The mission
during its tenure in military service. a good light on both engines. ‘Shantini’ — due to the turbulent conditions it marks on the
It had previously served with the US quickly taxied out, and the pair of was dancing around like a butter y on splitter plate
denoted live-fi re
Marine Corps for years and had been afterburning J79s took us airborne and steroids. Several attempts to spear the missions it had
attached to units such as VMFA-115 into the wild gray muck above. bucking and elusive basket with our endured.

Straining to see the F-14s in the distance, we saw a missile fl ash.
The AIM-7 appeared to track the target before it petered out as

planned, without reaching the QF-4N

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