Thanks for looking and for the good words. I’ve decided to pattern my BUFF after aircraft 56-0612 which was stationed with the 70th Bomb Wing at Clinton-Sherman AFB, OK. I was also stationed there and our wing rotated to Okinawa in April 1968. We were there for 6 months and I never saw a pre-loaded bomb clip so apparently our bomb dump didn’t have the necessary loading facility. Bombs were loaded directly onto the clips while they were installed in the aircraft.
However, our planes would often fly a mission over Viet Nam and then recover in Thailand or Guam. Those bases had the facilities to preload the bomb clips, so my depiction of a CS bomber loading pre-loaded clips is relevant.
BTW, 612 is now on permanent display at the Castle AFB Military Museum in Atwater, CA. Here’s a link that shows a brief view of the bomber with a Hound Dog missile attached: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulwyHmld7-o
You and Russ are way over my head here, as you were there and know the language. Listen if you can find more pages to the book that would be fantastic.
If you have any stories to share about your flight experiences, please let us know, here or on the BUFF thread.
When I realize now that the Russ’s crew was loading the clips and the Bays on-site, I can only begin to imagine the hard work to do stuff like that under that hot sun.
Great info gents, and please don’t ever think you are going on too long, some of us here are only beginning to learn what you guys did, most of it isn’t written down, so details are more than welcome, what may seem trivial to you is a gold-mine of knowledge for us.[Y]
The brevity codes Jim is talking about sounds like the How Malfunction codes I mentioned [I backtracked here - there may be a different set of codes Jim was using]. These were 3-digit numbers that were organized into blocks of numbers (100, 200, 300, etc.) and parceled out to the different shops. “Inop” (inoperative) was a common reference to “it ain’t working!” [:D]. Each system usually had an inop code and that was broken down into more detailed descriptions. Like his FLIR system that failed to operate - if it was related to a power problem, there was a code that might say “No Power” or “Incorrect Voltage.”
The crews may have had another set of codes that they used just for reporting over the air. Is this what you used, Jim?
Job Control was the operational arm of the Maintenance effort. They had controllers that monitored the status of each aircraft and tracked all the maintenance actions. Each writeup had a job control number assigned to it. When an aircraft had all it’s writeups corrected or pending, and none of the open writeups were Red Xs or prevented the plane from successfully or safely flying a mission, the aircraft was marked as Ready on their mission board.
Quick update on my MD-3 power generator. It’s been a bear to build but I’m finally getting there. I still have to add the power panel and the tow bar/control handle to the front wheel assembly.
These generators were far to heavy for someone to push around so they have a built in motor that runs off the generator. The motor drives the front wheels. To move it, you release the handle and pull it down level. This activates the handle control. There is a spring-loaded switch just below the tow ring at the end of the handle. Push it away from you and the unit backs up. Pull it towards you and the unit will follow you.
When you you have it in the location you want, you push the handle vertical and it latches to the frame. At the same time, some metal snubbers attached to the bottom of the handle just above the tires press into the tires, preventing the MD-3 from accidentally rolling. BTW, there were various versions of the MD-3, hence the difference in vent panel locations.
All AGE equipment with wheels had to have some kind of safety brake built in. The maintenance stands had locks on the wheels just like some push carts you can buy. Power AGE like the MD-3 had some sort of snubbing device. Trailers and tractors had a set of wheel chocks. The Air Force was very adamant about securing AGE and other objects used on the flightline - for obvious reasons.
Gives us an insight into the ops.We take it for granted that when our car is making noises, we just take it in, when a Buff has an issue, the reporting and repair chain is 100 times more regimented.
Thanks for the link Russ! I visited Anderson back in '78 and watched a couple of D’s launch while standing on the transient ramp. It was the most impressive take-off I’ve ever seen including C-5’s. The noise and the smoke are something you never forget.
I’ve got several of these kits and plan to do one in the “bomber command” scheme like yours so I am very much enjoying your build and will be following it closely.
No problem, Cobra. If you plan to build that BUFF anytime soon, theres an In the BUFF Group Build that just got started. They would be happy to have you join. Here’s the link: cs.finescale.com/…/153086.aspx
I just completed version 3 of my bomb clip assembly instructions and sent them to Ken (SOMM) for conversion to PDF (thanks Ken!). In addition to correcting the panel shapes, I added instructions for building and installing the door locks and bomb bay doors.
Trust me - writing these instructions was harder than building the bomb clip itself [:D].
The brevity codes we used went something like this “E23, Code 3 for C”
“E23” is the system.
“Code 3” means it is broke, inop, don’t friggin work
“C” gives a short description of the malfunction.
Normally. the EW coded up these write-ups and called the Command Post as we came back into range of the base. The radio call was piped directly to Job Control and they would decide which technicians to send to the debriefing. In some cases, the maintenance troops would board the plane before we shut down the engines to see the malfunction first hand.
After all of this, the problem was fixed, postponed to scheduled maintenance, or marked CND, Could Not Duplicate. We hated CND. It often meant that the malfunction would reappear on the next flight. Some things would only show up while flying.
Russ nice job on that generator, I can almost hear it running. I used to run power pallet trucks in warehouses, click-whine, click, click, whine, click, Ka-chunck…
Where did you get the control panel, i mIssed something there. Is that a scratch effort, or a kit, missed that too…
Thanks for the good words, Dom! [:D]. The generator panel is from a photo I found. I resized it and printed it out on photo paper, then cut it out and glued it on. It came out pretty good, much to my surprise [:)].
It’s on page 30. I emailed you a copy and also an update. Did you get them?
Well, I’m sorry, Dom. I thought I sent you a copy, but I just went back through my sent emails and don’t see your addy, and for some reason, it’s not saved in Outlook. Can you PM me your email addy again?
