Can someone please tell me what a “standard” load for an A-4b off USS Intrepid would be? The Airfix kit gives 2 large fin stabilized droptanks (inner wing pylons) and a large central DT.
There are also what appears to be 500Lb’ers and retarded bombs. A single Large (1000 lb’er?) is supplied, but I think it is intended if one built the Argentine A-4.
I rather like the Scooter with the 2 tanks on the wings, but did they ever carry a central hardpoint with 500 lb’ers on?
If not, what would the sortie for a plane with just 2 or3 drop tanks be? Recon? Did the A-4b’s do this?
I have seen lots of pictures of A-4s with a centerline MER with 6 500 lb bombs on. Not sure if I have ever seen a B model specifically. I did a search for the A4B and did find a picture showing 3 MERs but no fuel tanks. My sense is that the centerline MER with 6 bombs and pair of tanks would be a standard load out.
The B model couldn’t carry the Shrike and the C had limited ability to carry it. It was used extensively on the E when the 4th & 5th pylons were added to the outer wings.
OK, if I recall right, the A-4Bs made one cruise on the Intrepid to Vietnam, and that was the 1966 cruise. After that, the Intrepid returned the following year carrying A-4E’s. I found a video on youtube of old 8mm video shot during the 1966 WESTPAC cruise aboard Intrepid. It shows VA-95 Green Lizards Skyhawks carrying three basic loadouts. The first is all gas–three drop tanks. The second is a centerline tank with a single slick bomb on each wing station–250 or 500 pound. The third is a centerline tank with a TER–not the MER, but a triple ejector rack–on each wing station. Now, on these TERs, each has two slicks mounted–one on the bottom station and one on the outboard station. They appear to be Mk. 82 500 pounders, but the 250 pound Mk. 81 would work there as well. I know an old A-4 driver from VA-95, not sure if he was on that cruise or not but i emailed him to get his thoughts about their common loadouts. I know that he was aboard the Shangri La the following year, as was my dad(jet engine mechanic, flightline, VF-13’s F-8 Crusaders). If he has something different in the way of loadouts, I will get back to you and let you know.
That is stunning thanx allot. The pic I have of the centre line bomb rack that has 3 bombs infront and three in the rear. each cluster is a bomb on the bottom middle of the rack with two each ontop to the sides of the bottom bomb.
In this case only the bottom two (front and rear) stations of the rack had retarded weapons on them.This is what I am atempting to do.
What would the mission be if the two wing tanks aswell as the centre line tank were carried? No other place for waepons except the cannons and the underwing camera.
Did the a-4’s do recon misions atall? Or when they maybe escorted a recon ship , would only the cannons be used if all the pylons needed gas tanks on them?
A-4s would fly non-combat missions, such as ferry flights, with all three tanks carried. A-4’s also flew buddy-tanking missions, and on these missions they would carry two drop tanks on the wings and the buddy refueling store on centerline, like in this photo:
By the way, that F-8 Crusader was from my dad’s squadron, VF-13, 1967.
The rack you are talking about is called a MER, for multiple ejector rack. It was capable of carrying six bombs at once, three up front and three in the back. It was possible for the -B to carry the MER, though I do not know how much it was actually done in combat. The -B could also carry ZUNI rocket pods on the wing stations. Here is a photo showing a -B model at China Lake NWTS in 1966–it has ZUNI pods on wing stations and a MER on centerline with Snakeyes on it:
This was the MLU-32/B99 BritEye flare system. Might make for an interesting model…definitely not something you see every day.
The A-4s did not fly photorecon missions, as they had no camera system adapted to the plane. They could, like any other attack plane, fly what was known as armed recon, where they basically would fly a route and look for targets to hit, but I am not certain about how much the A-4s were tasked with this kind of mission. The fighters would fly escort for the photorecon planes, typically an F-8 Crusader would fly escort for the RF-8 or RA-5C recce birds.
here’s some info to use to find pics of Active load outs for your Vietnam A-4B
Two A-4B squadrons, VA-15 and VA-95 went on the Intrepid in 1966
One A-4B squadron and Two A-4C squadrons on the next cruise in 1967, VSF-3 was the A-4B squadron, VA-15 and VA-34 were the A-4C squadrons
Two A-4C squadrons and One A-4E squadron on the last CVA cruise of this CVS, no A-4B squadron, but, VA-66 and VA-36 were the A-4C squadrons
the Dumb bomb and Retarded bomb configurationss used by the A-4C units can also be carried by the A-4B units, especially on the same carrier
So now you can google A-4B and the unit, and/or the year,or Google the units and Skyhawk Association, and look at photos, finding what was carried on the deck
there are other A-4B Vietnam ship deployments as well,but, unit tactics and loads varied according to which wing or which commander was in charge, on each ship
all VSF units and the first CVS deployments started with the intent of being the CAP for the small deck ships, but, quickly morphed into being additional Attack Units, sometime crossdecking and operating with different wings on different carriers for weeks at a time
that should give you plenty of hits to search with
Thanx lads, I think I know what I need to make now. I will go for the central MER and see if I can find more 1/72 500 Lb slicks to “fill 'r up”. Otherwize I will do the two bombs on the bottom only.
Here it a dumb question. - the cat’s hook runs in a rail powered by the piston and cables right, how did they keep the nose wheel out of the slot, or was there a plate or something covering up that area so the wheel could not dig into the rail slot?
the tire is wider than the slot, and the catapult shuttle is behind the nose gear when the bridle is engaged in the two launch hooks
the tire wants to rise after a very short millesecond into the launch, because of aerodynamic forces, so, it only “runs on the edge” of the cat slot for a very short time,then it runs along there without much downward force until the bridle hits the arrestor and stops
on the ground based catapult, the tire is on a sled, with the bridle running back from that sled to the hooks,so, those nose tires don’t even run on the ground
you asked before about the tailplane angle,when you apply those tiny black “attitude stripes”, the top one should be “level” with the aircraft’s centerline front to back,then takeoff position is with the front of the tails down, pointing at the bottom stripe,the decals are included in the Airfix kit for this
OK, heard back from the guy and he asked us to give him a few days as he is finishing up moving. He said he would be happy to share as much info as is needed to help out, he flew on strike missions in the south and up north as well. Hopefully this doesnt throw off you finishing your model, but as soon as I can get with him to ask about things I will be happy to post up here!
No , not at all. I have made the MER and will start painting soon, but will not put MER on yet.
I still have questions, I just got the Hasa 1/48 E/F sitting in the stach and want to make that one really “nice” (I also have 1/48 Israeli A-4 f coming in, anyone work on or fly them on this forum?)
I have to mask the canopy on the small a-4 now and that is going to be “fun”!
