AV-8B Harrier II Flight Handbook

A copy of an earlier NATOPS Flight Manual #A1-AV8BB-NFM-000 for the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B aircraft alone, #161573 and up. This manual is dated June 1, 1984 and contains cockpit and system drawings. Credit: Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum

Click here to download the handbook in PDF form (28.8 Megs)

AV-8A Harrier Flight Manual

A copy of the NATOPS Flight Manual Navair 01-AV-8A-1 for the AV-8A Aircraft, dated September 15, 1975. Credit: The Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum

Click this link to download PDF (34.1 Megs)

Alternate link to download PDF

Painting and Marking of Army Aircraft

A copy of the Army Technical Manual TM-55-1500-345-23 on the Painting and Marking of Army Aircraft, dated June 12, 1986.

First PDF download link (1.3 Megs)

Second alternate PDF download link

Third  alternate PDF download link

F-3H Demon Article #1

A nice little article by Don Grajek on six F-3H Demon paint schemes and markings. From the Vol 15, No. 4 IPMS Update magazine. Credit: International Plastic Modellers' Society

Click here to view article

F-3C (F3H-2N) Demon Standard Aircraft Characteristics

F-3C Demon Standard Aircraft Characteristics (SAC) sheets, dated July 1 1967. (The F3H-2N became the F-3C)

Click here to download the SAC in PDF form (15.3 Megs)

First alternate download site to download PDF

Second alternate site to download the PDF

Third alternate site to download the PDF

Let me know which one you like best!

More Words!

It seems you guys have exhausted my monthly 100 Gigabyte allotment from File Factory! So, until the 1st of June you will have to download the slooow way!

Tommy Thomason has this advice on how to download: “The trick to getting the pdf download is to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the FileFactory sales pitch and click on the slow download (the fast one just leads to another sales pitch). Then it downloads. In nine minutes in my case.”

That’s just the way it is until June unless someone wants to send me $40.00 US to add more capacity!

F-3H-G Report and Photos

 

“The design of what was eventually to emerge as the McDonnell F-4 Phantom began in August of 1953. The McDonnell design team was headed by Herman Barkley. Initially, the goal of the team was to extend the production life of the F3H Demon single-seat carrier-based fighter by boosting its performance and improving its versatility. Several quite different design concepts emerged, all of them being informally designated by the company as F3H-X since they were all viewed as a natural follow-on to the F3H Demon….The Model 98B (F3H-G) project was to be powered by a pair of Wright J65-W-2 (or W-4) turbojets rated at 7800 lb.s.t. each. The twin-engined configuration was attractive to many in the Navy, because of the increased amount of safety it offered over a single-engined aircraft. The engines were to be fed by a pair of side-mounted air intakes. A low-mounted swept wing and an all-flying straight tailplane were to be used. This wing was slightly larger than that of the F3H-E, with a 530-square foot area. The fuselage was to be designed in conformance with the area rule, in order that minimum transonic drag be achieved.”

Credit: Archibald of Secret Projects (see here for a complete read) and Tommy H. Thomason at Tailhook Topics

Click here to download the report in PDF form (58.2 Megs)

Click here to view photos and drawings

F4H-1 Air Induction System Brochure

A small McDonnell Aircraft Field Service Report, FSR 60-4, dated October 1960 detailing the complex air induction system on the F4H-1 aircraft. (Field service later became Product Support)

Click here to download the brochure in PDF form (10.75 Megs)

Avro Vulcan Structual Repair Manual

A copy of the British Air Publication 101B-1900-6A (Formally AP4505-V6A) Dated March 1957.

Download here or here or here (65.3 Megs)

Apollo Operations Handbooks for Block II Spacecraft

This is Vol. I of the Apollo Operations Handbooks, SM2A-03-Block II, dated October 15, 1969, with Sections 1-4 for CMS Block II Spacecraft with configuration, guidance and a lot of other data. Credit: Cliff Steenhoff

Click here to download manuals in compressed RAR form (163 Megs)

Note: This file is a compressed WinRAR file. Use WinRAR, WinZip or the free 7-zip to un-compress all the files. See a 7-Zip tutorial here

Northrop/McAir YF-23A Flight Manual

A copy of the Northrop/McAir YF-23A preliminary Flight Manual, NTM-1F-23(Y)A-1, dated June 1,1990. This is the company written manual for the YF-23 in the YF-22 vs Yf-23 competition.

