ECM mods on F-4E Mig killer

[Unglued]

This is my first time with a Phantom, so please be gentle. It's the Hasegawa 1/72 F-4E, kit 00332. I'm building it as the one that Pilot Capt. Steve Ritchie and WSO Capt. Chuck Debellevue flew to kill two MIGs in July 1972. (Wolfpak Decals "Welcome to the Jungle" sheet, F-4E 58th TFS, 432nd TRW, Udorn RTAB, Thailand.) I'm building it as "out of the box" as possible. Right off, I see that I don't have the necessary ECMs. According to the Wolfpak info sheet, it was loaded out as follows:

Left inner wing pylon: Two AIM-9E with "short" AN/ALQ101 ECM pod on bottom

Aft Sparrow stations: Two AIM-7E-2

Forward Sparrow stations: Two AIM-7E-2

Right inner wing pylon: Two AIM-9E with "special" AN/ALQ71 ECM pod on bottom

Apparently, the only photo of this airplane was taken right after Ritchie and Debellevue returned from that mission (when they got their 3rd and 4th Mig kill). The photo is at htpp://marty vavato.smugmug.com Click on the "Udorn" link, and it's on Page 2 of the Udorn photos. You can see the tips of both ECMs and of the four Sidewinders. (They shot down the Migs with Sparrows.)

After a day and a half of searching the Internet, I haven't been able to find any 1/72-scale ALQ71s or any "short" ALQ101s. I've resigned myself to making these from spare LAU10 rocket pods, with some judicious sawing and sanding. In 1/72, only the rivet counters would notice, and I don't know any of those, so I'm OK with that. But I would like to mount them on the pylons properly. From the photos I've seen, it looks like the AIM-9Es are on the top two positions of TERs and the ECMs are on the bottom positions. But I'm thinking there has to be rails or launchers in there, and I'm wondering what kind, and how and where they attach. Can someone tell me what pieces are needed to stick the Sidewinders and ECMs on those inner wing pylons (stations 2 and 8)?

Thank you very much!

[Andre]

There's an AN/ALQ-87 in Hasegawa's Aircraft Weapons : IV U.S. Air to Ground Missiles (X72-4) - this can be moded back to an '71.

The short AN/ALQ-101 can be based on a long 101, or you could chop up an AN/ALQ-119, which is available in a number of kits.

Here'sa great shot of a Keflavik F-4C with an AN/ALQ-71 under the AIM-9 rails.

HTH,

Andre

[mrvark]

Here'sa great shot of a Keflavik F-4C with an AN/ALQ-71 under the AIM-9 rails.

THAT is a facinating photo. In addition to the rather unusual AN/ALQ-71 pods, it sports LAU-7A/A Sidewinder launchers without the spacers that were pretty common by then. However, since the spacers were used to allow simultaneous carriage of Sidewinders and TER-mounted bombs and the 57th FIS was ADC, their lack makes sense. But I'm REALLY surprised to see the LAU-7A/As in use that late on USAF jets.

Now, as to the F-4E in question, based on the contemporary photos I have of that jet and others similarly configured from the same unit, AERO 3B rails with spacers were used for carriage of the AIM-9Es, with the ECM pods parent-mounted to the bottom of the pylons. Your problem is that no one makes AIM-9Es or AN/ALQ-71s in 1:72 scale. The ECM pods were 10" in diameter (about 5/16" or 0.35mm in 1:72). If you were working in 1:48, the new Academy F-4B includes quite a collection of accurate AIM-9s, including AIM-9Es (which are only appropriate for USAF jets).

[Unglued]

Now, as to the F-4E in question, based on the contemporary photos I have of that jet and others similarly configured from the same unit, AERO 3B rails with spacers were used for carriage of the AIM-9Es, with the ECM pods parent-mounted to the bottom of the pylons.

The AIM-9Es are in Weapons III, so those aren't a problem in 1/72. As for the ECM pods, I can either adapt them from (other) available models or make them from other bits and pieces, so I'm not as concerned about those, as how to mount them and the missiles.

Here's the question: If AERO-3B rails were used on that bird, can I use the "double launcher" in Hasegawa's Aircraft Weapons III?

Also, what do I need to "parent-mount" the ECM pods?

Thanks, mrvark.

[Finn]

Check here:

http://366th-tfw.net/bruce-hill_photos2.htm

scroll down to see AIM-9Es on Aero-3 launchers. Also Hasegawa 72-4 has the ALQ-101 pod:

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10000494a/20/1

Jari

[Unglued]

Check here:

http://366th-tfw.net/bruce-hill_photos2.htm

scroll down to see AIM-9Es on Aero-3 launchers. Also Hasegawa 72-4 has the ALQ-101 pod:

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10000494a/20/1

Jari

Thanks, Jari. I think I see the light, and just hope it's not something "incoming." Nice Vietnam-era photos in that batch. I'm always amazed at the amount of hardware we used over there.

[Gene K]

The ECM pods were 10" in diameter (about 5/16" or 0.35mm in 1:72).

Jim,

I was hoping you had done for the F-4 what you so expertly did for the F-111. Hope you get around to that in the future!

Gene K

[Mark S.]

Big thanks to Jim Rotramel for his help on Wolfpak sheet 72-051. Jim has a wealth of information on the weapons and such from the Vietnam era and readily shares it with us modelers. Thanks Jim

Mark

Wolfpak Decals