Norwegian Starfighter Loadout

[franky boy]

Hi everyone 

 

Im currently building an F104G from 131 squadron Royal Norwegian Airforce for the NATO/Warpac 70's GB. Can someone please advise on a typical weapons loadout for these aircraft. I've found pics showing sidewinders on the under fuselage rails but did these aircraft carry fuel tanks on the underwing pylons or just the usual wingtip ones or were these pylons also used for missiles or maybe bombs?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

James

[Giorgio N]

331 Sqn. Starfighters seem to have used two different configurations: one with Sidewinder missiles under the wings and tanks on the tips, and the other using the underfuselage catamaran launcher, with or more rarely without tip tanks. I've also seen a couple pics with the underwing missiles and no tip tanks

As 331 Sqn. was tasked with air defence, the underwing tanks would have been of little use, I've only seen pictures of these used during transfer flights

331 Sqn. Starfighters seem to have used two different configurations: one with Sidewinder missiles under the wings and tanks on the tips, and the other using the underfuselage catamaran launcher, with or more rarely without tip tanks. I've also seen a couple pics with the underwing missiles and no tip tanks

As 331 Sqn. was tasked with air defence, the underwing tanks would have been of little use, I've only seen pictures of these used during transfer flights. And of course, no bombs

331 Sqn. Starfighters seem to have used two different configurations: one with Sidewinder missiles under the wings and tanks on the tips, and the other using the underfuselage catamaran launcher, with or more rarely without tip tanks. I've also seen a couple pics with the underwing missiles and no tip tanks

As 331 Sqn. was tasked with air defence, the underwing tanks would have been of little use, I've only seen pictures of these used during transfer flights. And of course, no bombs

[RidgeRunner]

Hi James,

 

Giorgio is absolutely correct. 

 

Martin

 

by the way - "load out"? I guess you mean configuration?

Edited April 4, 2017 by RidgeRunner

[Boman]

Norwegian Starfighters hardly ever flew with missiles on the wingtips, other than that your question has already been replied to. 

 

Some pics of the varius loads; 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2017 by Boman

[Ranger626]

Can I add to original post question?     What would be the loaded configuration for 334 Squadron?    I've heard they had maritime recon / strike as their main tasking and that they had AGM-12 Bullpups as a possible armament, but I've never seen a photo of a Norwegian Starfighter with stores other than sidewinder or tanks.     Any info or photos of Norway's F-104's with air-to-ground loads?

[Finn]

A reversed photo but interesting none the less:

 

https://dms-cf-02.dimu.org/image/042uKXkj8mq9?dimension=1200x1200

 

Jari

[Ranger626]

Thanks Finn.    I'll say it's interesting!    I never knew that Norwegian F-104's were sometimes fitted with twin store carriers and Mk. 20 Rockeye.    That photo is a treasure.

[Boman]

The RNoAF used Mk 82's, Mk 20 CBU's, AGM-12 and LAU-3/LAU-5003 

 

Here is one with rocket pods (LAU-3/LAU-5003) 

 

Another one with AIM-9J's; 

 

Edited April 4, 2017 by Boman

[franky boy]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

Boman your first picture is the aircraft I'm modelling so thanks for posting that one in particular.

 

Sidewinders it is then.

 

 Thanks 

 

James

Edited April 5, 2017 by franky boy

[franky boy]

Hi everyone 

 

Just one last question. Did Norwegian Starfighters ever carry missiles on the under wing hard points and on the catamaran rails at the same time or was it one or the other? Just looking at the first picture in Bomans post so the aircraft with the racks under the wings but nothing on them got me wondering.

 

 Thanks again

 

James

[RidgeRunner]

Hi James,

 

i dont recall call seeing any '104 with anything more that two missiles other than an S.

 

Martin

[Dave Fleming]

Did the Norwegian F104s ever carry nukes?

[Giorgio N]

1 hour ago, RidgeRunner said:

Hi James,

 

i dont recall call seeing any '104 with anything more that two missiles other than an S.

 

Martin

 

True, and even the S generally only carried 2 missiles during QRA missions, usually one Sidewinder and one Sparrow or Aspide (the latter only on the ASA and AA-M).

The fact is that on the Starfighter a load of more than 2 missiles and 2 tanks induces quite a lot of drag, reason for which the typical load was just the tanks and 2 missiles, be they under the wings or on the ventral pylon. There are pictures around of Starfighters with larger AA loads but they are usually taken during airshows or demonstrations.

[Boman]

Tecnically the F-104G could carry 4x AIM-9's, but rarely did, simply because it wasn't needed. I have photos of 4x fueltanks + 2x AIM-9B's. 

(The TF-104G could only carry 2x AIM-9 under the wings)

 

The Norwegian F-104's could carry nukes if required, but never did due to Norwegian politics on nuclear arms. 

 

This photo was taken at Bardufoss MAS in 1969

 

Edited April 9, 2017 by Boman

[franky boy]

Thanks as ever Giorgio and Boman. To the rescue again!

 

James

[Alex Cimenti]

Hi Boman and Giorgio, about your post of Norwegian Starfighter load out, I'm interested on the underwing pylon that carried AIM 9B missiles. Was it a Norwegian design or supplied by Lockheed? Does exist any drawing to reproduce them in scale? Is it possible that such pylons were used also by Taiwanese Starfighter? I saw a photo a long time ago. Let me know if you have any other data. Thanks. 

[Vingtor]

Norwegian Starfighters did train with inert nukes, according to some sources.

 

Nils

[exdraken]

I'd assume during an all out shooting war 4 Sidewinders could be usefull. I imagine situations where you'd fire your missiles and even have gun amo to use... but probably no base to return to.... was thankfully never the case!

[Boman]

18 hours ago, Alex Cimenti said:

Hi Boman and Giorgio, about your post of Norwegian Starfighter load out, I'm interested on the underwing pylon that carried AIM 9B missiles. Was it a Norwegian design or supplied by Lockheed? Does exist any drawing to reproduce them in scale? Is it possible that such pylons were used also by Taiwanese Starfighter? I saw a photo a long time ago. Let me know if you have any other data. Thanks. 

Hi Alex 

The pylons were the standard type - the only ones with special underwing pylons were the Germans with the Exocet missiles and the Italians with the AIM-9/AIM-7 pylons. 

[Fernando]

On 8/16/2019 at 3:31 PM, Boman said:

Hi Alex 

The pylons were the standard type - the only ones with special underwing pylons were the Germans with the Exocet missiles and the Italians with the AIM-9/AIM-7 pylons. 

Hi, Boman,

TMK, German F-104Gs carried AS.30 and (possibly experimentally only) Kormoran missiles, on underwing pylons. The pylon itself was standard, the "shoe" for the missile was special.

Fernando

Edited October 31, 2019 by Fernando

[Boman]

You're correct - should be Kormoran and not Exocet - me bad 😋. But the Kormoran was carried operationally by MFG1 and 2, so not just experimental.