OF-4J Pave Pirate

[comrade harps]

McDonnell Douglas OF-4J "Pave Pirate" Phantom II
"Laser Lips Laura" 811 Sqd, Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Commonwealth Special Operations Wing – Vietnam, Camh Ranh Bay, 10 May, 1972
Pilot: Lt. Renee Skase
WSO: Lt. Dick Bond
Mission: Nocturnal special littoral operations warfare and fast Forward Air Control (FAC)

Perhaps the best known aircraft of the Operation Half back flanker period, Laser Lips Laura was flown by a dynamic, charismatic and ultimately controversial pair of flyers, pilot Lt. Renee Skase and Weapons Systems Operator (WSO) Lt. Dick Bond. During this time, they flew many dangerous missions, including fast night FACs over Hanoi in support of special operations forces and controlling night rescue missions over Haiphong. In 1975, their exploits were published in the best-selling adventure tale Laser Lips Laura, which went on to become a popular squash buckling film of the same name in 1979.



On the night of 10th May, 1972, Skase and Bond were tasked to a night FAC patrol over the Tonkin Gulf when called in to support a special operations mission in downtown Hanoi. A US Navy SEAL team attempting to assassinate a leading Vietnamese Communist Party official were discovered by the North Vietnamese Army and were involved in a running battle as they attempted to head for their exfiltration helicopter landing zone. For over an hour, the crew of Laura Laser Lips provided FAC and some close air support with their 20mm cannon, dodging surface to air missiles and drawing anti-aircraft fire as they directed the battle.

Their aircraft was an OF-4J Pave Pirate I, the first in a series of three OF-4 night fast FACs. Subsequent models introduced new sensors such as the Pave Tack (OF-4S Pave Pirate II) and LANTIRN pods (OF-4S Pave Pirate III), plus more modern computers, radios and displays.

Leaving the RAN in 1980, Skase and Bond went on to each build major business enterprises and became respected for their philanthropy. However, in the late 1990s both men had a spectacular from grace with a raft of business fraud and tax evasion convictions. Burke became a bankrupt and spent 5 years in jail. Skase meanwhile skipped the country on a private yacht and found a safe haven in neutral Burma, where he facilitated the illegal and lucrative trade between China and businesses in United Nations member states.


Mission marks:
White bombs: Non-laser missions, including LORAN lead ship and Zuni illumination target marking
Black laser guide bombs (LGBs): Missions where 3rd party laser designation provided
Red LGBs: Missions where own GBU.10 Paveway II LGBs were dropped on hardened North Vietnamese coastal defence targets designated by RAN Special Boat Service (SBS) personnel.



Features: (left to right)
370 US gal (1,420 L) external fuel tank
2 x AIM-9E Sidewinder air-to-air missiles (AAMs)
TER + 2 x LAU-10 Zuni rocket pods, each with 4 x 10 inch illumination rounds
DECM jammer aerials
Pave Sword laser spot tracker (LST) pod
2 x AIM-7E Sparrow AAMs
Mk.4 20mm cannon pod
Long Range Air Navigation (LORAN) "towel rack" dorsal antenna
Pave Fork forward looking infra-red (FLIR) pod
Phillips Canada "Magnolia Mist" ChaffWinder and "Sulphur City" FlareWinder pods on Sidewinder mounts
Pave Knife low-light level television (LLTV) and laser designator (LD) pod
370 US gal (1,420 L) external fuel tank



comrade harps
It's a Fujimi F-4J 1:72   :ar: 

[Excalibur]

Awesome camo there! Which colours did you use?

[Brian da Basher]

That's some absolutely stunning paintwork there Comrade Harps!

Brian da Basher

[Maverick]

OMG.... Sierra Hotel beyond Sierra Hotel.  

         

[Rafael]

Impressive, colorful aircraft!!!

I Sierra-Hoteled my pants!!!

Rafa

[AeroplaneDriver]

Very impressive scheme there!!

Entertaining story too.

[BlackOps]

Very snazzy paint job!    

[Eddie M.]

I am very impressed with camo paint work. The story is a good read as well. B)
  Eddie  

[cthulhu77]

Wonderful camouflage!  

[ysi_maniac]

Yeah, impressive paint job
       

[comrade harps]

Which colours did you use?

Humbrol black, gull grey and Oxford blue and Model Master PRU blue. I love PRU blue.

Thanks for the kind words, fellow whiffffers.

It took longer to paint than anything else.

Actually, I spent a few years planning this. I got the kit when my wife was pregnant and researched and schemed and fantasied about it for about 4 or 5 years before finding the time and the breath to start. It was always going to be an OF-4J with a full-on night FAC loadout and a tropical reef camo.

comrade harps

[DropBear]

Skase and Bond...LOL!  

Yep, nice paint work mate.