• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

Aircraft that make your jaw drop!

I mean, on consideration, a couple of things stand out.

One, I've never seen a hardpoint multitasked with deadfall ordnance and missiles.

Second, I've never seen that photo before.

Obviously I've not seen every single photo from the era, but that's a pretty good photo and, especially in high school, I was just hoovering up all the media I could get my hands on. So if it was legit, there's actually a good 50/50 chance I'd have seen it before.
 
That doesn't explain why. If I could tell, I wouldn't have asked. I'm not an expert on the markings.

2 out of the 3 "top of google" image checkers said it was AI. None of them said why/why not.
Look at the details. The lettering on the aircraft, the guy with no hands at the left, the weird softening of the vegetation... Other little stuff
 
I'm convinced. Fake.

I'll try harder to ensure I don't post this crap in the future.
 
That doesn't explain why. If I could tell, I wouldn't have asked. I'm not an expert on the markings.

2 out of the 3 "top of google" image checkers said it was AI. None of them said why/why not.
Ok, excuse me while I geek out for a second: the ECM antennas on the intakes aren't period correct. Those ECM antennas belong on an F-4N variant. The radome in the image is consistent with an F-4J but it'smissinga small antenna on the underside. VMFA-314, the squadron depicted, flew the F-4B in Vietnam. And then there's the ordnance. The Sparrow missiles are incomplete--they're missing their fins. And the silver bombs have the shape of SUU-30 cluster munitions but SUU-30s were painted olive drab. And I'm not aware of Marine Phantoms carrying SUU-30s in Vietnam. It was pretty common for Marine Phantoms to carry Mk77 napalm canisters on those inboard weapons pylons, though and they had a natural metal finish, but a different shape.

Here's an actual shot of a VMFA-314 F-4B in Vietnam. Mk77s are on the centerline station in this shot with 3 Mk82 Snakeyes slung under the two inboard pylons.
1000021029.jpg
 
Ok, excuse me while I geek out for a second: the ECM antennas on the intakes aren't period correct. Those ECM antennas belong on an F-4N variant. The radome in the image is consistent with an F-4J but it'smissinga small antenna on the underside. VMFA-314, the squadron depicted, flew the F-4B in Vietnam. And then there's the ordnance. The Sparrow missiles are incomplete--they're missing their fins. And the silver bombs have the shape of SUU-30 cluster munitions but SUU-30s were painted olive drab. And I'm not aware of Marine Phantoms carrying SUU-30s in Vietnam. It was pretty common for Marine Phantoms to carry Mk77 napalm canisters on those inboard weapons pylons, though and they had a natural metal finish, but a different shape.
:)

I hope you can forgive me for missing on some of those details :D
 
Edited out a fake image...
 
Last edited:
Back
Top