Ground attack loadouts discussion

[NoodI]

What a2g weapons did the f4e have? pretty curious what we might be getting a2g wise. Also did the F-4E carry cbus?

[Elf1606688794]

I loaded weapons on the F-4E at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina. Here's a list of A2G weapons I recall loading:

AGM-65 Maverick, single launcher and triple. (TV guided only.)

Mk82 500# iron bomb, slick and high drag "Snake Eyes"

Mk20 Cluster munition

Suu-30 Cluster munition

750, 1000, and 2000lb slicks

500, 750, 1000 and 2000 laser guided bomb

A chemical munition (I forget the designation) I only loaded the chemical munition one time and they had rabbits in cages on the trailer. The instructions were, if a rabbit died or started acting funny it was time to run like hell, or put on your MOPP gear. (My crew chief gave us a standing order to run.) Alternatively, there could have been birds (most likely parakeets) in cages.

B-57 and B-61 nuclear bombs (inboard pylons and centerline rack)

The Phantom also carried Blu-27's (napalm) although I never loaded any. (We used to sing a little ditty that went something like this....Napalm sticks to little kids, do dah, do dah; Napalm sticks to little kids oh do dah day! Time to fry all night, time to fry all day... there was more but it escapes me atm.)

I'm sure I am missing some munitions, it's been 40 years since I worked on the F-4. I'm sure others can add to this list.

Oh, the Phantom started off carrying 2.75" rockets but had to stop because of a plastic piece on the tail end of the munition that was getting ingested by the engines and causing turbine damage.

Practice munitions: Cap-9 Sidewinders, TGM-65 Mavericks, BDU-33 and Mk-106 practice bombs. We loaded Mk-106s into SUU-20's and loaded the BDU-33's on MERs and TERs.

1 hour ago, NoodI said:

Also did the F-4E carry cbus?

I'm not sure what that is, can you offer a further explanation?

Edited December 10, 2022 by Elf1606688794

[Dragon1-1]

CBUs, cluster munitions. Yes, they did. 

[Heinlein]

It could carry the "shrike" ARM missile as well from what i understand

[foxmagnet]

Some F-4Es can also carry AGM-142s (Not sure HB's F-4E can carry it)

[G.J.S]

10 hours ago, foxmagnet said:

Some F-4Es can also carry AGM-142s (Not sure HB's F-4E can carry it)

Yeah. Not a lot of ground clearance with these!

[WinterH]

12 hours ago, foxmagnet said:

Some F-4Es can also carry AGM-142s (Not sure HB's F-4E can carry it)

Those are upgraded variants, afaik Israeli Kurnass, and Turkish 2020-Terminator, maybe South Koreans too not sure. But not the variants we are getting.

Ours should have:

- AGM-65s, perhaps up to AGM-65D even.

- All sorts of iron bombs up to Mk84s. Multiple modes of delivery with a weird funky old-school bombing computer in the first variant, and a more digital-computer driven and CCIP capable one in the DMAS variant.

- Cluster bombs, but don't remember if it's Rockeyes only or are there other variants too.

- Rockets

- AGM-45 Shrike (super-craptacular) anti-radar missiles

- GBU-8 TV guided bombs in the first variant, and much more improved GBU-15 TV guided bomb with man-in-loop capabilities with a pod in the DMAS variant

- GBU-12 and GBU-10 LGBs

- Probably M61 gunpods too but not entirely sure

- Pave Spike day time only targeting pod for first variant, and Pave Tack FLIR capable gigantic targeting pod for DMAS variant. Pave Spike is manual tracking only, no target locking/tracking, but Pave Tack does have auto tracking too afaik (could be wrong not fully sure).

[NoodI]

21 hours ago, Dragon1-1 said:

CBUs, cluster munitions. Yes, they did. 

 

22 hours ago, Elf1606688794 said:

I'm not sure what that is, can you offer a further explanation?

