cammerjeff
Staff Sergeant
Wiki lists a total of 5 TU-22's all shot down by F-14's, The last one in March of 1988, the other 4 were earlier in the war, 3 in 1984 & 1 in 1986. No other details listed.
Pictures of Cold War aircraft.
- Thread starter syscom3
- Start date
Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
ARTESH
Chief Master Sergeant
As I mentioned before, this list is incomplete, and possibly, lots of errors in it, for example no signs of F4 / F-5 and choppers victories!Wiki lists a total of 5 TU-22's all shot down by F-14's, The last one in March of 1988, the other 4 were earlier in the war, 3 in 1984 & 1 in 1986. No other details listed.
Interesting enough, that even the pilots, themselves, are not sure about such details!
Good shots!
- Thread starter
- #764
syscom3
Pacific Historian
Two General Dynamics F16-XL combat fighter aircraft in flight, 14 December 1982.
- Thread starter
- #765
syscom3
Pacific Historian
U.S. Air Force B-52D Stratofortress aircraft, from Strategic Air Command, line up for takeoff as they prepare for strikes over
North Vietnam, 15 December 1972.
North Vietnam, 15 December 1972.
- Thread starter
- #766
syscom3
Pacific Historian
U.S. Air Force B-52D Stratofortress aircraft, from Strategic Air Command, leave smoke trails behind as they take off, one
after another, for bombing missions over North Vietnam, 15 December 1972.
after another, for bombing missions over North Vietnam, 15 December 1972.
- Thread starter
- #767
syscom3
Pacific Historian
A B-52G lands at Andersen AFB on Guam after a mission on 15 December 1972.
ARTESH
Chief Master Sergeant
Beautiful plane!
Nice shots!
- Thread starter
- #771
syscom3
Pacific Historian
On this day 50 years ago. Dec 18 1972.
Operation LINEBACKER II, described more generally as the Christmas Bombing and sometimes as "The Eleven-Day
War", began at 2:51 pm as the first of 87 B-52 bombers, piloted by Major Bill Stocker, lifted off from Andersen AFB
in Guam. These were joined by 42 more B-52s flying from Thailand, along with 400 fighters and refueling tankers.
At 7:40 pm Hanoi time, from an altitude of 35,000 feet, the bombers began dropping their payloads on targets in
North Vietnam, and were met by hundreds of SAM missiles and some MiG-21 fighters. There were 121 bombing
runs in the first 24 hours.
The targets of the first wave of bombers were the North Vietnamese airfields at Kép, Phúc Yên and Hòa Lạc and a
warehouse complex at Yên Viên while the second and third waves struck targets around Hanoi. Three aircraft were
shot down by the 68 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) launched by North Vietnamese batteries, two B-52Gs from
Andersen and a B-52D from U-Tapao. Two D models from Andersen with heavy battle damage managed to limp
into U-Tapao for repairs. Only one of the three downed crews could be rescued. That same evening, an Air Force
F-111 Aardvark was shot down while on a mission to bomb the broadcasting facilities of Radio Hanoi. Unlike Linebacker,
which had been launched in response to a North Vietnamese offensive in South Vietnam, President Nixon did not
address the nation on television to explain the escalation. Instead, Kissinger held a press conference at which he
accused (at Nixon's behest) Lê Đức Thọ of having "backed off" on some of the October understandings.
With the future of the peace talks in doubt, President Nixon today withdrew his October restrictions on bombing North
Vietnam above the 20th parallel. Unrestricted bombing was renewed as well as the mining of North Vietnamese harbors.
North Vietnam says that U.S. planted mines in Haiphong harbor today and followed that with severe bombing. Defense
Secretary Laird confirmed that bombing is underway throughout Vietnam. Elliot Richardson accompanied Laird through
the Pentagon as reporters asked questions. The Pentagon has imposed a strict news blackout regarding the renewed
bombing, but U.S. pilots are now operating with the fewest restrictions ever.
In response, Hanoi accused the U.S. of an about-face in policy and then toughened its terms for the release of American
POW's. Two months ago, Hanoi promised to release the POW's within 60 days of the signing of a peace agreement. Now
that has changed, as has the entire international climate. The U.S. stated that Hanoi made a basic decision last week to stall
on peace; Hanoi says that the peace talks are deadlocked
and the prospects for peace are being destroyed.
North Vietnam suspended the technical talks which were underway in Paris regarding the Vietnam peace settlement.
In Saigon, President Thiệu is unhappy because President Nixon said that he will sign a peace pact when he alone feels
it is right. But Thiệu is pleased that the U.S. now holds North Vietnam, and not South Vietnam, responsible for the breakdown
in talks. The South Vietnamese people are not surprised at the suspension of the peace talks.
