F-15 External Color Stencil

Most people don’t realize it; but, the external colors used on MDC F-15’s is detailed in a stencil on the left side of the aircraft. Here is a close-up of that stencil from a 1977 aircraft.

F2H Banshee Collector Cards

I found a few collector cards of the F2H Banshee issued (I think) by McDonnell Aircraft. Anyone have any other cards or information?

Click here to see cards

F-15 Flight Test Aircraft at EAFB

A set of photos of the F-15 Flight Test aircraft on the ground at Edwards Air Force Base in 1972 and 1973. I have presented several of these photos before; but, thought that it would be a nice post with them all together! The last three photos are courtesy of the Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum.

Click here to view photos

Additional photos of F-15’s at EAFB are here and here.

F-4 Phantom II All-Service Fighter Booklet

A large brochure on the F-4 Phantom put out by McAir.

Click here to view the brochure

Download PDF here or here or here (3.9 Megs)

McDonnell F-101 Voodoo Booklet #2

Another of the promotional pamphlets McDonnell Aircraft issued on the F-100 Voodoo.

Click here to view pamphlet

McDonnell F-101 Voodoo Booklet #1

One of the promotional pamphlets issued by McDonnell Aircraft for the F-101 Voodoo.

Click here to view pamphlet

F-4G Wild Weasel Articles and Loft Drawing

Nice F-4G prototype photo and two articles on the MDC F-4G Wild Weasel. First article is by Jim Griffiths and was published in the MDC Phantom Flyer. The second was published, I think, in Aviation Week. Between the two, you have a nice summary of the program and antenna placements. Also include is the MDC Loft Line sheet LS 53-1055 showing the Wild Weasel pod configuration and station cuts.

Click here to view F-4G info

A very good article on the F-4G and Wild Weasel background here

Go here to see F-4G cockpit photos.

United Air Lines Historic Planes Picture Set

In 1969 or 1970, I received this set of historic aircraft thru the years from United Air Lines, mostly involving their fleet, of course. (Yes, I collect everything aviation related!)

Click here to view prints

MDC Product Ad Sheets

Here are a number of McDonnell Douglas “one page” advertisement sheets that were produced over the years for various magazines and publications.

Click here to view the sheets

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Additional F-4 Cam Ranh Bay-RVN Photos

More F-4 photos from Cam Ranh Bay (Republic of Vietnam) photos in 1968.

Click here to view photos

Click here for original post

Over the St. Louis Arch–Part II

Many photos were taken of MDC aircraft flying over the St. Louis Arch. Here are a few more of those photos.

Click here to view photos

View Part I here

Under the Sign - Part VI

  

Continuing the series, here are a few more “Under the Sign” photos, including visitors to the MDC ramp.

Click here to see the photos

Previous entries in this series are:

Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV and Part V

IAI/ MDC F-4E Phantom 2000 (Kurnas)

Starting with a 1987 prototype, Israel updated their F-4E’s to ground attack only duty. Producing the Phantom or Kurnas 2000. They were modernized with AN/APG-76 radar and AGM-142 Popeye capability, among many other electronic updates.

Click here to view info and photos

A comprehensive account is here

A nice walk around video is here

MDC Product Support Eagle Talk Volumes 1 & 2

Poor Xeroxes ; but, wonderful information on the F-15 characteristics compiled by the McAir Product Support Department for Eagle Drivers and mechanics.

The Eagle Forum website has this to say:

“Everything you ever wanted to know about general handling characteristics of the F-15 Eagle (non-E) but couldn't find in the Dash-1.
Eagle Talk V1 and 2 are compilations of the McDonnell Product Support Digest as far back as '75, up until '85, and include both test pilot, and operational squadron details how the various flight systems function in the real world.
You'll find the articles on the OWS and late takeoff rotation quite illuminating in tying down how good the AFM is here.“ Credit “Lunaticfringe” via forums.eagle.ru.

Click here for volume one in PDF form

Click here for volume two in PDF form

F-18 Flying Qualities Development Report

  Here we have an MDC report (# 84-009) on the F-18 Flying Qualities Development from Jack Abercrombie. Presented in 1983. The prologue states:

“Since the F/A-l8 fighter-attack aircraft made its first flight in November L978, some significant changes have been made to the control system to improve flying qualities characteristics. This paper covers some of the highlights of that flying qualities development, touching briefly on the initial design criteria and the evolution of the control system as we progressed through the flight test program. Particular emphasis is placed on some unique and very innovative features of the flight control laws.”

Click here for a short slide show presentation of this report

Click here for full report in PDF form

F-15 Vertical Tail Revisions & ‘70 Tail Configuration

Jack Abercrombie sent along an interesting comparison chart of F-15 tail development size and placement plus a little known tail configuration from 1970.

His note said:

“Here are a few pages from MCAIR Report A0270, 30 Jan 1970 describing the new configuration (at the time) with the nacelle fences for directional stability improvement.  Note that the configuration includes the middle size vertical tails (55 square ft each--larger than those of the 1969 proposal which were 41.4 each) and almost the original Ventrals (21.4 sq ft vs 20 sq ft per).  The fences helped through improvements to the sidewash characteristics, but not enough.  It was more than a year later (Apr '71) when the ventrals were removed and still larger verticals (the current 62.6 sq ft per) were incorporated.”

