Specter1075

Hey Aaron, I'll shoot you a PM on the F/A-18D.

GW, thank you for two great answers!! For the color schemes, I have only ever heard great things about the Furball stuff, and I certainly wouldn't want to try to call them out on anything. What confused me was that the darker scheme on the Furball VF-114 sheet was marked 1988, but when looking at the Detail and Scale book, that specific aircraft was cited as being photographed in 1985. I wouldn't think that an aircraft would revert back to an all light grey scheme after making the changer to the darker two-tone grey, but I wasn't sure since every shot of the Enterprise I could find from t

Ok, let's give this a nudge with an additional question. Were AIM-54s still loaded in 1988? I know they were not carried during the Gulf of Sidra incidents, so would it be the same in the Persian Gulf a couple years later? One thing that makes me wonder is that the carrier group was kept out in the Arabian Sea during this time, and the CAP missions flown by the Tomcats would be a long ways away. I'm pretty sure I read that the northern most surface action groups didn't even have that cover from above. So would the long ranges maybe necessitate the loading of Phoenix mis

A very strange coincidence: I was looking for something entirely different and came across these SUU-42's made by MPM Hobby. I know you said you scratch-built one, but if you'd like an alternative, here you go! https://mpmhobbies.com/en-ca/products/1-48-suu-42-a-flare-dispenser-pod-set-of-4?_pos=2&_psq=suu-42&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Ah interesting. You turned up a lot more useful information than I managed! I'll see if I can get a look at that book!

Check the thread I link to below. I cant view the images from my work computer, but I'm pretty sure that's the one that shows a SUU-42 mounted on a C-130 wing. Very small/low res picture, so for markings you'll be out of luck. In that same thread they talk about a guy in Singapore that has a shop called Six Scales that did a 3D printing run of them. Not sure if he will make more, but a year ago I bought the last two from the first print run. No markings came with it, just the pods themselves. I never came across anything that showed these things mounted on the Night Owl's F-4Ds. ht

I see Kasl Hobby does a SUU-20 with both the BDU-33 and MK106 practice bombs. Given the high-drag variant of Mk84, I assume the MK106 makes most sense? EDIT: Found this image of practice munitions. Looks like orange MK106s and blue Mk84s. Seems to be the way to go. Blue bombs get dropped, blue stripe do not, is that correct?

I think I agree about the SUU-20 and the rest. I also think I've got a line on some Mk84 AIR as well, so if that pans out, I may be set with that loadout.

Thank you again! You've given me lots to think about!

The SUU-30H for area denial after an initial strike is interesting. Is that something that would be part of a mixed loadout? If I want to do training rounds with the SUU-20 would be it be weird to hang those with some SUU-30s? Sorry for the million questions!

I agree... finding someone that does the Mk84 AIR in 1:48 is proving difficult. Truthfully, I can't find much info about them at all. The attachment for them is the BSU-50/B, correct? I can't so much as find a decent image of it. They must not have seen much use? If it proves as fruitless as its starting to feel, then I may have to change my plans again. The GBU-10s would need to be buddy lased, correct? Was that something the -111 expected to do? A rack of Mk20s would look good with the SUU-20. I can use them if nothing else pans out.

The SUU-20 with Mk84 and AIM-9/ACMI could be a neat looking loadout. I think that may be the way I go with it. Thank you for all the information!

Spoil-sport!

If your concern with auctions is that you wont get a fair price, you can set a reserve or start the bidding at your lowest acceptable amount.

Since the the F-111Ds never saw combat, and I'd like something visually interesting, maybe the SUU-20 with training bombs could work. Am I correct with my understanding that they were used with the F-111Ds? I saw them listed under the training loadouts on the page written by Mr Rotramel, and apparently loaded with something like a single Mk84 or six Mk20s. Adding six Mk20s would look neat, assuming its realistic to do so.