What he said

[Heinlein]

hace 9 horas, WinterH dijo:

 

- AGM-45 Shrike (super-craptacular) anti-radar missiles

 

I believe the shrike had a hit rate of like 25 % so if you load up with four you should be able to hit at least once 

[Dragon1-1]

It didn't help that the Shrike, being basically a retuned Sparrow, was completely trashed by the site either turning the radar off or swinging it to the side. SAM sites in DCS are too dumb to do that, so it might hit things better.

[Heinlein]

There are ways around that with some creative mission editing or using the skynet script but yeah it should be part of the standard AI

Edited December 11, 2022 by Heinlein

[Bozon]

9 hours ago, Dragon1-1 said:

It didn't help that the Shrike, being basically a retuned Sparrow, was completely trashed by the site either turning the radar off or swinging it to the side. SAM sites in DCS are too dumb to do that, so it might hit things better.

If the SAM radar is turned off or looking the other way, it means it is not a threat = SAM suppressed, mission accomplished.

[Dragon1-1]

Very briefly. A site suppressed for 5 seconds or so is not exactly a serious Weasel's definition of success. I don't know how long it takes to turn a Fan Song on and off, or how fast it can traverse, but either way, a trashed Shrike is trashed the moment it leaves the radar beam, unless by some miracle it ended up in it again. A radar beam takes up a tiny portion of the sky, and the Shrike would, just like the Sparrow, go ballistic after losing lock, quickly ending up nowhere near the line between the aircraft and the site. It would likely trash any SA-2s already in the air, but if the search radar is still intact, it's trivial to reacquire and launch another one after such a maneuver.

[=DROOPY=]

On 12/10/2022 at 12:52 AM, Elf1606688794 said:

I loaded weapons on the F-4E at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina. Here's a list of A2G weapons I recall loading:

AGM-65 Maverick, single launcher and triple. (TV guided only.)

 

 

First of all, from one vet to another, TYFYS! 

I've never worked on or around the mighty Phantom, but growing up I read tons of reference material about them. I read that the triple MAV (6 total) loadout wasn't used quite as often because of the drag penalty they created. Is that correct?

 

[Elf1606688794]

1 hour ago, =DROOPY= said:

First of all, from one vet to another, TYFYS! 

I've never worked on or around the mighty Phantom, but growing up I read tons of reference material about them. I read that the triple MAV (6 total) loadout wasn't used quite as often because of the drag penalty they created. Is that correct?

 

The balloon never went up while I was serving so I can't answer the question about a 6 Maverick loadout because we never actually loaded 2 LAU-88's on the same plane at the same time. That said, all of our TGM-65's were loaded on the bottom rail of LAU-88 launchers (triple). I never personally laid eyes on the single rail launcher for the Maverick other than in the load barn for training, only the triple rail LAU-88. Any LAU-88 with three missiles on it was loaded for qualification/certification requirements. Almost everything I loaded on the Phantom was for practice, either mine or the aircrews. It was exactly the opposite working Eagles in Alaska where we practiced combat turnarounds with live munitions.

Speculation on my part next. Assuming I were a pilot, a Maverick loadout on a Phantom tells me I'm likely going after Soviet tanks in the Fulda Gap and in that case I want as many missiles as possible for my anti-tank mission. The launcher can be jettisoned in case I need to defend myself vs Soviet fighters.

Edited December 12, 2022 by Elf1606688794

[Omega417]

null

Ive seen like 5 different versions of this panel, but i am assuming that the Phantom's armament panel will be similar operation to the A4?

[Diesel_Thunder]

11 minutes ago, Omega417 said:

null

Ive seen like 5 different versions of this panel, but i am assuming that the Phantom's armament panel will be similar operation to the A4?

 

That's very similar to what is in our D model. Ours also has the LABS panel just above it:

[Omega417]

5 minutes ago, Diesel_Thunder said:

That's very similar to what is in our D model. Ours also has the LABS panel just above it:

 

I had better get reading the manual, looks a bit complex.

