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Post by smithy on May 11, 2010 13:18:10 GMT 12
I'd be interested too in hearing about the signs.
Also, does anyone know what happened to "our" F-16s? Did the Yanks flog them off to someone else?
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Post by Naki on May 11, 2010 13:41:47 GMT 12
I'd be interested too in hearing about the signs. Also, does anyone know what happened to "our" F-16s? Did the Yanks flog them off to someone else? They went to the US Navy as Aggressor aircraft IIRC - weren't the F-16s suppose to of been equiped with LANTIRNs or something similar.
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Post by phil on May 11, 2010 14:16:34 GMT 12
I really can't recall any signs. I think what is now DAC (probably MWG HQ back then) might have had a sign with some reference but they certainly were not widespread.
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Post by skyhawkdon on May 11, 2010 15:34:52 GMT 12
I'd be interested too in hearing about the signs. Also, does anyone know what happened to "our" F-16s? Did the Yanks flog them off to someone else? They went to the US Navy as Aggressor aircraft IIRC - weren't the F-16s suppose to of been equiped with LANTIRNs or something similar. They were "fitted for, but not with" a laser targeting pod/FLIR. Purchasing the pods would have been part of the mid life upgrade at the 5 year point of the lease (planned for around 2007)
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Post by beagle on May 11, 2010 17:39:45 GMT 12
I like the midlife upgrade at the 5 year point. in reality it would have been more like 15 years for midlife, but I know what they are on about. Just think, 10 years ago we might have been test flying them.
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Post by chewy on May 11, 2010 17:54:51 GMT 12
There was an F16 sign outside Tech wing HQ and one outside TMCC.
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Post by skyhawkdon on May 11, 2010 19:11:29 GMT 12
This sign was in 75 Squadron's hangar in 1999. It went to the Ohakea Museum in 2001 and now resides in Dr Dave Baldwin's hangar at Milson which is where I took the photo in March at the 75 Squadron Association Reunion.
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Post by smithy on May 11, 2010 19:23:28 GMT 12
Thanks for posting that Don, great sign. And the sign's artist obviously had an opinion on what colour he thought they'd be
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Post by beagle on May 11, 2010 19:42:01 GMT 12
they would have stayed this colour anyone ya know in the image Don
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Post by Kereru on May 11, 2010 20:18:19 GMT 12
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Post by kiwiscanfly on May 12, 2010 1:46:09 GMT 12
noce Pics Kereru, good find
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Post by skyhawkdon on May 12, 2010 21:15:45 GMT 12
Seeing those photos of the USN adversary F-16s prompted me to dig out the unbuilt 1/48 Hawegawa F-16A kit (box No 09792) I have in my stash in the garage... and guess what - it is one of ours! The kit can be built as either 900942 or 900943. I was going to build it in RNZAF markings but hadn't realised the significance of the original kit! Very cool.
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Post by beagle on May 12, 2010 21:21:46 GMT 12
will we see it by xmas
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Post by skyhawkdon on May 12, 2010 22:35:53 GMT 12
Probably not at the rate I build models! I've got a book to get finished before I start any other projects! I've been doing some research tonight on the fate of "our" F-16s and half of them went to the USN Top Gun School in late 2002 (they are still there today). The rest went to the USAF in 2003 and then in 2007/2008 most of these went to Pakistan. The USAF still has at least one. That www.f-16.net web site is amazing.
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Post by nige on May 12, 2010 22:45:52 GMT 12
Well that's interesting ... in a "what if" scenario, if the NZ govt a few years ago decided to go ahead with reinstating the Macchis and then decided to go one notch further...maybe it could have "re-acquired" those ex USAF F16's for NZ (again!) instead of Pakistan (dirt cheap too maybe?). Sigh
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 12, 2010 22:51:19 GMT 12
Pakistan owned them originally, didn't they? At least there's one happy customer out of the deal. Can we ship Clark to pakistan too please?
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Post by kiwiscanfly on May 12, 2010 23:58:47 GMT 12
I second that idea
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Post by skyhawkdon on May 13, 2010 7:41:24 GMT 12
Well that's interesting ... in a "what if" scenario, if the NZ govt a few years ago decided to go ahead with reinstating the Macchis and then decided to go one notch further...maybe it could have "re-acquired" those ex USAF F16's for NZ (again!) instead of Pakistan (dirt cheap too maybe?). Sigh Yes I found it interesting that they split up the fleet with the USN and USAF taking 14 each, co-incidentally exactly the number Derrek Quigley recommended we take in his review. The USN came under pressure in 2007 to give theirs to Pakistan too but resisted as they liked them too much! Being the lightest F-16 airframes with the most powerful engine they were always going to be great dog fighters. A fact that was not lost on our pilots who were really looking forward to taking on the RAAF F-18s in them
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Post by skyhawkdon on May 13, 2010 7:43:40 GMT 12
Pakistan owned them originally, didn't they? Yep, they were built new for Pakistan in 1991-1994 but were embargoed due to Pakistan testing the bomb.
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Post by smithy on May 13, 2010 13:43:09 GMT 12
Being the lightest F-16 airframes with the most powerful engine they were always going to be great dog fighters. A fact that was not lost on our pilots who were really looking forward to taking on the RAAF F-18s in them And what with the importance that the RNZAF used to put on air combat manoeuvring, the Hornet boys might have had their hands full! Would have been great to see.
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