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Ok, I hate to be picky, because I do love the model so much, but I actually had a few "free" moments today to look over my latest armour (the 23rd one) and noticed something. They have the two external tanks loaded on pylons 5 & 7, correct me if I'm wrong, because it has been over 4 years since I hung any, but I thought externals could be hung on 4, 6, and 8? There are a few other things (like only 6 barrels, know someone brought this up before) but the only other MAJOR thing wrong with all the armour A10s is the main gear, they are on backwards...Again, I overlook this because overall the models are great, but you would think they would get the details more accurate...oh well, just venting (had a LONG day, another short notice briefing I had to build for the Aircraft Production Division to give the the Center Commander today, and yes, once again I worked my "magic" and got it done, hopefully it will pay off and I'll get promoted to a GS11 soon <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>)

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THATS GREAT PRKIII,

YES I NOTICED THE PROBLEMS TOO BUT YOU CANT FIX IT.
I REMOVED THE EXT TANKS FROM ONE MODEL,THEY JUST POP OFF.
I HAVENT SEEN THE NEWER ONES,THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS?

PRESS TO TEST

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\"Live Free Or Die\"

Yup, but I'm just overlooking them at the moment...<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

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I have been looking over my just delivered Armour SP 81st FS Hog today thinking the same things, the long range tanks seem too small, 6 barrels like you mentioned.....but what happened to the 'LASTE bumps'??!!....none on the fins or on the tailplane!....having said that, that wouldnt be an issue for the Desert Storm model cos they didnt have LASTE over there anyway.
Its a shame cos it is a beautiful model.
One other gripe is the decals letters and numbers don't look authentic enough.....but, it is definately a case of me being too picky!
I did wonder what the crew chiefs and pilots amongst you would think!

prkii: Just to confirm, you are right...tanks go on 4, 6, and 8...there is no way to carry all 3 if they went on 5, 6, and 7...

--Raven

"Work Hard, Party Hard, Hardly Sleep"

Thanks Raven...I knew my knowledge wasn't that rusty <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

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<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
to the 'LASTE bumps'??!!....none on the fins or on the tailplane!....having said that, that wouldnt be an issue for the Desert Storm model cos they didnt have LASTE over there anyway.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Seems to me like we <b>did</b> have LASTE birds over there. I know most of our aircraft had LASTE, and we took nearly all our jets with us.



-=> coming to you "almost live" from Searcy, Arkansas <=-

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-=> Carroll McAllister <=-

coming to you \"almost live\" from Searcy, Arkansas

There were no LASTE jets in Desert Storm. The only ones that had been modified at that time were at Nellis.

HATE TO DISAGREE COACH BUT,
ON PAGE 140 OF FAIRCHILD-REPUBLIC A-10 THUNDERBOLT II BY PETER C. SMITH

THERE IS A FAMOUS PICTURE IN THE 76THAMU .WITH A BUNCH OF OUR GUYS STANDING AROUND A CART OF MK-20'S AND OUR GOOD LATE FRIEND "GUS" WITH A 74TH JET IN THE BACKGROUND WITH THE LASTE MOD.

THAT WASNT THE ONLY ONE EITHER.WE JUST STARTED TO GET SOME IN BEFORE WE SHIPPED OUT.

PRESS TO TEST

Edited by - sgtgoose1 on Feb 22 2003 1:13 PM

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\"Live Free Or Die\"

I read a quote by Col.Dave Sawyer saying that "We were a pretty good gorilla in the Persian Gulf War but we would have been King Kong had we had the LASTE mod over there".......I rest my case.
Check out William Smallwoods book Warthog.
Maryland ANG brought the LASTE thing to peoples attention when they won Gunsmoke 91 in the Fall of that year.
In any case, I didnt see LASTE on any USAFE Hogs till late '91.
That Peter C Smith book is good.....BUT, some of the photo captions are incorrect.
Having said that, the pic on p140 shows a Hog with 'slime lights' but definatley no LASTE antennas, remember the LASTE mod consists of those 2 square white/grey sensors at the base of the fins, with another pair on the base of the tail-plane.
p154 has a pic of some AK Hogs, look at the lower part of the fin and you will see the 2 LASTE 'bumps'.
Hogs now also have a couple of extra 'Warts' either side of the wingtip lights, not sure what they are though...but they have only sprouted them in the last 6 years or so.

