Petarvu Posted December 16, 2018 Share Posted December 16, 2018 (edited) I just had to share this photo of A-7 with LGB in Vietnam war: A-7 heavy load I WILL be building Corsairs in 2019 Cheers P Edited December 16, 2018 by Petarvu Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Whiskey Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 Here ya go: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul Boyer Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 I should think that would be a bit later than Viet Nam. Is there any indication of unit or carrier accompanying the photo? I'm no expert, but it seems that is a pretty heavy load without gas bags for a mission over the North. And was the Navy set up with LGBs in that war? I know the USAF used them with F-4s and B-57G. I'd like to know more about the photo! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 Not sure that pic is from Vietnam era, note the thermally protected bombs. Aside from a few A-6’s and a smaller number of TA-4J’s, I didn’t think the navy had much to go with LGB’s during Nam. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 (edited) A-7’s flew a limited amount of sorties toward the end of the war with large fin LGB’s like in the photo. This photo and a few others floating around (and in the Osprey book) you can see them. Jim Rotramel has the specifics. Cheers Collin Edited December 17, 2018 by Collin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Whiskey Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 VA-147 carried out the first Navy strike to utilize LGB's in 1971. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GW8345 Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 According to the A-4 Skyhawk Association the photo is from the 71-71 Vietnam Cruise and the photo is credited to George Shattuck . http://a4skyhawk.info/article-unit/va146 Thermally Protected Bombs were in use in 71-72 and the USN did use some LGB's in the last two years of the Vietnam War. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Petarvu Posted December 17, 2018 Author Share Posted December 17, 2018 (edited) Thanks for your answers, So do we know which A-7E squadrons dropped LGB at the end of war in Nam? Cheers P Edited December 17, 2018 by Petarvu Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 Interesting stuff. So, since it does appear that A-7's were in the PGM business during the war, what platform was doing the laser designation for them? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Petarvu Posted December 17, 2018 Author Share Posted December 17, 2018 1 minute ago, 11bee said: Interesting stuff. So, since it does appear that A-7's were in the PGM business during the war, what platform was doing the laser designation for them? A-6 from cockpit AFAIK Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Whiskey Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 Quote I was in VA-196 in early '72 (in SEA) an installed a hand held laser designator in our A-6A's on 3 occasions. It would be plugged in to the BN's side console after removing one of the other panels on that side. It was about the size of a shoe box but a bit longer, with a telescopic sight mounted on top. As I understood, we were designating for drops by F-4J and A-7E's from our airwing but I never saw, or don't remember seeing the weapons themselves. regards, Gary F From the topic I posted above. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 3 hours ago, Whiskey said: From the topic I posted above. Wonder if that device was the same as the “Zot Box” used by AF Phantoms? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Petarvu Posted December 18, 2018 Author Share Posted December 18, 2018 If Dambusters on Kittyhawk on 72 cuise (photo in earlier PGM Corsair topic posted above) did carry Pave Way I LGBs, can we assume sister squadron Corsairs from VA-192 Golden Dragons on same cruise did too? I wonder.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
305swag Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 It almost looks like a joke, snake eyes and lgb’s on the same plane. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GW8345 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 On 12/17/2018 at 8:25 AM, Petarvu said: Thanks for your answers, So do we know which A-7E squadrons dropped LGB at the end of war in Nam? Cheers P I know VA-146, VA-147, VA-82 and VA-86 dropped LGB's during the 72/73 time frame. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Petarvu Posted December 19, 2018 Author Share Posted December 19, 2018 (edited) Check this load out: Va-192 I know it is OT but I find the slant mk82 config very interestig. And what is that on far right station (6) unguded missile containers or some cluster bomb canisters ... Edited December 19, 2018 by Petarvu Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 26 minutes ago, Petarvu said: Check this load out: Va-192 I know it is OT but I find the slant mk82 config very interestig. And what is that on far right station (6) unguded missile containers or some cluster bomb canisters ... Those look like (slant load) LAU rocket canisters with nose cones attached. Collin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GW8345 Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 (edited) 21 hours ago, Petarvu said: Check