Question about the slatted wing F-4E's

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Were the USAF slatted wing F-4E’s rebuilt from earlier hard winged aircraft, new build aircraft or a mix of both?

Thanks in advance,

Tom

2

A mix of both.

3

I thought so, but I wanted to be sure.

Thanks,

Tom

4

Hey Tom.

I have a close friend of mine who flew the F-4E in the 80s and I’m always bugging him about all kinds of odds and ends for the Phantom. He tells me that the E variant was being “put into service” with the soft wing in mind. Many of the Phantom’s opponents in it’s day could out maneuver it in the horizontal. It was a big issue with jets like the Thud and the Phantom. So The E was introduced with the soft wing and M61 Vulcan cannon to return it back to a role that suited it to dogfighting. The E variant and D variant were virtually identical. The D did not have the slatted inboard wing. I haven’t read anywhere that states it directly, but it’s certainly logical to assume that some were indeed converted to the E by upgrading the wings and chin pod.

I’ll talk to my buddy and see what he knows. =]

5

Thank you, I appreciate the info. Phantoms are still fascinating. My favorite aircraft by a long shot.

Tom

6

I was researching the slat winged F-4E recently for a buddy on another forum. The original F-4E had a “hard” (non slatted) wing. Around Spring of 1972 the design of the slats was finalized. That summer it was produced as a kit that could be retrofitted in the field on existing F-4Es, and also was implemented on the production line in St.Louis, later that year.

The D had no internal gun, and the short nose of the previous F-4C. But originally the F-4D was optimized for air to ground work.

7

only 3 F-4E were converted from other airframes

the second one was a YF-4E converted from an F-4C, it had the gun, but no radar in the nose,the third YF-4E was the first “full” conversion, from an F-4D, before hard wing F-4E production began

the reason I saved the first conversion for last was because it was the only F-4E with the original thin wing,it was the F-4B that was used to make the prototype YRF-4C (making it the only thin winged F-4C), this was used as the YF-4E prototype by mounting the gun in the camera bay,after the YF-4E tests, she was used for two more USAF programs, including being partnered up with the USN’s slat equipped F-4J to develop the slatted F-4E and F-4J programs (resulting in production changes and upgrade kits for the F-4E, and upgrade kits for the F-4J into F-4S),then 62-12200 went on to do Fly by Wire test for the USAF, including configurations with and without canards (6 different models of 62-12200 are possible, 7 if you can find a pic of her as an F-4B)

but, other than the three prototypes,all F-4E were produced new, none were conversions,there three main F-4E types, new with hard wing, new with slatted wings, and former hard wing birds with slat conversions

Rex

8

That’s true Stik. I misspoke. I went back and looked at some photos he sent me when he was at Moody AFB. He had mentioned that he trained on the D when they were being issued the E’s. The jet I had in mind when I was posting was in fact an E with the gun pod. The group of pics he sent had some of each. The D had the shorter nose and the somewhat smaller J79-15 engine…and the AN/APQ 109 radar. I should’ve double checked that…but thanks to you and TarnShip now I just found a door to open I never knew I had in front of me. =P

9

Thanks everybody. i appreciate the info.

Tom