Spring and summer, most of us tended to keep the canopy open when taxiing, unless it was windy or rainy. As soon as the first engine got going, I would close it all the way. On cold winter days, we used to close the canopy as soon as we got into the jet, fully down but not clinched forward the last few centimetres so it wouldn't fog up too much before the A/C started up after engine start. Now let's just hope they can find a 104 somewhere to join the "heritage-fleet". With those two bird's we've gained two "fighters" which will probably can be seen taxiing with open canopiesįrom time to time. There's also word of a single seat Hunter being aquired which will also be dressed up in the livery of the past. It is said that theĪirframe is also used for "chase-flight's" in conjunction with test flight's performed with the F-16A-MLU J-066.
#F4 PHANTOM CANOPY JETTISON ACTUATOR REGISTRATION#
Registration # "N-321" & is dressed up in the standard livery as it was used in the past. P.S.: In recent years a Hawker Hunter (dual) has been aquired for nostalgic reasons. RNLAF fighter taxi with it's canopy open. Second in line was the NF-5A/B, which was decomissioned around 1990/1991. By then the F-16 had taken over at Leeuwarden AB & Volkel AB. Royal Netherlands Air Force: since the introduction of the F-16 in 1979.įirst to go was the F-104 in 1984. Let's hear from some RAF, RAAF, Canadian, and other nation's air forces. It did not have a zero-zero seat, and a lousy a/c system as well. In the F-104 you pulled the canopy over your head from the side just before turning onto the active runway. I recall in all of my Phantom flights, as well as in some other tactical a/c of that generation or slightly newer, everyone in the flight closed their canopies at the same time, which was at the end of the runway just before turning from "last chance" on to the active. It may have had something to do with vision as well. Early Navy jets continued the propeller-days practice of opening the canopy while on final before trapping on a ship. So they closed the canopies at the last minute. So a pilot who had a fire while doing his runup or while taxiing did not want to have to open the canopy before jumping over the side, adding just more seconds that he may not have had. Things got a lot better with the generation of the F-15 and F-16, and I know from experience with the F-15 that on a hot day you can taxi comfortably with the canopy down.Īlso, keep in mind that some Vietnam era jets not only had bad or no a/c in that tropical weather, they did not have zero-zero ejection seats. But having had a number of hours in the Phantom (for a civilian), I do know that its cockpit cooling system was pretty crappy until you got in the air, and then if it was working well, it worked WELL, blowing frosty vapor all through the 'pit.
I'm an aviation writer, not a military pilot, and they doubtless have better info on the subject.
0 kommentar(er)
