fajah Posted August 1, 2020 Share Posted August 1, 2020 Gents, Thinking of building a Viking from VS-31 on the Ike in '87. I'm able to cobble together the markings from a couple of sheets I have in the stash. Just wondering what, if anything, they would be carrying on the pylons during this timeframe. As usual, appreciate any input from those that know/have been there, saw that!! Thanks, -Gabe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 Droptanks x 2 or Drop tank and a TER with MK-82 or MK-20 ROCKEYE. or Destructor/Quickstrike mines or MK-50 series mines Assuming you are doing a S-3A variant since the B hadn’t hit the fleet just yet (VS-31 deployed with S-3B’s in 1990), so no Harpoon (that came with the B series of Viking). Lot of info in the ARC forums on the Viking and weapons she carried, just need to search and dig it up. Some other Viking folks will be along to throw in their thoughts. Cheers Collin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fajah Posted August 2, 2020 Author Share Posted August 2, 2020 Collin, Outstanding info, exactly what what I was looking for - thank you!! Follow Q up w/ the drop tank/TER combo - anything specific as to which side the tank/MER went on, or didn't it matter? Appreciate the insight and appreciate your service!! -Gabe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vidar_710 Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 (edited) '87 eh... That would be an S-3A, so duel drop tanks (no buddy store), or TER's with: Mk-82s, Mk-83s, Mk-20's, Disruptor mines (look like white Mk-82/83's with snake eye fins), or rocket pods. Single point with: Mk-84's or Captor mines. Retired S-3A/B SENSO here. 😉 Tracy Edited August 2, 2020 by Vidar_710 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jenshb Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 Just curious; why would an anti-submarine aircraft carry bombs? Were they expecting to bomb submarines on the surface, or did they have a secondary attack role? Jens Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 8 hours ago, fajah said: Collin, Outstanding info, exactly what what I was looking for - thank you!! Follow Q up w/ the drop tank/TER combo - anything specific as to which side the tank/MER went on, or didn't it matter? Appreciate the insight and appreciate your service!! -Gabe Drop tank/TER with weapons could be on either side. I would say in my biased opinion, drop tank would stay on the left pylon, anything else on the right pylon. If we were dropping the big MK-50 series mines, we had range to spare so typically you had a mine on both pylons for a MINEX. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 3 minutes ago, jenshb said: Just curious; why would an anti-submarine aircraft carry bombs? Were they expecting to bomb submarines on the surface, or did they have a secondary attack role? Jens We were so tasked with The Anti-Surface/Anti-Ship/Mine warfare missions as well. Free fall Iron bombs, cluster bombs, rockets, mines were cleared for carry and use against surface targets. We practiced all those mission areas in addition to ASW. When the S-3B came along, Harpoon joined the fleet which gave us standoff anti-ship capability. TALD came along as well....and of course the buddy-pod refueling pod, which turned us into one of the primary tankers in the AirWing. Which kit/decals you using? Cheers Collin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jenshb Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 Thanks for that Collin. It all makes sense now. Jens Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vidar_710 Posted August 4, 2020 Share Posted August 4, 2020 (edited) .. along with the B eventually came the Slam missile, TALDS (decoy/ jammers), and the Maverick as well. We carried just about anything but air-to-air. I have a pic of a left wing station with a Harpoon and a Sidewinder on it, but the Fighter guys had a fit, and we never got it. Tracy Edited August 4, 2020 by Vidar_710 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Posted August 5, 2020 Share Posted August 5, 2020 (edited) Jens: Don't forget rockets. While I never shot them in my S-3B days, many of my Department Heads and CO/XO's had in their earlier S-3A days. Edited August 5, 2020 by Collin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
picknpluck Posted August 6, 2020 Share Posted August 6, 2020 @CollinAt risk of hijacking this thread, any advice on a loadout for VS-24 during Desert Storm? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Posted August 6, 2020 Share Posted August 6, 2020 VS-24 flew S-3B's in DS....so... 1. Drop tank and buddy refueling pod on left wing 2. Some of their aircraft were involved in bombing attacks with Triple Ejector Racks with MK-82's conical fin/low drag (3 each TER-6 bombs total). 3. Check link below, did find a pic of a single MK-20 being loaded on the parent rack W6 (right wing pylon). Other than the bombing sorties (which were few), Vikings conducted tanker duty and surface search (and picked up the paper-based ATO from the beach). So in reality a drop tank and buddy store were probably the norm, with MK-82's in the bomb bay. The MK-20 was a useful weapon for ship attack...so I can see why that is being loaded in that one photo. TR cruised in DS with Intruders....so the S-3 squadron didn't carry the recovery tanker duty by themselves...so while a lot of Vikings probably flew with the buddy store on the left pylon as an additional hose airborne....it freed up to put munitions on the right pylon (either on the parent rack or a TER). https://www.dstorm.eu/pages/en/usa/s-3.html https://www.dstorm.eu/pages/loadout/s-3.html https://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cvn71-90/405.htm I'm sure others will be along to add to this....but this should get you started. Cheers Collin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
