Warloads!

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

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

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

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

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 ;)

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Don't forget to add in mission profile. A low/low/low mission profile eats far more fuel that a high/low/high profile. But anyways we are digressing from the thread intent here and I will try to get some more photos up here later on or combat aircraft and loadouts carried on actual missions.

Internal Fuel of planes I could track it down for: (internal fuel only no drop tanks) I'll update this as I can find references

1. 2,076kg  F-5E
2. 3,500kg  MIG-29 earlier versions
3. 4,700kg  Rafale, 9,500kg external possible
4. 4,930kg F/A-18C up to three 330 gallon external tanks
5. 5,000kg Typhoon
6. 6,100kg F-15C up to three 600 gallon external tanks
7. 6,354kg F/A-18F  up to five 480 gallon external tanks 
8. 6,780kg F/A-18E up to five 480 gallon external tanks
9. 7,348kg F-14D up to two 267 gallon external tanks
10. 8,200kg F-22A up to two 600 gallon external tanks
11. 8,382kg F-35A
12. 9,400kg Su-27/30
13. 10,300kg T-50 (Su-50)

In the Falkland War, two of the Blackbuck Missions (a third was scrubbed) carried AGM-45s.

The second one had to divert to Rio and could only jettison one of the two remaining missiles.

Nathan T

Makes sense Stik, thanks.

Yup, I went and found my Squadron "Wild Weasel" book and read up on the Desert Storm F-4G missions... in the opening days of that war, if the F-4Gs were flying in the Kuwait area, they carried the 4x HARM loadout. Those going into Western Iraq or "Downtown" to Baghdad carried the 2x HARM and 3 fuel tank loadout. occasionally later in the war AGM-65D Mavericks or AGM-45 Shrikes were used by F-4Gs as well. With one F-4G even killing a IL-76 on a runway with an AGM-65D. But according to that book the 2x AGM-88 with the three fuel tanks was the most common loadout as the war progressed and SEAD mission evolved.

Makes sense Stik, thanks.

They did on some missions. On other longer duration missions they carried the wing drop tanks as well. That is the more common load out seen in photos. Just an educated guess, but the four HARMs and a centerline tank only load out was likely for early missions against border area air defenses. The deeper penetration missions needed more onboard fuel to get to the target and then back to the tanker tracks over friendly territory.

Didn't some F-4Gs carry 4 Harms in ODS with only the centerline drop tank?

seasick

Drop tanks are mandatory.

unless you have great tanker support or a very long legged aircraft... Or a short hop...

Drop tanks are mandatory.

How about some Phantoms?

The first "Weasel" Phantoms, the EF-4C with a pair or AIM-7s and another pair of AGM-45s

Early F-4G warload, 1 AGM-78 and 1 AGM-45 ARMs

F-4G ODS Warload- 2x AGM-88s, 2 x AIM7s, 1 ECM pod

Wahoo! Loaded for the bad guys to come over like they did in WWII.  Maybe take that one back for the Final Countdown and let him have fun on December 7 :)

Warning, this is not a typical war load for a F/A-18C on A2A mission.

I have seen that on a few aircraft, and such information such as if a hard point is plumbed for a drop tank, or dry for ordnance only. But those charts that show what they can carry often do not reflect what is actually carried, especially in combat.

What would be nice to would be a list and/or diagram of which weapons are checked out for which aircraft and which hard points are valid for a munition/ drop tank.

I have some research for a few types of planes but I don't know how good it is.

A couple A-7 Sandy alert aircraft, 3rd T.F.S.

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Some F-4Es 34th T.F.S.

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F-4Ds, 34th T.F.S.

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One comment on the F-18s, unless I am seeing things, they were hauling a pair of AIM 7 Sparrows as well.  Great thread, have to see what I can come up with.

John