Jump to content

AIM-4 falcons


upyr1

Recommended Posts

And speaking of other users, the Greek and Turkish Air Forces also used them because somehow they had F-102s, the Canadian Air Force used them on F-101s, the Swedish Air Force used modified Falcons on both their Drakens and (early) Viggens, and the Finnish Air Force also used them on Drakens.


Edited by TLTeo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Kirk66 said:

Meanwhile, back to the AIM-4...They were also used by Swiss on their Mirage 3S - anybody know how those were regarded? The Swiss usually don't get bad equipment...

They don't, but neither does the US. The Swiss also don't get to shoot them very often. The Mirage was an interceptor, so the use case would've been akin to an F-102, big bombers against blue sky. I don't know if the 3S had the "extra Falcon gear" often alluded to in this thread, but probably not. I think they might not have realized what a lemon the AIM-4 was in real combat, at least until the reports from Vietnam started coming through.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, Dragon1-1 said:

at least until the reports from Vietnam started coming through

The Swiss Mirages entered service in 1967. They would have had plenty of time to evaluate the missile.

I think it's more likely that, as you say, they felt it was good enough for an interceptor - like basically all its other users.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure how forthcoming the US would be with data on frontline missile performance in an ongoing war, particularly if it was so overwhelmingly negative. 1967 were Rolling Thunder days, the air war over Vietnam had only been going on for a few years, and the NVA had only started punching back a year or so before. The Falcon didn't yet have the chance to disprove itself at the time the Swiss adopted it. The data existed already, but I'm not even sure it left Vietnam by the time, nevermind getting to the Swiss. 


Edited by Dragon1-1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Mirage IIIS used a full-up TARAN system and had extensive re-works made (one of the reasons why Switzerland wouldn't in the end buy 100 of them). They used AIM-26s, not AIM-4s.

The aircraft had a map-display projector and a different cockpit, starting with the panel-colour, but it was an altogether different affair. Their ASIs were metric, which is a funny twist.

The IIIS later got strakes on the pitot-boom and specially designed canards (they differ from other canard-designs for Mirages).

It's an awesome sub-type of the MIII, but I don't want to highjack the thread...

  • Like 1

So ein Feuerball, JUNGE!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would assume B, P, P5, L, and M (all the ones in the game right now) initially, and then at some point all the USAF ones inbetween, they all were compatible with F-4E's up through the 9M, obvioiusly if they are making a "pre date X" version then any sidewinders that are pre that date wouldnt be available, but the DMAS/ARN-101 F-4E should be able to support everything upto the 9M.

 

So the ARN-101/DMAS variant should be compatible with AIM-9B, E, J, N, P, P5, L, and M. For the Pre-DMAS variant, then it would be compatible with B, E and J, and depending on the exact date, possibly P's (P's are upgraded J's essentially)


Edited by KlarSnow
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...