F-4 Dropping LGB

[Jack Cook]

F-4C dropping a LGB over NVN

[CWBuff]

Nice...

This is actually an F-4D. The unit is the 497th TFS, 8th TFW. The 497th were known as the 'Night Owls'
and flew night attack missions, hence the black undersides of this jet.


Fade to Black...

[Jack Cook]

I thought Ds had the smooth radome??

[CWBuff]

Only the first three blocks of F-4Ds (about 80 airframes) lacked the IR chin pod present on earlier variants. Starting with block 27 machines the chin pod was once again installed, although it housed a radar warning antenna instead of an IR tracking system. In comparing the pods on the F-4C and D, the pod on the F-4D has an extra bulge on the bottom toward the rear.


Fade to Black...

[Jack Cook]

[Randy Haskin]

Nice...Paveway I. That's bringing it old school.

Big question is...how the hell are they guiding it?! I don't see any pod on board, nor a "Zot" sticking out from the back cockpit. Must be a ground party doing the lasing.

The 8th had buddy ships using the AVQ-23 Pave Tack or Pave Spike pod.

One would carry it and a GBU-10B either on outboard or inboard and the other F-4Ds or F-4Es in flight would be wall to wall or 2 plyons full of GBUs 10s.

The A-6 Inruder used the GBU-10s with AVQ 23 pod on last day of the Vietnam war 28th Jan 1973 to destroy some nice North Vietnamese targets.

[steve dickey]

Neat pic Jack! I have a dumb Q. What type antenna is that along the spine? Thanks.

[Jack Cook]

A-6E VA-75 CVW-3 1978 Med Cruise

The A-6 Inruder used the GBU-10s with AVQ 23 pod

[RickH]

That antenna is called a towel rack and it's for LORAN.

[Randy Haskin]

Buddy-guiding is weak.

[steve dickey]

[quote="RickH"]That antenna is called a towel rack and it's for LORAN.[/quote]

Thanks Rick.