T-38 VC images, and other Milviz updates 7 Dec, 2010

**skyhawka4m** · December 7th, 2010, 20:04

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**krazycolin** · December 7th, 2010, 20:17

The NASA guys have less clothes? They're smaller? They only have one pair of skivvies?

**Bone** · December 8th, 2010, 06:10

Having grown up on and around USAF bases, I can remember seeing T-38's with travel pods as far back as the 1970's. They had 'em, no doubt.

**strykerpsg** · December 8th, 2010, 13:20

Originally Posted by krazycolin

The NASA guys have less clothes? They're smaller? They only have one pair of skivvies?

Nope, just wearing their Depends diapers.

**deathfromafar** · December 8th, 2010, 14:04

Quite magnificent work there. :salute:

Looks so close to real it's incredible! A good high def T-Birds paint seems fitting as well.

**Roadburner440** · December 8th, 2010, 14:31

My apologies on the whole pod thing. I find it odd though they do not reference it in the original T.O. for the bird.. I know in our NATOPS it tells you everything that can be carried at any given station. It doesn't even list a ventral station for the T-38 in its book. So were they just unable to jettison it? Obviously it is probably only a couple hundred pounds, and probably has very little effect on anything critical. At least it will be included though.

**muletrain** · December 8th, 2010, 18:09

That looks quite authentic to me...even to the visible wear and tear and gauge placement.
Well done :salute:

***ColoKent*** · December 9th, 2010, 04:31

....The small pod is the size used on the T-38As (Air Training Command and NASA). The Bigger pods are the jury-rigged ones seen on the AT-38B weapons trainer.

Overall, the small pod is the standard-- so can we please have the small one?

Thanks,

Kent

aka: "The travel pod connoisseur"

**bstolle** · December 9th, 2010, 04:46

Interestingly it looks like there aren't any performance data in any manual for any pod available...

**Barfly** · December 9th, 2010, 08:23

As I recall we had a few at Vance AFB - you couldn't often take one cross country as the "Wing- King" and others had priority to use it over a line guy. I'm sure it was the smaller type, cobbled together out of old cut up and rewelded napalm canisters. Kind of a tube with obviously welded on end caps. It could be attached to and removed from any T-38A by maintenance.

**Roadburner440** · December 9th, 2010, 09:33

My question though Barfly is this... So the pod is some kind of hobbled together canister from parts and what not, but is that a weapons station on the bottom of the T-38? Or is it some kind hobbled together station that you just attach this pod to and bolt/rivet to the bottom of the airframe somehow?

***jmig*** · December 9th, 2010, 13:34

The T-38A "Travel Pod" had an integral pylon that bolted on to the belly of the bird. Every wing had them for cross-country overnight flights. They were standard equipment and not some kind of hobbled together canister.

**Barfly** · December 9th, 2010, 15:12

You're right jmig, it wasn't hobbled, it was cobbled, lol jk. There must be some formation pictures somewhere of the bottom of the plane, maybe in an echelon turn, so you can see boltholes or whatever's down there.

***ColoKent*** · December 9th, 2010, 18:41

...they were/are a standard, bolt on affair, designed specifically as a travel pod. In fact there are two latches, and it slides open like a drawer. See this links to Airliners.net:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/NASA/...1b21a1f9d38055

And...

http://www.airliners.net/photo/NASA/...1b21a1f9d38055

This is the standard AF/NASA pod for the T-38A.

Another quick question: On the main gear retract cycle, will the fuselage gear doors open during extension, then close (and stay closed) once the gear is down? Just wondered...

Kent

**krazycolin** · December 9th, 2010, 19:00

doors? what doors? KIDDING. yes. they will open and then close just like they do on the real thing. We did the F-5 for AS so we have done this "type" before.

no worries.

***ColoKent*** · December 9th, 2010, 19:08

....this is going to be GOOD. Can't wait for some external shots when they are available...