I'M GOING TO STAY MY COURSE,
COL SWAYER MIGHT OF SAID THAT,BUT I ALSO REMEMBERING HIM SAYING"I WISH ALL THE A-10'S HAD VTR'S"
HECK WE DIDNT EVEN HAVE THE AIM-9 MODS THAT LONG EITHER.
EVERYTIME A PLANE CAME BACK FROM DEPOT SOMETHING WAS NEW.
I COULD BE WRONG,AND I'LL ADMITT IT.

BUT I REMEMBER"THE BOSS", SAYING ALOT OF THINGS ON WHAT HE WISH WE HAD.
ONE WAS ALSO,"GOOSE I NEED A COLD TOWEL,"
THAT MAN SWEATED THRU HIS SKULL CAP AND IT WOULD JUST POOR OUT WATER!

PRESS TO TEST

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\"Live Free Or Die\"

There were no LASTE jets flying in Desert Storm, we had the only ones at Nellis. We tried to get our jets deployed over but Gen Horner didn't want any new toys arriving just before the war. The same reason he didn't let any units repaint their jets.

The LASTE "bumps" are the radar altimeter antennas. The other bumps on the wing tips are the covert IR lights used with NVGs. There are also a set on the spine next to the upper formation light and on the tail cone.

Thanks for that Coach, my Hog knowledge is a little rusty at the moment, we don't get to see the Hog here in the UK much now because of operational reasons etc.
By the way, back to the Armour model....I'm sure it has an a Escapac ejector seat rather than the ACES II fitted to the production jets......OK, now I am being picky!!<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

OK,I'LL ADMITT I'M WRONG,
WONT BE THE FIRST TIME OR THE LAST TIME.

THANKS FOR SETTING ME STRAIGHT

PRESS TO TEST

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\"Live Free Or Die\"

did "GUS" ever post on the forums here at WT?

pope

HE DIED BEFORE THE WT WAS UP AND RUNNING

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\"Live Free Or Die\"

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
There were no LASTE jets in Desert Storm. The only ones that had been modified at that time were at Nellis.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Sorry to disagree here, but we had several LASTE birds <b>before</b> Desert Storm. I'll have to hunt up some more photos.


-=> coming to you "almost live" from Searcy, Arkansas <=-

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-=> Carroll McAllister <=-

coming to you \"almost live\" from Searcy, Arkansas

I reckon the confusion here is being caused by the 'slime lights' which were part of the modification package, I have seen the photo of the 23rd TFW jet in Desert Storm with the slime lights but no LASTE rad. alt. antennas.
The improvements which Col.Sawyer spoke of revolved around targeting and the low flying safety mods. (the radar alt.) formation lights and the installation of an auto-pilot.
The HUD was updated with a system similar to the F-16's with CCIP and updates to improve the accuracy of the Avenger.
The final item was to give the Hog a proper night fighting capability.
The installation of the full LASTE package would have the jet with the slime lights AND the rad. alt. antennas. , I have yet to see a pic of a Hog in Desert Storm with the antennae on the base of the fins and read no account of a Hog Driver using such systems in that war.
It is these antennae that confirms the LASTE modification proper.
The pic in that Peter Smith book that sgt goose mentioned illustrates the confusion because that jet has the light strips but no antennae, this is where people are getting confused.

MACK,WHEN YOU FIND THE PICS SEND ME A COPY AND WELL LOOK AT THEM.


PRESS TO TEST

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"

There is no confusion here...no LASTE jets in Desert Storm. The mod didn't hit the streets for line aircraft until mid-'91. Most units weren't completely modified until almost 1993.

The slime lights don't help with night fighting, we turn them off when in the target area. The do help a lot with night non-tactical formation, though. Much better than the three white lights we had previously.

Coach

The slime lights and the LASTE mod were two separate TCTOs but in the beginning, they were done concurrently because a lot of the wiring had to be run in the same areas.

When Desert Storm hit, as stated above, Gen Horner said the system was too new and not all pilots were trained on the system(s) and he didn’t want a mix of jets in the war…so no LASTE jets were allow to go. The slime lights were considered a safety upgrade so if the units had the kits they were allowed to put the light on, that’s why you will see a few jets in DS with strip lights but not LASTE.


Ugly but well hung!

Exactly!! the crew chiefs' recall seeing the slime lights on a few jets in DS and assume that was the LASTE mod, it was'nt!
I think it fair to say the case is now closed !
(Thanks to Dice and Coach for the back-up by the way)
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