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Post by christrott on Jul 28, 2020 23:58:19 GMT
The ARIAs were always an interesting modification to me. The thing I found most interesting was that an ARIA was always deployed to Guam to provide telemetry and voice relay not only during the launch, but also to be available to provide relay during other phases of the mission where there might be a gap in coverage. ARIAs were also airborne during the reentry and landing and were what often provided the best telemetry and tracking for the recovery crews. The ARIA designation was changed after the end of the Apollo program to be "Advanced" instead of "Apollo" and in 1982, the EC-135N's were supplemented at first, and later replaced by the EC-18B ARIAs which were converted from civilian 707-320s. The EC-18s continued serving until 2001. The role has been somewhat filled by the "new" E-9A, based on the DHC-8-100. www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104559/e-9a/
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Jul 29, 2020 19:57:08 GMT
Here's 62-4128 in its final ARIA form, as an EC-135B circa 1981. As a few EC-135Ns were gradually de-modified, the "Prime Mission Electronic Equipment" packages were removed and installed in the three remaining TRIA C-135Bs to make them EC-135s. As Chris notes, these were also de-modified in the mid-1980s and the equipment used to convert the secondhand 707s into EC-18Bs. 4128 then became an RC-135X, a short-lived project that tracked ICBM reentries.
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Jul 31, 2020 20:23:36 GMT
Toward the very end of their careers, the WC-135 fleet got the more formal-looking white and gray paint job (which was left unchanged for the three that were converted to OC-135Bs starting in the mid '90s). This is 61-2673 as it looked in mid-1992 with the 9th WRS at McClellan AFB, CA in the final year of its career.
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Post by darrenvox on Jul 31, 2020 22:19:37 GMT
wow well done
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Aug 1, 2020 21:15:07 GMT
Thank you! This one should complete all the basic WC-135s as they appeared throughout their careers; this is 61-2674 as it looked just after entering service with the 9th WRW/55th WRS in mid-1966. It was later converted to the first proof-of-concept OC-135B in 1993, but only served for four years in that role before it was replaced by two others that had improved systems.
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Aug 2, 2020 21:36:00 GMT
Another quick break from the 135s; this is JAL's 727-46 JA8326 circa 1972, with its original Japanese titles as opposed to the English ones it acquired later in life. Here's N622DH of DHL Airways operating under Continental Micronesia branding circa 1997. There's not much information about this particular operation, except that it apparently served several Asian/Pacific destinations that Continental Micronesia itself did not.
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Aug 4, 2020 23:40:55 GMT
I saw in the request forum that some day-glo -135s have been requested over the years...most of them require a short-tail model, but I found one we could manage with the tall tail, plus it's another special-purpose plane to boot In the late 1950s and early 1960s, NASA and the Air Force performed zero-g training in a series of Convair C-131s, and while they did the job admirably, their endurance was somewhat lacking which limited the number of zero-g cycles they could fly in a given mission. 55-3129 was a JKC-135A that had been retained for testing rather than being assigned to regular squadron service, and it became the first of the jet-powered "Vomit Comets" (or Weightless Wonders). It served in this capacity from 1960 to 1968 before it was returned to other test duties and replaced by another standard tanker and a C-135A (both replaced themselves by N930NA). During this time, it served the tail end of the Mercury program, and also trained the majority of Gemini and Apollo program astronauts. This is how it appeared around 1965.
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Aug 5, 2020 1:36:15 GMT
Just commenting in regard to the DHL/CO MIKE B722F ....
We had that one (not sure if it was that particular aircraft) based here/in AKL for a few weeks some years ago. It it flew trans-Tasman air freight between AKL and SYD (primarily) for DHL and under the ASIA PACIFIC AIRLINES banner.
Mark C AKL/NZ
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Post by darrenvox on Aug 6, 2020 2:00:52 GMT
oh wow!!
