Phantom FGR.2 Armament

[Flying Penguin]

Hi Guys,

I'm starting work on a 1/48 Revell Phantom FGR.2, the old Hasegawa kit, and was wondering if there are any armament sets that would be suitable? I'm loathe to use the (quite frankly crappy) fuel tanks and sparrows that come with the kit and my only spares box options are 250lb WWII bombs.....

I'm doing the No. 2 Squadron machine from Laarbruch circa 174, if that makes a difference...

Any suggestions greatly appreciated guys :-)

Cheers

Jamie

[metroman]

I'm in the same boat, here's what I have found out there:

The 1/48 Airfix Jaguars (some boxings) include BL.755 clusters, the Italeri IDS (again certain boxings) include pig iron 1,000lbs., The Academy Hunters (may) include Matra rocket pods. As far as resin, maybe Flightpath has some stuff. You can use the gunpod depending on timeframe from what I've read. I'm going to try to track down some low-mileage kits at a swapmeet and see what I can put together, I too am bored by putting 4x4 sparrows and 'winders on it.

brian

[Jay Chladek]

Well, interceptor duty would be your standard loadout of Sparrows and Sidewinders. I have seen UK Phantoms mounting Matra 155 rockets on the Sidewinder pylons as well, although what they attach to looks odd (almost like a TER in the one picture I have in a book, and its not a big picture either). The SUU-23A gunpod on the centerline could also be seen on UK Phantoms performing intercept duties for a little cannon capability. But I don't know if that was available in 1974 as it tended to be used more for intercept duties it seems (although it has advantages in ground attack as well). In 1974, ground attack was the main mission of the FGR.2, so I would expect a UK Phantom could potentially carry just about anything that a US one would, but with a distinct European flavor in terms of the bombs and rocket pods loaded.

Update:

I have also read that UK Phantoms tasked with the strike role also carried BL-755 Cluster bombs. But I have no pictures to show how they were mounted.

Edited February 22, 2007 by Jay Chladek

[spike7451]

The main armament of Tooms back then was 1000Lb iron bombs with a retarded tail or SNEB pods. The was 2 types of SNEB pods used back then Identical except one type was silver & the other green.I dont think BL755 were very much in use back in 74.

But the 1000Lb bombs in model kits are different than ones used back in pre 1984 as the fusing was different then. (we used nose fitted 'pistols' employing the explosive train principle unlike today as after 84 we just used fuses.(On my weapons course we were split into 2 groups,one group learnt about pistol detonators the week before they were withdrawn.))

[Julien (UK)]

Brit phantoms carried mainly 1000lb'ers as already seen here as well as BL-755 cluster bombs and Matro rocket pods, all of these are available in resin + PE from flightpath.

I have seen pics of them carrying 2 matras in slant config on a TER and 3 matras on a TER. I have seen cluster bombs mounted on the outside pylons in a slant config as well.

Julien

[hatchet]

For a II(AC) Sqd bird, you could also hang the recce-pod on the centerline. Not sure how/where you'd get one tho'.

:)

[Rhino53]

The Hasegawa kits have thr Recce pod. I have an FG.1 kit with it.

[Gary West]

Many library images show what appears to be a common fit on "shiny twoer" 2 sqn F4's around this era. The variation is usually the inner wings positions. My favourite configuration is this......

Front stbd - Ballast round (no winglets and usually a dark Blue)

Front Port - Strike Camera

Centre - Recce Pod

Port/Stbd outer - Sgt Fletcher tanks

Port/Stbd inner - CLB200 dispensers.

Gary

[Andre]

In addition to Gary's notes, there's also the, as far as I can tell, uniquely British modification of the left outer wing tank with either an extra camera or a flare launcher on the front end (I'm at work without my references, but there's a pic somewhere in the "Spirit In THe SKies" book).

There's also an older discussion on this very subject:

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....showtopic=54486

HTH,

Andre

[CHEAPSHOT]

In addition to Gary's notes, there's also the, as far as I can tell, uniquely British modification of the left outer wing tank with either an extra camera or a flare launcher on the front end (I'm at work without my references, but there's a pic somewhere in the "Spirit In THe SKies" book).

There's also an older discussion on this very subject:

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....showtopic=54486

HTH,

Andre

This, according to Anthony Thornborough's 'The Phantom Story', contained 'flash units [which were]...built into modified 'greenhouse' outboard fuel tanks'. Although, as Andre has pointed out, this was normally carried on the port side, I do have recollections of seeing a photo of a TWO squadron ac carrying it on the 'other side'. I do have a picture of XV470 carrying these modified tanks on both wings.

Another store that was carried during this period was the Lepus flare. This was used to illuminate targets - now defunct due to the introduction of NVG.

Andrew

[Andre]

Another store that was carried during this period was the Lepus flare. This was used to illuminate targets - now defunct due to the introduction of NVG.

That was the one that looked like a stretched Mk 82 bomb, right..?

Cheers,

Andre

[CHEAPSHOT]

That was the one that looked like a stretched Mk 82 bomb, right..?

Cheers,

Andre

The original Airfix Harrier GR1 kit included these stores.

Andrew

[CHEAPSHOT]

I should have mentioned in my last post that this was the Airfix 1/72 Harrier GR1 -

[rod mcqueen]

Flying Penguin

The RAF based 4 squadrons of Phantoms in Germany in the early 1970s. 3 of them (14, 17 and 31 Squadrons) had a primary ground attack role and the last squadron, your chosen subject, 2 Squadron was assigned to the tactical reconnaissance role.

As such, the large EMI reconnaissance pod was almost always carried on the centreline position. There is a good book on the RAF Phantoms in Germany in the AirDOC series and there are photos of 10 different 2 Squadron a/c in it. Of those 10 aircraft 8 are carrying the EMI pod and the 2 not carrying the pod are the squadron’s dual control training a/c.

There is a good photo of XV411/H there which has the following store fit.

Centreline pylon – EMI recce pod.

Forward port side missile recess – strike camera

Forward starboard missile recess – finless dummy (blue) Sparrow missile

No inboard pylons

Starboard outboard pylon – Standard Seargent-Fletcher fuel tank

Port outboard pylon – modified Seargent-Fletcher fuel tank of the kind described above with the electronic flash and camera ports in the nose.

The book is AirDOC No. 5 British Phantoms; The Phantom FGR.2 (F-4M) of the RAF in Germany by Wilfried Zetsche & Marcus Herbote

ISBN 3-935687-05-2

There is an article on 2 Squadron in Volume 11 of Wings of Fame and there a couple more useful photos there. One is of XT898 which is carrying the EMI pod on the centreline and there is a nice sharksmouth on the pod. Apart from that the aircraft has the strike camera and dummy missile in the forward recesses and apart from that appears to be completely clean without inboard or outboard pylons or tanks.

The other photo is XV468/N which is the excepttion to the rule as it carries the SUU-23 gun pod on the centreline and standard fuel tanks on both outboard pylons.

Hope this helps.

[Andre]

There is a good book on the RAF Phantoms in Germany in the AirDOC series

Corresponding with the book, there are two very nice AirDoc sheets for RAFG FGR.2's - one with stencils and one with serials and squadron markings. Available both in 1/72nd and 1/48th.

Recommended!

Cheers,

Andre