Oh - one more thing, Guy - Look closely at an illustration of the old Missile Status Panel.  (The one with the rotary eject knob in the middle.) I think you'll find a single green AIM-7 selected light in the 3 and 9 o'clock positions - corresponding to the LOB and ROB pylons...

Oh - one more thing, Guy - Look closely at an illustration of the old Missile Status Panel.  (The one with the rotary eject knob in the middle.) I think you'll find a single green AIM-7 selected light in the 3 and 9 o'clock positions - corresponding to the LOB and ROB pylons... No, I don't think so.  Checking the -34-1-1, from top to bottom at 3 and 9, the lights read as follows: LO/LI  (or RI/RO) READY SEL/SEL  Quoting from the 1F-4C-34-1-1 (dated 15 Feb. 1979): SELECTED Light. The SELECTED light is on when RADAR is selected and the AIM-7 missile is tuned when the missile arm switch is in SAFE.  With the missile ARM switch in ARM, the light is held on after the missile tunes even though the missile may detune.  The SELECTED light is always off with HEAT missiles selected. READY Light. The READY light for the fuselage station is on when RADAR is selected, the selected missile is tuned (SELECTED light is on), and missile arm switch is in the ARM position.  The READY light indicates that the AIM-7 missiles are ready for firing.  With HEAT selected, the READY light indicates the tuned condition of the AIM-7 missile.  [Here's the relevant section]  The READY light for the wing missile stations is on when either AIM-9 or AGM-45 is aboard, HEAT is selected, and the missile arm switch is in ARM. It's possible that earlier versions of the F-4C retained the 6 Sparrow capability and the contemporary -34 reflected that, but such capability was long gone by 1979 along with the straight edge pylons, and only the AIM-7 fuselage stations could be used.  So, unless the LAU-34 used to carry the Shrike could also interface with an AIM-7 (and the wiring was in place to pass whatever data it needed], I don't see any way that an AIM-7 could be mounted and fired from an O/B.  It was certainly never done on Navy F-4Bs, and they were the ones who spec'ed the 6 Sparrow load.  The load chart for the F-4A/B states that AIM-7s can only be carried on stations 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8, i.e. the I/B wing pylons and the fuselage stations.  I have at least seen photos of Navy F-4Bs carrying AIM-7s on the I/Bs, but no USAF F-4Cs doing so, as best I can recall.  Given the different mission emphasis of the two services, there would be little need for the Air Force to have such a capability. Guy