Hypothetical ? on F-15D

[Little Jeff]

I am building a 1/48th scale F-15D Academy kit. If this aircraft was to carry n ecm pod, would it be on the centerline station or under a wing station. I know it would probably never fly in this configuration, but that's what so fun about modeling.

Little jeff

[Jennings]

As you say, not ever likely to happen, but I'd think it would depend entirely on where the airplane was based (how close the bad guys were) and what the mission was. If based at Elmendorf and looking for bad guys north of the North Slope, three bags of gas would be required (barring CFT's), so on a wing hard point. It's your whiff, so whatever you say goes.

[ikar]

The last time I was at Kadena we had a "D" model with wing tanks and a 119 pod on the centerline station. I don't know what they were up to but only saw it once.

[scotthldr]

Centreline most likely, the wing pylons are for 95% of the time used for drop tanks or empty(not including shoulder rails). Infact the JASDF routinely fly with an ECM pod on the centreline

http://www.f-15.nl/pics/92-8096.jpg

http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4204

[Pete]

I have a few pics of Eagles from Soesterberg with an AN/ALQ-131 on the centreline, two pics are of a C with it and no fueltanks, and one pic of a D with it and two fueltanks under the wings.

And then the aggressors at Nellis carry an Elta ECM pod on one of the shoulder stations:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Air/McDonnell-Douglas-F-15D/1549706/L/&sid=94d98f9b5f55efd6528b3e28c50b69e8

[Murph]

Centerline pylon, and since the B and D models didn't carry the internal countermeasures set it's quite plausible to see a "tub" in a wartime configuration carrying a pod.

Regards,

Murph

[VIPER0177]

Since it's hypothetical why not use the outboard pylons? I know they haven't been fitted in years but it's as good a place as any. If the Academy D is the same as the E they should be in the box.

[ElectroSoldier]

When I was a kid some of the F-15s based in Germany carried an ECM pod

Ive no idea what pod it was and I cant remember the tail code but I do remember they carried them because I remember thinking it was strange that they didnt carry them when they were based here in the 1990s

[Murph]

I know they haven't been fitted in years...

Just to clarify, they've never been fitted on a jet in an operational squadron. They were only carried on the prototype/demo aircraft.

Regards,

Murph

[jmel]

It's not uncommon to see USAF Eagles fly with ALQ-188 ECM pods on the centerline for training missions.

[Ken Middleton]

Like Jake mentioned, an ALQ-188 would be realistic

[falcon91352]

I remeber back to the mid-80s, when I saw locally based F-15C/D flying with two underwing tanks and a mystery thing on the centerline station. I was curious to find out, what´s under the belly of the F-15s and drove closer to the perimeter fence and landing approach of the base. I imediately had to realize, that security has been seriously tightened. The German Police was patroling there and sent me away. Normally, they only came, when they were called by US security forces. I had no chance to find out, what´s going on. The securtity situation around the base and F-15 configuration lasted for two weeks and afterwards, they returned to normal business.

I had a friend, who worked on base at the F-15 systems and tried to ask him and quickly realized, that something special happened, which was very sensitive and obviously forbidden to talk about. He never told me anything about what happened and I never asked again.

Some years later, after the base was closed, an other guy told me, that USAFE F-15C/D were certified to carry the B61 beside their main Air Defense role ... . One of the best kept secrety of the Cold War?

Edited October 11, 2014 by falcon91352