Sidewinders on Phantoms

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Hi guys!

Here’s a really specific question for you experts out there. During the Vietnam War, did the Sidewinders carried by Marine Phantoms have the black heads from the front fins forward or were they plain white from nose to tail?

Thanks!

Eric

2

I asked my dad… he was an Ordinance man in the Navy in Vietnam and he says that on his ship some were black (dark gray with a green tint) and some were white depending on the warhead they had on hand.

3

Oooooh! Thanks Hercmech! I never knew that the color denoted the warhead. I build mostly WW2 aircraft so my knowledge of the intricate details of modern jets is lacking at best. I thought maybe the color had something to do with heat absorbtion (light vs dark color). That shows you how little I know. LOL!

What were the different kinds of warheads they carried? Did one color indicate that a warhead was more advanced or did it simply carry a different kind of explosive customized for the type of battle they were going into?

Thanks,

Eric

4

He said that the different warheads detonated differently and some had different guidance packages.

5

That’s awesome Hercmech! Thanks for the great info. I never knew any of that.

Of course now I’ll have to forget something in order to make room for this new bit of info. LOL!

Eric

PS. Please pass along my gratitude to your dad for the info AND for his service!!!

6

No problem…thats why we’re here…to help each other.

7

Heya Hercmech,

Did they also have any yellow and/or black bands of them?

I was under the impression that yellow bands indicated a HE and blue band indicated a dummy weapon - do you know if there is any truth to that?

If so, does it mean that all ‘live’ sidewinders would have had some form of black/dark grey head/tip AND a yellow band?

Thanks in advance, hope i haven’t made this too confusing.

Chris.

8

this may help

go to Two Bobs at http://twobobs.net/index1.html

take a look at the instructions for 1/32 sheet # 32-027,it’s a decal set for early to late 'winders

there are other sheets out there, but, I can’t recall who and where just now

hope this helped

Rex

9

My understanding is that there is a yellow band fore and aft of the warhead to indicate a “live” warhead and a brown band to indicate a live rocket motor.

I may be wrong, but I think the black head (the entire seeker head assembly including the front fins, forward of the warhead) was more prevalent from the AIM-9L series onwards.

10

Interesting! Again, something else I never knew. But the “L” variant wasn’t used during the Vietnam war though, right?

Eric

11

Hi Eric,

You are correct, the “L” variant came in post-Vietnam (mid/late 70’s?)

Hmmm. I have just come across a pic of a Navy F-4B carrying what appears to be a black headed AIM-9D http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:F-4B_VF-111_CVA-43.jpg

12

The plot thickens! And that is a great picture Phil! Thank you for including it. It’s also in the era of the Phantom that I’m building so it really helps a lot.

[:D[

Eric

13

I would have to ask about the bands I know they denote something but I did not ask about them when we talked about the war heads