Phantom Weapon Load
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Arizona, USA
Posts: 794
QRA (N) - Bruggen: 1 x US B43 / B57 "special weapon" [Jun 72 > Oct 76 under Project E] on centerline + 2 x Sparrow + 2 x underwing tanks
QRA(I) - RAFG Battle Flight - Wildenrath: 4 x Sparrow then Skyflash / 4 x Sidewinder / 1 x SUU-23A Gunpod (M-61 20mm 6-barrel Vulcan "Gatling") / 2 x underwing tanks - centerline fuel tanks available
QRA(I) - UK - Leuchars / Coningsby / Wattisham: 4 x Sparrow then Skyflash / 4 x Sidewinder / 2 x underwing tanks + centerline tank - SUU-23A Gunpod available
Recce: EMI Recce Pod on centerline / Strike Recce Camera (forward port Sparrow station) / 2 x underwing tanks
Attack (before my RAF service so may not be 100% correct):
Carrier Bomb Triple Ejector (CBTE) - UK Only version of US Triple Ejector Rack (TER) - which could carry 1000-lb Bomb / SNEB Rocket Pod / BL-755 - could be carried on all 4 x underwing pylons (outers could have 2 x underwing tank instead)
SUU-23A Gunpod on centerline or centerline tank
4 x Sparrow / 4 x Sidewinder
RN Phantom FG1 could carry Lepus flares on centerline for night illumination during attacks
Various publicity shots of the era showed RAF / RN Phantoms completely tooled up in "everything but the kitchen sink" configurations that would have been a little range limited in practice !
QRA(I) - RAFG Battle Flight - Wildenrath: 4 x Sparrow then Skyflash / 4 x Sidewinder / 1 x SUU-23A Gunpod (M-61 20mm 6-barrel Vulcan "Gatling") / 2 x underwing tanks - centerline fuel tanks available
QRA(I) - UK - Leuchars / Coningsby / Wattisham: 4 x Sparrow then Skyflash / 4 x Sidewinder / 2 x underwing tanks + centerline tank - SUU-23A Gunpod available
Recce: EMI Recce Pod on centerline / Strike Recce Camera (forward port Sparrow station) / 2 x underwing tanks
Attack (before my RAF service so may not be 100% correct):
Carrier Bomb Triple Ejector (CBTE) - UK Only version of US Triple Ejector Rack (TER) - which could carry 1000-lb Bomb / SNEB Rocket Pod / BL-755 - could be carried on all 4 x underwing pylons (outers could have 2 x underwing tank instead)
SUU-23A Gunpod on centerline or centerline tank
4 x Sparrow / 4 x Sidewinder
RN Phantom FG1 could carry Lepus flares on centerline for night illumination during attacks
Various publicity shots of the era showed RAF / RN Phantoms completely tooled up in "everything but the kitchen sink" configurations that would have been a little range limited in practice !
Last edited by RAFEngO74to09; 22nd Aug 2019 at 03:42.
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Here
Posts: 1,236

Join Date: May 2003
Location: London/Oxford/New York
Posts: 2,191
CBTE could be carried on the centre line pylon as well, certainly on the 38 Group Squadrons.
When I went through it was the favoured destination of all at Valley, except for a few Lightning weirdo’s.
Sad to see in later years it became the destination of the least capable, in a hierarchy extending from Harrier at number one to the F-4 at the bottom, just above Canberra.
Odd and surreal to think that the QRA(N) Bruggen fit was the most commonly uploaded but most rarely, if ever, flown.
When I went through it was the favoured destination of all at Valley, except for a few Lightning weirdo’s.
Sad to see in later years it became the destination of the least capable, in a hierarchy extending from Harrier at number one to the F-4 at the bottom, just above Canberra.
Odd and surreal to think that the QRA(N) Bruggen fit was the most commonly uploaded but most rarely, if ever, flown.
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Maryland, USA
Posts: 124
The classic air-to-air fit, as seen recovering to Ramstein in 1981:

Zulu Recovery, Ramstein, 1981 by Vzlet, on Flickr

Zulu Recovery, Ramstein, 1981 by Vzlet, on Flickr
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 627
Fascinating stuff. Just one question. Did we not have our own 'Special weapons' by the early 70's (was thinking Red Beard/ WE177 that would probably pair with a Phantom). Didn't the Buccaneer carry Red Beard prior to WE177 in the nuclear strike role in the 70's/80's?
Cheers TO
Cheers TO