Buzzer wrote:

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 21:02:14 GMT, Guy Alcala
wrote:

Can any of our
resident F-4 types comment as to whether there were such
clearance restrictions for simultaneous AIM-9/bomb carriage?

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/modern_flight/mf47.jpg

Yeah, Bob, but that's a post-Vietnam mod; the F-4C (including
Olds' 64-0829) could never carry AIM-9s and TERs/bombs during its
service in Vietnam, as they used the AIM-9 rack which Ed
mentioned, the one hung from the MAU-12. I can't find any photos
of any USAF F-4s in SEA up through 1972 with AIM-9s plus any
other ordnance on the I/Bs, with one exception. The 432nd
carried AIM-9s and pods on the I/B on their F-4Ds starting at
some point in 1972, so maybe they got the AIM-9 shoulder mount
mod before everyone else. Walt thinks the 366th may have had
them as well; the only shots I have of 366th a/c in 1972 show
F-4Es with pure A/G or pure A/A loads, so that's no help.

The thing that tends to convince me there was a clearance problem
of some kind is that I can't see the Israelis (or anyone else)
wasting all the time and effort to develop an AIM-9 adapter for
the forward right Sparrow bay, if they could have just as easily
carried dual AIM-9s plus TER/bombs on the I/B pylon -- that would
be (Vulcan arched eyebrow) highly illogical. That, and the fact
that a cursory search has failed to turn up a single photo of a
USAF F-4 in flight carrying AIM-9s and anything more threatening
than an ECM or travel pod on the same I/B pylon, although again
Walt thinks the 366th may have carried bombs/missiles on the same
pylon at Danang (but he's not absolutely certain). Ah well, USAF
F-4s in Vietnam may just have been a bit too early to show the
mod in use.

Guy