Finn

Very well done, it looks very realistic. In case you want to add a little extra touch, when the cleaning the windscreen the Plane Captain would use the refueling probe to stand on: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6349739 no doubt a few dirty foot prints and scuffs would be in that area. Jari

Probably if there wasn't anything by the exhaust then, unless you have photographic evidence to the contrary, there wasn't anything by the tail hook either. My guess. Jari

Here is one in action late last year: Jari

Here is the early A-4E flight manual: http://aviationarchives.blogspot.ca/2016/09/douglas-4e-skyhawk-flight-manual.html latest change Nov 1966 and no mention is made of any chaff or flare being incorporated into the airframe, so the system wasn't added until after that date. As for the exhaust one, the pod fit into a housing and to remove the housing and associated wiring and replace it with a flush panel would require extra work, not to mention to put the housing back in when needed, so that is why they have the blanking panel instead as they were probably much easier to remove and install. Jari

The pods were loaded in the shop, or whatever location they designated, as it was easier to load 30 tubes per pod times the number of pods required in one central location rather than going out to the a/c, pulling the pods out of all the a/c, go to the shop, fill them and go back to the flightline and load them back into the same the a/c they were taken out of. The blanking panels just covered the holes, if not needed the pods most likely were kept in the shop, with some no doubt already filled ready to go. Of course there were times when they kept the empty pods in the a/c during times of increased activity when there wasn't time to pull them out and put blanking panels in. Here is one that looks to have the blanking panel in place: Jari

The OA-4M flight manual only lists 2 pods: http://aviationarchives.blogspot.ca/2016/10/douglas-oa-4m-skyhawk-flight-manual.html pg 8-5 describes the system and at the end of the manual there is some drawings of the ALE-39 system showing the locations of the parts. Jari

If they were going into combat they would most likely have both pods loaded but in the Vietnam war when targets were in areas where there was no threats from radar guided SAMs/AAA or MiGs then there was no need for the pods and just the blanking panels in place, especially Marine A-4s doing close air support. Later on during peace time training flights if the mission called for C/F then maybe only one pod would be loaded or even two. As for the later A-4M, it looks like they moved the pod location from the back of the tail to beside the tail hook so it still has two pods: as most A-4M photos don't show the rear pod any more: Jari

Here is the flight manual for the A-4E/F: http://aviationarchives.blogspot.ca/2016/10/douglas-4ef-skyhawk-flight-manual.html on pg 1-10 it shows the layout for the ALE-29A system with 2 pods, one by the tail and one by the hook. Pg 1-51 gives the operating info and there it indicates only 2 pods was the normal config. Of course the one by the hook is hard to see in most photos but if the one by the exhaust is there then most likely the other one is there well. Some photos do show the tail hook pod on one side while other photos show it on the other side of the hook so i guess either is correct. edit: Here is a A-4C with blanking panels in place: note the panel to the right of the hook while here is an A-4E with the pod to the left: Jari

Here is the Flight Manual for the A-10A: http://aviationarchives.blogspot.ca/2017/01/fairchild-republic-10a-flight-manual.html on pg iv it lists TO 1A-10-764 as the technical order for the Chaff/Flare dispensers. On the next page, v, it gives some tail numbers of which didn't get the mod, item 8 & 11. Jari

Check here: https://www.f-106deltadart.com/manuals_documents.htm you may find some useful manuals among them showing the early Six configuration. Jari

A Raptor getting gas: Jari

Are you planning on a regular A-7E from VA-72 or the tan painted version which was painted after Desert Storm so it didn't see any action in that scheme. Here is one on a mission: TERs were used during missions, the only time the MERs were installed was during Desert Shield before the war started and they just carried practice bombs. Note most a/c had 2 pylons removed to save weight, some had all 6 pylons left on. As for the bombs in the pics you posted the grey ones are with the AIR tail which were mainly used by the Air Force while the Navy stayed with the standard Snakeye tail, the cream coloured bombs in the pic. edit: on a few missions only 1 fuel tank was carried as the A-7 had the range and tankers were available so most times no external fuel tanks were required. Jari

The hard wing F-4E saw lots of action in Vietnam, scroll down: https://366th-tfw.net/bruce-hill_photos2.htm Those with slats, very little near the end: Jari

Now it's clean up time: Jari

Blue Angel 5 getting some gas, note some weathering on the wing and in need of paint touch ups here and there: Jari