Hey guys. It’s been a while since I’ve posted but I was wondering what the visual differences are (if any) between the F-4E and the F-4F Phantom II?
Here Jason give this a try i couldnt find any Picture’s in my books but here a link. From what i can tell the F-4F was specifacly made for the german lufftwafe.
Look for a poster here who goes by berny, he is the formost expert on the Phantom here. He is the BEST source on Air Force Phantoms.
The F model had different radar (therefore a smaller nose cone) and could not be refueled in the air. I’m not sure, but I think the airframe was lightened, as well. It has the upgraded engines, and the have undergone an improvement program. Germany should still be using them for about 10 years.
Edit: I guess that Wiki article says all the same stuff. Oh well, sorry to repeat.
Fs all have slatted wings, early Es did not. Fs are not able to carry Sparrows.
Externally the F-4F is identical to the F-4E. The F-4F had a modified AN/APQ 120 radar set which did not have the CW guidance system in the Target Intercept Computer (TIC) installed. The F-4F could not launch the AIM-7 Sparrow.
The F-4F aft missile wells had Dummy Plates installed in place of the missile launchers. The forward missile wells had Dummy Carriers installed so they could carry ECM pods and special sensors.
The cockpits were different as the F-4F had a modified Weapons Select Panel, Aircraft Weapons Release Unit, and the DCU/94A Special Weapons panel was not installed. This way the F-4F could not carry or release a special weapon.
The F-4F went through the slat mod at the same time the F-4E was modified. The F-4F was the second aircraft to be modified to carry the F-15 style centerline tank. They carried that style of tank long before USAF aircraft were modified.
Several F-4F aircraft were modified to carry the British Sky Flash missile. The guidance system used was produced by Italy, but the deal fell through, so all remaining aircraft, still were not capable of launching a radar guided missile. The few modified aircraft were used for test and eval and were eventually modified back to the original configuration.
The F-4F received the J-79GE-17G smokeless engines at the same time the F-4E was modified. The German government elected not to up date the F-4F with the Target Identification System Electro Optical (TISEO), so F-4F aircraft coming off the production line did not have the TISEO installed.
The F-4F was several hundred pounds lighter than the F-4E, due to the fact the AIM-7 launch capability wasn’t installed.
… what berny13 said… yeah…
AND…
One had an “E” on the end, the other an “F”.
That’s me- always helpful! [;)]
Wow, berny13, you know your Phantoms.
I used to love watching them fly over as a kid. We lived for a while near Moody AFB in Valdosta, GA. I loved those Phantoms. Every kid on the block built squadrons of them.
So the 1995 Revell 1/32 F-4F kit would do me fine for the E as well as long as I slap an E cockpit into it?
Yes it will. The cockpit from the Revell F-4F kit is actually a F-4E cockpit and even then it isn’t that accurate. Your best bet is get the AM cockpit and seats. This way you will have accurate sidewalls and instrument panels. The kit supplied seats lacks a lot of detail so AM seats are a must. Check www.squadron.com as they have any item needed to update the cockpit.
Good luck on the build.
Well, I spent twenty years working on the old bird. I have knots on my head [banghead] and scars all over my body from Phantom Bites. [(-D] You get to know something very well after a twenty year relationship.
That must’ve been so cool!
Modern jets look very sleek and are just incredible, but the slightly hunchbacked look of the Phantom coming at you just screamed “it’s BUTT-KICKING time!”
Granted I didn’t spend upteen years working on Phantoms, but didn’t the F-4E have slotted stabs while the F-4F had the non-slatted variety? A rather visible difference externally, so using an “F” kit for an “E” would require new stabs. Going the other way is a bit easier as “E” stabs can be modified pretty easily to the non-slat variety.
Well I got the kit from an estate sale recently and I also got a Black box E cockpit. Will that do the E justice?
Jason82nd-
Dude- I’m here in Fayetteville- well, just outside of Hope Mills, in Parkton. I was in 4th Psyop Gp at Bragg from 91-98! I work at the newspaper now.
Small world!
You are correct. The F-4F did not have the slotted stabs like the F-4E. Thanks for re booting my memory.
What are wing stabs? I’m kinda new to the airplane/aircraft world.
What we are refering to is the horizontal stabilizers. On the F-4E stabs, there was a kind of leading edge fixed slat, which was called the tear drop. It was refered to as a slotted stab. The slotted stab was used on the F-4E, G, J, N, & S. The RF-4B & C, F-4B, C, D, & F used the non slotted stab.
Should be as clear as mud now.
The Black Box cockpit is just what the doctor ordered for that aircraft kit. It is the best looking and most accurate cockpit I have seen for the F-4E.
Jason,
The small wings in the back of a conventional airplane are made up of two, and sometimes three, parts. The forward part is the horizontal stablizer, and the back part is the elevator and it sometimes includes a small trim tab. The F-4 and most modern aircraft have a stabulator, which is more or less a horizontal stablizer and elevator combined. It is often referred to as a “flying tail”.
Calling the F-4 stabulator “horizontal” is a bit misleading because of the significant anhedral (downward) angle of the Phantons stabulator. Anyway, I would be willing to bet that the Revell F-4 F is really an F-4 E with German markings, so that the horizontal stabulator is most likely an E-model Phantom stabulator. Your jet should be good to go. Kick the tires and light the fires, right Berny?
On the F-4, it was still called the horizontal stab. In fact the stab on the Phantom is made of different materials. The torque box is made of forged steel and titanium. The inboard forward part is rolled titanium and nickel, with the aft part rolled titanium honeycomb. From the split part outboard it is rolled aluminum for the forward part and aluminum honeycomb composite for the aft section. The tear drop is made of forged titanium/aluminum. That is why the stab un painted areas have different colors.
An old saying I remember was, “Kick the tires, light the fires, the Phantom is searching for blood”.