The Aviators Thread

TLIGuy · Sep 7, 2023

A Arunski

You

I guessed it was a Porsche Designed chrono but wasn’t remebeing which brand type. So close but no cigar for me😟

checking online https://www.watch-id.com/sightings/porsche-design-chronograph-1-tom-cruise-top-gun#:~:text=Tom Cruise wears a Porsche Design Chronograph 1 watch in,the first Top Gun film.

it appears it was a
“The markings on the Top Gun movie watch on Tom Cruise's wrist (right) match the Porsche Design Chronograph 1 ref 7750 model (including the 1 Mile tachymeter markers and PD logo) seen on the left.”
photo © Christies / Paramount

Fun fact about the watch worn by Cruise in the original Top Gun.

Retired Admiral Pete Pettigrew was a Top Gun instructor and technical advisor on the movie. During pre production he noticed the watch Cruise was wearing was not very fighter pilot like. The Porsche Design watch eventually worn by Cruise in the movie was given to him by Pettigrew to wear and was Pettigrew's personal real fighter pilots watch.

Pettigrew also appears briefly in the film as Perry, a colleague of Kelly McGillis' character Charlie. His callsign Viper was used in the film by Tom Skerritt's character Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf.

tapaptpat · Sep 7, 2023

Great stories, photos, scale models, and watches everyone. 👍

DoctorEvil · Sep 8, 2023

@TLIGuy
Love the models of the F-14. May I ask what scale they are? I'm guessing 1/72?

DoctorEvil · Sep 8, 2023

Calling @Mad Dog
On the subject of US Navy issued pilot watches, can you recall what you were issued with back when you were in the Service? Thanks in advance.

TLIGuy · Sep 8, 2023

DoctorEvil
@TLIGuy
Love the models of the F-14. May I ask what scale they are? I'm guessing 1/72?

Thank you. Both are Hasegawa 1/48 scale and for Snorts build I designed and printed the waterslide decals as they are not available.

Nice big displays!!

DoctorEvil · Sep 8, 2023

TLIGuy
Thank you. Both are Hasegawa 1/48 scale and for Snorts build I designed and printed the waterslide decals as they are not available.

Nice big displays!!

Yes sir, 1/48 is definitely big for that kind of display! I know because I used to have a 1/48 scale F-14 in the markings of Fast Eagle 107, one of the aircraft from VF-41 " Black Aces" that shot down a Libyan MIG in the Gulf of Sidra incident in 1981. Great work on the decals too. It can't have been easy trying to do it from scratch.

TLIGuy · Sep 8, 2023

DoctorEvil
Great work on the decals too. It can't have been easy trying to do it from scratch.

The decals can be tricky but it's not too bad once you've done it a few times and then you can be creative too.

On all my builds I used to add my name to the rear canopy rail as the back seater RIO or WSO. It was like an artist signing a painting.

One day my neighbor across the street, an F-18F Super Hornet driver, saw me picking up dog crap in the yard three days in a row from a rouge dog. Not to pleased I vented to him. After that he gave me the honorary callsign "Scooper" 🤦

kfranzk · Sep 8, 2023

I like to add some pictures of the famous Jaeger 330 cockpit navigation clocks, mainly used by the RAF in WWII and later..
They were issued under brands like Jaeger, LeCoultre, Wakman, Breitling, Smith, Longines and even in the Soviet Air Fleet.
A phantastic area of collecting vintage timepieces.
Greetings Konrad Knirim

DoctorEvil · Sep 8, 2023

That's really interesting that these aircraft clocks are mechanical. I always thought that cockpit clocks would run off the aircraft's electricals. That was certainly the case in the Piper Cherokee that I used to fly. Don't know when the switch happened.

JimInOz · Sep 8, 2023

Mechanical aircraft clocks were essential, especially during the Cold War.
In the event of an EMP, the crew would know exactly when all of their electrical based systems shat themselves and they would then be able to accurately calculate remaining glide times using their clock and a Jeppesen slide computer.

tapaptpat · Sep 8, 2023

My guess is that some time after the Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR1, I could only find computer is the modern fighters.
This is a close up of Sinn I think its a "NA BO 17ZN" mission timer/Clock from the late 70's 80s at a guess

Here is a link to modern version From Sinn
https://www.sinn.de/en/Modell/NaBo_56-----8.htm

Mad Dog · Sep 8, 2023

DoctorEvil
Calling @Mad Dog
On the subject of US Navy issued pilot watches, can you recall what you were issued with back when you were in the Service? Thanks in advance.

Are you freaking kidding me???

You are rubbing my nose in it!!!

