MOW
Administrator 
Owner/Operator
Currently: Offline
Posts: 5,822 
Location:
Joined: September 2003
Retired: USAF, Civil Service
|
Post by MOW on Oct 12, 2016 20:32:39 GMT 9
We've got a modeler looking for color photos showing the colored speed brake on early 318th FIS F-106s. He supposedly has seen BW photos and found information the 318th jets had colored speed brakes in the early 60's, each flight in the squadron had a different color like F-102s had. He is looking which colors were used by which flights and the colors. Any ideas? I don't find any in the 318th photo gallery on the website www.f-106deltadart.com/piwigo/index.php?/category/20 |
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Oct 13, 2016 9:51:49 GMT 9
Crop from the 1962 McChord AFB directory. Only one I've ever seen. Probably a dark blue to match the Northern Star art on the tail. Mark O  |
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Oct 19, 2016 8:39:07 GMT 9
Crop from the 1962 McChord AFB directory. Only one I've ever seen. Probably a dark blue to match the Northern Star art on the tail. Mark O Pat, was this photo any help? Only one I've ever found. Mark O |
|
RNoAF
F-106 Qualified
Currently: Offline
Posts: 11
Location:
Joined: November 2011
|
Post by RNoAF on Oct 19, 2016 16:06:28 GMT 9
Thanks Mark!
I am the guy asking the question, and it is of great help.
I have seen in another post that the other speedbrake colors might have been light blue (also to match the northern star) and white. Is there any evidence/confirmation on those colors, or is this only an assumption based on the colors used for the command stripe in the 70s-80s?
The Deuces of 318th, as far as I have seen on photos, used yellow, white, red and green on their speedbrakes.
How many flights did 318th have when they flew Sixes, and which color was assigned to which flight?
Anyone have a photo of 59-0055 with colored speedbrake?
Ronny
|
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Oct 20, 2016 8:37:30 GMT 9
Thanks Mark!
I am the guy asking the question, and it is of great help.
I have seen in another post that the other speedbrake colors might have been light blue (also to match the northern star) and white. Is there any evidence/confirmation on those colors, or is this only an assumption based on the colors used for the command stripe in the 70s-80s?
The Deuces of 318th, as far as I have seen on photos, used yellow, white, red and green on their speedbrakes.
How many flights did 318th have when they flew Sixes, and which color was assigned to which flight?
Anyone have a photo of 59-0055 with colored speedbrake?
Ronny
I have no larger version of the b/w photo you mentioned. Sorry. I also have no clue on the colors, flights, or any specifics on those speed-brake markings. If I had to guess, they were extremely short-lived based on a pretty good photo collection of the 318th with that early, Northern Star marking. Seems there would be more photos. You may consider seeking info from the webmaster at www.318fis.com. His website is a continuous work in progress, but is the best authority on the history of the squadron. Mark O |
|
|
|
Post by LBer1568 on Oct 20, 2016 12:15:26 GMT 9
Thanks Mark!
I am the guy asking the question, and it is of great help.
I have seen in another post that the other speedbrake colors might have been light blue (also to match the northern star) and white. Is there any evidence/confirmation on those colors, or is this only an assumption based on the colors used for the command stripe in the 70s-80s?
The Deuces of 318th, as far as I have seen on photos, used yellow, white, red and green on their speedbrakes.
How many flights did 318th have when they flew Sixes, and which color was assigned to which flight?
Anyone have a photo of 59-0055 with colored speedbrake?
Ronny
I have no larger version of the b/w photo you mentioned. Sorry. I also have no clue on the colors, flights, or any specifics on those speed-brake markings. If I had to guess, they were extremely short-lived based on a pretty good photo collection of the 318th with that early, Northern Star marking. Seems there would be more photos. You may consider seeking info from the webmaster at www.318fis.com. His website is a continuous work in progress, but is the best authority on the history of the squadron. Mark O I first stepped foot on the F-106 Flight line at McGuire and the 539th FIS in mid 1964. Back then I guess we did have colors representing which "Flight" they were assigned to. But that was a different colored "Star" on vertical stab. It was located just above Speed Brakes. But we went from "lightning bolt" to new tail markings shortly after that and the Flight markings went away. I guess with only 16 A/C assigned it's hard to have to determine which "Flight" A/C is assigned to. |
|
RNoAF
F-106 Qualified
Currently: Offline
Posts: 11
Location:
Joined: November 2011
|
Post by RNoAF on Oct 20, 2016 15:42:36 GMT 9
I have no larger version of the b/w photo you mentioned. Sorry. I also have no clue on the colors, flights, or any specifics on those speed-brake markings. If I had to guess, they were extremely short-lived based on a pretty good photo collection of the 318th with that early, Northern Star marking. Seems there would be more photos.
You may consider seeking info from the webmaster at www.318fis.com. His website is a continuous work in progress, but is the best authority on the history of the squadron.
Mark O I will try the webmaster at www.318fis.com again. First time my mail was not delivered, so I thought the 318fis e-mail might have been deactivated. I have also contacted McChord Air Museum, and are waiting for a reply.
Ronny
|
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Oct 21, 2016 11:29:27 GMT 9
Further thoughts...
