Warloads!

Yes, I can see where the tank would interfere with the FLIR's field of view on the wing pylon. The current war has seen all sorts of asymmetrical load outs with multiple types of ordnance on a single aircraft.

Now lets go back to one of the great supersonic bomb carriers, the F-111...

Here is an F-111F with 2x GBU-15s, a date link pod and an ECM pod. I know that this load out was carried at least once in 1991 to bomb some oil pumping facilities.

Here is an F-111F with 4x GBU-12 LGBs and a Pave Tack centerline pod for self designating about to go pay a visit to Tripoli in April 1986

F-111A with 16x SUU-30B CBUs (4x "slant four" BRUs) and an ECM pod on rear centerline

F-111A with 24x Mk.82 LDGP on 4 BRU and ECM pod on centerline

F-111 (unk type) with BRUs full of Durandel anti runway weapon- this loadout was supposedly used in 1991 against Iraq by F-111Es flying out of Turkey

The fuel load is interesting.  In case anyone wants/needs it to convert pounds to gallons or otherwise, jet fuel is 6.8 Lbs/Gal.

F/A-18Cs actually saw an aerodynamic drag reduction (and subsequent fuel savings) by going "double ugly" on the drop tanks (one centerline and one on an inboard wing pylon).  I do not know, however, if Super Hornets see the same fuel savings.

Groot

stikpusher

F-111 (unk type) with BRUs full of Durandel anti runway weapon- this loadout was supposedly used in 1991 against Iraq by F-111Es flying out of Turkey

Some nice F-111 pics there Stik. I came across most of those recently. But one thing I have just spotted that I seem to have missed, the ladder is yellow as well as the ground equipment.

Bugger.

Yes, after Vietnam, flight line equipment was changed to dark green. Of course that did not happen overnight. And I am pretty sure that ladders can still be found in yellow. Nowadays I'm finding photos of gray flight line equipment. But just a guess as far as why green after Vietnam I would venture that it had a lot to do with the soviet air threat in Europe and the overall toning down of US equipment as a result in that era.

GM, judging by the full color national insignia on the F-111 with the Durandels/BLU-107s, I would venture that photo is from the early 80s at the latest. Those stars went away on tactical line aircraft in the early to mid 80s.

Every thing I read said the ladders were green. But I guess I didn't take account that these might be modern colours. O well, I am not going to take the ladders off now to re paint them.

When I started working at Lakenheath I was surprised to see a lt of the ground equipment is grey, but there is still a lot that green, especially the weapons trolleys.

I have even seen ladders in squadron colors on occasion... And I am with you on the idea of repainting yours... That project is done, on to the next one.... Yours still looks great, even if the ground stuff colors were time warped from the future ;)

Great thread, Stik! I can't believe I missed this when you created it back in November 2014.

Thanks Dawg... it's a work in progress and it stalled out for awhile...

This is an unusual mixed load out: 3 CBUs on a TER, 3 LAUs on a TER and 6x Mk.82s on a centerline MER

Now for the sea going premier strike aircraft of the 1960s thru 1990s... The A-6 Intruder... even her replacements today can't haul such a load, such a distance, and put them on target solo with such precision ...

15x Mk.83s on 5 MERs

4x Zuni pods on MERs, a couple of GBU-12s, and a centerline fuel tank, ODS 1991

line up of A-6s w/MERs of Mk.82s and Mk.20s, ODS 1991

something way unique- napalm and Shrike, ODS 1991

4x Mk.84 and centerline tank

3 MERs w/"slant four" Mk.82 HDGPs and 1 drop tank

How about some Scooters in Vietnam?

6x Mk.82 HDGPs on the centerline and a pair of Mk.83 LDGPs on the wing pylons

or this mighty load of 14x Mk.82 LDGPs on MERs (2 x3 + 1x6)  and the outer pylons

3x Mk.20s on wing pylons, single Zuni pod on wing, 1 centerline tank

single Mk.82 HDGPs on outer pylons, 3x Mk.82 HDGPs on centerline TER, and two drop tanks on inboard pylons- Gulf War 1991

single 1000 lb GP on centerline, 2 drop tanks on inner pylons- Falklands War 1982

2x AGM-62s on wing pylons, centerline drop tank

Hello!

Nice! The Scooter is a real classsic! You'd wish they designed aircraft in this style nowadays...

Thanks for sharling and have a nice day!

Paweł

This photo is a red herring. This isn't typical, it is a demonstration, by Boeing, of AAM that can be carried by the Super Hornet.  On the wing tips are AIM-9M, on the outer underwing  stations are a late version of the AIM-7, and the others are pairs of AIM-120B/C on LAU-127 launch rails connected to LAU-115B/A.

