Forum: General F-16 forum

Last edited by Gamera on Apr 07, 2011 - 09:25 AM; edited 1 time in total

http://www.zakzak.co.jp/society/domesti ... 000-n1.htm

http://www.zakzak.co.jp/society/domesti ... 016-n1.htm

Jap serial articles dated 5-6 April 2011, about when the tsunami bashed Matsushima AB.

After the tsunami warning was issued, everyone was ordered to evacuate to third floor or above, not even second floor. However, many controllers and ground crew were still working on the ground, even at the runways, and were difficult to contact.

They used the PA system, and drove cars around the runways, to pass the warning that the tsunami ETA was 15:10. About 1,100 people evacuated into earthquake-resistant buildings, mostly on the roofs.

They began to check names, and they included employees of the shops and visitors on business. Still snowing, and sirens blaring, time went by, and passed the tsunami ETA.

Eerie silence.

From the roofs, they saw cars still driving on the coastline roads, and they yelled at them. Some cars U-turned, but others drove along.

At 15:54, the black tsunami arrived. The soldiers' private cars began to float.

The four-metre tsunami KO the power generators, 28 aircraft, and emergency supplies. They prepared radio sets to contact any incoming SAR aircraft, and turned off cell phones to conserve batteries.

Fires were seen in the Ishinomaki direction, where the soldiers' families were.

Sunset and darkness. Candles were lit.

Later, aircraft sound. Radio contact, and discovered it came from Hyakuri AB.

During the night, they thought of the tasks to do after the next sunrise, but they had no cars, no long boots, no tools... nothing.

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Wow, thanks for posting this Gamera. That was eerie to read.

http://cyberjapandata.gsi.go.jp/h23taih ... 3_1538.jpg

A hi-res (3140 x 4815) aerial or satellite photo of Matsushima AB, dated 2011.03.12.

BTW, "northeast" of the two rows of F-2s, right of the building with a smart light blue roof, is the preserved F-104.

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/news/1 ... 051-n1.htm
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/news/1 ... 051-n2.htm

17 April 2011:
At Matsushima AB, JASDF began to repair damaged F-2.

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/photos ... 051-p1.htm

F-2B. 110.

http://mainichi.jp/area/aichi/news/2011 ... 1000c.html

Small news photo, dated 6 April 2011, of damaged F-2s and an helo in an hangar, at Matsushima AB.
Can't see S/Ns.

http://ameblo.jp/captain-kotora/image-1 ... 00171.html

Can't see S/Ns.

http://minkara.carview.co.jp/userid/199 ... photo.aspx

http://minkara.carview.co.jp/userid/199 ... photo.aspx

http://minkara.carview.co.jp/userid/199 ... photo.aspx

Photos, dated 26 January 2011, of Matsushima AB.
Can barely spot some S/Ns.

Looking for photos of inside the hangars at Jap SDF Matsushima AB after the tsunami, is a challenge, so I took a quick look anyway. 8D

http://minkara.carview.co.jp/userid/311 ... /21734997/
has photos, dated 10 March 2011, of the JASDF Blue Impulse T-4s before they departed Matsushima AB, and went to Kyuushuu.

Those of you who have more patience than me, might write down their serial numbers, to eliminate them from the T-4 suspects that are damaged by the tsunami on 11 March 2011.

http://minkara.carview.co.jp/userid/199 ... photo.aspx
has photos, dated 26 January 2011, of inside the Blue Impulse hangar.
The eighth pic is the Blue Impulse spare T-4, and possibly the one that's damaged.
After all, I haven't compared its S/N with the ones that went to Kyuushuu. 8b

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/feature/graph/ ... ;id=107986

Damaged aircraft, including F-2s, at Matsushima AB, in an IJN era hangar.

http://ameblo.jp/captain-kotora/image-1 ... 43007.html

Damaged aircraft at Matsushima AB.

