[Robe]

They are great aircraft, tough-as-nails, and seem to take upgrades in stride. One of those wonderful moments in engineering that don't come along that often.

I had the oppertunity to be vectored to check out a '52 outbound from Hanoi.
Seems he had taken a unexploded SAM through the wing between the #3 and #4 engine.
I gave hin a look over, the fuel had stopped leaking out of the hole and there was some wires and stuff hanging out. I reported the damage to him, and after a few moments ,which I'm sure was a consultation with his engineer and crew, he elected to continue on to a tanker and then on to Guam.
I understand he made it back OK

[struwwelpeter]

SAM through the wing between the #3 and #4 engine.

That was one skinny SAM! I suspect you meant to write "between the starboard inboard and outboard engine pods which contain engines 5,6 & 7,8."

[El Gato]

Seems he had taken a unexploded SAM through the wing between the #3 and #4 engine.

He got hit right in the engine pod? Or do you mean between pods #3 and #4? :) Still, that must have been quite a site. What other aircraft can shut down 3 or 4 engines and still make it back to base. (Still it would be better if those old TF-33s were replaced by something more modern, with 1 new one replacing 2 old ones, the engines used by 747s would do fine.)

[pfflier]

,which I'm sure was a consultation with his engineer and crew

You don't know $h!t about buffs if you think they have an "engineer".