Click here to view large size pictures

McDonnell Douglas Open House Photos

For a few years, MDC would hold an open house for it’s employees and their families. Here are a few photos of two of those events.

Open house of 06/28/75

Open house of 11/08/81

AQM-34K Firebee

I have always had a “soft spot” for drones and especially the Firebee in all it’s versions. This is the AQM-34K version as photographed in my visit to the Strategic Air & Space Museum in Ashland,NE in the early 1980’s. It has since been hung from the ceiling as seen in the last photo.

Click here to view photos

F-15A Streak Eagle 40th Anniversary

January 16, 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the the 19th pre-production McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle aircraft (S/N 72-0119) time-to-climb records during Operation Streak Eagle. (Aquila Maxima) Quoting from the National Museum of the Air Force fact sheet:

“The museum's single-seat F15A, nicknamed "Streak Eagle," broke eight time-to-climb world records between Jan. 16 and Feb. 1, 1975. In setting the last of the eight records, it reached an altitude of 98,425 feet just 3 minutes, 27.8 seconds from brake release at takeoff and "coasted" to nearly 103,000 feet before descending. It was flown in its natural metal finish to reduce weight for the record-setting flights. To protect it from corrosion, McDonnell Douglas Corp. has since painted it in the gray color scheme of most operational F-15s. "Streak Eagle" is an early preproduction aircraft. Differences in internal structure and systems operation made it too costly to return to operational service. It was delivered to the museum in December 1980 after it was no longer useful as a flight test vehicle.”

Note the white telemetry antenna on the cockpit aft shelf and that
the Aquila Maxima emblem was not on the aircraft during the record flights.

Click here to view photos

Very good complete write-ups on the Streak Eagle can be found here and here from “This Day in Aviation” and “White Eagle Aerospace.”

Redstone Test Stand and Rocket Garden

Also in Huntsville is the Redstone Test Stand and Rocket Garden, located at NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Visited on July 3, 2003.

Click here to view photos

The US Space and Rocket Center (USSRC)

While in Huntsville Alabama visiting friends, I went to the The US Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) on July 3, 2003. The Rocket Park at the USSRC was called “the finest rocket collection in the world” by Mercury astronaut John Glenn. In the park, 27 missiles and rockets show how Army rocketry launched America’s space program and gave rise to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. It contains all of the Redstone family of rockets, including the Redstone IRBM, Mercury-Redstone, Jupiter C, Jupiter IRBM and Juno II. Also on display are the Mercury-Atlas, V-1, and Saturn I rockets. I have included several “Stitched” or Panoramic photos I made by “combining” original photos together.

Click here to view photos

Kennedy Space Center

Photos from a  visit to The Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in 2007. Both the rocket garden and inside exhibits.

Click here to view photos

1. A very nice set of KSC photos are here.

More F-15 71-0283 Chase Plane Photos

Two more photos of F-15A-4-MC-71-0283 on the McAir ramp. This was the fourth F-15A built. See here for original posting.

Click here to view photos

F3H Demons on Barge

A wonderful United Press photo of F-3H Demons  loaded on a barge going down the Mississippi River to the Memphis Naval Base. Photo is dated Jan 4, 1956.
Go here and here to see prior posts.

F-100’s on McAir Ramp

  While rummaging around in my files, I found these photos of two F-100A-10-NA aircraft that visited the McAir ramp during the 1950’s. They are 53-1536 and 53-1537. Sorry, no other details are available; but, these are great photos.

Click here to see photos

More F-15 Test Flight Photos at EAFB

More photos of the F-15 Flight Test Program at Edwards Air Force Base in 1972 and 1973.

PRIMARY TEST AIRCRAFT ASSIGNMENTS - F-15

F-1 Envelope Expansion, Flying Qualities, External Stores
F-2 Engine Development, Performance
F-3 Avionics, Airspeed System
F-4 Structural Loads
F-5 Armament, Tank Jettison
F-6 Avionics, Fire Control System
F-7 Armament
TF-1 Two-Seater Evaluation, Training, VIP Flights
F-8 High AOA, Stalls, Spins
F-9 Aircraft and Engine Performance
F-10 Tactical Electronic Warfare System, Radar (at Eglin)
F-17 Time-to-Climb Record Setting
TF-2 Special Programs

Click here to see photos

Jan van Waarde wrote a wonderful monograph on the F-15 prototypes. Download it in PDF form here. Credit: the Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum.

F-15B (TF-15) Flight and Refueling Tests at EAFB

F-15B-3-MC-71-0290 was the first two seat F-15, originally built as a trainer. Original designation was TF-15 and known at MDC as T-1. Here are some in-flight and re-fueling photos of 0290 at Edwards Air Force Base during 1973.

 

Click her to see large photos

F-15 Refueling Tests at EAFB

 F-15 Flight Test of refueling capability at Edwards Air Force Base in 1973.