| Windward | 09 Apr 2015 7:01 p.m. PST |
I'm trying to paint up Dick Shaffert's F-8 off the Oriskany in '67, in which he had the epic duel with 6 MiGs. I'm trying to find a top view of the wings. The Dogfights video shows a stylized AH on the right wing tip with 106 on the flaps. However the furball decal set says there was no wing top markings. The Osprey Crusader in Vietnam book's profile view shows something on the wing. I checked out the Cruise book with hopes of a top shot but no joy. Can anyone verify what was on top of the wing? |
 enfant perdus  | 09 Apr 2015 7:59 p.m. PST |
Looks like he didn't have anything! Check this out:
kitmaniac.com/site/?p=2639
You can click on those to enlarge. In the one that has the wing images, Schaffert's plane (146999) is second row, fourth one. Looking at the other planes represented, it appears it was uncommon but not unheard of to have no markings on the starboard wing. FWIW, I trust the scale modelers to get this stuff right. They make our button counters look like rank amateurs. |
| CAG 19 | 11 Apr 2015 4:20 a.m. PST |
I don't think that 146999 is correct. I can count buttons with the best of them It doesn't appear on the buno/modex assignment for CVW-16 for the 67/68 cruise and 106/146989 is the one on both the go.navy.jp site and in this picture
link The pic is credited with the 67 cruise dates Which is why maybe the pics of 146999 don't show the wing art. The pic with 146999 with AH tail codes is a later pic. 146989 is an operational loss so never survived. |
| CAG 19 | 11 Apr 2015 8:12 a.m. PST |
Can't find any photo reference of the wing serials or air wing identifier. 146989 is definitely the correct BuNo and not 146999. The VF-11/VF-111 book confirms it as well while describing the combat loss of 106 in 1968, but then goes on to quote 146999 in the colour plate…oh well |
| enfant perdus | 11 Apr 2015 8:41 a.m. PST |
I did find this for one of Schaffert's squadron members, but I don't know their source. link Frustrating too, that Orsikany's Cruise Book for '67-'68 is online and VF-111 has one of the worst selection of plane pics in the Air Wing! link |
| enfant perdus | 11 Apr 2015 8:45 a.m. PST |
And I'm an idiot because I just realized Windward referenced the Furball decals in his original post… |
| Windward | 11 Apr 2015 9:02 a.m. PST |
I contacted the naval aviation history museum in Pensacola FL. They too have a dearth of top photos of VF-111. Tom: There is a dearth of top view photos of the F-8 aircraft. From examining our collection, for the 1967 era VF-111 aircraft paint schemes, I could see no wing top markings other than a National Insignia on the top left wing. The only other visible paint other than the gray airframe coloring is the red wing tip paint which curls around the tip above and below). There is no modex numbers to be seen on the upper wing or flaps. We could not locate a VF-111 squadron cruise book.
Curt Lawson
Library Research Volunteer
NNAM; NAS Pensacola, FL I'm in contact with the Gunfighter group I hope they can clue me in. The problem is Old Nick 106 is not a MiG killer so not as well documented as any MiG killer. Interesting I that its recorded as 146999 not 146989 |
| Mako11 | 11 Apr 2015 11:43 a.m. PST |
Pretty easy to make a typo, back in the day (or even today), and not notice it. Also, far less easy to correct as well, since you've got to retype an entire page manually, if that number is included in a written report. |
| Windward | 13 Apr 2015 3:25 p.m. PST |
From the Man himself: "I have a few "pri-fly" pics of CAG 16 F8s that have only the star on the left wing and nothing on the right. Note: History channel (radicalranch) did not ask for any pics from me. I'm not sure what they were using as sources for their paint jobs." |
is finally getting into Team Yankee.
