MWalsh Posted January 12, 2009 Share #1 Posted January 12, 2009 Just recently got this weapons control panel from an aircraft. I have literally no idea which aircraft it came from, and no tags on the back of it to give me any idea or anything either. I suspect it has to be from some fighter or fighter / bomber, since it does have Sidewinder and Sparrow missles as part of the selections on it. It is about 14 inches tall and about 9 inches wide. Help! Thanks! MW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plant#4 Posted January 12, 2009 Share #2 Posted January 12, 2009 Wow, 14 X 9 inches.... that thing is HUGE! We can safely rule out the F-16. But it does have inboard , out board as well as center, so we can rule out bombers....all but one. Even still its fairly large...but the Bomb/Nav would have had more room than, say the pilot or the EWO. But the missles listed are too new for the B-58 I would reaserch the the A-7. The Gam-83 Bullpup (Air Force)and the AGM-45 (Navy) Shrike keys/Lights put this in the Vietnam era. An interesting project to be sure. Let us know when you have more info. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teufelhunde.ret Posted January 12, 2009 Share #3 Posted January 12, 2009 This is likely something found in a trainer / simulator control room situation... my 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBMflyer Posted January 12, 2009 Share #4 Posted January 12, 2009 I'm thinking maybe the F-4 or F-15, not too many a/c carried both the Sidewinder and Sparrow A/A missiles, however this is just a WAG, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steindaddie Posted January 12, 2009 Share #5 Posted January 12, 2009 I would definitely agree it is part of a weapons trainer or simulator control panel. It certainly isn't part of an aircraft - it would be black and a whole lot more compact. Age-wise, it shows the GAM-83 which was renamed AGM-12 in 1963, and it has added below that the AGM-45 which came out the same year. I'd say it's from the early late 1950's or early 60's. The panel's weapons array was used on a variety of aircraft during that era. The F-100, F-105, and F-4 being the likely suspects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plant#4 Posted January 13, 2009 Share #6 Posted January 13, 2009 Lets have a picture of the back. If they are only lights, it is most likley from a ground circuit test panel. It would have been in anything from a large suit case size box to a medium size roll around cart. All to check the stores electrical connections. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr-X Posted January 13, 2009 Share #7 Posted January 13, 2009 Lets have a picture of the back. If they are only lights, it is most likley from a ground circuit test panel. It would have been in anything from a large suit case size box to a medium size roll around cart. All to check the stores electrical connections. Dave I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolyHappiness Posted January 17, 2009 Share #8 Posted January 17, 2009 Looking at this, I'm think it could possibly be to a EA-6 Prowler because it looks a lot more like an electronic warfare terminal than anything. But if I had a second guess I'd say trainer. -Nathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share #9 Posted January 23, 2009 Thanks all, for looking at my post and helping me to try and figure out what I have! I will be attaching some pics of the back of the panel. Stupid me, I completely spaced out the tags on the top of the rear, although they probably do not help much beyond a date of 3/64 which is on them. I assume that would rule out an EA-6B, although I would love to have something from a Prowler Anyway, here are the pics you all said would help. Thanks! MW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share #10 Posted January 23, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teufelhunde.ret Posted January 23, 2009 Share #11 Posted January 23, 2009 I assume that would rule out an EA-6B, although I would love to have something from a Prowler Anyway, here are the pics you all said would help. Thanks! MW ... and you can rule out the Ea-6a. There was nothing in RIO's side that looked like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share #12 Posted January 25, 2009 Oh well, no EA-6B connection then Anyone else have a guess? Thanks for your input all! MW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeL Posted January 30, 2009 Share #13 Posted January 30, 2009 I'm going with a shop test set panel. All the avionics control panels in A/C, at least when I was in, were black faced and "boxed." "Boxed" in that the front panel was part of a self contained box. If they needed changed or worked on, the technician removed it by a unlatching the corner dzus fasteners, disconnected the wiring connectors on the back of the box, removed the box from the A/C (or replaced it with a known good one from supply), and took it in to the shop for troubleshooting/maintenance. The only open wiring in the A/C were the ones running between boxes. All our test equipment in the shop had this light gray-battleship gray color and no "box." The panel was open behind it (as this one is) and fastened into a cabinet with a group of test equipment particular to that system. I worked ECM/EW equipment but all the shops and LRU (Line Replaceable Units-AKA black boxes) looked the same throughout avionics-black boxes in the A/C, gray test equipment in the shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWalsh Posted February 4, 2009 Author Share #14 Posted February 4, 2009 Hey, thanks to all who weighed in and helped ID'ing this piece - I will call it "identified" as a test set panel for aircraft weapons then. THANKS! MW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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