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Aug 9, 2020 3:34:34 GMT
55-3118 has some interesting history, given its status as the first of its type to be built. It never entered regular squadron service as a tanker, instead undergoing the Air Force's expected test program in 1957. A year later, it was loaned back to Boeing for their own test purposes, which involved numerous improvements made to progressive production blocks of the aircraft. In 1960, it was sent back to the Air Force and in 1962, was converted to an EC-135K, which was a general command post version (later specializing in deployment control). In 1982, it received TF33s. Here it's represented as it looked with the 552d Airborne Warning & Control Division's 8th Tactical Deployment Control Squadron in 1984, with a snazzy white/polished aluminum paint job: By 1993 it had received the updated ACC-style tail presentation, and subtle revisions to the livery. It remained with the 8th TDCS until 1996, when it was retired. After retirement, it was somewhat oddly restored with J57s and a refueling boom, but otherwise with its final livery, and displayed at McConnell AFB, Kansas. It had no connection with the base during its career, though McConnell is home to one of the Air Force's KC-135 "super-tanker" units with four squadrons and 60+ aircraft (presumably the rationale for displaying it there).
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Aug 9, 2020 4:36:59 GMT
Been "head down/bum up" these past 2 (and the rest) weeks with an FS project that's literally evolved into "other projects" .... so .... I've got a fair bit to catch with in regard to Erik's newest masterpieces .... starting with these 3 surprise B737's which weren't previously hinted at .... JAT B737-3H9 YU-AND (2009)PHILIPPIE AIRLINES B747-4Y0 EI-CVP (2004)SOLASEED AIRLINES B737-43Q JA737G (2013)"NICE SURPRISES" Erik Mark C AKL/NZ
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Post by Nathan Ford - HJG on Aug 9, 2020 9:59:25 GMT
Nice and shiny Erik, they look fabulous 😊
Cheers, Nathan
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Post by Erik Ingram - HJG on Aug 9, 2020 21:37:06 GMT
Thanks Nathan! Two more EC-135Ks from the 1990s; 59-1518 lived a similarly busy life, albeit with much more plain paint. Here it is around 1994 with the 552d Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. By 1998 it had been transferred to the 65th Airlift Squadron at Hickam AFB, Hawaii where it served in the communications relay role as well as a transport for the Pacific Air Forces commander. There was a third EC-135K (62-3536), but it crashed after takeoff from Kirtland AFB, New Mexico in September 1977.
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Aug 10, 2020 2:58:32 GMT
One of these days I'll catch up to Erik (might even catch up "with him" one of these days too) .... but in the meantime .... here's a couple of his latest civil subjects in the form of bot JAPAN AIRLINES (domestic) and DHL/CONTINENTAL MIKE B727-100 and -200F ADV subjects (respectively) for you all .... JAPAN AIR LINES B727-46 JA8326 (1972)DHL (ASIA PACIFIC AIRLINES)/CONTINENTAL MICRONESIA B727-2264F ADV N622DH (1997)Again .... all "NICE STUFF" Erik .... and I'll get back into "military matters" ASAP-ish Mark C AKL/NZ
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Aug 14, 2020 4:13:18 GMT
Still trying to catch up with Erik .... but .... I'm definitely getting there/gaining ground .... per these official portraits of his nice selection of EC-135K's from the early 1980's through late 1990's era .... as follows .... USAF 8th Tactical Deployment Control Squadron EC-135K 55-3118 (1984)USAF 8th Tactical Deployment Control Squadron EC-135K 55-3118 (1993)USAF 552d Air Control Wing EC-135K 59-1518 (1994)USAF 65th Airlift Sqdn EC-135K 59-1518 (1998)All "GREAT STUFF" Erik As these aircraft versions fall into our EC-135C category an additional model will be added to the this particular base pack in order to support these textures .... since the -135K's feature a different aircraft configuration. Like was the case with our recent new RC-135A P&W J57 aircraft base pack release/addition to our C-135 inventory .... this "NEW" EC-135C base pack will also be supported by "REVISED" FDE files. In fact the FDE for each of our military C-135 SERIES simulations (as we like to refer to them collectively) is currently undergoing revisions/modifications (and which will also include another "SURPRISE" later on too) .... in fact the FDE for 14 of these/our military aircraft base packs has already been completed and is awaiting release (at our own discretion) .... and which our civil B707/720 line is also going to benefit from too. I'll be presenting a wee bit more about the additions/improvements to our "BOEING EC-135C" base pack sometime within the next couple of days .... subject to my being available to do so Mark C AKL/NZ
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