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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Jun 29, 2020 22:48:03 GMT
Here's the next member of the command post series; by the early '70s, they had gotten antenna upgrades (including the saddle-shaped dome up on top) and the white upper fuselage associated with special-purpose USAF aircraft to this day, but with a coroguard lower fuselage and tail. This is EC-135C 62-3582 with the 55th SRW circa August 1972; it remains in service as a WC-135C Constant Phoenix, slated to be replaced in the next couple of years with a marginally-newer WC-135R.
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Post by CORLL ONE on Jun 30, 2020 11:00:57 GMT
These -135 variants coming off the line are awesome! Great job Erik!
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Jun 30, 2020 21:06:50 GMT
Thank you! Next up is 63-8052 of the 55th SRW circa 1977; it still has mostly coroguard surfaces, but a white tail as seen on later versions.
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Jun 30, 2020 21:35:04 GMT
Splendid stuff Erik .... and your passion is more than adequately portrayed in both the quality and variety of what you're presenting Mark C AKL/NZ
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Post by alex94 on Jul 1, 2020 1:19:20 GMT
darn these are awesome erik, thanks for all the hard work on the paints mate 😎
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Jul 1, 2020 21:53:14 GMT
Thank you both! This should complete the SAC EC-135C offerings; this is 63-8047 of the 28th Bombardment Wing/4th ACCS at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota circa 1985 when it was named "Night Hawk". The 4th ACCS mainly flew EC-135Gs to control missile silos across the Great Plains, but also flew EC-135Cs as a backup to the 2d ACCS at Offutt AFB. The aircraft rotated between the two bases fairly regularly, and 8047 finished out its career at Offutt in 1993.
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Jul 6, 2020 0:32:58 GMT
For EC-135s outside of SAC, the first is EC-135J 63-8057 seen in 1970 with the 1st Air Base Wing at Andrews AFB, Maryland. In this configuration, it served as one of three National Emergency Airborne Command Post aircraft under the mission name Night Watch. Similar to SAC's Looking Glass flights, these would serve as a command post for the President in the event of nuclear war, though they didn't maintain a constant airborne patrol presence. These EC-135s were replaced by the 747-based E-4A in 1974, and were then transferred to other missions.
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Jul 6, 2020 23:11:15 GMT
Another quick break from the C-135s, here's 727-113C YA-FAU of Ariana Afghan Airlines circa 1970. The 727 has been the most numerous aircraft in Ariana's fleet, and as of 2020 they still operate five. Neither of their factory-ordered -100Cs met a particularly dignified end; sister ship YA-FAR crashed on approach to London Gatwick in January 1969, and this one was destroyed in a US airstrike on Kabul in October 2001 after a 32-year career.
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Post by hornit - HJG on Jul 7, 2020 2:01:42 GMT
Erik, I gotta say..SUPERB work on these 135's. Ive been waiting on some nice bare metal SAC birds, and ALL of these are fantastic!!!! Great work and THANK YOU for filling a huge gap in these versions! Cant wait to download these!!!!!!
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Jul 7, 2020 2:27:33 GMT
Got a number of these to attend to for Erik at the moment .... though time for "only one of them" today. Here's his latest KC-135A, # 61-0316, an aircraft operated by the USAF SRIKE COMMAND, as it appeared during 1969 .... screen captured here spitting fire, sparks, and dense black exhaust smoke during the efforts of a dirty and very noisey water/methanol injected TO/departure. USAF STRIKE COMMAND KC-135A 61-0316 (1969)"NICE ONE" Erik Mark C AKL/NZ
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Post by alex94 on Jul 7, 2020 7:20:16 GMT
man they look fantastic!
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Jul 7, 2020 21:10:21 GMT
Thanks Jim! The -135s have always worn bare metal well, and I have a few more planned along with some other special-mission birds! I'll get back to those shortly, but for now here's another one of Ariana Afghan's 727s circa 2003...you get three guesses as to its previous owner, and the first two don't count
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Jul 8, 2020 23:36:25 GMT
Alright, back to the -135s with this one, N96 belonging to the Federal Aviation Administration circa 1969. This aircraft, along with one other, were used for high-altitude route proving runs and the occasional approach calibration between 1960 and 1975. Somewhat disconcertingly, given that the FAA is the governing body for aviation in the US, its fleetmate N98 gained a reputation for being poorly maintained and abused (primarily because the FAA was reluctant to give it up for program depot maintenance), and was effectively impounded by the Air Force so it could receive a much-needed overhaul. N96 made out a little better, and returned to the Air Force in 1975 as 59-1518 and was converted to an EC-135K.
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Jul 9, 2020 1:40:13 GMT
Some of the capsule histories you're presenting in regard to these subjects Erik are as interesting as the textures are themselves. I'm getting a lot out of it .... as I posted in an earlier reply to this thread I'm beginning to appreciate the significance of some of these aircraft far more than I ever have previously Mark C AKL/NZ
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Jul 9, 2020 23:45:59 GMT
Thanks Mark! The KC-135 family is probably one of the most significant single aircraft the Air Force has ever operated, simply for the sheer number of roles it's performed in its 63 years of front-line service. Next up is another non-SAC command post, this one being EC-135P 58-0022 of the 1st Fighter Wing/6th ACCS at Langley AFB, Virginia in July 1985. Originally it was a SAC EC-135A, and was sent to Hickam AFB, Hawaii for use by the commander of the US Pacific Command in 1965 after the new KC-135Bs displaced it in the Looking Glass role. In 1974, it was transferred to Langley for the commander of the US Atlantic Command (under Tactical Air Command jurisdiction). Prior to this, SAC had intermittently loaned EC-135s of various types to TAC units as circumstances allowed (which was not often, exemplifying the inter-divisional rivalries in the Air Force). 0022 was retired in March 1992 and spent 21 years in storage before being scrapped in 2013.
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