Click here to download the manual in PDF form (246.7 Megs)

Newer Mercury Familiarization Manual

A later dated copy of the McDonnell Mercury familiarization manual. This one dated December 1, 1962. Lot’s of good drawings and illustrations.

Click here to download the later manual in PDF form (22.8 Megs)

Click here to view original posting

McDonnell Douglas SkyLab Photos

Some photos and illustrations that I have of the Skylab. I worked on this project twice. Once on how to correct and mitigate the solar array damage and secondly in design engineering finding all of the flammable items and materials (Think Apollo1fire). However, I never accumulated many items!

Click here to view photos and info

AV-8 Harrier Tactical Manuals

Copies of the Tactical Manuals #A1-AV8BB-TAC-000 and #A1-AV8BB-TAC-050  for the McDonnell Douglas AV-8 Harrier aircraft. These manuals are dated August 2002 and May 1998, respectively. Credit: Irfan S. Hokan Collection

Click here to download the Vol 1 in PDF form (24.3 Megs)

Click here to download the Vol II manual in PDF form (30.34 Megs)

Space Shuttle Mission Press Kits

Almost all of the 135 Space Shuttle Mission NASA press releases. (There where no flights with the numbers of 10-23). These were made up as the a,b,c etc flights (STS-51a, STS-51B, etc). LOTS of great info in these kits! Credit: Cliff  S.

Warning, this is a very large file (346.4 Megs)

Click here to download the kits in compressed form (346.4 Megs)

Note: This file is a compressed WinRAR file. Use WinRAR, WinZip or the free 7-zip to un-compress all the files. See a 7-Zip tutorial here

AV-8B/TAV-8B Performance Charts

A copy of the NATOPS Flight Manual Performance Charts #A1-AV8BB-NFM-400 for the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B/TAV-8B aircraft, #161573 AND up. This manual is dated February 1, 2003. Credit: Irfan S. Hokan Collection

(Sorry! This manual has a “C” distribution code and has been pulled from my blog for security purposes.)

Douglas B-66 Destroyer Flight Manuals

Three B-66 Destroyer Flight manuals. One each for the B-66B (Dated January 15, 1960), EB/RB-66 (Dated March 31, 1969) and for the WB-66D (Dated September 1, 1958) versions of the aircraft. Credit: Irfan S. Hokan

Click here to download the B-66B manual in PDF form (175.4 Megs)

Click here to download the EB manual in PDF form (114.8 Megs)

Click here to download the WB-66D manual in PDF form (55.3 Megs)

Douglas A-3 Skywarrior Flight Manuals

A copy of the NATOPS Flight Manual #01-40ATA-1 for the Douglas A-3 A/B  aircraft, dated September 1, 1966 and flight manual #01-40ATD-1 for the EA-3B and TA-3B aircraft, dated January 15, 1981. Credit: Irfan S. Hokan

Click here to download the A-3A/B manual in PDF form (126.60)

Click here to download the EA-3B manual in PDF form (61.5)

McDonnell Douglas Skylab 1, 2, 3 and 4 NASA Press Releases

The set of 1973 NASA Press releases for the Skylab 1, 2, 3 and 4 with diagrams and tables. Credit: Cliff  S.

Click here to download the press release 1 and 2 in PDF form (1.42 Megs)

Click here to download the press release 3 in PDF form (1.52 Megs)

Click here to download the press release 4 in PDF form (1.3 Megs)

Cliff has a Flickr account you must see as he now has 48,000+ files (text and images) relating to space being uploaded to the this account!! Go see it here.