[Aussie_Mantis]

On 12/10/2022 at 4:52 PM, Elf1606688794 said:

I loaded weapons on the F-4E at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina. Here's a list of A2G weapons I recall loading:

AGM-65 Maverick, single launcher and triple. (TV guided only.)

Mk82 500# iron bomb, slick and high drag "Snake Eyes"

Mk20 Cluster munition

Suu-30 Cluster munition

750, 1000, and 2000lb slicks

500, 750, 1000 and 2000 laser guided bomb

A chemical munition (I forget the designation) I only loaded the chemical munition one time and they had rabbits in cages on the trailer. The instructions were, if a rabbit died or started acting funny it was time to run like hell, or put on your MOPP gear. (My crew chief gave us a standing order to run.) Alternatively, there could have been birds (most likely parakeets) in cages.

B-57 and B-61 nuclear bombs (inboard pylons and centerline rack)

The Phantom also carried Blu-27's (napalm) although I never loaded any. (We used to sing a little ditty that went something like this....Napalm sticks to little kids, do dah, do dah; Napalm sticks to little kids oh do dah day! Time to fry all night, time to fry all day... there was more but it escapes me atm.)

I'm sure I am missing some munitions, it's been 40 years since I worked on the F-4. I'm sure others can add to this list.

Oh, the Phantom started off carrying 2.75" rockets but had to stop because of a plastic piece on the tail end of the munition that was getting ingested by the engines and causing turbine damage.

Practice munitions: Cap-9 Sidewinders, TGM-65 Mavericks, BDU-33 and Mk-106 practice bombs. We loaded Mk-106s into SUU-20's and loaded the BDU-33's on MERs and TERs.

I'm not sure what that is, can you offer a further explanation?

 

Hi, a few questions-

Did you guys ever load Lima or Papa-4/Papa-5 sidewinders?

If a targeting or ECM pod is loaded into Station #4/Port-side Fore Sparrow Nacelle, can you load a Sparrow into the opposite one at Station #6?

Finally, does the USAF condone the use of TERs + AIM-9 Launchers with the double 3-inch spacer, or does that constitute a gross OSHA violation that should definitely never, ever, ever be done unless you're a. insane or b. Australian, much like the F-111's full bombload of all 8 hardpoints with 500lbs bombs on MERs?

Edited December 16, 2022 by Aussie_Mantis

[Elf1606688794]

16 hours ago, Aussie_Mantis said:

Hi, a few questions-

Did you guys ever load Lima or Papa-4/Papa-5 sidewinders?

If a targeting or ECM pod is loaded into Station #4/Port-side Fore Sparrow Nacelle, can you load a Sparrow into the opposite one at Station #6?

Finally, does the USAF condone the use of TERs + AIM-9 Launchers with the double 3-inch spacer, or does that constitute a gross OSHA violation that should definitely never, ever, ever be done unless you're a. insane or b. Australian, much like the F-111's full bombload of all 8 hardpoints with 500lbs bombs on MERs?

 

We loaded AIM-9 E, J and P on our F-4E's but no P-4 or P5. 

With an ECM pod you could still load 3 Sparrows on stations 3, 6 and 7.

TERs and AERO-3B launchers on the same pylon were a thing. And yes, we loaded missiles and bombs on the same pylon. I'd forgotton about those spacers until you mentioned them.

Technically speaking, you could put a MER on stations 1, 5, and 9, TERS on stations 2 and 8 and then load them with 24 Mk-82's. 

Edited December 16, 2022 by Elf1606688794

[Aussie_Mantis]

4 hours ago, Elf1606688794 said:

We loaded AIM-9 E, J and P on our F-4E's but no P-4 or P5. 

With an ECM pod you could still load 3 Sparrows on stations 3, 6 and 7.

TERs and AERO-3B launchers on the same pylon were a thing. And yes, we loaded missiles and bombs on the same pylon. I'd forgotton about those spacers until you mentioned them.