Operation LINEBACKER II, described more generally as the Christmas Bombing and sometimes as "The Eleven-Day
War", began at 2:51 pm as the first of 87 B-52 bombers, piloted by Major Bill Stocker, lifted off from Andersen AFB
in Guam. These were joined by 42 more B-52s flying from Thailand, along with 400 fighters and refueling tankers.
At 7:40 pm Hanoi time, from an altitude of 35,000 feet, the bombers began dropping their payloads on targets in
North Vietnam, and were met by hundreds of SAM missiles and some MiG-21 fighters. There were 121 bombing
runs in the first 24 hours.
The targets of the first wave of bombers were the North Vietnamese airfields at Kép, Phúc Yên and Hòa Lạc and a
warehouse complex at Yên Viên while the second and third waves struck targets around Hanoi. Three aircraft were
shot down by the 68 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) launched by North Vietnamese batteries, two B-52Gs from
Andersen and a B-52D from U-Tapao. Two D models from Andersen with heavy battle damage managed to limp
into U-Tapao for repairs. Only one of the three downed crews could be rescued. That same evening, an Air Force
F-111 Aardvark was shot down while on a mission to bomb the broadcasting facilities of Radio Hanoi. Unlike Linebacker,
which had been launched in response to a North Vietnamese offensive in South Vietnam, President Nixon did not
address the nation on television to explain the escalation. Instead, Kissinger held a press conference at which he
accused (at Nixon's behest) Lê Đức Thọ of having "backed off" on some of the October understandings.
With the future of the peace talks in doubt, President Nixon today withdrew his October restrictions on bombing North
Vietnam above the 20th parallel. Unrestricted bombing was renewed as well as the mining of North Vietnamese harbors.
North Vietnam says that U.S. planted mines in Haiphong harbor today and followed that with severe bombing. Defense
Secretary Laird confirmed that bombing is underway throughout Vietnam. Elliot Richardson accompanied Laird through
the Pentagon as reporters asked questions. The Pentagon has imposed a strict news blackout regarding the renewed
bombing, but U.S. pilots are now operating with the fewest restrictions ever.
In response, Hanoi accused the U.S. of an about-face in policy and then toughened its terms for the release of American
POW's. Two months ago, Hanoi promised to release the POW's within 60 days of the signing of a peace agreement. Now
that has changed, as has the entire international climate. The U.S. stated that Hanoi made a basic decision last week to stall
on peace; Hanoi says that the peace talks are deadlocked
and the prospects for peace are being destroyed.
North Vietnam suspended the technical talks which were underway in Paris regarding the Vietnam peace settlement.
In Saigon, President Thiệu is unhappy because President Nixon said that he will sign a peace pact when he alone feels
it is right. But Thiệu is pleased that the U.S. now holds North Vietnam, and not South Vietnam, responsible for the breakdown
in talks. The South Vietnamese people are not surprised at the suspension of the peace talks.
Last edited:
Plus another good article on this matter:
www.smithsonianmag.com
The Christmas Bombing
In December 1972, B-52 bombers that North Vietnamese missile crews had been waiting for came to Hanoi. Night after night. Over virtually the same track.
- Thread starter
- #773
syscom3
Pacific Historian
The Northrop YB-49 "Flying Wing" at their assembly plant at the Hawthorne Airport (Los Angeles County). Probably in 1947.
- Thread starter
- #775
syscom3
Pacific Historian
A North American Aviation A-5A Vigilante (Navy serial number 147858; NASA tail number 858) arrived from the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland, on December 19, 1962, at the NASA Flight Research Center (now, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California). The Center flew the A-5A in a year-long series of flights in support of the U.S. supersonic transport program.
cammerjeff
Staff Sergeant
I baconed it as I may be a bit biased as I worked on those in a previous life! Thanks for posting it.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
A beautiful plane.
cammerjeff
Staff Sergeant
One of my favorite memories of RA-5's is the tendency of the all moving vertical stab to "Shake" while taxing at sharp angles. It was linked to the nose wheel steering, and for some reason the Shimmy damper did not seem to work well at low speeds and large steering angles. It always reminded me of a wet dog shaking off water.
I know its odd but thats what it always reminded me of. I did like working on those beautiful North American products, I was sorry to see them go near the end of my enlistment.
I know its odd but thats what it always reminded me of. I did like working on those beautiful North American products, I was sorry to see them go near the end of my enlistment.
Last edited:
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Thanks. That's the image I'll always have now when looking at a picture of a Vigilante.
cammerjeff
Staff Sergeant
No Problem Rob, always happy to help! 
Users who are viewing this thread
Similar threads
