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F-110A aka F-4C


72modeler

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Thought some of you Phantom Phans might like these! I remember when we visited a longtime family friend stationed at MacDill in'63, they were just getting them. Got to see them and hear that wonderful J-79 wail when we were out in the gulf fishing. I think the grey/white scheme with the TAC shield on the fin was beautiful. Hasegawa released a special boxing with these markings  a while back, IIRC. (I bet @Old Viper Tester has better photos in his collection!)

Mike

 

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/mcdonnell-f-110a-spectre/

Edited by 72modeler
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Since the F-110A designation went away in October of 1962 when the joint DoD nomenclature system came into effect, all of the aircraft that were called F-110As were actually borrowed F4H-1s (F-4B after 10.62).  The first F-4C wasn’t delivered until sometime in 1963, and they were all called F-4Cs from the outset.

 

Great photos in that linked page!  

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18 hours ago, 72modeler said:

(I bet @Old Viper Tester has better photos in his collection!)

I appreciate the confidence, but my images don't go back that far😀

 

As NorthBay Kid and the wire-up in the link noted, these early aircraft were F-4B/F4H-1. They even carried the abbreviated Navy Bureau Number in the same location as the early Navy Phantoms. When they did eventually get USAF serial numbers they got the "buzz numbers" applied as well. I especially like the belly location of the buzz numbers, which seemed to be unique to VooDoos and Phantoms.

 

Sven

AKA Old Viper Tester

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2 minutes ago, Old Viper Tester said:

I especially like the belly location of the buzz numbers, which seemed to be unique to VooDoos and Phantoms.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, Keith; IIRC the old Aurora F-110A kit had no  buzz numbers  on the decal sheet, as I built one and gave to our friend who was stationed there; wishing now I had asked my Dad to take color slides of them when we were at MacDill, but I wasn't into collecting references and building accurate models until so much later...20/20 hindsight and all that!

Mike

 

https://boxartden.com/gallery/index.php/Boxart-Collection/AURORA/MILITARY-AIRCRAFT/JET/Aurora-F-110-Phantom

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There were 2 aircraft marked up as F-110A 149405 and 149406. These were borrowed for trials and were F-4B's.

There followed a batch of F-4B's on loan to the USAF which went to the training unit (4450th Wing rings a bell). When the F-4C's came off the line these were returned.

The first F-4C actually arrived before the designation change and was the only USAF standard F-110A, the designation lasting only days.

And the rest is history, as they say.

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6 hours ago, Rhino said:

There were 2 aircraft marked up as F-110A 149405 and 149406. These were borrowed for trials and were F-4B's.

There followed a batch of F-4B's on loan to the USAF which went to the training unit (4450th Wing rings a bell). When the F-4C's came off the line these were returned.

The first F-4C actually arrived before the designation change and was the only USAF standard F-110A, the designation lasting only days.

And the rest is history, as they say.

 

The first F-4C was delivered to the USAF in May of 1963, some months after the designation change took place in September 1962.

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On 11/20/2019 at 11:46 PM, 72modeler said:

Thought some of you Phantom Phans might like these! I remember when we visited a longtime family friend stationed at MacDill in'63, they were just getting them. Got to see them and hear that wonderful J-79 wail when we were out in the gulf fishing. I think the grey/white scheme with the TAC shield on the fin was beautiful. Hasegawa released a special boxing with these markings  a while back, IIRC. (I bet @Old Viper Tester has better photos in his collection!)

Mike

 

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/mcdonnell-f-110a-spectre/

Very nice photos with the F-110 on a snowy runway On one photo it is quite clear that the anti-glare panel is green.

Screen-Shot-2018-01-26-at-00.17.15.png

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2 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

Thanks, John- I have saved these...but, it doesn't look anything like a B-57! You actually have references for something other than Canberras? I AM impressed! 😜

Mike

I have the odd bit of stuff here and there Mike 🙂 I think I have some photos of it too.

 

John

Edited by canberra kid
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Those photos of FJ406 are beautiful! Noticed the different placement, size, and style of the buzz numbers between the two photos. The green antiglare is also a nice touch of color/ Thanks for sharing these, John.

Mike

 

@Old Viper Tester and @NorthBayKid,

 

In the photos of  149406, I don't see any evidence of the bulged fairings or fatter tires fitted to the USAF F-4C's. Am I right in guessing that because -405 and -406 were actually "borrowed" F-4B's, they had the narrow wheels and tires  fitted to the Navy versions? Do you know if they were retrofitted with the larger units, or  were they given back to the Navy? Am I correct that all "genuine" F-4C's would have the blisters and larger wheels? Want to do FJ-406 as she is in the color photos, especially with the green antiglare, but want to get it right!

Mike

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Those two *were* F-4Bs. The F-4C was the first variant to have the bulged wing and wide tyres, and the first F-4Cs were still on the assembly line when when the two borrowed F-4Bs were being evaluated and photographed.

 

The USAF had no interest in keeping F-4Bs. They were returned to the Navy as soon as the F-4Cs started to be delivered in late 1963

Edited by NorthBayKid
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5 minutes ago, iainpeden said:

Pretty sure that's an RF-4C so it would.

Yes just realised, it has a much longer nose.

 

John

1 minute ago, 72modeler said:

Yep- IIRC, all RF-4C's got the bulged fairings and fatter wheels/tires. Nice photo, John!

Mike

Thanks Mike, not as hot on Phantoms as I am on Canberra's :) 

 

John

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1 hour ago, canberra kid said:

This would be the RF.4 then.

spacer.png

John

62-1220 which started on the production line as an F-4B (so probably did have the narrow tires), was converted on the line to become the YRF-4C, then converted again (initially with a gun sticking out of the front camera port) to a YF-4E and then went on to test a boran rudder and then got fitted with canards for fly-by-wire tests. I think she is now at the USAF museum.

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