Alternative AAM history: AIM-4H enters service.

Just a theoretical speculation. Let's imagine that McNamarra relented a bit and allowed Air Force to redesign their version of Phantom to better suit their needs. So they decided to make a Phantom with the same highly capable MA-31 FCS as Delta Dart, and with internal storage for AIM-4 Falcon missiles.

Would it be possible to fit the internal weapon bay(s) on F-4 Phantom, to store & launch, say, four AIM-4 missiles (or a pair of AIM-26 Super Falcon or a pair of AIR-2 Genie)?
 
NMaude said:
I doubt it, not without a massive redesign of the F-4's airframe which would no doubt mean it's an F-4 in name only.
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True, the plane internal arrangement is rather... tight, and engines are low-placed.

Still I think a belly weapon bay, shaped like proposed conformal fuel tanks for Super Phantom, would be possible:

my-conformal-tank-contribution-the-proposed-options-for-the-v0-m79kyohzhkdd1.jpg

After all, four Falcons in two pairs (one after another) require just about 5 meters of length and 0,5 meters of width/heigth to store.
 
Dilandu said:
True, the plane internal arrangement is rather... tight, and engines are low-placed.

Still I think a belly weapon bay, shaped like proposed conformal fuel tanks for Super Phantom, would be possible:

View attachment 768271

After all, four Falcons in two pairs (one after another) require just about 5 meters of length and 0,5 meters of width/heigth to store.
Click to expand...
It'd have to be scabbed on like that, there's no space in the belly of a Phantom for a weapons bay.
 
My guess is the USAF would be happy to settle for externally carried Falcons and the associated FCS.
 
Yellow Palace said:
My guess is the USAF would be happy to settle for externally carried Falcons and the associated FCS.
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Yes, the USAF would settle for the SAGE FCS.

But if you showed them that the belly tray would make the plane faster than with having everything out in the breeze, I bet they'd buy a "belly tray bay plus FCS upgrade" over just an FCS upgrade.
 

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