Gotta Love the F-14 Tomcat

[Wiredawg]

They use a cyclo polsher last I knew.

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David,
I never saw them actually doing it, but was told is was "hand waxed". Using that tool could qualify as "hand waxed" if they held it in their "hands" while using it. Good info.

Ron

 

[DavidC]

Ron, even with a bunch of cyclo's it will take a while depending on how many people and machines there are. As you know there is a lot of real estate to a 747. They parked a 747 command ship next to a B-52 and the 52 looked like a F-16. If they actually tried using an applicator (4") by hand you would need approx. 1000 people to do that monster without everyones arms falling off (disability claims would be rampid). Even with a bunch of Cylco's you need to wipe and buff the wax off or maybe they have bonnets on the Cyclo to do that. Would be an interesting video tho. I will have to look around here as I had a post of a bunch of detailers restoring previous presidential aircraft to their former glory.

 

[DavidC]

Found it and the link is still good
https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/restoring-air-force-1.260866/#post-2540684

 

[SnoKing]

You got to watch this!!!

 

[Wiredawg]

Ron, even with a bunch of cyclo's it will take a while depending on how many people and machines there are. As you know there is a lot of real estate to a 747. They parked a 747 command ship next to a B-52 and the 52 looked like a F-16. If they actually tried using an applicator (4") by hand you would need approx. 1000 people to do that monster without everyones arms falling off (disability claims would be rampid). Even with a bunch of Cylco's you need to wipe and buff the wax off or maybe they have bonnets on the Cyclo to do that. Would be an interesting video tho. I will have to look around here as I had a post of a bunch of detailers restoring previous presidential aircraft to their former glory.

David,
It's amazing how they keep BOTH VC-25s like mirrors. Both are kept in the hangar when not on missions, but still must be a maintenance feat to keep them so shiney.

Another note: I recall all of the special air mission (SAM) aircraft looking spotless. The AF retired the last VC-137 (707) from the while I was at Andrews (shown above

Another friend of mine was NCOIC of the wash rack at Pope AFB. They used chemicals, pressure washers and stands to clean the C130s. Not sure if they did the same with these aircraft.

Cheers, Ron

 

[DavidC]

Ron,
I can understand all of that for C-130's. Piston aircraft are usually an oily/grimy mess (don't ask how I know). Jet engines are 99% cleaner which just may require the pressure wash. It would be interesting to hear/see how they maintain the finish tho.

 

[Shiner]

David,
It's amazing how they keep BOTH VC-25s like mirrors. Both are kept in the hangar when not on missions, but still must be a maintenance feat to keep them so shiney.

View attachment 111915

Another note: I recall all of the special air mission (SAM) aircraft looking spotless. The AF retired the last VC-137 (707) from the while I was at Andrews (shown above

Another friend of mine was NCOIC of the wash rack at Pope AFB. They used chemicals, pressure washers and stands to clean the C130s. Not sure if they did the same with these aircraft.

Cheers, Ron

Ah......yes, memories of the wash rack. I remember when I was first sent to the wash rack to wash jets, I thought my Flight Chief was kidding...… At least they were F-16's.

 

[jhenderson]

Jets may be cleaner up front but jet A is miserable stuff compared to 100LL I vividly remember having that awful smell and dry skin for the whole day after drawing fuel samples before a trip when I was right seat fill in on a corporate trip. If it was 100LL it would have evaporated before I got done with the preflight.

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

Jets may be cleaner up front but jet A is miserable stuff compared to 100LL...

"Up front" is the key word here...Just try to work an EGT problem and not start singing an Al Jolson song. Avgas isn't good for refiling the Zippo... JP-4 was so much better for firing up the Camel non-filters...oh, and bar-b-ques

 

[BoeingDiesel]

Jets may be cleaner up front but jet A is miserable stuff compared to 100LL I vividly remember having that awful smell and dry skin for the whole day after drawing fuel samples before a trip when I was right seat fill in on a corporate trip. If it was 100LL it would have evaporated before I got done with the preflight.

I personally like the smell of burning JF but in the raw it's caustic to my nose. One of my sons decided after graduating HS he was going to get into the aviation business one way or another. He landed a job with a private contractor that specialized in jet fuel systems repair and maintenance. After several days of climbing in and out of fuel cells on DC10..MD11 etc he began to reek of fuel and my wife made him undress in the mud room and use the pool shower before entering our home. He finally had enough and went back to school but the smell of kerosene lingered in our home for quite a while...nasty stuff.

 

[BoeingDiesel]

Just for Yuks thought I'd post a pic' of my favorite AC.

 

[SnoKing]

People that spend months on trident bomber subs come home and also most have to burn their clothes when they can home. I forgot the name of the gas that they use in the sub air, but the odor it creates in bad.

OK, from some details about it:

I take that back, the air is gross, because the chemical used to remove CO2 smells like old diesel mixed with a dash of sulphur, and it permeates everything on board. This chemical, called amine, is known by every submariner (I was one for 3 years), as well as every submariner's wife, husband, or anyone else who encounters that sailor's laundry. However, a new CO2-capturing nanomaterial could bring an end to this most notorious of submarine smells (trust me, there are others).

 

[SnoKing]

Just for Yuks thought I'd post a pic' of my favorite AC.

View attachment 111922

One of the backbones of the Vietnam War. Really large fighter. The AF RF-4 had our Loran C in it, it was interfaced to the laser targeting system and part of Pave Nail system. OV-10 Bronco had it also. Attached is a picture of a RF-4 at Udorn, Thailand. Udorn had lots of F-4s and some RF-4s, the Loran antenna is visible on top of the fuse, some called it a ladder rack. SnoKing

 

[Tractorat]

Just for Yuks thought I'd post a pic' of my favorite AC.

Mine too. That and the skyraider.

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

Just for Yuks thought I'd post a pic' of my favorite AC.

View attachment 111922

The howl of an F-4, low level, following the terrain, full bore is one of the sweetest aircraft sounds; right up there with an SR-71 for unique, recognizable aircraft sounds.

 

[BoeingDiesel]

Mine too. That and the skyraider.

The Sandy...it was tank with wings and could loiter for quite some time.

 

[BoeingDiesel]

I took this pic' many years ago of my grandson sitting in the FD of a Tom Kitty. He was my USNA hopeful but got a little too lax in G-12.
That's okay, USN OCS will be just fine.

 

[DHayden]

We used F4 drones for targets, was always painful to see one splash. Most of the F4's are gone now and they will start downing the first F16 drones in a few weeks.

 

[BIGNASTY]

We used F4 drones for targets, was always painful to see one splash. Most of the F4's are gone now and they will start downing the first F16 drones in a few weeks.

I WOULDN'T BET ON IT

 

[BIGNASTY]

Mine too. That and the skyraider.

0-1
0-2
0V-10
A-1 Skyraider

& then ANYTHING that Didn't leave TO BIG A CRATER when it hit the ground
Being a FAC/Emergency airstrip we worked on anything