Electric Cats, and other ECM aircraft:

Daryl J. · January 30, 2009, 10:53:46 AM

Rather than a thread that is by machine type, how about one that is by mission type: ECM equipped Grumman [Edit:other brands welcome, of course] aircraft along the lines of the EF-111? And, not only that, but using relatively inexpensive kits as the base. Seeing the threads elsewhere on the beautiful new H-gawa E-2C and being priced out of its market got my mind going again.

Lindberg F-11F Tiger. I rather like how Lindberg kitted the canopy and nose shape for this model; is it based off the manufacturer's model from 1952 of a very early proposed prototype? Anyways, stretching the nose section aft the canopy and before the intakes to add a second crew member and a bay for ECM equipment not minding the fact that there was likely no ECM hardware to fit in said bay, but this is a world of what if.... Adding the LERX, all flying enlarged horizontal stabs, reshaping the vertical tail to mimic the profile of the Vigilante. Stretching the aft fuselage a bit to compensate for the new length up front. Engine out of a Draken since Quickboost do a nozzle for it. Antenna added hither and thither. Known as the Static Cat.

Monogram F-14A: Since Grumman proposed a non VG version, use that wing instead built up from sheet styrene. Profile is vaguely similar to the N.A. Vigilante for those not familiar with that early proposal. Nose replaced with Steel Beaches resin out of laziness. True Details cockpit but back seater gets an all glass office. Phoenix mounts replaced with jammers and antennae. Tails also ECM upped. Known as the Electric Cat.

,
Daryl J.

dy031101 · January 30, 2009, 11:11:12 AM

Based on an idea behind my post in the Alt. Military thread, a F-14A/B/D with up to four ALQ-99 pods (two under the wing glove pylons and two under the intake droptank hardpoints), chin-mounted TV camera fairing replaced by radar warning and attack system antenna, and Pheonix pallets modified to carry AGM-88 HARM.

GTX · January 30, 2009, 11:38:24 AM

Hmmm, an EF-14 is an interesting idea.

Regards,

Greg

Talos · January 30, 2009, 12:23:51 PM

I did a delta-winged version of my F-14NG Tomcat IIs with the intention of it being a multirole aircraft configurable into ECM, ASW, A2A refueling, and FAC(A) missions. Most of the equipment would be pod-mounted, but the traditional gear that would go in the tail pod on the EA-6B is mounted in the spine, causing the cockpit to be moved forward.

Shasper · January 30, 2009, 12:58:45 PM

Concerning the F-14, it was tested with the AGM-45 & the 88s were going to be incorporated along with a bunch of other ground-pounding weapons. The Shrikes were mounted under the wing gloves & the 88s would have to be placed there as well due to the mid-body fin length.

Shas

Archangel · January 31, 2009, 07:56:18 PM

Even though there was the F-4G wild weasle that had some ECM capability ,I have wondered what a true F-4 built on the E/G airframe would look like if it had more ECM gear and kept most of its A2A capibilities. Maybe like the F-4G with the tail of the Phantom FGR 2 and add the AIM-9s and AIM-7s/AIM-120s of your choice. Paint it as the F-4Gs were and even add them to the same Sqds.

Daryl J. · January 31, 2009, 09:40:02 PM

Archangel,

That's a perfect 'Fool the JMNs' idea.

Daryl J.

Archangel · February 03, 2009, 03:23:17 PM

If you get it built let us know. It would certaily have them thinking. I forgot to add that as part of the ECM equipment that the same type of Antennas used on the Greek F-4Es and the U.S.Navys F-4 B/N or the F-4J/S would probably be added too.

Mossie · February 05, 2009, 07:14:07 AM

Quote from: Daryl J. on January 30, 2009, 10:53:46 AM
Lindberg F-11F Tiger. I rather like how Lindberg kitted the canopy and nose shape for this model; is it based off the manufacturer's model from 1952 of a very early proposed prototype? Anyways, stretching the nose section aft the canopy and before the intakes to add a second crew member and a bay for ECM equipment not minding the fact that there was likely no ECM hardware to fit in said bay, but this is a world of what if.... Adding the LERX, all flying enlarged horizontal stabs, reshaping the vertical tail to mimic the profile of the Vigilante. Stretching the aft fuselage a bit to compensate for the new length up front. Engine out of a Draken since Quickboost do a nozzle for it. Antenna added hither and thither. Known as the Static Cat.