Here is another Super Hornet flying over Afganistan. There is one 480 gallon drop tank on the centerline , with one out of view. Opposite of the  ATFLIR are two GBU-12 with the outer station open. On the reverse is a AGM-65 "Maverick", and a AIM-9X on the wingtip. 

I like those asymmetrical multi weapon warloads carried lately as a matter of standard. Nice shot there Seasick!

How about some 1991 F-16s?

here is a mixed flight of F-16As, 2 with Mk.84AIRs and 2 with TERS of Mk.82 HDGPs. All four carry wingtip AIM-9s, inboard drop tanks and Centerline ALQ-119 ECM pods

F-16C 4x Mk.84 AIRs, wingtip AIM-9s and centerline ALQ-119 ECM

Mixed flight of F-16Cs- no wingtip AIM-9s, only TERs with slant load of CBUs, drop tanks and centerline ECM pods

2x AIM9s, 2x AGM-65D, 2 drop tanks, centerline ALQ-131 ECM, and cheek mounted LANTIRN

4x AIM-9s, 4x CBUs, Drop tanks and ALQ-131

2x AIM-9s, 4x Mk.20s, drop tanks and centerline ALQ-119

Stikpusher, a lot of the pictures are ones I tracked down while researching the Hornet (Bug) and Super Hornet (Rhino). This is becoming real interesting, I'm tracking down more photos. I'll keep adding also I will make diagrams for common loads and post them.  

Here is a Vietnam era Skyraider (aka SPAD or Sandy). The really large bombs are the M117 750 pound bombs. The smaller bombs are the Mk81 250 pound bomb. The Mk81 was discontinued after Operation Linebacker.

In honor of the upcoming 1991 Gulf War GB here are a few loadouts from that war on AV-8Bs

being loaded with Mk.l20 Rockeyes, with a shipload of Snakeyes wating for somebody else

Mk.20 Rockeyes and AGM-65 (C?) Mavericks

Mk.83 Slicks with Mk.77 napalm awaiting their ride

just Rockeyes... all 6 stations

more Mk.83s

Mk.77 Napalm

Mk.82 Snakeyes

Great Harrier pictures, Stik. Good to see them again. I probably sat in the cockpits of most of them at one time or another ground-testing their DECM systems (they're all from MAG-32). I'll see if I can dig up some more pictures of them. Didn't take many photos while I was in (danged if I know why I didn't), but I should have a few somewhere around here.

I'm happy to hear that you like them DD. And very cool that you have such a personal connection with them. I hope that you can get some photos of yours posted. I suspect that the reason you did not take more photos back then is like mine- film. You only had so many shots on a roll, and it could get pricey to buy more, and develop and print it all. Digital photography has eliminated that aspect. Except for prints if course. Compare the abundance of photos from the 2003 Iraq War compared to the 1991 War. Way more stuff in the later war, and I bet mainly due to digital.

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i213.photobucket.com/.../scan0180.jpg

stikpusher

I'm happy to hear that you like them DD. And very cool that you have such a personal connection with them. I hope that you can get some photos of yours posted. I suspect that the reason you did not take more photos back then is like mine- film. You only had so many shots on a roll, and it could get pricey to buy more, and develop and print it all. Digital photography has eliminated that aspect. Except for prints if course. Compare the abundance of photos from the 2003 Iraq War compared to the 1991 War. Way more stuff in the later war, and I bet mainly due to digital.

You know, you have a good point there - I only used a little Kodak 110 camera back then, and could barely afford film for it raising a family. 

Never thought about the quantity of photos during the wars, but you make an excellent point about that, too. 

Love my digital camera. And for the very reason you stated - no limitations on the picture count. I have a little hand-me-down camera from my wife (of course, she gets the latest-n-greatest!!) - a little Kodak EasyShare Z1285 12MegaPixel, with a 4GB microSD card. Does everything I need. At full resolution, it can take around 1688 pictures, So far, I have yet to fill it up before downloading. Hmmmmm, that gives me another goal to shoot for......

2x AIM-9s, 2x AGM-65s, 6x Mk.82s on two TERs, 1 ALQ-119 pod

A-10 seems like a load out as described in Warthog! for Gulf 1.  They had trouble with the triple racks for the Maverick missiles, so tended to carry only 2.

John

Yup. I have only come across one photo so far with the triple launcher being carried. The single rail was the standard load out seen for Mavericks. I'll see if I can find that photo again