I was issued NOTHING and I was ordered to like it…

tapaptpat · Sep 8, 2023

@Mad Dog Is there direct correlation between lack of parachute et al. and watch on kit sheet?😗

Omegafanman · Sep 8, 2023

tapaptpat
My guess is that some time after the Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR1, I could only find computer is the modern fighters.
This is a close up of Sinn I think its a "NA BO 17ZN" mission timer/Clock from the late 70's 80s at a guess

Here is a link to modern version From Sinn
https://www.sinn.de/en/Modell/NaBo_56-----8.htm

The Tornado ran a lot of its computer programs and navigation off a C90 cassette load…they could be on target and bomb to the second as long as it did not eat the cassette. I spoke to a navigator and he said they used to play music when bored on a long mission (not sure what the computer made of that :0)

Omegafanman · Sep 8, 2023

DoctorEvil
That's really interesting that these aircraft clocks are mechanical. I always thought that cockpit clocks would run off the aircraft's electricals. That was certainly the case in the Piper Cherokee that I used to fly. Don't know when the switch happened.

I have been slowly collating a lot of data on mechanical instrument panel clocks .. they were used well into the Cold War / the Vulcan had several. The Tornado was one of the first RAF aircraft where they used cassette / time stamped recording for the test flights (not a knee pad, stop watch and pencil) . .

DoctorEvil · Sep 8, 2023

tapaptpat
My guess is that some time after the Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR1, I could only find computer is the modern fighters.
This is a close up of Sinn I think its a "NA BO 17ZN" mission timer/Clock from the late 70's 80s at a guess

Here is a link to modern version From Sinn
https://www.sinn.de/en/Modell/NaBo_56-----8.htm

Thanks for that. Up till now I thought Sinn only made wrist watches. Love their 356 Flieger chronograph.

https://www.sinn.de/en/Modell/356_PILOT.htm

DoctorEvil · Sep 8, 2023

Mad Dog
Are you freaking kidding me???

You are rubbing my nose in it!!!

I was issued NOTHING and I was ordered to like it…

I used to be a medical officer in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and I remember the pilots being issued much better watches than us non aircrew types. From memory, I think it was a Citizen Promaster quartz of some sort.

Mad Dog · Sep 8, 2023

tapaptpat
@Mad Dog Is there direct correlation between lack of parachute et al. and watch on kit sheet?😗

No direct correlation, sir…but good catch regarding lack of issuance regarding a parachute…and here’s the story on that…

All student naval aviators receive fixed wing primary flight training initially. At the time, our fixed wing primary trainer was the T-34C. The T-34C had a parachute built into each of its two seats, therefore, no parachute was issued. Then I went helos following primary…and helo drivers don’t have parachutes…we go down with the ship…therefore, no issuance of a parachute.

keepsonticking · Sep 8, 2023

Mad Dog
No direct correlation, sir…but good catch regarding lack of issuance regarding a parachute…and here’s the story on that…

All student naval aviators receive fixed wing primary flight training initially. At the time, our fixed wing primary trainer was the T-34C. The T-34C had a parachute built into each of its two seats, therefore, no parachute was issued. Then I went helos following primary…and helo drivers don’t have parachutes…we go down with the ship…therefore, no issuance of a parachute.

But you always told me the USN issued you a ladies gold tone Pulsar quartz. You said their thinking was that the smaller size would be less visible in case you were concealing yourself behind enemy lines...like in Bat 21. So...was that all a lie? I suppose next you'll say you and JFK Jr. weren't really lovers...and that you didn't name your son after Donald Trump. I just don't know what I can believe in anymore.

kfranzk · Sep 9, 2023

Hey hey, we are here in an Omega Forum!
So here is the only Omega clock, 8 days double barrel, build in in table clocks, gimballed chronometers and like here in an aircraft clock.
The clocks were imported to Germany in the 30s by the instrument supplier Askania (they offered instrument services on airfields then and today they are still offering wrist watches).
The clock has the Luftwaffe specs Fl 22.601 marked on the dial.
The lower clock/watch without case is mine and still running when wound. (Should I try to find a wrist casing? That would give me importance on any freak watch show.)
The second picture shows a modern Askania.
Greetings Konrad

The Aviators Thread

TLIGuy

tapaptpat

DoctorEvil

DoctorEvil

TLIGuy

DoctorEvil

TLIGuy

kfranzk

DoctorEvil

JimInOz

tapaptpat

Mad Dog

tapaptpat

Omegafanman

Omegafanman

DoctorEvil

DoctorEvil

Mad Dog

keepsonticking

kfranzk

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