Pictures and albums about Attack published in news

Off all the ways in which you can tell someone that they stink, well, this is one Hell of an original idea. It is also a true event. In October 1965, the USS Midway was patrolling "Dixie Station", an operational strike point for airstrikes into South Vietman. In Midway's airwing was VA-25 "Fists of the Fleet", equiped with the A-1H Skyraider. The Skyraider was developed as attack/torpedo bomber for carrier operations, but it arrived too late to see service in WWII. The Skyraider was a success in the Korean War and was again seeing combat with US and South Vietnamese forces. In July 1965, VA-25 Skyraiders made history when they became the first piston-powered aircraft to shoot down an enemy jet fighter during the Vietnam War. By October, the US was about to pass another milestone, 6 million pounds of ordnance dropped of the enemy. Apparently, the pilots and crew of VA-25 decided to show thier displeasure. The toilet was useless and was due to be thrown overboard when it was discovered by one of VA-25's plane captains. It was sent to the ordanance crew who attached a rack, bomb fins and a fuse to it. The "bomb" was attached to NE572 "Paper Tiger II" flown by the Squadron Executive Officer, CDR Clearance Stoddard, Jr. for the next bombing mission into Vietnam. Now, being that the toilet isn't an approved ordnance load for the US Navy (or anyone else for that matter), the deck crew attempted to block the toilet from the view from the air boss until it was just seconds from being catapulted from the Midway. Just as soon as the air boss spotted the unusual ordnance, he shouted over the intercom "What the Hell is under 572's right wing?", but it was too late. Once over the aircraft assigned patrol area, the pilot checked in with the FAC (Forward Air Controller) with an "Operation Sani-Flush". The FAC was so suprised at whet he heard, he actually flew alongside NE572 to observe the new weapon. Also along for the flight was NE577, which was one of the two A-1H Skyraiders that shot down the MiG-17 on 20 July, 1965. But for this mission, NE577 was equiped with a wing camera to record the toilet run. The mission nearly ended in disaster during the actual drop. While being released, the toilet almost struck the wing of NE572. The FAC reported that he heard the toilet whistle all the way to the ground. Pictures of the aircraft with the toilet do exist, but the film of the bomb run has reportedly been lost.

The L-39 Albatros series of trainers/ground attack aircraft is the most successful aircraft produced by Aero from the Czech Republic. The L-39 was a further development of the L-29 Delfin jet trainer that was supplied to some Warsaw Pact air forces and some Soviet client air forces during the 1960's. The L-39 first entered service with the Czech Air Force in 1974, but thier largest client became the Soviet Union. The L-39 was also sold to Afghanistan, East Germany, Cuba, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Libya, Nigeria, North Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and several other countries. The L-39 fleet that served with the former Soviet Union had been split up with the former republics. The L-39 is primarily used as an primary and advanced trainer, but some versions are used for combat training and light ground attack. The Albatros versions include the L-39C trainer, L-39V target tug, L-39ZO armed with a gun pack for advanced weapons training, L-39ZO light attack version and the L-39ZE used by Thailand with Isreali electronics. A further development is the L-59, currently in service with Egypt and Tunisia and a single seat ground attack version has been developed known as the L-159.