Loadout Ideas: 1/32 A-7D and F-4E

[Avenger2614]

Howdy Everybody,

 

I have Trumpeter's A-7D and Tamiya's F-4E nearing the top of the build pile, and I'm struggling to determine the correct loadout for the time periods I'm choosing to model. Here are the two specific aircraft I am building and their time frames:

 

A-7D: Colorado Air National Guard at Gunsmoke 1981 (AirDoc sheet) held at Nellis AFB. I know this is a ground attack competition, so would iron bombs, AGM-65s, or something comparable be more accurate? Also, if it were to carry Sidewinders, which variant would be correct? AIM-9J? Photos from this competition are few and far between, and seem to really only cover F-4s which show only drop tanks.

 

F-4E: Soesterberg Eagles (Dutch Decal sheet) in 1978. All the photos I can find only show drop tanks, but I'm guessing being a European-based fighter group they likely carried AIM-9s and AIM-7s, and not bombs? Same question as above, is the AIM-9J the correct missile for this time period? Would it carry the ALQ pod in the front, port Sparrow well?

 

I'm a real novice when it comes to jets, and loadouts are even more of a gray area for me. Can anyone with a greater knowledge base lend a hand? Thanks in advance.

 

-Daniel S.

Westminster, CO

[Kagemusha]

 

 

 

No expert, no idea what those inner pods are on the last photo, but maybe someone will know...

 

[easixpedro]

Try this: Saw a couple of COANG A-7Ds shown. Unfortunately it's coming back post mission as the pylons are clean. But fun to dig through all the historical photos and see the mass briefings etc!

52 Operation gunsmoke 81 Images: U.S. National Archives & DVIDS Public Domain Search (getarchive.net)

Loved those CO A-7s. Some of my favorite memories as a kid were watching them depart out of Buckley... And my dad was tickled pink that a bunch of Guard guys could beat the active duty guys in the competition.

 

Image is reversed, but check out his helmet--cool CO flag on the visor cover!

An A-7 Corsair II aircraft pilot from the Colorado "Tiger" guard displays his colors upon arrival during Operation Gunsmoke '81 - U.S. National Archives & DVIDS Public Domain Search (getarchive.net)

-Peter

Edited September 20, 2021 by easixpedro

[Grunticus]

Off topic: Those are some nice shots of Soesterberg's 32nd TFS Phantoms. I used to watch these taxi by the perimiter fence as a teenager. Right-clicked and saved for my Revell -E.

 

Edit: that last bird looks very clean. Might you have more of these you are willing to share here?

Edited September 20, 2021 by Grunticus

[Kagemusha]

3 minutes ago, Grunticus said:

Edit: that last bird looks very clean. Might you have more of these you are willing to share here?

 

They aren't mine, just a very quick google/bing images search;

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q="F-4E"+Soesterberg&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiS9u_F6I3zAhWIDsAKHSTSAc4Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1536&bih=722&dpr=1.25

 

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=F-4E%3a+Soesterberg&form=HDRSC2&first=1&tsc=ImageBasicHover

[Tony T]

The pods are bulk chaff dispensers, like the ALE-38 found in the Revell kit

 

Tony

[Avenger2614]

Let's see if I can recall what we discussed after the forum reset:

 

-The Soesterberg F-4Es flew only in an air-intercept mode, so likely loadout was only AIM-9Js and AIM-7Es, and perhaps an ALQ pod thrown in sometimes.

-Only late-production F-4Es had the TISEO, as the above photo shows. Also of note are the squared-off strike cameras under the wing roots.

-A suggestion was made for an A-7D loadout of six Mk.82s on the six pylons.

-A suggestion was also made for an A-7D loadout of (hope I got this right) a TER with Mk.82s with ballute tails, a LANA pod, and a single drop tank.

- Jennings shared a story of a friend of his who invented the ballute tail, and he had seen this male as recently as the 2018 IPMS Nationals.

[Tony T]

A-7D: 1981 is too early for Ballutes, except possibly on F-111s. A-7Ds would have used Mk.82s fitted with Snakeye or slick tails. 

F-4E: you'll need to add LES slats to the Tamiya hard wing for a 1978 Soesterberg Wolfhound. Alert aircraft would have AIM-7E-2s and AIM-9Js.

 

HTH

 

Tony

[dmthamade]

12 hours ago, Tony T said:

A-7D: 1981 is too early for Ballutes, except possibly on F-111s. A-7Ds would have used Mk.82s fitted with Snakeye or slick tails. 

 

 

HTH

 

Tony

 

Yup!! That makes sense. My build depicted a 1991 New Mexico ANG build as a participant in the 1991 Gunsmoke competition. Much later than the OP wants to do.

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/201904-a-7d-the-tacos-new-mexico-ang-1991-gunsmoke-a-7-top-gun/

Don

Edited September 22, 2021 by dmthamade

[Avenger2614]

That's a fine looking build, sir! Thank you for the inspiration. I think I'll likely do AIM-9Js on the fuselage stations, drop tanks inboard, TERs with three Mk.82s with slick tails on stations 3/4, and either single Mk.82s on 5/6 or empty. Might splurge and do blue training bombs, as well. Time will tell! I realized I'm still waiting for Zactomodels to open back up so I can purchase the corrected intake piece (for this and my F-100F Wild Weasel), and I need to get burner cans and slatted wingtips for the F-4E (sadly going the GT Resin route here).

[Finn]

If you want to go for Gunsmoke '87:

 

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6428088

 

then you can use the AIR tails.

 

Jari