Early production aircraft had the short nose, the second batch received the longer nose & other improvements such as extra fuel tanks. There was a canceled recce Tiger, the F11F-1P, but I have no idea if this had a second seat. Don't worry about the lack of ECM, the long nose version was supposed to have radar, but it was never fitted! You could have an Wild Weasel version pressed into service while awaiting it's new-fangled, never-to-materialise ECM!

Daryl J. · February 05, 2009, 09:15:22 PM

Mossie,

If I see the kit correctly, Lindberg modeled the kit after a pre production presentation model of Grumman's that had an even shorter nose than the short nose F-11F. To me it has a (please forgive the sacrilege in the following statement) a passing resemblance to the TSR.2 nose and thought of giving the kit a stretch behind the cockpit to keep that stubby front. As to the F-11F-1P, this is the first I've heard of it.

Daryl

Mossie · February 06, 2009, 01:43:54 AM

I've never been able to find anything more than a line on the F11F-1P, pretty much stating that it was a recce version that was cancelled. I've no idea if it was simply an F11F-1 with a recce nose, or something more substantial. If anyone does, I'd like to know too!

Weaver · February 06, 2009, 04:06:25 AM

Quote from: Shasper on January 30, 2009, 12:58:45 PM
Concerning the F-14, it was tested with the AGM-45 & the 88s were going to be incorporated along with a bunch of other ground-pounding weapons. The Shrikes were mounted under the wing gloves & the 88s would have to be placed there as well due to the mid-body fin length.

Shas

If it was a goer, you could see them building an AGM-54 in the same vein as the Standard ARM, i.e. put a programable version of the Shrike seeker into a Pheonix airframe, followed by the AGM-88 HARM seeker when it was ready.

It should be MUCH smaller than the original seeker, so there'd be more room for a bigger warhead, and I think a Mach-5 ARM would catch out even the fastest-fingered radar operator......

Weaver · February 06, 2009, 04:16:39 AM

How about an RAF "F-4G", i.e. a Wild Weasel based on the F4K/M airframe?

To make it more interesting, don't slavishly copy the F-4G avionics fit, but significantly (or totally) anglicise it. For instance, instead of the -G's F-4E-derived nose, it could have the original F-4M shape, but "solid", with multiple black dielectric panels. Weapons could be a developed AS-37 MARTEL (effectively a British ARMAT) in place of the Standard ARM and BL.755 cluster bombs to finish off the launchers.

Archangel · February 06, 2009, 06:28:23 PM

Quote from: Weaver on February 06, 2009, 04:16:39 AM
How about an RAF "F-4G", i.e. a Wild Weasel based on the F4K/M airframe?

To make it more interesting, don't slavishly copy the F-4G avionics fit, but significantly (or totally) anglicise it. For instance, instead of the -G's F-4E-derived nose, it could have the original F-4M shape, but "solid", with multiple black dielectric panels. Weapons could be a developed AS-37 MARTEL (effectively a British ARMAT) in place of the Standard ARM and BL.755 cluster bombs to finish off the launchers.

Well the original F-4 wild weasles were C model or D models so using their antennas would work or at least the same placement for them should work on the F-4K/M nose. The intake antennas fitted to the J's sold to the British should be added and the weapons you mentioned should work very well. Would the F-4 be alble to carry the ALARRM weapon?

Archangel · February 06, 2009, 06:33:56 PM

I have seen a drawing for an EF-15 using the B model with the CFT's or fast packs as they were called then as the base for the EW gear. Weapons probably would be limited to the wings and center pylon. Bombs/cluster bombs and A2A weapons on the wing mounts

In Squadrons F-16 in Action they had a two seat Wild Weasle that like my F-4 idea could serve as an Air Force equicelent to the EA-18G. It had wingtip mounted pods with a dual AGM-88 laincher on the port side and a triple AGM-65 Maverick laincher on the starboard side and two fuel tanks and one pair of AIM-9 sidewinders on the starboard side too. add a spine to it and you could have a decent EF-16 made.