F4DPhantomII Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 When did the USAF start using these?Did the US NAVY also use them on their bombs over Viet Nam? Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Finn Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 (edited) Don't know when exactly the USAF began using them but the Navy: http://www.usscoralsea.net/images/cva436667wpgd16.jpg and Marines: https://s3.amazonaws.com/marinephotos.togetherweserved.com/1159742.jpg used them as well. Jari Edited August 14, 2014 by Finn Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rex Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Just as a little bit of help with the date, that Scooter was photographed during the Coral Sea's July 29, 1966 to February 23, 1967 Cruise. That means you will be safe doing extended fuses on anything from late 1966 onwards. (and maybe earlier as well) But, I think I saw pics of Korean era bombs on Sea Blue Skyraiders with the extenders. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stefan buysse Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Hi, Jari found us some great shots again! Before I saw those I had a (quick and shallow) look though some of my pictures and couldn't find a shot of a fuse extender on a carier deck. Seeing the Skyhawk helped me remember reading about some of the USN F-8 squadrons using 4 M117's with fuse extenders on FLAK suppression missions. Another nugget in the Skyhawk shot is that those Mk-82's have Snakeye fins. Previously, I had only seen the combination of fuse extender and Snakeye fins in instructions of a Hasegawa weapons set. Cheers, Stefan. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul Boyer Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 U.S. Navy Crusaders with bombs? Shore-based Marines, for sure. I'm pretty sure the Navy never launched a 'Sader from the deck with M117s or any "bomb" load. Maybe I'm wrong. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tailspin Turtle Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 U.S. Navy Crusaders with bombs? Shore-based Marines, for sure. I'm pretty sure the Navy never launched a 'Sader from the deck with M117s or any "bomb" load. Maybe I'm wrong. Google "VF-162 bombs" and read an excerpt from Barrett's Mig Master. There are a few other examples. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rex Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 (edited) I know of two photos of shipboard bomb loads that are easy to find in a quick search. Ginter # 19, page 71 has a pair of loaded TERS (6 500# bombs total) on a VF-51 F-8H, headed inbound from the Bon Homme Richard in 1968,,,and page 7 has VF-24 F-8J dropping 1000# from Hancock in 1972. Neither aircraft's bombs had fuze extenders, though, so they don't help the OP any. Edit: to address the "shore based Marines" part,,,,,,shipboard based Marines had a very famous air to ground role, VMF(aw)-212 dropped bombs and Nape from the Oriskany's deck for an entire cruise. Edited August 15, 2014 by Rex Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tailspin Turtle Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 U.S. Navy Crusaders with bombs? Shore-based Marines, for sure. I'm pretty sure the Navy never launched a 'Sader from the deck with M117s or any "bomb" load. Maybe I'm wrong. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ordnance_men_apply_Mk_82_to_VF-194_F-8E_c1967.jpg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stefan buysse Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Hi, VF-162 was the squadron I was thinking of, maybe Superheat can shed some light on this. Pictures of F-8's with bombs taken on the ship seem to be rather rare, I only have the one from VMF(AW)-212 with Mk-84's. VF-162's experiences are described in the Osprey book on the F-8, where it is said that the old Mk60 series of bombs fitted with fuse extenders were excellent FLAK suppressors. Paul Gillcrist of VF-53 even describes a napalm strike in his book "Feet wet", although I'm not sure if this was launched from the carrier or from Da Nang. Cheers, Stefan. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rex Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Thanks for posting that, Tommy. That is a very good close up shot of the MBR as it mounts on the F-8's bomb pylon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Finn Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 (edited) Here is another one: http://www.vvmf.org/userfiles/remembrances/rem_uploads/216_67_104_232_25628.jpg edit: with rocket pods under the wings: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/F-8E_VF-162_firing_Zuni_rockets_Vietnam_1966.jpg Jari Edited August 15, 2014 by Finn Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Little Jeff Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Did the F-8E' ever carry napalm from carriers, navy or marines? Am interested in putting napalm tanks on my Revell F-8E crusader instead of the TER's with 750lbers. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Netz Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Napalm on board ship,I'll say no (but I'm sure someone will come up with a photo to prove me wrong) too much of a fire havard. I know this was brought up before. Fuse extenders were probably invented with the bomb, they were definitely used in WWII. Curt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Finn Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 (edited) Sorry Curt :rolleyes:/> , actually carriers did have napalm onboard, Mk-79 1,000lb fire bomb being loaded on a A-1: http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/74ba03a1c59ca8d6_large note the 18 fuse extenders on the bombs. The bomb farm on the USS Ranger showing Mk-77: USSRanger This pic seems to indicate the F-8 carried the Mk-79: F-8 Weapons They are beside the Zuni pods. Jari Edited August 16, 2014 by Finn Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rex Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Yeah, -212 dropped Mk 79s from Crusaders while based on the Oriskany [note that the Nape color is Lt Red 31158, NOT Insignia Red or Bright Red 31136 (31136 was for non-persistant ChemWeps stripes, such as Tear Gas)] Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Netz Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Sorry Curt :rolleyes:/>/> , actually carriers did have napalm onboard, Mk-79 1,000lb fire bomb being loaded on a A-1: Yep I told you..... Good find Now I know a different approach to finding those hard to find reference photo's, Say it never happened.... Curt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul Boyer Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Well, cool! I stand corrected! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrvark Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 The bomb farm on the USS Ranger showing Mk-77: USSRanger Mk 77 Mod 2s, which differed from the later Mk 77 Mod 4 by having the fill caps on the weapon centerline (Mod 4 had them 31 deg on the left side). BTW, Mk 77 Mod 3s were tested, but found unsat and did not see fleet use. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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