ELQ-87 ECM Pods carried on F-4C Phantoms during the Vietnam War.

[Starfighter Jock]

Looking over some photos of the early F-4C's in service during the war, was the fuselage center pylon ever setup to carry a ECM pod on the centerline, or was only the outboard wing pylons able to mount the pod?  Have not located any actual in service photo(s) that would confirm if this was a possible combat loadout possibility. 

 

Thanks for info on the subject.

 

Kirk

[Tony T]

AFAIK the ALQ-87 was only ever carried on the c/l pylon of a few F-4D Phantoms in 1972-73 carrying GBU-8 HOBOS TV-guided smart bombs (on inner wing pylons), to avoid electronic interference. Otherwise, the pod was mounted under the inner wing pylons or fwd Sparrow well on adaptors on F-4D/Es.

 

The ALQ-87 pod entered service around 1968, and F-4Cs going North ca.65-67 would generally have used the earlier ALQ-71, which could be mounted under the outboard wing pylon (e.g. as in Operation Bolo). Jennings does decals for the Bolo era Wolfpack F-4Cs and there's a thread on that here, somewhere. 

 

HTH

 

Tony 

 

 

[Starfighter Jock]

Thanks Tony, I do have Jennings Wolfpack F-4C decal set which is excellent, and I assumed the outboard wing pylon was the only option for carrying the pod, or boat anchor as Olds referred to it.

 

Kirk

[Starfighter Jock]

Thanks Jennings, explains why I have never located photo(s) of the pod being carried anywhere but those stations. 

 

Kirk