Alpagueur Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 Hello guys, I have the Fightertown decal sheet of the VF-31 Tomcatters, I'd like to make an F-14D (NK-101, year 2002) with many loads under the belly so I was wondering which of the following would be the most appropriate: option 1: 2x GBU-24/B Paveway III (forward only, back empty) option 2: 4x GBU-31 JDAM option 3: 4x AIM-54C Phoenix option 4: 1x TARPS + 2x ??? I'd like to use the Lantirn pod on the starborad side, too. Was that bird cleared for use of GBU-31s and GBU-24s? TARPS? If I use the TARPS pod which bombs can be put ahead on the forward pallets? TIA regards Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pete Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 I'm not a Tomcat specialist, but I do know that the GBU-24 couldn't be loaded side by side, only one on a front station, and one on a rear station. They were too big to fit next to eachother. Option 2, no idea if that could be done. Option 3, I'm sure it could be done, but why would a Tomcat in 2002 carry 4 AIM-54's? But it's your model, so if you think it looks cool, go for it. Option 4, as far as I know, all F-14D's could use TARPS. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neeko Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 (edited) Hello guys, I have the Fightertown decal sheet of the VF-31 Tomcatters, I'd like to make an F-14D (NK-101, year 2002) with many loads under the belly so I was wondering which of the following would be the most appropriate: option 1: 2x GBU-24/B Paveway III (forward only, back empty) option 2: 4x GBU-31 JDAM option 3: 4x AIM-54C Phoenix option 4: 1x TARPS + 2x ??? I'd like to use the Lantirn pod on the starborad side, too. Was that bird cleared for use of GBU-31s and GBU-24s? TARPS? If I use the TARPS pod which bombs can be put ahead on the forward pallets? TIA regards Are you looking to do an OIF load? VF-31 didn't get their upgrade for GBU-31 until late 2002 while on deployment. If they carried four if those on the belly, it would have been for a fairly short period of time on OIF I when 2000lb targets were more plentiful. TARPS was always an option for all F14D aircraft. Most likely no bombs in front for VF-31... Only seen a pic of VF-2 doing it. We never carried anything else on the belly with TARPS the whole time I was in -31. LANTIRN would not be hung on 8B with TARPS present, though the pylon would still be present. 2x AIM-9M and 1x AIM-7/54on the rest of the gloves are an option. One AIM-54 tops on these aircraft... On 1B only. Belly would be for bombs. AIM-7 was interchangeable on 1B as well. GBU-24 was only loaded on 3R or 3R/5R (diagonally). Lots of possibilities here. Depends on when in 2002 you want to depict Felix 101. Edited June 30, 2013 by Nick Kessel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alpagueur Posted June 30, 2013 Author Share Posted June 30, 2013 (edited) Are you looking to do an OIF load? VF-31 didn't get their upgrade for GBU-31 until late 2002 while on deployment. If they carried four if those on the belly, it would have been for a fairly short period of time on OIF I when 2000lb targets were more plentiful [...] Lots of possibilities here. Depends on when in 2002 you want to depict Felix 101. Nick, this is my bird: VF-31 NK101 164600 (2002 USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72) and yes, I'm looking for an OIF load. in which months of 2002/2003 that aircraft was enabled the use of the 2000lb GBU-31s (w/mk.84 warload)? GBU-24 was only loaded on 3R or 3R/5R (diagonally). Eventually can GBU-24 and GBU-31 be loaded side by side (staggered)? In ex. GBU-31s on station 3/5 and GBU-24s on station 4/6 I've also found this pic of a F-14A+ carrying 4x 2000 lb Mk.84 bombs... so can I suppose that 4x GBU-31 was a typical loadout for an OIF VF-31 F-14D bird, too? many thanks. Edited June 30, 2013 by Alpagueur Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neeko Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 The limitation with 4x Mk. 84 or GBU-31 is not whether the aircraft can carry it, but rather what it intends to do with them. Bringing 4x 2,000 lb monsters back to the carrier meant making a tradeoff to keep the aircraft under its maximum trap weight. These tradeoffs are made with the amount of fuel the aircraft brings back, or by jettisoning the weapons in the drink prior to recovery. Since the 8k fuel tradeoff puts the jet way below practical minimums and jettisoning 4 expensive guided bombs isn't good business, it was just unfeasible for an F-14 to launch from a carrier with 4x GBU-31, Mk. 84, or anything else that heavy without knowing they were going to utilize the weapons somewhere. That's why if you wanted to model NK101 as it was after the fighting died down, the load of 4 2,000 lb JDAMS wouldn't really be accurate for the time. If you are planning to do multiple loadouts (magnets on the rails and ordnance), knock yourself out. It would work for the opening days of OIF. By the way, that pic you have is a VF-51 F-14A with 4x Mk. 84s. Fantastic shot with those guys carrying dumb bombs (must have been right near the end for them) along with a dual LAU-7 arrangement on at least station 8. With the GBU-24, the fins were so bulky that nothing else other than an unloaded rail was next to them on 6R and 4R. Good luck with your build... 164600 was a great jet, and I have some good memories working on that thing- with the black rainbow tail as NK 100, a red-tailed gray-nose NK 100, and NK101 as you have there. Post some pics when you can! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alpagueur Posted July 1, 2013 Author Share Posted July 1, 2013 (edited) here it says that the F-14D can carry up to 4 JDAMs (the photo is just referring to the CVN-72 on March 19, 2003): http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=6431 so can we reasonably assume that 164600 in the early months of 2003 has carried (sometimes) 4 GBU-31s? regards. Edited July 1, 2013 by Alpagueur Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alpagueur Posted July 2, 2013 Author Share Posted July 2, 2013 Thanks Nick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hajo L. Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 I´d like to revive this threat to ask, if it´s possible to mount a GBU-31 and a GBU-24 on parallel stations, of if I do have to change the -24 to a GBU-12. HAJO Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Parabat Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 I would mount a GBU-12 and GBU-31. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neeko Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 (edited) I´d like to revive this threat to ask, if it´s possible to mount a GBU-31 and a GBU-24 on parallel stations, of if I do have to change the -24 to a GBU-12. HAJO There are issues with clearance next to the GBU-24 that would prevent anything from being loaded next to it. As stated above, change the 24 to a GBU-12 or a GBU-10, and you're ok. Edited January 9, 2016 by Neeko Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hajo L. Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Thanks, will do that! Haven´t started yet (don´t even have the model), but I´m planning to build it this spring. HAJO Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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