So here I am looking at all the F-4 references I can get my little simian paws on. Many of the plates I have come across show the “J” with a conspicous 3rd antenna located in the middle of the dorsal spine. While all of the photos of the bird do not show the middle antenna. Is it appropriate for all “J’s” or just early/late models?
Thanks!
I did a B version that had one, but I think it all comes down to the exact plane that you are modeling. There are many many mixes of B’s and J’s out there. That is why I usually only model aircraft I can verify with a photo or a very reputable profile. I know, I’m a ton of help.
It has been my experience that with regular squadron service a/c used during wartime you can never be criticized for including or excluding data-link, uhf or other kinds of bumps, blade aerials and other external electronic gadgets. They just come and go from day to day in real life. You might have half with squadron wit it, half without. Now, if that partcular variant hangs completely on that one change in appearance, like on some A-4s, that’s another thing. And then, there are the hundred or so various versions of the U-2, or even SR-71, that look different due only to antennae. I wouldn’t sweat it, in other words.
Oh, and I’d add that I never use photo-etched blade aerials on anything larger than 1/72. I have never seen one that is two dimensional or even really, really flat. They are meant to produce as little drag as possible and their shapes range from round airfoil to angled, long diamond profile like the fins of, say, AIM-9 Sparrow missiles or AAMRAMs.
Grenadier
First off, welcome the forums! Secondly in response to your question, is it possible to post the picture or the link that shows the antenna you have a question about? Generally speaking jets have 2 UHF antennas, one on the top and one on the bottom and are about 8" high and about 5" wide and can be straight or angled back. They also have 2 TACAN antennas that about 2" high and about 3" wide on the top and bottom. Most antennas are pretty permanent, they don’t come and go on a daily basis. When an antenna appears or disappears it is because the piece of equipment it is for is either permentantly put into or taken out of the jet. Since this is almost always done at depot level maintenance it is very possible to have some of the jets with an antenna and others without since they don’t all go to depot at the same time.
Check your references, if an actual picture shows it without it don’t put it on. Remember that plates are done by people that use that same outline for all of the color plates they make of that aircraft and it is something they probably got from somewhere else themselves.
Oh yeah, I just remembered that early E’s and J’s had their upper UHF placed under the tail cap. They moved it to the backbone later since it was such a pain to change where it was.
When I said the antennae come and go, I meant in the field or aboard ship during wartime operations, especially in the old days. For example, the first F-100 Wild Weasels were fitted in the field with radar dectectors from automotive supply houses! Just like the ones people used to keep from getting traffic tickets. And they worked, to a degree, according to WW histories. Updates in ECM technology in the 60s, like computers now, was leaping forward on an almost daily basis. Just look at the things that sprouted from tactical a/c from the beginning to the end of Vietnam War. From clean to dirty in a decade.
Thanks folks, you are a wealth of knowledge! I am currently working on a couple of Hasegawa 1/48 f-4J’s. One is the newer release, with the engraved panel lines, and the other is the older one with the raised. Much to my dismay I tried to put the black box cockpit set in the older version and the pilot’s instrument panel does’nt fit! I found this out only after I cut out the stock instrument hood and hud area. I guess it’s putty time… I plan on doing one as a regular 1970’s fleet bird (VF-154) and the other with the cool ferris scheme. I will make the fleet bird with large dorsal UHF and the other without. Has anyone ever used the stencils for the ferris scheme? I saw them offered on Meteor’s website.