Douglas X-3 Flight Operating Handbook

A copy of the Douglas X-3 Flight Operating Instructions Handbook, preliminary report , dated November 20, 1951. Lots of diagrams, cockpit photos and charts. Credit: Irfan S. Hokan

Click here to download the handbook in PDF form (132 Megs)

AV-8B/TAV-8B Flight Manual

A copy of the NATOPS Flight Manual #A1-AV8BB-NFM-000 for the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B/TAV-8B aircraft, #161573 AND up. This manual is dated September 1, 2011. Credit: Captain Rex (Trevor)

Click here to download the manual in PDF form (26.2 Megs)

F4H-1 General Arrangement Drawing

Scans of McAir blueprints #32-00005, sheet 1,2 and 3 from 1957, showing the General Arrangement of the  F4H-1 aircraft.

Click here to view blueprints

Northrop F-18L and F/A-18L

As Joe Baugher put’s it: “A land-based version of the Hornet known as the F-18L was also planned. Since it did not have to carry any equipment for carrier-based operations, the F-18L was expected to be significantly lighter and better-performing than the carrier-based version. Although no orders had actually been received, it was anticipated that the F-18L would be an attractive proposition for those foreign air forces who wanted and could afford an aircraft with greater capabilities than those of the F-5.” Go to his page for more info.

As I understand it, the F-18L was the evolved YF-17 that Northrop had said the USAF would get if they selected the YF-17 over the YF-16.

On the other hand, the F/A-18L was a de-navalized F/A-18A with more advanced features than the Northrop offering; but, It was also some 5,000 lbs heavier.

Click here to view the info

F-4B Areas Revised for F-4K

Loft Sheet LS 32-1125, dated February 12, 1965 showing the differences between the base F-4B and the later F-4K. Credit: Greg Kuklinski

Click here to view Loft Sheet

Douglas A-24 Banshee Photos

A selection of Douglas Aircraft A-24 Banshee photos. Credit: The Jean Aker archive collection via the BoxArt Den

Click here to view photos

F-4 Outer Wing Cross Sections

A very poor copy of Loft Sheet LS-LS 32-0528, dated 8-29-69 with the F-4 Outer Wing Cross Sections. I continue to look for a better copy; but, this is it for now. I have had several requests for this info. Credit: Greg Kuklinski

Click here to view drawings

Vultee XP-54, Curtiss-Wright XP-55 and Northrop XP-56 Article

As an aviation historian, I like to take note when someone does a nice article on aircraft that I like. In that category, I definitely place the Vultee XP-54 Swoose Goose, Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender and the Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet prototypes. So, if you want to see great histories and many photos of these aircraft, go to: WW 2 Fighters and take a look!

RF-4 Forward Fuselage Section Cuts

Loft Sheet LS 53-254, dated February 8, 1971,  with 20% RF-4 Forward Fuselage Section Cuts. Credit: Greg Kuklinski

Click here to view Loft Sheet

F/RF-4B Plan, Sheer & Section Cuts

Loft Sheet 32-0471, dated October 17, 1967, with 1/75th scale F/RF-4B plan, sheer and section cuts. Credit: Greg Kuklinski

Click here to view Loft Sheet

F-4G Wild Weasel Patches

Steve Billings collection inspired me to dig out a few more patches. This time for the great F-4 Wild Weasel aircraft.

Click here to view patches

F-4K Fuselage Station Cuts

Page 1 of Loft Sheet 32-1123 with the F-4K fuselage station cuts and fuselage, duct and mold line definitions in 1/30th scale. Dated November 16, 1968. Credit: Greg Kuklinski

Click here to view drawing

McDonnell Mercury Spacecraft Stickers

John Bisney sent along some McDonnell Aircraft Company Mercury stickers that I hadn’t seen before. He has genersously allowed me to make a post with them. Thanks, John!

Ckick here for large copies of the stickers

Douglas F-4D-1 Skyray Model Drawing

  A Douglas drawing for the F4D-1 Discussion Model Mock Up in 1/48 scale drawing , dated April 27, 1954. Credit: Greg Kuklinski

Click here to view drawing