iainpeden

The very first Jags also had red, white and blue roundals and fin flash, and possibly a semi-gloss finish, before the intro of the low-viz red/blue markings. If you search out instruction sheets from the Modeldecal series they give excellent references - and concentrate mainly on British subjects.

People tend to preshade - which is painting the panel lines (usually with black) - before spraying top coats and/or using washes (either expensive specialist stuff or mucky white spirit) and using capillarity action for it to seep around the joints. But be careful because there's an awful lot of models which don't look realistic because they are too weathered.

Answer could be because the current scheme is so darn boring - couple of roundals and a white 3 digit set on the tail.

Finished by the end of September?

I have always thought the markings were, at least initially, for the William Tell Meet and then carried on until the F-4Cs were painted ADC gray (at least some were). According to the World Air Power journal "Spirit in the Sky" the 57th started to use the Phantom in 1973 (F-102s before that) and transitioned to the E starting March 1978. The book has a picture of 63-618 (as illustrated at the start of the post) in SEA camo with a checkered rudder only (not the fin) but does wear the bicentennial pretzal which dates the picture to sometime in 1976 before the fighter meet (any dates on that??) and with the 63-618 in white with the unit badge above the "8" There are pictures of the Es also in SEA camo before painting in ADC gray - note NOT the Hill Gray/Egyptian 1 scheme - usually with a checker band on the fin cap and also running along the base of the fin. So my understanding of the time line: From 1973 - SEA camo with check rudders and white serial numbers 1976 - add the pretzal marking on the port intake 1976 - full check fins for the meet 1977 - at least some of the Cs repainted in ADC Gray 1978 - transition to E with some of them retaining the SEA scheme 1983 and 1985 I ACTUALLY GET TO SEE THEM AT IAT (HURRAH) 1985 - transition to the F-15

The picture on the front of Detail and Scale F-4 Phantom pt 1 shows 63-436 with lots of white and black stencils - now that takes me back. The 57th had a great variety of markings over their time with the Phantom (C and E models) - there's also the famous picture of a 57th E -in adc gray - with folded wings in-flight!

57FIS (Fighter Intercepter Squadron) based at Keflavik in Iceland. Painted for the William Tell Fighter Meet in 1976 - hence the bicentennial pretzal on the intake. I think the meet was in Florida but happy to be corrected A quick look at my resources give 63-618, 63-685 and 63-436 as being so marked - I think there may be more. If you are one of those people who need total accuarcy be careful because some decal sheets got the pattern of the checker board wrong. I'm fairly sure microscale (superscale) did the scheme in 1/72 and 1/48 so check Hannants website for availability. Once I have found my Colour and markings book on the F-4C I'll add addtionall info.

XT865/156/VL was painted in the RAF camo (gloss with proper roundals) but operated for a while by 767 NAS and, from a photo I have, appears to have the anti slip sections on the spine. My model of her also has those markings but that's no proof of accuracy!

Airfix Phantom which also has deployable slats and extended nose leg for take-off but (hopefully) not while the wings are folded.

I think the pylons where originally white and later repainted. If you went with white it would not be a mistake. Thinking laterally for a moment - a recent post on here explained why the pylons on the F-15Cs and F-15Es did not always conform to airframe colour; it is becasue they are common across the types and are serviced at a single facility. Given that the pylons on the Royal Navy FG.1s were definitely white, logic suggests that the early RAF ones would have been the same.

Good news - any update on those Phantom sheets I've been lusting after for 4 years

In RAF light stone and dark earth with black undersides and high viz roundals - oh, and a white section above the cockpit.

The book "Diamonds in the Sky" by Carol Knotts and Pete Moore is a pictorial history of the Thunderbirds published in 1978 (25th Anniversary). On page 142 there is a photo of the C-54 in formation with 4 F-100s - taken from below the formation. What you are seeing in the point of the middle scallop extending rearwards to about level with the trailing edge of the wing. There is no other Thunderbird marking on the underside. Wingtips are red/white /blue with standard star and bar and USAF markings. There is also a picture of the C-54 with a white radome. One picture shows it with the name T/Sgt Tom Jones in a box in gothic print on the white area just below and in front of the starboard pilot's window. No serial numbers I'm afraid I assume you know it was named "City of Las Vegas"? EDIT: Having had another look at the photo posted above and at a photo in my book taken from a similar angle I note these differences. 1) in the Adrian Balch photo there is no block of flags whereas the one in "Diamonds in the Sky" has the block on the silver area on the fuselage just in front of the inner port engine. 2) in Adrian's photo the a/c is named City of Las Vegas - my picture has no name in that position above the cheat line - there also appears to be a rectangle awaiting a name in Adrian's picture. 3) I see now the additional blue referred to in the picture posted above and note that is appears to have a white outline not visible in any of the pictures I have - so maybe there is an additional marking. I'd suggest getting in touch with Adrian Balch - he's AWB on UKAR - as he has published books on the colour schemes of aerobatic teams; you could also contact the SIGs (Special Interest Groups) for USAF and Aerobatic Teams through the IPMS (UK) site.

The only other F-4G you can get in 1/72 is the Italeri, which is probably older than either the Fujimi one (which seems pinched at the front) and the Hasegawa one (which is fiddly as it has core parts with version specific parts). It was also boxed by Tamiya. Personaly, I prefer the Italeri one because the wing detail is the best of the lost, slats, antennae on the wing tips etc and it comes with both Standard and Shrike ARMs. The decal sheet isn't great - very 1980s - so you might be after after market stuff; the cockpit is also minimal. It rather depends on your expectations and the amount of extra work you want to put in; however, I expect the Italeri/Tamiya one will be the most available one. With regard to the E; The Italeri F-4G also has parts for the F which is basically an E and you might fancy the venerable Esci kits - which also gives the option of a hardwing aircraft or the Revell F Just don't go for the old Airfix kit - great for it's day (1965?) but .....

That box top is taken from Robert Taylor's "Phantom Launch" - number 376 of 850 - is on the wall of my study/library/computer room/model workshop - all 6 foot by 10 foot of it!