Technically speaking, you could put a MER on stations 1, 5, and 9, TERS on stations 2 and 8 and then load them with 24 Mk-82's. 

 

Thanks for the answers! If you ain't ammo, you ain't #@$&!

was anyone insane or cheeky enough to slap bombs on the sparrow recesses using the MAU-12 adapter for the ALQ-131 ECM pod?

Also, to be clear, you never slapped AIM-9Ls on your F-4Es? I was under the impression limas were loaded past ~'89-91 in the sunset years of the Phantom.

 

Also, could the F-4E load or not load HARMs or Standard ARM on the wing hardpoints?

Edited December 16, 2022 by Aussie_Mantis

[Aussie_Mantis]

Also, for OP @NoodI, a full, comprehensive list of everything I know for A2G and A2A that was ever put on a USAF F-4E at any point:
 

Air to Air Missiles

 

Spoiler

• AIM-9B/J/N/P/P-1/P-2/P-3/P-4/P-5 (4 on Aero-3/B Launcher (Peltier Electric Cooling) with choice between 1.75-in, 3-in and double 3-in spacers)
• AIM-9L/M (4 on LAU-105 (Nitrogen/Argon cooling) w/ double 3-inch spacers)
• AIM-7E/E-2/E-3/E-4/F/M/P in sparrow recesses + also 2 on inboard hardpoints if sidewinders forfeited and left at base

Iron Bombs

 

Spoiler

• Mk 81 250lbs LDGP Bomb (max load 24)
• Mk 82 500lbs LDGP Bomb (max load 24)
• Mk 83 1000lbs LDGP Bomb (max load 13, 2-3-3-3-2)
• Mk 84 2000lbs LDGP Bomb (max load 3, 1-0-1-0-1)
• M118 3000lbs demo bomb (max load 1, 0-0-1-0-0)
• M117GP 750lbs demo bomb (allegedly only up to 17 carried but some anecdotal sources suggest up to 19 possible if MTOW restrictions waived & carried in 4-3-5-3-4 configuration)
• M117R Retarded Bomb (only up to 16 due to new tail) 
• M117D Destructor Bomb (M117 with a magnetic fuze)
• Mk 81/82 Snakeeye Retarded Bombs (up to 24)
• Mk 82/BSU-49/B (AIR) air-inflatable parachute retarded bomb (up to 24)
• Mk 84/BSU-50/B air-inflated parachute retarded bomb
• Mk 13 1000lbs Bomb (UK) (max load 13, only loaded as practice for NATO shenanigans)
• 500lbs H.E. M.C. Mk II (UK) (Surplus) (Max load 13, only loaded as practice for NATO shenanigans)
• Mk. N1 540lbs UK GP Bombs (max load 24, only loaded as practice for NATO shenanigans)
• Matra Durandal 250-500kg anti-runway bombs
• Matra/SAMP 250/400kg bombs- Inboard wing stations (2,8) only on TER-9A triple ejector racks. Unusual to see in wild on account of being French and therefore not particularly standard issue. Unlike Durandal the USAF never procured these bombs and its inclusion in the manual is likely only for use in the case of a war (West German Luftwaffe had 250kg Matra bombs, as did France obviously, as well as a multitude of other nations in NATO with French hardware i.e. Mirages)
• Mk 81 Mk 82/Mk 83/Mk 84/M117GP/M118 GP w/ M1A1 extended fuze (bursts above ground)
• YOM-4M/A (single carriage on centerline, requires specialized loading equipment + RATO boosters due to weight & girth. Makes loud, high-pitched demoralizing "scream" upon dropping, and causes massive tremors and localized terrain deformation upon impact. Heaviest unguided bomb ever deployed.)

