F-4K/M wing tanks

[Plastic_parts]

Hi guys… I’ve got a couple of  RAF Phantoms  going through the refurb hanger and I need to locate a couple of sets of wing tanks. Are there any aftermarket tanks available in 1/72?

chees y’all 

mick

[Jabba]

You could try here:- https://air-graphics.uk/shop/ols/products/ac-309-mcdd-f-4-phantom-correct-370-gal-fuel-tanks 

[bentwaters81tfw]

The Sargent Fletcher tanks had integral pylons. I notice the aftermarket ones state separate pylons. Wrong. We have an F-4M in the museum, and the tanks are integral with the pylons.

[Plastic_parts]

They’ll do, thanks a million chaps…. By the way, what would I need to do to convert them to the photo flash units as used by 41 squadron?

[Dave Swindell]

11 minutes ago, Plastic_parts said:

They’ll do, thanks a million chaps…. By the way, what would I need to do to convert them to the photo flash units as used by 41 squadron?

If you can find a set, Odd's & Ordnance did a recce set that included this

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/odds-and-ordnance-oao72033-raf-f4m-phantom-strike-camera-recce-pod-and-strobe-flasher-unit--1123602

[Plastic_parts]

Cheers dave, that set looks well nice but I bet it rare as hens teeth lol

[Hook]

I could spare you some Fujimi outboard tanks if you could use them.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Plastic_parts]

Just looked on alley cat models and they have the tanks and reconnaissance pod but  it seems they don’t deliver to the UK

Edited July 30, 2022 by Plastic_parts

[Jabba]

Models for sale are now the people that distribute Alleycat models.

 

They have these in stock at the moment:- https://www.modelsforsale.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=989385&Alley-Cat-1/72-OAO72033-RAF-Phantom-FGR2-Reconnaissance-suite-upgrade-set

[Plastic_parts]

Cheers for that jabba.. just ordered that set…. Could the strobe flash unit be used as a fuel tank on a kit? By that I mean is it basically the same size and shape as a fuel tank? The pod looks nice but how does it compare to the matchbox kit item? I’ve got a matchbox unit hing from one of my phantoms but it looks way too close to the ground and scaled up it would about 11 inches clear of the ground.

[Hook]

20 minutes ago, Plastic_parts said:

Could the strobe flash unit be used as a fuel tank on a kit? By that I mean is it basically the same size and shape as a fuel tank?

Basically, since the strobe unit was developed from the standard wing tank, yes. You could fill / sand, if so inclined (but since fuel tanks are in almost every Phantom kit and the strobe unit is not, why would you).

24 minutes ago, Plastic_parts said:

scaled up it would about 11 inches clear of the ground.

That sounds about right. The EMI pod is a quite hefty bit of kit - the Fujimi item is rather undersized.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[sloegin57]

On 30/07/2022 at 19:14, Plastic_parts said:

They’ll do, thanks a million chaps…. By the way, what would I need to do to convert them to the photo flash units as used by 41 squadron?

2 Sqdn also used them, XV475/Y and XV488/I - Taceval survival deployment to Wittering 19 March 75.

 

Dennis

[Plastic_parts]

The ground clearance on the pod can have given much room for error when taking of and landing😳

[sloegin57]

1 hour ago, Plastic_parts said:

The ground clearance on the pod can have given much room for error when taking of and landing😳

The EMI pod was developed from the existing Auxiliary Centerline Fuel Tank and ground clearance was similar :-

 

 

 

HTH

Dennis

 

 

[Dave Swindell]

On 31/07/2022 at 15:21, Jabba said:

Models for sale are now the people that distribute Alleycat models.

 

They have these in stock at the moment:- https://www.modelsforsale.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=989385&Alley-Cat-1/72-OAO72033-RAF-Phantom-FGR2-Reconnaissance-suite-upgrade-set

 

23 hours ago, Plastic_parts said:

Cheers for that jabba.. just ordered that set….

That's the Odds & Ordnance set, I'd forgotten Alleycat had aquired them.

[Julien]

If looking for tanks I have some in 1/72 (and 1/48) from Hypersonic, very nice they are also

 

https://www.hypersonicmodels.com/product/mcdonnell-370-gal-tanks-72

[sloegin57]

7 minutes ago, Julien said:

If looking for tanks I have some in 1/72 (and 1/48) from Hypersonic, very nice they are also

 

https://www.hypersonicmodels.com/product/mcdonnell-370-gal-tanks-72

Correct Julian, I can heartily recommend Hypersonic products especially the tanks. I stocked up with both scales for future use,  They also do a very nice and accurate Canberra B(I)8/PR.9 canopy which I have also stocked up on.  Unfortunately it is only produced in 1/48th.

