F-15 Load Outs ~ 1975

[Keith Diamond]

You guys know what would be an appropriate load out for a F-15A circa 1975? More specifically a Luke based training aircraft?

Ideally, I'd like to load up an Eagle with 4 AIM-7s, 4 AIM-9s and a centerline tank.

There's a photo on page 36 in Combat Aircraft F-15 by Gething & Crickmore that shows the underside of a F-15. Its not dated, but there are turkey feathers on the exhaust, and all of the AIM-7s and -9s have white bodies. So I'm guessing its a photo from the F-15's earliest days. I don't know if its Luke based, but the missiles appear to be live and it has the loadout I'd like to replicate.

So can anyone tell me if the aforementioned loadout is feasible? And if so, what model AIM-7s and AIM-9s should I use?

[big fatty]

I would say AIM-7E-2 and AIM-9J. Not sure what kind of training rounds where used.

[Murph]

If it was carrying live missiles (unlikely except for photo ops), AIM-7F and AIM-9J; the F-15 couldn't use the AIM-7E. Both would be painted white at this point. A more likely configuration for Luke, it being a training base, was a centerline tank and nothing else; the F-15 could give appropriate symbology for the AIM-9J/P (except for the missile audio) without using a CATM. In fact, many of their sorties at this point did not even carry the missile rails on the underwing pylons. If it did carry a CATM, it would only be a single one.

Regards,

Murph

Edited June 10, 2011 by Murph

[Murph]

Unregard.

Edited June 10, 2011 by Murph

[ikar]

In Lou Drendal's book on the F-15 there are a couple shots of aircraft from the 58th TFTW and 58th TFW. Number 76061 has the pylons under the wing with rails for the AIM9 and a tank centerline. Number 73102 is shown with a centerline tank and AIM7 missiles. They have dark fins, white missiles, colored bands, and a ceramis nose colored a light tan. There are no AIM9 rails on its pylons. The third one on that page also has a centerline tank, rails on the pylon and a false canopy painted underneath.

I can tell you that even in an operational fighter wing or squadron the configuration can vary from day to day depending on what type of mission they have to fly to stay qualified or get qualified. Sometimes they might carry an A.C.M.I. pod, and or fake missiles. Many times they only carry a centerline tank. I have seen a family model, or tub, carrying two tanks with a 119 pod centerline. Sometimes it will go clean for various reasons such as a demo performance of a flight function check. It's all normally decided the week before in a series of briefings with maintennance and operations, but there can be last minute changes.

[Finn]

In case you want to go a different route:

http://s362974870.onlinehome.us/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=110804&pid=966231&mode=threaded&show=&st=0

Jari

[mrvark]

Carriage of weapons was done almost exclusively by the OT&E Detachment at Luke. Here is one of their jets with a rarely carried max loadout of AIM-7Fs and AIM-9Js.

BTW: Air Superiority Blue was only applied to F-15As prior to 73-0100. From 73-0100 on they all got Ghost Gray.

Edited June 10, 2011 by mrvark

[geedubelyer]

Hi Keith,

Can't really add to what everyone else has said but just wanted to say "thanks" for starting such a cool thread.

I love the photos of these oldest of Eagles. Interestingly, I noticed both of the above (Jaris' link and mrvarks attached photo by Jim Rotrimel) both have the speed brake stiffener fitted.

Gotta love Air Superiority Blue Eagles :wub:

[Keith Diamond]

Thanks guys for the tons of useful info! I'm glad it was useful for you too, Geedub. I think I'll just stick to the centerline tank then, and save the missiles for a later Eagle build.

After I finish my current build, I'll finally get around to finishing my Monogram Eagle that has been in limbo for years.

[Ken Middleton]

yes, interesting topic Keith, and neat pic Jim...old school Eagle

[Steve jahn]

I was an F-15 weapons crew chief from 1980-1984 with the 555 tfts and worked on F-15s' the entire time there. 99 percent of the time we loaded a center line 600 gallon tank, an AIM-9J,P or L on the outer left or right SRM launcher. An ACMI pod on the other out side SRM launcher and an AIM-7 simulator on one or more of the MRM launchers. And up to 940 rounds of 20mm. The AIM-7 simulator was not a missile. It was a small black disk that fit in the launcher umbilical where the missile was electrically attached to the airplane. This fooled the armament sytem to think that it was carrying an AIM-7. The only time we loaded AIM-7s' was durring training in a hanger once a month. F-15s' at Luke durring that time did not usually fly with AIM-7s' except for photo shoots or special events. Those were all CAP missiles. Durring ORI's we would load live stuff. The other F-15 squadrons at Luke loaded their planes the same as ours. Hope this helps.

Steve

[ikar]

At kadena outside of exercises and guests, the only time you might see a F-15 loaded with live missiles was when they would go to the P.I. for missile practice. There were two times wshen this worked out well. One was when a TU-95 was intercepted while enroute to the range and the other when they made an emergency diversion to help out a RC-135 that was being chased by a Mig.

If you care to expand your time line a bit you could always go into the early 80s and put a bomb or two on your eagle and then drop the turkey feathers.