this load out: Va-192 I know it is OT but I find the slant mk82 config very interestig. And what is that on far right station (6) unguded missile containers or some cluster bomb canisters ... Correction, they are SUU-44 Flare Pods Edited December 20, 2018 by GW8345 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Finn Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Going by the nose cones, they look more like SUU-25 flare dispensers, which are LAU-10s configured to dispense large flares out the back end. Jari Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GW8345 Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 11 hours ago, Finn said: Going by the nose cones, they look more like SUU-25 flare dispensers, which are LAU-10s configured to dispense large flares out the back end. Jari You know, they are Flare Pods, they are SUU-44 Flare Pods. Never say or heard of an A-7 (USN) using the SUU-25 but they flew the hell out of SUU-44 Flare Pods (loaded many of them in my A-7 days). And if I may make a correction, the SUU-25 (and SUU-44) Pod is not a LAU-10 configured to dispense flares. While they may look identical on the outside, on the inside they are a total different beast and you can't configure a LAU-10 for anything but 5.00 Inch Rockets. GW Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Petarvu Posted December 20, 2018 Author Share Posted December 20, 2018 2 hours ago, GW8345 said: You know, they are Flare Pods, they are SUU-44 Flare Pods. Never say or heard of an A-7 (USN) using the SUU-25 but they flew the hell out of SUU-44 Flare Pods (loaded many of them in my A-7 days). And if I may make a correction, the SUU-25 (and SUU-44) Pod is not a LAU-10 configured to dispense flares. While they may look identical on the outside, on the inside they are a total different beast and you can't configure a LAU-10 for anything but 5.00 Inch Rockets. GW I am not aware of any aftermarket SUU-44...I could use LAU-10 and fabricate the cap , is it the same size? Thx Quote Link to post Share on other sites
picknpluck Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 @GW8345 if the LAU-10 and SUU-25/44 look identical on the outside, wouldn't it stand to reason that for the purposes of scale modeling, one could merely mount a LAU-10 with a nose cap and call it good? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Whiskey Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 (edited) I don't think that is what he is saying. GW knows what he's talking about when it comes to Navy ordinance. I believe what he is trying to convey is that, for the purposes of the reference picture and historical fact, is that the two systems look the same on the outside but internally are completely different. So, with it being that we can't exactly replicate the insides of munitions, using what you suggested should be viable. Edited December 20, 2018 by Whiskey Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GW8345 Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 6 hours ago, Petarvu said: I am not aware of any aftermarket SUU-44...I could use LAU-10 and fabricate the cap , is it the same size? Thx Yes, you can use a LAU-10 as a basis for a SUU-44 Pod, the nose fair is very different (shorter and more pointed). In real life the LAU-10 is 2 inches longer and about a half an inch larger in diameter but for modeling purposes, I would say that's "in the noise". I can send you scale drawing of the SUU-44 pod if you like, just PM me your e-mail address. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GW8345 Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, picknpluck said: @GW8345 if the LAU-10 and SUU-25/44 look identical on the outside, wouldn't it stand to reason that for the purposes of scale modeling, one could merely mount a LAU-10 with a nose cap and call it good? For modeling purpose you can (but the nose fairing is very different between the LAU-10 and SUU-44/-25 Pods), but in real life they are two totally different beasts. If you don't put the nose fairing on you would have to scratch-build the breeches and breech leads for the pod and each pod (SUU-25/SUU-44) had a different set up for the breeches (the SUU-44 had 4 breeches, one per tube - the SUU-25 had 8 breeches, 2 per tube). The fairing was required for fast movers but optional for planes like the OV-10 (basically, it was option for what we use to call "bug smashers"). Also, the back end of the pod is very different from the LAU-10. There is a latch for each tube and when there are flares loaded, the flare is flush with the back end of the pod and the flare end will be yellow. Note, besides the breech difference there is an additional difference between the SUU-44 and SUU-25 Pod, the SUU-44 has a safety switch assembly (box where the safety pin goes on the top back end, just like on the LAU-10) while the SUU-25 Pod does not have a safety switch assembly on the top back, the safety pin is inserted in the right side at the 9 o'clock position, even with the aft lug. The functional difference between the SUU-44 and SUU-25 Pods, on the SUU-44 Pod, two flares (one tube) are ejected at one time, for the SUU-25 Pod, only one flare is ejected at a time. /r GW Edited December 21, 2018 by GW8345 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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