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RF-4C Air to Air Missile


nguoi tien su
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nguoi tien su

Hello,

 

I was wondering if someone could tell me more about the use of missiles on the RF-4C version of the Phantom Vietnam era?

RF-4C was used for reconnaissance in Vietnam and later in the Gulf. It was initially unarmed. Yet I have found a 432nd MMS patch (Udorn RTAFB era, probably circa 1972) with the following wording: 432nd MMS - RF-4C - Loading.

 

Thank you for your help!

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I don't believe they carried missiles during the Vietnam era. I do recall that some were fitted with the capability to carry AIM 9 Sidewinders post war.

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The 432nd was a Wing. While it's mission may have been reconnaissance, it had fighter squadrons attached to it at various times. It is more likely they were the aircraft that were armed with missiles.

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There was an RF-4C that was part of a flight of 4, the other three being armed Phantoms covering him. They ended up engaging Migs and the RF-4 pilot hung on for dear life as his armed brothers downed a Mig. The RF-4 pilot got to put 1/2 a Mig kill on his intake ramp as part of that flight. I believe that was the 432nd out of Udorn.

 

If memory serves it was one of the Air Guard units operating RF-4s that wired them for Sidewinders

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The 148th TRG/179thTRS Minnesota Air National Guard at Duluth was the first unit to modify an RF-4C to carry the AIM-9 Sidewinder. The AIM-9 was successfully test fired from the RF at Tyndall AFB, FL. The attached photo was taken by the firing aircrafts forward oblique camerapost-43694-0-47990900-1440907747.jpg

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The 148th TRG/179thTRS Minnesota Air National Guard at Duluth was the first unit to modify an RF-4C to carry the AIM-9 Sidewinder. The AIM-9 was successfully test fired from the RF at Tyndall AFB, FL. The attached photo was taken by the firing aircrafts forward oblique cameraattachicon.gif100_8883-001.JPG

 

Makes me think I must have heard the Air Guard Reference back when my son and I volunteered at the MN ANG Museum in the mid 90s. Used to spend time with that RF-4 :)

 

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I spent time with the 67th SRW at Bergstrom AFB Austin Texas in 76-77. Logged flight line time as an AMS photo tech, so I spent a good amount of time in the nose of those RF-4C's. All we ever attached to the outside of those birds were fuel tanks and sometimes an ALQ-119 ECM pod, usually just inboard of the Starboard wing tank. The crews had a motto; "Alone, Unarmed, and Unafraid". OK, I'm imagining there were more than a few times they got a bit nervous. :)

 

post-17422-0-45284800-1440964200.jpg

 

First I'd heard of arming them was much later.

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That is quite the photograph. It looks like the shadow of an RF-101 Voodoo over an anti-aircraft emplacement with at least 7 guns, and an eighth one just off the camera on the center right side. That had to be a pucker moment!

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nguoi tien su

Thank you all for your answers, it confirms the absence of missiles on the RF-4C in Vietnam.

 

Here is the patch :

 

432nd_10.jpg

 

Well, my dirty mind looking at the drawing gives "load" a different meaning, especially in a context where the MMS would work a lot with the other fighter squadrons of the 432nd TRW, but had nothing to do with the recon element.

Should it be considered as a joke towards the 432nd ?

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There is a joke of some sort there, but unless we hear from someone who was in the unit, I doubt we will be able to figure it out.

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That is quite the photograph. It looks like the shadow of an RF-101 Voodoo over an anti-aircraft emplacement with at least 7 guns, and an eighth one just off the camera on the center right side. That had to be a pucker moment!

 

Thanks, I agree based on the profile of the trailing edge of the wing, IMHO it's the Voodoo.

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Loading on Recces referred to the flash cartridges for night photos. On the RF-4 this area was on the aft left side. These were loaded by weapons troops. The doors were usually bordered with red. They were also responsible for installing ejector cartridges on pylons and crew chief installed external fuel tanks. IIRC the Israeli RF-4s were the first to have AIM-9 capability. Hope this helps.

 

Randy

Thank you all for your answers, it confirms the absence of missiles on the RF-4C in Vietnam.

 

Here is the patch :

 

432nd_10.jpg

 

Well, my dirty mind looking at the drawing gives "load" a different meaning, especially in a context where the MMS would work a lot with the other fighter squadrons of the 432nd TRW, but had nothing to do with the recon element.

Should it be considered as a joke towards the 432nd ?

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Randy, would you remember how often the centerline tank was used in the SEA theater? Also I remember that besides the photo flash cartridges, there also was a chaff cartridge array used for missile defense. I never understood the prevalence of shooting night photos from the port side of the aircraft. We could configure the side oblique camera to either side, and as you know there were cartridge dispensers on both sides. Maybe it's related to the chaff.

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I couldn't say about SEA. I worked on them in the 80s. Most of the time they were configured with wing tanks only. Yes, I should have been more clear as there were cart doors on both sides, but the port side seemed to be used as standard. I also remember, although it's all fuzzy now, many F-4s having chaff/flare on the backside of the inboard pylons. E/G models for sure had them, but I can't recall if the recces did as well. I was in USAFE in the 80s.

 

Randy

Randy, would you remember how often the centerline tank was used in the SEA theater? Also I remember that besides the photo flash cartridges, there also was a chaff cartridge array used for missile defense. I never understood the prevalence of shooting night photos from the port side of the aircraft. We could configure the side oblique camera to either side, and as you know there were cartridge dispensers on both sides. Maybe it's related to the chaff.

 

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