[Deutschmark]

Here is a good one that not many know.
Why was the rudder and rudder fin painted black on the Thunderbirds F4 slot plane?
It was the only time in Thunderbirds history that this was done.



I will give you the answer if no one can get it.
And where did I get the answer, it was back in 1970 when they told us why it was
painted black at a Thunderbirds air show.


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[Fireskull]

DM,

Was the reason to memorialize a teammate who had passed-away?


Fireskull

[Deutschmark]

Well.... almost but no :)

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[Jambo]

Mh, Jimi Hendrix died?

[US_GRANT]

The number 4 plane always flew in the "slot" in diamond formations and the exhaust from the number 1 plane accummulated on the tail of the number 4 because 4 flew so close during the diamond.

[Deutschmark]

Right and that is what you see all over the net about it, back in 1970 at a thunderbirds air show at Hanscom field
 Air Force bace Bedford mass USA we where told by the thunderbirds show narrator that the black rudder was in memory of the MIA's in Vietnam and this came from the thunderbirds narrator him self that day and I will always remember that as it had a deep meaning at the time as the Vietnam war was still going on.

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[LeBigTed]

Mh, Jimi Hendrix died?

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Ted ;o)

[US_GRANT]

Right and that is what you see all over the net about it, back in 1970 at a thunderbirds air show at Hanscom field
 Air Force bace Bedford mass USA we where told by the thunderbirds show narrator that the black rudder was in memory of the MIA's in Vietnam and this came from the thunderbirds narrator him self that day and I will always remember that as it had a deep meaning at the time as the Vietnam war was still going on.

Deutschmark

That may be what the narrator said, but he was wrong. This pic was taken from: Colors and Markings of the F-4E Phantom II Copyright 1989.