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Does anyone know the story behind this? A-6 ejection

A4sForever

BTDT OLD GUY
pilot
Contributor
The hook is a little different design on the A-6 though. The actual hook (called the stinger) is one piece and is removable from the truss assembly. .....

a6tailhook1yz9.jpg
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Barricade or bingo back to base. I doubt they were blue water doing training.

I think he means when it breaks as you're attempting to trap. In that case, the answer is usually yes. In my jet, I brief that a "significant tug" followed by a "significant release" means we're getting out. You can reference your min end speed bug if you have the presence of mind, but it's probably just going to confirm what the seat of your pants are telling you.

FWIW, the barricade option probably isn't what most people think. It's not as though they string the thing up, stop the jet and all is well. It's going to significantly fuck up the jet. Conventional wisdom in my community is that a barricade = stricken jet. Any background info from the A-6 bubbas on that one? I don't think a Prowler has ever taken the barricade.

Brett
 

A4sForever

BTDT OLD GUY
pilot
Contributor
..... Conventional wisdom in my community is that a barricade = stricken jet. Any background info from the A-6 bubbas on that one? ....
We tried to do better than that -- I suppose the Maint. Officer would plan on strike damage, hope for less. Most results that I saw ended up better than strike by a long shot. :)

I waived one A-6 and one A-7 (both unsafe gear) and rigged the barricade for a VIGI :)eek:) that never happened -- both barricade birds flew again -- the A-6 in about a week and the A-7 after some rework @ IMD @ CUBI ....

I saw another A-7 and an A-4 in CUBI that had barricaded. Both flew again. If flown right and you're lucky (and that's always good) the bird and crew are eminently survivable out of a barricade engagement.

A-6E barricade aftermath -- this baby's gonna fly again ... :)

barricadegx4.jpg
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
^^ I can't imagine the slats were too happy after that. They look...bent. :eek:

Brett
 

A4sForever

BTDT OLD GUY
pilot
Contributor
^^ I can't imagine the slats were too happy after that. They look...bent. :eek:

Brett
Naaaahhhhhh .... you guys with the gold canopies are wa-a-a-ay too fussy. We bomber guys were more "understanding" of physics, aerodynamics, flight controls, and where we fit into the greater scheme of Naval Aviation ... :D .... and they do tend to get bent when you drop 'em @ 350 KIAS following a 500 KIAS ramp-break at USS BOAT!! Not that I would ever do something as non-standard as that ....

Or ... if you think those slats are "bent" ... you woulda' LOVED the A-4 -- when the slats were "sticky", we'd just bend them by hand to fit "mo' bettah" during preflight ... :D
 

JJCaesar

Registered User
pilot
Flew with A. Hux... in VA-42, he told me about it and passed that he was with his pilot - FRP/FRBN (i.e. Bug/Bug) CQ evolution on the Lex. FRP's first trap, hook point parts, they hear eject and Hux pulls his handle first (no command eject at that time). The rest you can see in the video.

Donny "Cake-boy" Bree.... was the pilot of VA-75's barricade (and I believe A4's picture) on the '96 deployment on ENT. Nose gear drag brace broke, thus the nose gear wouldn't come all the way down and locked (canted back 20 degrees or so). Decision was made to barricade, as they got the "cut..cut..cut.." from the LSO's he caught the one wire and the decel. prior to going through the barricade swung the nose gear forward. No collapse. Jet flew a week or so later...I was on the flight deck waiting to launch on an OSW mission when the did the pull-forward.

I must be getting old.
 

Pugs

Back from the range
None
[Or ... if you think those slats are "bent" ... you woulda' LOVED the A-4 -- when the slats were "sticky", we'd just bend them by hand to fit "mo' bettah" during preflight ... :D

Nothing like a good asymmetric slat departure at the merge for a good head off the canopy bounce!
 

Flugelman

Well-Known Member
Contributor
Flew with A. Hux... in VA-42, he told me about it and passed that he was with his pilot - FRP/FRBN (i.e. Bug/Bug) CQ evolution on the Lex. FRP's first trap, hook point parts, they hear eject and Hux pulls his handle first (no command eject at that time). The rest you can see in the video.

Yeah, if yer just a pax might as well go ahead and get out too... :)
 

Joe Kaposi

New Member
Saw that with an F-14A from VF-211 on JCS. Stick jammed full aft on cat shot. Up, up and away...from Cat 3, across the bow in Full A/B, gear coming up...all pilot could get out was "trim" on radio before they punched out as jet performed a beautiful hammerhead stall and crashed just off the starboard bow in 3000+ feet of water.

The Air Boss yelled something sarcastic on the radio like "Don't cross my bow" before he realized the jet was in serious trouble.

Actually couldn't see the ejection from Primary.
WOW!!! Where is the PLAT for that? I'd sure love to add it to my collection.
 

Rocket Rob

Member
pilot
I know this is an old thread, but I just found it and thought I might add a little to it, as I was the pilot.

Actually was the second day of CQ on Lady Lex. If my memory is correct, I had six day and two night traps the day before. This was my first of the day.
After touchdown, all seemed normal for a "bug/bug" crew. Good decel in the wires....then we started to go again. Yes, the power was already at mil and the boards were in.
LSOs were calling for power, then eject. The Boss called eject....on the 5MC...so now the entire flight deck knew something was amiss.
B/N pulled his handle as I was saying "get out of here". I pulled mine after watching the flight deck rise above me and the cockpit filled with condensation fog as Al's seat went through the canopy.
Both watched the carrier pass by as we swam from our chutes. LSO's waved to us, hoping the sharks they had seen earlier off the platform were not still lurking about. Helo put aircrewman in the water to effect our hoist out of the drink.
On deck, the hook runner chased the broken hook point down the deck, tackled it and brought it to FDC. Warminster's EI showed a flawed weld and all stingers of that lot were removed from service.
Al was flying in a week, too me about four weeks to get med up. I still had a death grip on the stick when I pulled the lower handle with my left hand which caused me to be a bit out of position when my seat fired through the canopy. CQ'd at the next boat, FORRESTAL and went on to VA-176.
The plane flew away as it was trimmed up, boards in, at MRT, weight loss, CG shift, and good ole ground effect. It crashed off the stbd side, after a hammerhead stall over the bow, full nose down still at mil.
Hope this rounds out the story for you all.

Cheers, Rocket
 
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