 
fairchild a-10a thunderbolt II
Serial Number: 75-0298
Markings: 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, 358th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Lobos", Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 1992
Called the Warthog by its pilots and ground crews the A-10 is not the prettiest aircraft ever built, but it is extremely good at its job -- killing tanks. Designed around a massive 30mm rotary cannon capable of firing up to 4,200 rounds per minute and with large amounts of titanium armor around the cockpit and engines the A-10 is almost a flying tank itself. The A-10 proved its capabilities in the 1990-91 Gulf War by destroying several thousand Iraqi tanks, and other vehicles.
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Uploaded on Jan 5, 2009
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lockheed s-3b viking
Serial Number: 160604
Markings: Sea Control Squadron 21 (VS-21) "Fighting Redtails", Naval Air Field Atsugi, Japan, 2004
The Viking was designed in the late 1960s to replace the aging S-2 Tracker as the Navy’s carrier based, fixed wing anti-submarine aircraft. Incorporating the latest electronic and acoustic submarine hunting technology in an airframe powered by two highly efficient turbofan engines the S-3A greatly increased the Navy’s ability to locate and track Soviet nuclear submarines. The first Viking flew in January 1972 and so impressed the Navy that the first production contract was issued only three months later. Anti-submarine squadron 21 was the first to use the Viking operationally in 1974. The aircraft proved to be extremely safe, reliable, and versatile. In 1981, Lockheed began upgrading the existing Vikings to incorporate newer electronic systems and the ability to fire the Harpoon anti-ship missile. Eventually all anti-submarine equipment was removed and the Viking focused anti-surface warfare, strike missions, and aerial refueling duties.
Service History
Built by Lockheed Aircraft, Burbank, California and delivered to the Navy in 1978 as the 184th of 187 Vikings built. The detailed service history of this aircraft is not currently available, however a few details are known. The aircraft was assigned to Sea Control Squadron 31 (VS-31) aboard the USS Eisenhower during Operation Desert Shield. Later it was transferred to Sea Control Squadron 21 (VS-21) at Naval Air Field Atsugi, Japan and deployed aboard the USS Kitty Hawk. The striking paint scheme on this aircraft was designed in 2004 for the disestablishment of VS-21. The aircraft was placed in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB in 2005. In 2006 the National Museum of Naval Aviation placed it on loan to the Pima Air and Space Museum.
The nose art on Lockheed S-3B Viking 160604 was painted by Laurie Dover. She is an artist who paints WWII nose art and insignia on leather flight jackets. They were commissioned by VS-21 to create a specific design to be painted on one of their airplanes, the S-3B Viking, in honor of the squadron’s decommissioning. The artwork is painted in a style reminiscent to nose artwork done during WWII. The nose art was painted on both sides of the airplane, and it was done at the Atsugi, Japan US Navy Base. A couple of weeks later, the airplane with its nose art paintings was showcased at the decommission ceremony and festivities. 3½ inch woven patches of the nose art design were created and sold.
Laurie Dover said, "Creating this design and painting it at the Navy Base was an amazing experience."
Pictures showing the painting process can be seen at:
Torpedo Bomber Squadron VS-21 Decommissioning
A photographic journal 1945-2005
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Uploaded on Jan 4, 2009
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general motors tbm-3e avenger
Serial Number: 69472
Registration: N9593C
Markings: VT-1 (Navy Torpedo Squadron 1) USS Essex CV-9, 1944
The Avenger was designed and built initially by the Grumman company and designated TBF. However, since Grumman's facilities were straining to produce enough of their fighters for the Navy it was decided to ask General Motors to open another production line for the design. The General Motors version was designated the TBM, but was otherwise identical. The Avenger first entered combat during the Battle of Midway, and despite a poor performance in that engagement went on to be the primary torpedo bomber of the war. Later versions of the aircraft designated TBM-3 had a more powerful engine and the "E" variant was equipped with a special anti-submarine radar. Avengers continued to serve in the U.S. Navy well into the 1950s.
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Uploaded on Jan 3, 2009
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grumman f-14a tomcat
Serial Number: 160684
Markings: Fighter Squadron 124 (VF-124) "Gunfighters", NAS Miramar, California, 1994
Made famous by the movie “Top Gun,” the F-14 Tomcat is the last of Grumman’s “Cat” series of Naval fighters which began with the F4F Wildcat in the 1930s. The F-14 grew out of the failed attempt to turn the F-111 into a carrier-based interceptor. Design work on the Tomcat began in 1967, a full year before the F-111B was canceled. It adopted the best elements of that design including the AN/AWG-9 radar and Phoenix missile, twin engines, and a variable geometry “swing” wing and combined them into a large, twin-tailed form that became the symbol of American naval aviation from the 1970s through the first years of the Twenty-first Century. Tomcats entered service on the USS Enterprise in 1974, and flew some of the last American combat missions over Vietnam while providing air cover over Saigon during the American evacuation in April 1975. The F-14 has participated in every major American military engagement of the twenty years since then, but finally left Navy service in 2006.
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Uploaded on Jan 2, 2009
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mcdonnell douglas md-11f
UPS Airlines is a worldwide cargo airline owned by United Parcel Service Inc. The company is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Its home airport is located at Louisville International Airport.
UPS Airlines flies to more than 200 countries.
UPS Airlines has a fleet size of 266 aircraft, making it the 9th largest airline in the world.
UPS Airlines had ordered ten Airbus A380 freighters and had options on ten more. As part of the deal the airline was reducing an existing commitment for ninety Airbus A300 freighters to fifty three. But, in March 2007, UPS canceled their A380F orders. UPS has yet to announce a replacement order in place of the A380Fs. It has been rumored that UPS will order Boeing's 777F. UPS has also ordered eight Boeing 747-400 freighters to increase capacity on its major "trunk" routes to Europe, Asia, and North America. These are expected to be delivered in June 2007 and go on through 2008. UPS Airlines placed a firm order for 27 additional Boeing 767-300 Freighters in February 2007 to be delivered 2009 to 2012. Most UPS Airlines flights go through the UPS Worldport at Louisville International Airport.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is an American three-engine medium to long-range widebody airliner, with two engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer. It is based on the DC-10, but featuring a stretched fuselage, increased wingspan with winglets, refined aerofoils on the wing and tailplane, new engines and increased use of composite materials. It features an all-digital glass cockpit that decreases the crew to two from the three required on the DC-10.
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Uploaded on Jan 1, 2009
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