F-115G Wild Weasel Lightning

[rossm]

Early in 1968 the Wild Weasel program was in trouble, the F-4C Weasel was two years late and the number of F-105 Thunderchiefs was dwindling fast. The USAF was forced to look around for another two seat high performance jet that could be used to fill the gap. The Saudi order for the BAC Lightning was coming to the end of its production run and in spite of a potentially cramped cockpit this was decided to be the best choice. A T.55 was taken from the production line and shipped to the USA for conversion. For speed the avionics were taken from the F-105G program with the split jamming pod grafted on to the fuselage sides using the external cable ducting already in place and half the bay for the missile electronics (Firestreak/Red Top were NOT required) was used for additional Weasel mission equipment. An Aden cannon (as fitted in a pair on early Lightnings) occupied the other half of the bay. RHAW was attached to the fin and other antennas added. The dormant plan to fit missiles to the wingtips was used to allow the carriage of Shrike and Sidewinders for defence were fitted on the fuselage side pylons. The underwing pylons of the export variant were converted for the Standard ARM, a plus over the F-4C which could not carry this missile. The overwing fuel tanks were fitted as range was crucial (design work was begun to stress them for combat and to make them jettisonable but this was not ready for the prototype). The full volume of the underfuselage fairing was used for fuel. In flight refuelling on the prototype had to use the probe and drogue method being phased out by the USAF but work to convert the wing mounting for the probe into a receptacle for a boom was also initiated.

By the September of 1968 the prototype (with WW tailcodes but disguised with an F-105G identity and a 'slip of the pen' F-115G designation to avoid budgetary questions) was transferred to Korat for evaluation in a combat environment. Only a few missions were flown before President Johnson called a bombing halt over North Vietnam in November 1968 and the project was shelved as the attrition rate for the Thunderchief reduced significantly.

I don't do WHIFFs but this one lodged in my head and refuses to go away. It also provides an excuse for a Vietnam scheme on a Lightning and a home for some of the leftovers from my Thuds

Here is the start, kit is the Matchbox T55 using side consoles from a Trumpy F1A destined for the Neomega T4 conversion and a plasticard instrument panel,

Ross

Edited May 8, 2012 by rossm

[The wooksta V2.0]

I don't do WHIFFs but this one lodged in my head and refuses to go away. It also provides an excuse for a Vietnam scheme on a Lightning and a home for some of the leftovers from my Thuds

You've started. One is all it needs to take you to the dark side. Muwhahahahahahaha!

Nice start and I'll be watching this with interest. Incidentally, the T55 was the Lightning T-Bird that the RAF always wanted but never had the money to do. What if the money spent rewiring all the F2As which were promptly scrapped 6 months later was instead spent bringing the T4s and T5s up to T55 standard? Did a few Matchbox Lightnings in standard RAF Lightning colours.

Edited May 1, 2012 by The wooksta V2.0

[woody37]

Cool Ross, looking forwards to this

[rossm]

Managed to get some more done today so the cockpit is as good as it's going to get - Aeroclub seats (handles to come later in the build) and Modeldecal instrument panel from the 2nd line Lightnings sheet.....

[rossm]

About time this one came off the backburner. I've just picked up another T55 kit so I can build a straight one for my Coltishall collection which was one of the mental hurdles holding it up. it's going to have to timeshare with my DHC-8 and Comet Racer so it won't be quick but at least it will move again.

 

What is a realistic weapons load - bearing in mind it's a whiff of a prototype so no wingtip pylons as per P8 concept?

 

Here are the export Lighting possibilities - taken from the Flight Global Archive https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1968/1968 - 1766.html

 

So 2x 1,000lb bombs on the outer pylon are almost the same weight as a Standard ARM, Shrikes could probably replace Red Top/Firestreak, more fuel is also a priority so the overwing pylons go with the ferry tanks pending the whiff development of a jettisonable version and that's about it but should it be a Standard ARM under each wing, not often seen on F-105Gs or one missile and one F-105 tank?

 

I don't think there is room for cannon or rockets in the lower fuselage if Shrikes are fitted on the fuselage pylons - I'm trying to make this a plausible whiff. Pity the US didn't use SNEB rockets or the twin overwing Matra 100s would have been tempting, Wild Weasels sometimes carried rockets for target marking radar sites.