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A couple of random photos from the shoebox. Dad’s squadron (4th TFW, 336th TFS) Ubon Thailand, 1972.
There is a really funny story about that C-47 in the background. Something like the crew was taxiing out for takeoff and noticed a big cobra hanging out in the cockpit. They shut it down and departed the aircraft asap. If memory serves, it had to be towed back to the ramp. To convince the cobra that it should vacate its new living quarters, they got some snake eaters to lock a mongoose in the cockpit - for like a week. One day they went to see how the mongoose had made out, but couldn’t find either critter in the plane. The cockpit door was still shut with no visible way for the mongoose to get out, but the animals were gone. So the Gooney Bird was put back into service.
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I’d be so paranoid flying that plane ever after.
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Motherlovin mongoose on a motherlovin plane! Should be standard equipment lol.
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That must of been horrific flying that for the rest of its career. Wow!
Wonder if they included a livery from you old man’s unit?
That would be pretty awesome. Haven’t seen one yet, but RAZBAM did include it for the Mudhen.
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I assume they’ll have a ‘paint kit’: not sure the name for it but basically I think some dev’s supply a ‘template’ so you can roll your own texture.
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Looking at the second photo with the Phantom carrying 2 x GBU-10, I notice that that it has an ECM pod, but no designator. So I assume buddy lasing. Doing a little research, I found out that F-4Ds of the 8 TFW/433rd TFS had 6 x PAVE Knife pods and some GBUs in Ubon to strike the Paul Doumer bridge on 11 May 1972. Interestingly enough, dad led a flight of 16 x F-4Es with Mk82s to take out the heavily defended Yen Vien railyard on the north of Hanoi on 10 May. So, I bet that 336th E would have a 433rd D lasing for him with a PAVE Knife pod.
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Think we covered this here, somewhere, before but if we ever get a SEA map then this site can (with some trivial (but tedious) coding be used to re-generate missions. Or at least the basics. You could sorta fly one of your dad’s actual sorties?
Based on a very quick scan: the unit (squadron I assume) was not carried over but a little guess-work should be close enough.
Here’s a link to a PDF displaying how to read (de-code) the data files.
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/76/4527/7452776/content/electronic-records/rg-218/OPREA/447_1DP.pdf
The “Introduction” section explains what’s in there.
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Just dropping by to share some photos to increase the hype.
Anybody know if there will be sim-lite options? I love the Phantom, but I’m really into all the button pushing and switches like you guys are? What would be a good terrain to use with the Phantom? I only have the base terrains for DCS and no addon maps.
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There’s unlikely to be a truly “sim lite” option in the Heatblur Phantom - though I’d encourage you to check out the VSN F-4B/C mod if that’s what you’re after.
But the Phantom shouldn’t be too tough to fly with Jester II doing the radar work, particularly if you’re starting with a hot jet or already in the air. The things you’ll have to learn are the weapons panel down by your left knee and remember to switch the tank feed switch from the wing external tanks to the “off” position so you can use the internal wing fuel (and don’t carry the centreline tank - there’s no point). So not the easiest jet to fly, but it does lack all of the modern computer systems that you have to remember how to program.
In terms if terrains to fly over … Nevada, Persian Gulf, Sinai and Syria all cover geographic locations where Phantoms were operated.
Edit: the Marianas map would also be a good choice, and it’s free!
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Man, this Luftwaffe skin is sick.
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@saghen Are you going to join us on the phantom day over at @schurem fight club, the more the merrier and I’m sure crashes all round 
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I did a thing.
I don’t know if I will have the competence or all the other planes/terrains to join the server. Maybe I’ll just be with you in spirit.
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Do you have Nevada? If so you have the competence to join
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You just need Nevada and something to fly, you don’t need to own all the modules that other people are flying if that’s what you’re worried about?
And I’m always happy to sit in the back and read checklists if that helps 
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Unfortunately not. I got A-10 like 3 days AFTER the end of beta and missed out on the free Nevada. Didn’t go back and buy it. Maybe I can get that on the 2 week trial?
Anyway, I don’t want to derail the F-4 discussion here.
I was so agitated tonight and couldn’t really sleep. Maybe it was the humidity, maybe it was the F-4 videos I viewed before sleep. Sitting here at 5:45am, ordering the F-4 Module and a F-4 t-shirt from Amazon.
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You can get the Nevada map on the two week trial and as for competency… if you can start dcs you are as good as the rest of us 
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Absolutely.
If I don’t ball up at least one airframe on takeoff or landing then I expect you all to investigate my disappearance and replacement with a pod person 
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