Why did some British cold war era fighters have pylons for missiles on top of the wings, or in the electric lightings case fuel tanks?

[Venomstick121]

Was there a valid reason or was it just an experimental thing?

 

[bf109xxl]

There were even more sophisticated variants:

 

[tomo pauk]

Was there a valid reason or was it just an experimental thing?

In case of the EE Lightning, it was probably so that ejecting of the drop tanks does not hit the stabilators.
In case of the Jaguar, it was probably a thing of having enough of the space atop of the wing when the aircraft was bombed up.

 

[Airframes]

On the Lightning, there was nowhere beneath the wing that pylons could be mounted. The over-wing fuel tanks were transit tanks only, rarely used, just for long-distance transit flights from, for example, the UK to practice camp in Cyprus or Malta.

 

[GTX]

It wasn't uniquely European. Grumman trialed/considered with the F11F-1F Super Tiger:

 

[SaparotRob]

The Grumman Tiger is a really pretty plane.

 

[fubar57]

In case of the EE Lightning, it was probably so that ejecting of the drop tanks does not hit the stabilators.
In case of the Jaguar, it was probably a thing of having enough of the space atop of the wing when the aircraft was bombed up.

On the Lightning, there was nowhere beneath the wing that pylons could be mounted. The over-wing fuel tanks were transit tanks only, rarely used, just for long-distance transit flights from, for example, the UK to practice camp in Cyprus or Malta.

With Toma and Terry on the Lightning. Note that the stabs sit lower than the wings and that the landing gear took up most for the underside of the wings

 

[PETERTHEEATER]

On the Lightning, there was nowhere beneath the wing that pylons could be mounted. The over-wing fuel tanks were transit tanks only, rarely used, just for long-distance transit flights from, for example, the UK to practice camp in Cyprus or Malta.

The Lightning F.Mk 53 had points on the outboard wind to take an underwing pylon. No 119 ERUfor carrying a single 1000 pound bomb or a 155L Matra Launcher for SNEB.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I always liked the look of the wing top missiles on the Sepcat Jaguar.

The over-wing pylons also are useful for system pods.

The Jaguar is one of my favourite aircraft of the 1980s. With its arrestor hook, good short runway capabilities, twin 30mm cannons and Martel antiship missiles, a squadron or two would have done nicely pre-war at the Falkland's.

I bet Ukraine could do wonders with the Jaguar even today.

 

[SaparotRob]

I always liked the look of the wing top missiles on the Sepcat Jaguar.

View attachment 759713

The over-wing pylons also are useful for system pods.

View attachment 759715

The Jaguar is one of my favourite aircraft of the 1980s. With its arrestor hook and good short runway capabilities, a squadron or two would have done nicely pre-war at the Falkland's.

I bet Ukraine could do wonders with the Jaguar even today.

Any left?

 

[Admiral Beez]

Any left?

Yes, in India. Indian Air Force - Wikipedia

• SEPECAT Jaguar: the Jaguar, known as the Shamsher, serves as the IAF's primary ground attack force. The IAF currently operates 139 Jaguars.[174] The first batch of DARIN-1 Jaguars are now going through a DARIN-3 upgrade being equipped with EL/M-2052 AESA radars, and an improved jamming suite plus new avionics. These aircraft are scheduled to be phased out by 2030.

 

[rochie]

i believe the Jaguar over wing pylons might have been a rush job to get a bit of self defence for when they were sent to Saudi Arabia for the first Gulf war ?

i may be wrong on this though !

 

[GTX]

i believe the Jaguar over wing pylons might have been a rush job to get a bit of self defence for when they were sent to Saudi Arabia for the first Gulf war ?

i may be wrong on this though !

RAF Jaguars gained overwing pylons in the buildup to Operation Granby in 1990 but the option had been developed beforehand.

 

[rochie]

RAF Jaguars gained overwing pylons in the buildup to Operation Granby in 1990 but the option had been developed beforehand.

thanks

 

[Venomstick121]

RAF Jaguars gained overwing pylons in the buildup to Operation Granby in 1990 but the option had been developed beforehand.

whats operation granby?

 

[GTX]

Operation granby

 

[GreenKnight121]

The Lightning F.Mk 53 had points on the outboard wind to take an underwing pylon. No 119 ERUfor carrying a single 1000 pound bomb or a 155L Matra Launcher for SNEB.

Kuwaiti F. Mk. 53K:

F6 with overwing rocket pod-fuel tank combo:

 

[Venomstick121]

View attachment 760103

I love the rocket tray. Always looks so nice on planes. Such an interesting cold war design.

 

[TonyT]

The Jaguar did trials in RAFG with the Sidewinder, but it was mounted on the port inboard pylon on an adapted Phantom rail. This was well prior to the war. but as said it took what would normally carry a droptank or a bomb.

The outer pylons in RAFG during exercises would carry a Phimat chaff dispenser under the stb outer pylon ( plus a ballast weight ) and an ECM pod under the port... At one point the cartridges to jettison the ECM pods were removed as when you cleared stores in an emergency everything went... and the RAF were getting short of ECM pods, hence the attempts to reduce their losses..

 

[TonyT]

I seem to remember when they first tested the Frightnings over wing droppers they simply rolled in board and stayed put, so they had to add a couple of fins on the back end to rear the thing up into the airflow to make it clear the jet.