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Newbie Joined: Oct 08, 2008 Posts: 5 Status: Offline

I am a new member on here and was just browsing the forums, was looking at used surplus parts. I have a control grip that supposedly came out of an Israeli F-16, but not sure. Wondering if someone could help me ID the grip. It was made by Mason Electric. Has a standard trigger, index finger button on right labeled "slave", button on left of china hat "FOV", right "POL" What do those stand for? Heres some pics...

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Elite 1K Joined: May 26, 2005 Posts: 1136

Sorry, that's not from an F-16.

Newbie Joined: Oct 08, 2008 Posts: 5 Status: Offline

any idea what it might be from?

Enthusiast Joined: May 29, 2008 Posts: 59 Status: Offline

Wow, I have never seen one like it. Definitely not any model of 16. FOV is field of view, SLAVE essentially makes a weapon look in the same direction as a sensor. I.e. you make an AIM-9 slew to the radar target by slaving it.

Not sure about POL, but someone else should know.

Newbie Joined: Oct 08, 2008 Posts: 5 Status: Offline

well the guy I bought it from got it from a surplus shop in Israel, he said he thought it was from a 16, but he wasn't sure. Control grips are hard to get so I bought it anyway. Mason Electric is still in business, wonder if I sent them the serial# maybe they can track it...

Enthusiast Joined: May 29, 2008 Posts: 59 Status: Offline

Definitely worth a try. I would also search for A4's, F4's, and any other 60's-70's era aircraft that could have that part.

Enthusiast Joined: Dec 31, 2007 Posts: 58 Status: Offline

Someone should ask a buddy in refuelers if it's one of the backseat sticks from a KC-135 or KC-10?

Can you read a part number?

Best Regards,

Elite 1K Joined: May 26, 2005 Posts: 1136

Definitely not from a -135 boom op station. Never seen a KC-10's.

Elite 1K Joined: Jan 31, 2004 Posts: 1535 Status: Offline

Has to be off somethin' built no later than the mid 70's that had an EO and/or FLIR capability. If not via a pod then somethin' internal. The F-model Vark had Pave Tack. Some A-6s had an EO sighting turret under the nose. The Scooter didn't have any EO/FLIR stuff AFAIK. Tomcat? It had the TARPS pod. The Phantom? Maybe one of the early Paveway droppers or perhaps an RF-4. Israel's had Phantoms since the 70's and he said it came from an Israeli surplus shop.

"POL" may be "POLarity", as in white hot or black hot. The china hat is prolly somethin' that slews a set of crosshairs or a gimbal...but y'all prolly already knew that, right? Wink

Newbie Joined: Oct 08, 2008 Posts: 5 Status: Offline

ok, thanks for all the ideas. I just sent an email to Mason Electric with the numbers stamped on the base, so hopefully I'll get a response from them in a few days...found a photo of an early F-16 with a similar grip, not identical, but with buttons all in the same locations.

I worked some of the oldest A/B's around and none ever had grips like that.

Pete

Newbie Joined: Oct 10, 2008 Posts: 1 Status: Offline

MH-53.....look at the center pedistal.

Enthusiast Joined: May 29, 2008 Posts: 59 Status: Offline

Looks like a winner there, I never even considered whirly birds.

Enthusiast Joined: Feb 01, 2008 Posts: 77 Status: Offline

Looks good to me also, congrats eagle/viper.

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Identify this F-16 control grip