Guided Munitions

 

Spoiler

• AGM-65 Mavericks A through D (confirmed w/ T.O. 1F-4E-1 1986 w/ 1991 corrections
• AGM-64 Hornet AGM (tested on F-4D, never used in service)
• AGM-62 Walleye I, Walleye I-ER, Walleye-II (not listed in manual, seen at China Lake and in IAF service)
• AGM-12B Bullpup (500lbs warhead)
• AGM-12C Bullpup (1000lbs warhead)
• GBU-8 HOBOS 2000lbs TV-guided bomb
• GBU-9 HOBOS 3000lbs TV-guided bomb
• GBU-15 TV-guided bomb
• GBU-15(V)1 Extended Range TV-guided Bomb (has bigger wings)
• GBU-10 2000lbs Paveway II LGB
• GBU-12 500lbs Paveway II LGB
• GBU-24 Paveway III LGB
• GBU-11A/B 3000lbs LGB
• BOLT-117 LGB from Texas Instruments (legend has it that they duct-taped a calculator to the bomb as the guidance assembly)
• AGM-130 (China Lake tests? Same thing as the GBU-15 but with rocket booster so it wouldn't make sense if the F-4E couldn't theoretically carry it)

Cluster Munitions

 

Spoiler

• Mk.20 Rockeye/CBU-100 (same thing, just different designations- 500lbs bomb w/ ~250 Mk 118 HEAT Anti-Tank bomblets)
• CBU-24/49/52/58/71 (800lbs bomb w/ ~670 HE bomblets, up to 15 in 3-2-5-2-3, allegedly able to carry 3-3-5-3-3 for 17)
• CBU-89/B GATOR Mine Dispenser w/ 72 AT & 22 AP mines
• CBU-12 (really old 500lbs cluster bomb, I don't know what's in it)
• BL-755/IBL-755/RBL-755 Cluster Bomb (Bri'ish 600lbs Cluster bomb with 147 cluster bomblets. IBL-755 made the cluster bomblets have parachutes. RBL-755 takes standard BL-755s and gives them radar altimeters so they always go off at the right altitude. In manual for F-4E, likely would only be loaded during wartime if CBU-100 production couldn't catch up with use and had to rely on British production. Maximum 6 with 2 on each inboard and 2 on centerline.)
• Presumably CBU-87 (GATOR = CBU-87)
• CBU-7/30/38 (really old CBU units, can load up to 18)
• MJU-1 Chaff Bomb
• M112 Leaflet Bombs (Contains toilet paper donations for Viet Cong, presumably ~500lbs weight class. Allegedly once dropped while filled with actual toilet paper.)

Napalm and other incendiaries 

 

Spoiler

• BLU-1 Napalm (750lbs)
• BLU-10B Napalm (250lbs) 
• BLU-32 Napalm (500lbs)
• BLU-27 Napalm (welded version of BLU-1)
• BLU-10S Napalm (440lbs)
• BLU-10Sip Napalm (same thing as BLU-10S, I don't know what the difference is but I think it's something to do with the firestarter compound)
• M36E2 incendiary cluster bomb (CBU-24 filled with napalm cluster bomblets)
• Mark 1 Mod 0 Pilot/Crew Flammable Gas Dispenser (mounted in both cockpit on top of seat, required pilot to manually open canopy, shift position on seat with arse end pointed upwards and use cigarette lighter to function. Extremely dangerous to aircrew; rarely used except by the most daring aces during sustained combat operations in barracks).

Rockets

 

Spoiler

• LAU-10 pod w/ 4 Zuni in HE-FRAG, AT/AP, can be loaded singly or on MER/TER for 3 per pylon
• LAU-3 pod w/ 19 FFAR in HE-FRAG, WP, HEAT, can be loaded singly or on MER/TER for 3 per pylon, maximum load 
• LAU-68 pod w/ 7 Hydra 80mm Rockets (1-2 per pylon, only on inboard stations. Maximum load 4.)
• Matra Type 155 Rocket Pod (reusable) w/ 18 68mm SNEB Rockets (comes in HE-FRAG, WP, HEAT, can be loaded singly or on MER/TER for 3 per pylon, maximum load 13 in 2-3-3-3-2 configuration)
• Matra Type 116M Rocket Pod (disposable) w/ 19 68mm SNEB Rockets (same as above, maximum 13 in 2-3-3-3-2 configuration)

