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GPU-5/A gun mount question


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How is the Pave Claw mounted to the F-16? I've looked at numerous pictures, but can't see if it's on a pylon or directly to the fuselage. It also seems to be positioned far back to clear the front gear door. I was originally going to use the centerline pylon that comes in the Hasegawa kit, but I can see that won't work.

Edited by Darren Roberts
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Pylon. Not sure how similar it is to the normal centerline pylon but it's definitely there.

 

The is a good pic in the Aerofax book (p.68) with a perfect 90 degree  side view taken with a long lens.

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That's a much better pic than the one in the Aerofax book.  It appears the gun pod has an integral fairing that attaches to the pylon.

 

The pic in the Aerofax book is of the same aircraft taken at the same time from a different angle.  Interestingly, the caption in the Aerofax book mentions the photo is an airbrushed/retouched photo of the gun pod mounted on a "foreign sales aircraft" (the tail is airbrushed to not show any markings).  In your link the aircraft is obviously shows Israeli markings with the build sequence 6V-67 which is a Block 10D F-16A sold to Israel as part of Peace Marble I.  I've never seen photos of the gun pod mounted on operational Israeli F-16s.

 

The original Academy 1/48 F-16A/C kit includes two GPU-5 gun pods but no centerline pylon of any kind.  The instructions have no mounting instructions for the gun pods but imply they would go on two underwing pylons, a configuration I doubt was ever tested or even considered.

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3 hours ago, Darren Roberts said:

I tried googling a couple different combinations of words and finally found a good picture. It's on a pylon, but it's a skinny little thing.

 

GPU-5/A mount


Notice the cordite stained blast deflector mounted on the test stand directly under the nose of the gun pod. 
 

.

 

Edited by habu2
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If you are modeling in 1/48 and have access  to a Tamiya F-16 kit, I "think" there is a pylon for GPU-5/A in those kits.   It is a small part not used or identified in instructions and easy to miss.  It's Part 25 on Runner J.  There is also a much larger J2/J21 centerline pylon used for the belly tank or ECM pods-----not that one.  

 

I would value a confirming or contradicting note from an F-16 Guru, as I'm not absolutely sure that J25 is indeed a GPU-5/A pylon.

 

Darren, if you are one of the few modelers who do not have the lovely 1/48 Tamiya F-16 kit, then send me your mailing address and I will send you a part J25 from my F-16 boneyard.

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1 hour ago, Ranger626 said:

If you are modeling in 1/48 and have access  to a Tamiya F-16 kit, I "think" there is a pylon for GPU-5/A in those kits.   It is a small part not used or identified in instructions and easy to miss.  It's Part 25 on Runner J.  There is also a much larger J2/J21 centerline pylon used for the belly tank or ECM pods-----not that one.  

 

I would value a confirming or contradicting note from an F-16 Guru, as I'm not absolutely sure that J25 is indeed a GPU-5/A pylon.

 

Darren, if you are one of the few modelers who do not have the lovely 1/48 Tamiya F-16 kit, then send me your mailing address and I will send you a part J25 from my F-16 boneyard.

 

That is incredibly generous of you! Unfortunately, I'm on a deadline (this is for a future Finescale article) and I'm in the middle of moving, so I had to go ahead and fabricate my own. Fortunately, it can't even be seen once the pod and the landing gear are on. You are so right about the Tamiya F-16. It's absolutely gorgeous. Of course, did I keep the spare parts? No. This is why we modelers shouldn't throw things out! 😄

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The GPU-5 is too big to use a normal pylon. Part J 25 in the Tamiya kit is I am assuming the small pylon used for the deep ALQ-131 Jamming pod, and I've always guessed that the pylon for the GPU-5 is is the same, or at least similar enough that you can't tell the difference in scale once sandwiched between the gun pod and the aircraft.

 

I would assume that you are using the pod from the Hasegawa Weapons set. If so, it represents what i assume to be a prototype, which looks in detail fairly different from those actually mounted on F-16s in Desert Storm or the CAS/BAI trials.

 

Differences off the top of my head between the production pods and the Hasegawa plastic:

 

Aft end should be angled up and the rear is a hemisphere

Lifting handles and charging port on the aft hemisphere

Different venting below the muzzle

Muzzle has a small extenstion from the front, not simply a hole

Grill type vent bottom center aft

Strong back and pylon mount much lower profile and differently shaped

 

There are some other minor details as well with missing panel lines, but those are the ones I can think of right away.

 

Cheers,

Hoops

 

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