First off, squadron commanders have more power than many may think. In the last squadron I was assigned to on active duty we went through as many versions of our squadron patch as we did commanders.
That said, I suspect those speed brake markings were the idea of either the squadron, or the group commander, and were promptly dumped upon his departure because the new guy did not care for them. (RE: The early 80s tail design change of the 144th FIW - CA ANG.)
In a previous assignment I was assigned to the maintenance group of a KC-135 wing with four flying squadrons. Each squadron had their own color on "their" tankers. Guess what? The crews flew whatever Plans & Scheduling had for them that day. No one gave a rat's ass what color stripe was on the tail. (For what it's worth I was assigned as a flying crew chief to the 905th AMU, and we wore yellow name badges on our flight suits because they had yellow tails. Damned if it mattered what squadron I flew with!)
Following my MX days I was a C-130 flight engineer in a two-flying-squadron group. Yep, we had one squadron with blue tails, and one with red. We flew what P&S gave us. (FWIW, I was in the 40th AS. We were blue. I'm sure somewhere in this forum there is a pic of me in front of a red tail!)
Eventually, both my KC-135 wing, and my C-130 group went to generic tails. They all looked the same.
Anyway, all this rambling is just to say very few folks even cared what color the tail was, as long as it was "Code 1", and had a reputation as a good flyer. Seriously. You learned what the good TAIL NUMBERS were (are - I'm now a Civil Service crew chief), and that's all that mattered.
Good luck finding anyone - with authority - that remembers what flight had what color tails. Then, as now, they flew whatever tail was on the daily schedule, and then as now, that was maintenance driven!
Being a modeler I respect a passion for accuracy, but as for myself, I stopped getting "crazy" wrapped up over it years ago, and have never been in the "river counter", or "paint police" brigades!
Regards,
Mark O
|
|
|
|
Post by Jim on Oct 21, 2016 13:58:58 GMT 9
How easily traditions die or disappear...... In my days when we were issued one piece fatigues(not coveralls or jumpsuits) the squadrons- 72nd, 416th, and 531 FTR BMR Squadrons were identified by red, blue and yellow tails. The red and blue tails had white stars and the yellow tails had black stars. The flight designation was an Alpha character on the small door mounted on the nose strut... Each squadron had 4 flights.... 7 1/2 years later I again caught up with the 416th and 531st at Misawa, the FBS had disappeared and they were now Tactical Fighter Squadrons, but those F-100s still carried bombs. The name made their mission more important sounding (somewhat like Expeditionary Force- Bomber). But the tails on those F-100s were painted blue or yellow. What was different? The crew chiefs, and the periodic inspection docks were in the 21st OMS and all of the specialists were the 21st FMS. The crew chiefs were the only ones that had pilot contact..... Aircraft maint went from matter of pride to a routine job, with no satisfaction for a job well done.. MacNamarra influence? ?? 
|
|
RNoAF
F-106 Qualified
Currently: Offline
Posts: 11
Location:
Joined: November 2011
|
Post by RNoAF on Oct 21, 2016 16:36:15 GMT 9
Further thoughts... First off, squadron commanders have more power than many may think. In the last squadron I was assigned to on active duty we went through as many versions of our squadron patch as we did commanders. That said, I suspect those speed brake markings were the idea of either the squadron, or the group commander, and were promptly dumped upon his departure because the new guy did not care for them. (RE: The early 80s tail design change of the 144th FIW - CA ANG.) In a previous assignment I was assigned to the maintenance group of a KC-135 wing with four flying squadrons. Each squadron had their own color on "their" tankers. Guess what? The crews flew whatever Plans & Scheduling had for them that day. No one gave a rat's ass what color stripe was on the tail. (For what it's worth I was assigned as a flying crew chief to the 905th AMU, and we wore yellow name badges on our flight suits because they had yellow tails. Damned if it mattered what squadron I flew with!) Following my MX days I was a C-130 flight engineer in a two-flying-squadron group. Yep, we had one squadron with blue tails, and one with red. We flew what P&S gave us. (FWIW, I was in the 40th AS. We were blue. I'm sure somewhere in this forum there is a pic of me in front of a red tail!) Eventually, both my KC-135 wing, and my C-130 group went to generic tails. They all looked the same. Anyway, all this rambling is just to say very few folks even cared what color the tail was, as long as it was "Code 1", and had a reputation as a good flyer. Seriously. You learned what the good TAIL NUMBERS were (are - I'm now a Civil Service crew chief), and that's all that mattered. Good luck finding anyone - with authority - that remembers what flight had what color tails. Then, as now, they flew whatever tail was on the daily schedule, and then as now, that was maintenance driven! Being a modeler I respect a passion for accuracy, but as for myself, I stopped getting "crazy" wrapped up over it years ago, and have never been in the "river counter", or "paint police" brigades! Regards, Mark O Since I am going to build the complete 318th Six tail flash history, I find it kinda important to get those initial tails that started 318th Six adventure correct. For the exact number of rivets and the exact FS color match, I do not care. Rivets are hardly noticable in 1/48 scale and colors fade in real world and look different in scale anyway!
Ronny
|
|
?? 