Anti-Radiation Missiles

 

Spoiler

• AGM-45 SHRIKE ARM A-1/B-1 through A-1/B-10 (Number = different seeker, either targets different bands or improves on prior seekers. A/B = different rocket motor. Shrike is notoriously horrible and would suck since you have a +/- 3 degree tolerance for launch and it needs to aim straight at the target.)
• AGM-87 STANDARD ARM (Israeli only possibly??? but I think the US could do it too...?)
• F-4Gs carried AGM-88 HARM, I'm not sure if regular F-4Es could carry it but if they tested HARMs on an F-4E I wouldn't be too surprised.
• AGM-76 Falcon ARM (AIM-26 FALCON ARM conversion, never put into service)

Special Munitions

 

Spoiler

• B43 Nuclear bomb (up to 3 on inboard and centerline)
• B57 Nuclear bomb (same as above)
• B61 Nuclear bomb (same as above)
• BLU-52/B and BLU-52A/B Sarin Gas bomb w/ CS-1 Gas (BLU-1s filled with Sarin)
• MC-1 Sarin Gas Bomb w/ CS-1 Gas (M117s filled with Sarin)
• AN/ALD-35TR/U-CT(ION) Special Effects Munition Dispenser, also trialled and bolted just above seat, filled with noxious liquid aerosol. Development closely tied to Mk 1 Mod. 0 PCFGD.

Targeting Pods

 

Spoiler

• AN/AVQ-10 Pave Knife targeting pod (inboard stations #2 and #8)
• AN/AVQ-23 Pave Spike (Fore port-side sparrow station i.e. Station #4)
• AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack (requires adapter, mounts on centerline)
• Some sort of handheld laser designator allegedly held by Rear Seat Pilot/Bear to guide bombs onto target (Vietnam Era, anecdotal)
• AN/ASX-1 TISEO TV sight installed above port-side Inboard Hardpoint (hardpoint #2), standard on all F-4Es past last 10 examples of Block 48, never retrofitted onto anything earlier
• AN/AXQ-14 ADL Pod (provides datalink to TV-guided GBU-15, mounts on centerline and on inboard hardpoints)
• Mark 1 Mod 0 Electro-Optical Bio-Mechanical Targeting System (standard issue, 2-4 carried on aircraft within cockpit spot-welded to Pilot Skull)

Gun Pods

 

Spoiler

• SUU-16/A and SUU-23/A 20mm Vulcan/GAU-4 gun pod (Carries 3 in manual on outboard/centerline, photographs show plane carrying 5)
• GPU-5/A PAVE CLAW 30mm GAU-13 gun pod (carries 1 on centerline, photographs show plane carrying 2 by putting them on inboard hardpoints)
• Presumably SUU-11/A/B/C 7.62mm Minigun pods (would carry up to 21 by putting them on TER/MER on every hard point like that one F-4D)
• Mk 4 USN Gun Pods (alleged Air Force use from USN/USMC Phantom stocks in Vietnam, up to 3 just like SUU-16/23 but can only mount 3 because it's too big for the inboards)

ECM Pods & Countermeasure Dispensers

 

Spoiler

• AN/ALQ-71, AN/ALQ-72, AN/ALQ-87,  pods either on inboard hardpoints 2/8 or inboard sparrow nacelles stations 4/6
• AN/ALQ-101, AN/ALQ-119, AN/ALQ-131 ECM on either inboard hardpoints 2/8 or port sparrow nacelle station 4, cannot be mounted on station 6 due to clearance issues with the landing gear doors
• AN/ALE-38 Chaff dispensers
• AN/ALE-40s on the inboard hardpoints obviously, 2 per inboard pylon
• AN/ALE-2 & AN/ALQ 176(V) Combined Chaff Dispenser & Radar Jammer
• AN/ALQ-188 ECM Pods on inboard hardpoints