picknpluck Posted August 6, 2020 Share Posted August 6, 2020 Awesome, thank you sir! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
eraucubsfan Posted August 29, 2025 Share Posted August 29, 2025 Reviving this old thread, with Caracal's new decals, I am planning my S-3 build. I think the MK 52 looks really cool. I see that Gas Hans makes some, but does anyone else know of anyone who makes them? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LDM Posted August 29, 2025 Share Posted August 29, 2025 7 hours ago, eraucubsfan said: Reviving this old thread, with Caracal's new decals, I am planning my S-3 build. I think the MK 52 looks really cool. I see that Gas Hans makes some, but does anyone else know of anyone who makes them? I bought some off eBay from this guy: They don't seem to be listed on his eBay page at the moment but you could perhaps send him a message asking about their availability. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
eraucubsfan Posted August 29, 2025 Share Posted August 29, 2025 7 minutes ago, LDM said: I bought some off eBay from this guy: They don't seem to be listed on his eBay page at the moment but you could perhaps send him a message asking about their availability. Funny, I thought he had them but couldn't find them. Thanks, for the lead, I did contact him on Ebay and we'll see what happens Quote Link to post Share on other sites
f5guy Posted August 29, 2025 Share Posted August 29, 2025 13 minutes ago, eraucubsfan said: Funny, I thought he had them but couldn't find them. Thanks, for the lead, I did contact him on Ebay and we'll see what happens John did do them, along with several other types of mines. His 3D stuff is top notch and very reasonably priced. I built this very old Hasegawa kit with a couple of his mines on it. HTH, Fred. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
usmcski6502 Posted August 29, 2025 Share Posted August 29, 2025 I’m surprised those Zunis never caused any problems with the engines, or did they? Ski Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GW8345 Posted August 30, 2025 Share Posted August 30, 2025 IIRC correctly the SUCCAP load for the S-3's back in the late 80's was one AGM-84 Harpoon and a TER with Mk 20 Rockeye's. GW Quote Link to post Share on other sites
usmcski6502 Posted August 30, 2025 Share Posted August 30, 2025 2 hours ago, GW8345 said: IIRC correctly the SUCCAP load for the S-3's back in the late 80's was one AGM-84 Harpoon and a TER with Mk 20 Rockeye's. GW Didn’t an S-3 sink an Iraqi ship by accidentally jettisoning a TER full of 500 pounders, or was that just a rumor? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted August 30, 2025 Share Posted August 30, 2025 IIRC an S-3 got a kill by dropping a refueling pod on an Iraqi ship. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Posted August 30, 2025 Share Posted August 30, 2025 (edited) Harpoon didn’t come online until the S-3B T/M/S. S-3A didnt have the SW or weapon control panel installed yet to launch the weapon. A few of my squadron mates (O-4/O-5’s) that flew S-3A’s either carried rockets (if allowed on the boat) or Rockeye for early SUCAP sorties. Our SUCAP loadout always included 2x MK-82 TP/low drag in one side of the bomb bay. That way you could reconfigure whatever you wanted on the wing stations (drops, TERs with weapons, or the ARS pod) and still have something that went boom loaded on the aircraft. Cheers Collin Edited August 30, 2025 by Collin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GW8345 Posted August 30, 2025 Share Posted August 30, 2025 I thought the Bravo's hit the fleet around 85? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted August 30, 2025 Share Posted August 30, 2025 (edited) S-3B first flight was in September '84. Since all Bs were upgraded As the first upgraded airframes started entering the fleet in '87. The first Harpoon/ISAR B went operational in July '88. The S-3 fuselages were built by LTV in Dallas TX right next to A-7 production. If you look at the S-3 landing gear you can see the similarities to the A-7 (and F-8) landing gear. I was working on the A-7 program back then and remember watching the S-3 fuselages being loaded onto railcars destined for final assembly by Lockheed in California. . Edited August 30, 2025 by habu2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hemspilot Posted August 31, 2025 Share Posted August 31, 2025 On 8/30/2025 at 6:55 AM, Collin said: Harpoon didn’t come online until the S-3B T/M/S. S-3A didnt have the SW or weapon control panel installed yet to launch the weapon. A few of my squadron mates (O-4/O-5’s) that flew S-3A’s either carried rockets (if allowed on the boat) or Rockeye for early SUCAP sorties. Our SUCAP loadout always included 2x MK-82 TP/low drag in one side of the bomb bay. That way you could reconfigure whatever you wanted on the wing stations (drops, TERs with weapons, or the ARS pod) and still have something that went boom loaded on the aircraft. Cheers Collin Are those Mk.83s on the TER? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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