OTOH, for now, I'm least interested in the damaged JCG aircraft at Sendai AP.

http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/highligh ... /15/10sdf/

A Sankei news photo of damaged Jap F-2s in an hangar at Matsushima AB. Plus, a Blue Impulse T-2... or F-1.
You editors/mods take your time to professionally record their S/Ns. 8D

discofishing wrote:

chrisrt wrote:

discofishing wrote:

Those aircraft can be fixed. As for the rest of Japan, I'm not so sure.

So Disco, these can be fixed? A photo I saw suggested the fighters where NOT fully submerged. How would the turbines fare? I know boat jets get a fare dose but are their turbines composed of slightly different metals?

Would these fighters potentially turn into problem jets in the future?

Read about this aircraft called "Twice as Nice" (79-0377) and take a look at the picture that clearly shows the aircraft upside down and with the front half of the fuselage completely broken off. This aircraft was involved in two major accidents and had to be rebuilt twice and is currently FLYING with the Israeli Air Force. If this bird can be fixed, I'm fairly certain water damaged F-2s can be repaired. I'm not talking about unit level maintenance, I'm talking about depot level.

Sometimes when aircraft systems designers integrate various components into an airframe they forget to examine what happens if a component should fail. Such was the case in the original F-16 design. An electrical connector.

http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F ... rofile/557

I've come across a report that 15 of the 18 F-2s are write-offs and will never fly again. Can anyone confirm?

[Link pending approval];id=news/awst/2011/04/25[Link pending approval];headline=Three%20Contenders%20Remain%20For%20Japan%20F-X
this seems to imply that they are going to be ok

"Some relief for Japan’s fighter production base is coming from an unfortunate circumstance. The ministry believes that 18 F-2Bs that were submerged in the March 11 tsunami can be salvaged. Work began on April 17. The engines, electronics and at least some electro-mechanical systems presumably need to be replaced. The ministry does not yet know how much the repairs will [Link pending approval];

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20110 ... 87-san-pol

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/politics/photo ... 006-p1.htm

18 May 2011:
JMOD investigation reported the 18 damaged F-2 at Matsushima AB, maximum 1/3 or six F-2 could be resurrected.
Cannibalise useable parts for repair could take five years.
Repair cost could be five to six billion Yen per aircraft.

Gamera wrote:

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20110519-00000087-san-pol

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/politics/photo ... 006-p1.htm

18 May 2011:
JMOD investigation reported the 18 damaged F-2 at Matsushima AB, maximum 1/3 or six F-2 could be resurrected.
Cannibalise useable parts for repair could take five years.
Repair cost could be five to six billion Yen per aircraft.

Yen 6Billion = US$73Million approx.

$73 Million per aircraft - OUCH! Shocked

Might be a better option to replace the damaged F-2/Japanese F-16's.

anyone know anything about the J/APG-1 upgrade "kai"?

(Evidence that the 11th and 21st Squadrons, based at tsunami-hit Matsushima AB, are being respawned?)

http://tonk298.blog24.fc2.com/?no=78

8 July 2011:
Jap spotter at Gifu AB took these photos and vids of...

T-4 728 in Blue Impulse paint scheme.
T-4 675 in grey paint scheme, but has 11th Squadron emblem on tail fin.
Both used callsign "Blue Impulse".

F-2 124 with 21st Squadron "blue triangle" emblem.
F-2 102 with strange paint scheme. Blue top, grey or white bottom.

The vids show these and other aircraft, such as F-4. 8D

] Evidence that the 11th and 21st Squadrons

These were possibly check flights at Gifu AB, after their IRAN.

If they weren't assigned to these two squadrons before the earthquake-tsunami, then maybe they'll be assigned to these two squadrons in the near-future?

If they were assigned to these two squadrons before the earthquake-tsunami, then maybe they were already ferried out of Matsushima AB before the earthquake-tsunami?

Personally, I don't have a JASDF serial numbers database with dates, so I've no proof, and just guessing at these new pics.

Forum: General F-16 forum

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