Fuel Tanks

 

Spoiler

• 600 gal. Royal Jet Centerline Drop Tank. Requires AERO-27/A hardpoint to work. Hardpoint does not come off jet when tank dropped.
• 600 gal. High Performance Centerline Drop Tank. Requires AERO-27/A Hardpoint to work. Hardpoint does not come off jet when tank dropped.
• 370 gal Sargeant Fletcher tanks on wings, had hardpoints embedded into tank so that it would fall clean off. Favoured drop tank for all F-4 pilots since the beginning due to 3 major reasons:

1. not taking up space on centerline often used for bombs, gun pods etc
2. As it turns out the F-4 maneuvers better if you don't have bombs on the outboard hardpoints and instead shove them on the inboard ones, ergo, put what you're going to drop before combat on the outboards so you maneuver better post-dropping.
3. SPECULATORY: The 600gal tank is ugly. Allegations persist of its mother's identity (suspected to be a promiscuous hamster) and its father's mysterious odor (suspected to be elderberry liquor). Pilots who see the 600gal tank in the wild are advised to utilize the Mark 1 Mod 0 PCFGD (as described in incendiaries section) and release noxious flammable gas in its general direction to drive it off.

 

Conclusions

Thanks to being as big as a flying fortress and being pretty tall, if it could attach to a NATO standard hardpoint, it could probably be strapped on somehow to an F-4E.

The Israelis, Greeks, Turks and South Koreans put some funky new weapons on their F-4Es. The F-4EJ and EJ Kai do not exist because I said so, and I am the Most Trustworthy Source In The World (real). F-4Es in Iran carry funky Iranian weaponry like M117s mounted on MIM-23 HAWK and AIM-54 PHOENIX booster assemblies, funky laser-guided rocket bombs and even AGM-65 Maverick/GBU-12 Paveway seeker heads mounted on HAWK/Phoenix boosters. Allegedly capable of carrying Soviet weaponry but I've yet to see anything proving that to be the case.

From what I know nobody and certainly no multi-billion-dollar-net-worth corporation has yet developed a toilet, dog, or any other unusual, funny and quirky Comedic Ordnance to be dropped from an F-4, apart from aforementioned Leaflet bomb allegedly filled with toilet paper. I have added notes and comedic weapons/ordnance as I am a bored individual.

Edited December 16, 2022 by Aussie_Mantis

[Bozon]

6 hours ago, Aussie_Mantis said:

Presumably SUU-11/A/B/C 7.62mm Minigun pods (would carry up to 21 by putting them on TER/MER on every hard point like that one F-4D)

Oh boy… I would love to try 21 miniguns on my F-4E 

Quote

apart from aforementioned Leaflet bomb allegedly filled with toilet paper.

Was it used toilet paper?

[Dragon1-1]

6 hours ago, Aussie_Mantis said:

Some sort of handheld laser designator allegedly held by Rear Seat Pilot/Bear to guide bombs onto target (Vietnam Era, anecdotal)

The Zot Box was not handheld, it was mounted to the canopy frame using this frob: 

It was manually aimed by the WSO, though. It was a real thing, first laser designator to be used, although it's quite possible it wasn't included in manuals. Either way, its career was rather brief.

[Aussie_Mantis]

7 hours ago, Bozon said:

Oh boy… I would love to try 21 miniguns on my F-4E 

Was it used toilet paper?

 

Don't think so. I believe they just threw a couple of bog rolls in, flew over some suspected VC camps, and ditched out the leaflets.

 

6 hours ago, Dragon1-1 said:

The Zot Box was not handheld, it was mounted to the canopy frame using this frob: 

It was manually aimed by the WSO, though. It was a real thing, first laser designator to be used, although it's quite possible it wasn't included in manuals. Either way, its career was rather brief.

Ah yes, the Zot Box. The Reformers' best friend for the "LASER GUIDED BOMBS DON'T WORK" argument.