Kent

**Rattler** · December 9th, 2010, 19:34

Here is a Pic of a T-38 from up the road at Holloman AFB NM

http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA--...11a4751e1f32c8

**n4gix** · December 10th, 2010, 10:40

Here is an interesting discussion on the subject of "travel pods," which includes some very good closeups of one mounted on a T-38:
http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/...p?t174853.html

http://media.photobucket.com/image/M...Talon/3816.jpg

If you type MXU-648 into your google.com search with the "Images" filter selected, you'll find a whole bunch of closeup photos as well...

This company apparently is now the prime manufacturer/supplier of the MXU travel pods:
https://www.cobham.com/media/75413/M...20ADV10595.pdf

**Roadburner440** · December 10th, 2010, 10:52

I guess I will stop trying to wrap my head around this travel pod thing. I am just trying to figure out where/how this station comes from. Being weapons qualified on the SH-60B I know from my perspective what it takes to put weapons/stores on an aircraft. I have never seen an entire pylon that was removable like this which is I suppose what I am trying to understand. On the H-60 the pylon is a part of the airframe, and we just remove/install the BRU-14A bomb racks in order to be able to load stores and what not.. Not to mention we are able to jettison/drop/launch said stores which I thought was a requirement of any external object of an aircraft which is why I was combing the T.O. trying to figure out where the panel is that controls this station. I suppose I am just looking to far into it, as I am just trying to understand for my own knowledge. I really need to go to the fixed wing community and see how this stuff really works... I apologize in that process if I have offended anyone. Not questioning anyones experience with this bird. I am just naturally curious about ALL aircraft, and when I come to something I do not understand how/why it came to be on an airframe I just like to know how it works. Not being able to find it in documentation just makes it that much more mind boggling for me. :ernae:

**Lateral-G** · December 10th, 2010, 11:17

Originally Posted by Roadburner440

I guess I will stop trying to wrap my head around this travel pod thing. I am just trying to figure out where/how this station comes from. Being weapons qualified on the SH-60B I know from my perspective what it takes to put weapons/stores on an aircraft. I have never seen an entire pylon that was removable like this which is I suppose what I am trying to understand. On the H-60 the pylon is a part of the airframe, and we just remove/install the BRU-14A bomb racks in order to be able to load stores and what not.. Not to mention we are able to jettison/drop/launch said stores which I thought was a requirement of any external object of an aircraft which is why I was combing the T.O. trying to figure out where the panel is that controls this station. I suppose I am just looking to far into it, as I am just trying to understand for my own knowledge. I really need to go to the fixed wing community and see how this stuff really works... I apologize in that process if I have offended anyone. Not questioning anyones experience with this bird. I am just naturally curious about ALL aircraft, and when I come to something I do not understand how/why it came to be on an airframe I just like to know how it works. Not being able to find it in documentation just makes it that much more mind boggling for me. :ernae:

On fighter aircraft the pylons are separate from the airframe. There are hardpoints built into the fuselage or wing structure to which the pylons are bolted to. Then the stores/weapons/travel pods/fuel tanks are attached to the pylon. Depending on the mission those pylons will either be attached by the ground crew or left off. When you see an aircraft with no pylons or external stores it's referred to as being in the 'clean' condition.

On the T-38/F-5 there is a centerline station that has a dedicated pylon for it. You can affix various loads to that pylon (fuel tank, travel pod, bombs, etc.)

Typically you see travel pods when the aircraft is ferrying from point to point and it allows the crew to carry their luggage (or beer

).

-G-

**Roadburner440** · December 10th, 2010, 11:23

Beer? That's what the sonobuoy launcher tubes are for on the SH-60B (hard liquor).

No external pod required, lol.

**Barfly** · December 10th, 2010, 11:40

That MXU pod is exactly the one I remember as standard at UPT bases, it's not the slick one seen in NASA photos. BLU 27 cut up and rewelded. It literally does look like it was cobbled together by maybe a metal bender at depot level maintenance in the AF at some point. Not contract quality work, but functional.

**n4gix** · December 11th, 2010, 08:15

There is an interesting anecdote in the first link I posted. Apparently the travel pod was attached "backwards" for one flight, and the result was that the air pressure increased to the point that the pod blew open, scattering the poor pilots' undies all over the landscape...