This 31st of August is the 60th anniversary of the first flight of a Vigilante. Deciding appropriate libation for the occasion: Coors beer because a X-C out west was expected to bring some back? (actually, not that good, but what is hard to get...) Tequila Sunrise? (drink of choice ’75 K-hawk deployment) Stingers? (Cubi Club, ‘twenty Stingers for my friends!’) Vodka and bug juice? (onboard “favorite” –vodka had no aroma and bug juice always there) Cuba Libre? (welcome to Key West), Boone’s Farm? Your suggestions?
As part of researches for the book, am reading the NATOPS manual. Did I, we, really have to know all that stuff?
Question: the large plastic/fiberglass cover in the nose wheel well, hinged at back, pull two pins and it dropped down for access to avionics bay (and X-C “baggage” area); what was it called? I usd to say “bath tub.” It is not in NATOPS manual and I’ve not seen a picture anywhere.

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  • That's the kind of info I want.

    Seem to remember the tub was damaged by standing on it--easy to do--when working up there. Also a 'target' for GSE.

  • As an ATN2 Who spent a lot of time in that avionics bay, it was called the bath tub . I do  not remember any other nomenclature I remember it was very fragile and had many cracks and fractures with repairs. Probably caused by shifting "cargo":)

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