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Caption: "F-4D with 20 mm wing guns at Phù Cát Air Base. Chuck Webster Jr. photo":

F-4D%20with%2020mm%20wing%20guns%20at%20Phugrave%20Caacutet%20Air%20Base%20Chuck%20Webster%20Jr%20en%20Phantom%20FB%202.jpg

Caption: "This is a special F-4E Wing Commander Brig. General Rogers with special flight. 4 SUU-23 under wing stations, 1 under center line and Vulcan Nose Gun. Fired all guns and really slowed the air craft down because of firepower of guns. Historic flight. Danny Vallance":

RET%20cr%20-%20-4%20SUU-23%20-%20sacada%20de%20http366th-tfwPUNTOnetBARRAindex73PUNTOhtml.jpg

Caption: "F-4 Revetments with F-4 taxing and special F-4E with General Rogers and special painted aircraft and SUU-23 on wings and nose gun. Photo's taken by Danny Vallance":

RET%20cr%20-%20F-4%20Revetments%20with%20F-4%20taxing%20and%20special%20F-4E%20with%20General%20Rogers%20and%20special%20painted%20with%20five%20SUU-23%20-%20Danny%20Vallance%20libertyatnorthnetdotorg%20-%20P2232539%20ACLARADA.jpg

In spite of caption aircraft appears to have only four pods and a centerline fuel tank.

Thought somebody might be interested.

Jorge.

Edited by f4h1phantom
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Way cool. I always thought it was complete B.S. that the single F-4E known as "Chico" had wiring modifications done in the field for carrying the SUU-23 pods. I'd bet every USAF fighter version of the F-4 and maybe even the recces had the capability from the factory. Your photos make me even more sure that was the case.

Scott W.

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Thanks, Gene!

Since no one else played, here's the F-4E chart.

Stores%20F-4E.jpg

I don't know much about the RF-4 variants except that they initially had no weapons capability until AIM- 9s were made capable on Israeli RFs. Additionally, some (which?) could carry a nuc on the centerline. Maybe Larry The Recce Guy will chime in here.

Gene K

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Somewhere I've seen a photo of a Michigan Six Pack F-4D with five 20mm pods loaded. It was done as a joke for an outgoing commander AFAIK.

That is true Jennings.A friend of mine retired from the 191st and may have a pic. I'll ask him.

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My AFROTC Detachment commander flew F-4s in Vietnam, and he said the wing pods were WILDLY inaccurate. They were basically used to hose down a wide area.

He also had strike camera film from his a/c that showed a napalm canister dropping off the inboard pylon, tumbling back underneath the airplane, then being sucked up *OVER* the top of the wing. He said it bounced off the side of the fuselage before it parted company, then exploded very close behind them. Never did figure out why it happened, but it was pretty exciting to see!

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Don't believe everything you see...

Reminds me of some SwAF Xmas cards I have seen. One showing a Gripen with four Rb 15F ASMs (it can only carry two). Another one showing a shark nosed Recce-Viggen with three drop tanks (Viggen could only take one tank under the center pylon) and one of the two Sidewinder missiles mounted on backwards.

Just because stuff fits on the pylon it does not necessarily mean that they are supposed to be carried there :-)

But anyway, if there is a photo of it, it is indeed a valid modelling subject, and gun pods are macho! :-D

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  • 4 months later...

Back to original topic, which was for aircraft during the Vietnam War.

Another one from The F-4 Phantom Facebook group, pictures by Paul Erlendson:

F-4D 65-0781, 366 TFW, Da Nang during the winter of 68-69. Note three gun pods.

F-4D%20-%2065-0781%20-%20Paul%20Erlendson%20The%20F-4%20Phantom%20FB%203_1.jpg

F-4D%20-%2065-0781%20-%20Paul%20Erlendson%20The%20F-4%20Phantom%20FB%202.jpg

F-4D%20-%2065-0781%20-%20Paul%20Erlendson%20The%20F-4%20Phantom%20FB%201.jpg

Jorge.

Edited by f4h1phantom
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Just one and not Nam:

F-4D_178th_FIS_landing_at_Tyndall_AFB_1986.JPEG

Jari

I've seen pictures of the Hooligans with the gun pod on the centerline, for Air Defense alert.

This looks like a Ferry configuration. There's a baggage pod under the opposite wing. Perhaps going off to training, competition or a distant alert station.

Edited by dmk0210
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The SUU-23 came With 2 alternative butts, one long and one short. The short was developed in order to allow the Phantom to carry them as in the Picture without interfering With the main landing gear.

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