Super Hornet Loadout

[Laud]

Hey guys,

 

I'm actually building the 1/48 Super Bug. I'd be interested how some typical loadout-configurations for this bird look like. I found some references which pylons can carry which weapons, but what is a mission-typical combination?

 

I often see photos of a asymetric load with a centerline and one wing mounted fuel tank. I'd put a large LGB (GBU-16) on the most inner wing pylon (where a third fuel tank would be in a symetric loadout). A pair of JDAMs (Mk-84 or 83?)at the middle wing pylons and a pair of AIM-120 at the outer pylons. AIM-9X at the wingtips plus a targeting pod (which one would that need to be??) on the fuselage. Is that somehow realistic?

Edited May 13, 2010 by Laud

[mvsgas]

Depends what scene are you trying to represent with your model. I think is rare to see Super Hornet with asymmetric loads. You can see many F-18 A/B/C/D photos with asymmetric load but is rare to see the F-18E/F with them. It would be easier for you to look around in Navy.mil or USMC.mil until you find something you like and use that.

My point is most fighter jets have a huge number of weapons combination. The F-16 for example has a book about 2 inches thick with combination of weapons loads, I'm sure the Super Hornet would be the same, So It would be hard to tell you what is accurate or realistic. Weapons load depend on a lot of factors. I would pic a unit to represent or even search the tail number, then look for photos and try that.

[Laud]

Thanks for your answer!

 

On a photo I saw a whole carrier deck full of Super Bugs pre-loaded with one wing tank and a centerline tank. So I wonder you call it "rare".

 

http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/100223-N-4236E-218.jpg

 

I know there are lots of possible weapon loads but what I look for is something like typical for a common mission profile (CAS, SEAD, ...). Some combinations would be possible but wouldn't make sense in a specific mission profile.

 

There's a website dedicated to the F-15E. There they show a handful of typical flown loadouts. It's something like that I'm looking for.

Edited May 13, 2010 by Laud

[mvsgas]

I see if I can find something.

I said there where rare because after an hour of looking I saw maybe 1 in 50 photos with asymmetric load. I guess I should have said less common.

Edited May 13, 2010 by mvsgas

[tflash]

It depends on mission profile and carrier bring-back capability. In most magazines I have here I see one GBU-38 JDAM and one GBU-12 LGB on stations 9 and 3, with two or three tanks, always involving a centerline tank, and ATFLIR and two AIM-9X at wingtips. Of course it can easily carry four LGB/JDAM but not bring back I suppose. This all for CAS over Afghanistan. Sometimes a single AGM-65E is carried instead of JDAM/LGB at one side.

It can carry twin LGB on BRU-57 but I didn't see pictures of that loadout.

[mvsgas]

Man I have been looking for manuals

1A-F18EA-NFM-000

1A-F18EA-NFM-200

1A-F18EA-NFM-210

or any 1A-F18EA-TAC but no such luck

Maybe the PBS show carrier will have better references, I watching part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTNOQrrBEkQ

[Groove]

The one sided fuel tank loadout is usually used with a targeting pod. The fuel tank is loaded on the right to not obscure the view for the pod in certain aircraft flight positions.

[Laud]

The one sided fuel tank loadout is usually used with a targeting pod. The fuel tank is loaded on the right to not obscure the view for the pod in certain aircraft flight positions.

 

You make my day! Great to know!

 

I think I'll very much stick with my above described load except the AIM-120s. 1st it seems like they don't use them a lot (no enemy AC above Afghanistan), 2nd the ones which come with the kit look way ugly...

 

LGBs and JDAMs will be taken from the Hasegawa Smart Weapons Set.

 

EDIT: Just checked some more photos and noticed, that they also put the larger weapon to the middle pylon and the smaller one at the inner pylon, to give the target-pod a wide FOV.

Edited May 13, 2010 by Laud

[Pilotasso]

Got one 1/72 superhornet kit to make also (along with f-14, F-22, Mig-29 Eurofighter and A-7 to make)

 

this might be of interest to me