rotaliscia Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 Hi all. I’m planning the building of a Kurnass, an Israeli F-4E, during Yom Kippur War in 1973. And I'm wondering what the loadout with GBU-8’s could be, for bridges attack operations. One each on the inboard pylons, gas tanks on outboard ones. But what else on centerline/fuselage stations? ECM pods, Sparrows and/or Sidewinders? Did the GBU’s need some typical ordnance connected? Wondering if exist any photo in that configuration… Thanks for reading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 FWIW, In Vietnam USAF F-4Ds stopped carrying anything in the forward AIM-7 wells in order to keep the ambient light hitting the seeker of the GBU-8 as consistent as possible. The final configuration they settled on was two AIM-7s in the rear wells, an MER on the fuselage centerline station with a pair of AN/ALQ-87 pods mounted on the bottom stations of the MER, the GBU-8s on the inboard wing pylons, and two wing tanks. I don't think the Israelis used the AN/ALQ-87 pod, and during the Yom Kippur had very limited stocks of any ECM pods, not to mention a total lack of faith in them till they got crushed by the Egyptian and Syrian SAMs, so I suspect if you put a pair of AIM-7s in the rear wells, left the fuselage centerline clean, hung a GBU-8 on each inboard wing pylon, and mounted a pair of external wing tanks you would be good to go. Regards, Murph 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collin Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 (edited) 6 hours ago, rotaliscia said: Hi all. I’m planning the building of a Kurnass, an Israeli F-4E, during Yom Kippur War in 1973. And I'm wondering what the loadout with GBU-8’s could be, for bridges attack operations. One each on the inboard pylons, gas tanks on outboard ones. But what else on centerline/fuselage stations? ECM pods, Sparrows and/or Sidewinders? Did the GBU’s need some typical ordnance connected? Wondering if exist any photo in that configuration… Thanks for reading! https://wingmanmodels.com/wm/Pulsar/en_US.Store.display.155./iafb001-the-iaf-in-the-yom-kippur-war This is the book for you, it's fantastic. I will look later tonight when I get home but believe there are a few pics in the back of the book with a GBU-8 loadout. They were mounted on the inboard wing pylons with drop tanks and I believe a MER with MK-82's on the centerline. I will check the photos to confirm. Your typical F-4E loads were 10-12 x M-117's or 8-10 CBU-58's. The book is littered with photos of those loadouts. Normally Sparrows in the aft wells and maybe a Sidewinder on a slant loaded TER. Some of these are shown in the pics below. Someday when I get to it...I'm building a F-4E hard wing from the older 1/48 Pro Modeler kit which is good for a first generation F-4E (non wing slat) aircraft that includes the early gun fairing. This book is also outstanding if you really want a blow by blow of F-4 operations during the YKW: https://www.schifferbooks.com/ghosts-of-atonement-israeli-f-4-phantom-operations-during-the-yom-kippur-war-5569.html Cheers Collin Edited March 5, 2019 by Collin spelling 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collin Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 I stand corrected. Page 115 shows 119 Squadron headed out for an attack on 16 October with GBU-8. Loadout consists of 2x GBU-8 on the inboard pylons. Single centerline drop tank, and both outboard pylons are loaded with 3x MK-82 low drag bombs on a TER. Hope that helps. Cheers Collin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finn Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 Here is a USAF F-4D with GBU-8s, and Mk-82s: Jari 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotaliscia Posted March 6, 2019 Author Share Posted March 6, 2019 Wow!!! What great info! Thanks, thank you a lot dudes. Very appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotaliscia Posted March 6, 2019 Author Share Posted March 6, 2019 (edited) 11 hours ago, Collin said: I stand corrected. Page 115 shows 119 Squadron headed out for an attack on 16 October with GBU-8. Loadout consists of 2x GBU-8 on the inboard pylons. Single centerline drop tank, and both outboard pylons are loaded with 3x MK-82 low drag bombs on a TER. Hope that helps. Cheers Collin Yes Collin, helps a lot. Thanks. This is the confguration I was looking info for. My intention is to build this aircraft using an old Hasegawa F-4EJ (sorry for the shitty quality photo; was taken by a mobile phone in very bad light conditions, but just to give you the idea): Edited March 6, 2019 by rotaliscia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collin Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 In the ‘Ghosts’ book, I read the 16 October diary and it said two 119 F-4’s introduced GBU-8 to the war with their bridge attack using 1 x GBU-8 apiece (looks like your attached color profile). Both hit. What I don’t know is what they used as a counterbalance on the opposite pylon (if they needed it at all). I’ve got 119 Squadron decals for that same scheme (Isradecal) as well, and a ton of aftermarket CBU’s (Wingman resin). Cheers Collin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotaliscia Posted March 6, 2019 Author Share Posted March 6, 2019 (edited) Collin, I would not thrust 100% on the profile. Even if it's from a very reliable source. Tending generally to simplify my life, if you have in your book a photo of a 119 Sqn in YKW with 2 x GBU on the inner pylons, a single centerline tank and a 3x MK-82 bombs on TER's in outboards, I'm fine this way. It will be my definitive configuration. Beautiful, unusual and lethal, a true Hammer. A snapshot would be great, should you be so kind and if you think is appropriate. Owing you a beer from The Netherlands! Edited March 6, 2019 by rotaliscia 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collin Posted March 7, 2019 Share Posted March 7, 2019 I did some more digging. I believe the pic of the GBU and MK-82 load is post YKW and here is why. 1. I found the same photo in another IAF F-4 book and the aircraft is a slated soft wing (and in a late 1970 section of the book). Clear to see the slated wing. During the YKW there were very very few slated F-4’s. After the war they accelerated the slat wing conversion across the fleet. I would say 99% of the photos I have in the 5-6 IAF Phantom books I have show hard wings during the YKW. The famous sharkmouth Phantom was slated, but from what I was told, she was damaged in the first few days of the war and didn’t fly for the rest of the conflict. 2. An F-4 with just a centerline and the drag count of MK-82’s and the GBU’s would make any flight a very short range one, nothing like attacking the bridges in mid-Syria or comms center near/West of the Suez Canal. My guess is the F-4’s went out with centerline and wing tanks with 2 x GBU-8’s which matches the color profile you posted earlier. If others out out there can add to this, I’m all ears. Cheers Collin 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collin Posted March 7, 2019 Share Posted March 7, 2019 Hopefully my final chat on this subject. Reading through the most excellent book ‘Ghosts of Atonement’ it’s stated that: 119 Squadron flew the first GBU-8 mission against a communication node along the Egyptian Coast. In this 2-ship formation both aircraft were armed with ONE GBU-8 apiece. Both weapons hit near the target but failed to explode due to fuzing issue. Seccond mission of the day was a 4-ship from 119 Squadron attacking the Dominique Bridge in Syria. First pair were armed with TWO GBU-8 a piece, while the second pair in the flight were armed with M117 bombs as backup. This time the GBU-8 functioned properly. Cheers Collin 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiskey Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 I've always been meaning to get that book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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