Regards

Dennis

 

[Julien]

59 minutes ago, sloegin57 said:

Correct Julian, I can heartily recommend Hypersonic products especially the tanks. I stocked up with both scales for future use,  They also do a very nice and accurate Canberra B(I)8/PR.9 canopy which I have also stocked up on.  Unfortunately it is only produced in 1/48th.

Regards

Dennis

 

Yes when I make an order I do tend to stock up, good thing with them as they are registered for UK VAT no charges at the border.

[Lusitanian]

Gentlemen

 

The Hypersonic Models 370 gallon wing tanks are inappropriate for British Phantoms. They represent the original type of tanks of the F-4 that were made by McDonnell. The shape and details are different to those of the later Sargent Fletcher wing tanks. Sargent Fletcher tanks were not to be found after approximately the year 1966 and no British Phantom flew with them. 

The shape of the tanks were different, and the connection seam on the McDonnell tank was seen at the 0900 position. On the Sargent Fletcher tank, the connection seam was seen at the 1900 position.

 

Best wishes!

[Tailspin Turtle]

On 8/3/2022 at 11:59 AM, Lusitanian said:

Gentlemen

 

The Hypersonic Models 370 gallon wing tanks are inappropriate for British Phantoms. They represent the original type of tanks of the F-4 that were made by McDonnell. The shape and details are different to those of the later Sargent Fletcher wing tanks. Sargent Fletcher tanks were not to be found after approximately the year 1966 and no British Phantom flew with them. 

The shape of the tanks were different, and the connection seam on the McDonnell tank was seen at the 0900 position. On the Sargent Fletcher tank, the connection seam was seen at the 1900 position.

 

Best wishes!

Did you mean that the McDonnell tanks were not to be found after approximately the year 1966? Which is not correct according to people who pay more attention to these things than I do. It's true that the Navy stopped buying the McDonnell tank at about that time (the Sargent Fletcher tank was cheaper) so eventually they disappeared from the inventory. I also don't know for sure, but my guess is that the Brits used the Sargent Fletchers. For more on the 370-gallon tanks: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2013/06/things-under-wings-f4h-f-4-phantom.html

[bentwaters81tfw]

On 03/08/2022 at 16:59, Lusitanian said:

Gentlemen

 

The Hypersonic Models 370 gallon wing tanks are inappropriate for British Phantoms. They represent the original type of tanks of the F-4 that were made by McDonnell. The shape and details are different to those of the later Sargent Fletcher wing tanks. Sargent Fletcher tanks were not to be found after approximately the year 1966 and no British Phantom flew with them. 

The shape of the tanks were different, and the connection seam on the McDonnell tank was seen at the 0900 position. On the Sargent Fletcher tank, the connection seam was seen at the 1900 position.

 

Best wishes!

You have that AAF. ALL UK Phantoms had Sargent Fletcher tanks. If the Hypersonic tank is of the McDonnell type, then it is incorrect for UK and all but early production Phantoms.

[Lusitanian]

Yes @tailspinturtle that is correct.  Even the earliest photos of British Phantoms taken before they were assumed by the RAF and RN show the Sargent Fletcher tanks loaded.  In all my years of studying the Phantom I have not seen any photo of a British Phantom with McDonnell tanks

[sloegin57]

1 hour ago, Lusitanian said:

Yes @tailspinturtle that is correct.  Even the earliest photos of British Phantoms taken before they were assumed by the RAF and RN show the Sargent Fletcher tanks loaded.  In all my years of studying the Phantom I have not seen any photo of a British Phantom with McDonnell tanks

These they ? :-

 

 

 

HTH

Dennis

 

 

[Duncan B]

I was pretty sure I'd seen photos from the very early FG1 days with McDD tanks on. @sloegin57 glad to see that your comprehensive photo archive has confirmed my dodgy memory banks.

 

Duncan B

[Tailspin Turtle]

8 hours ago, Duncan B said:

I was pretty sure I'd seen photos from the very early FG1 days with McDD tanks on. @sloegin57 glad to see that your comprehensive photo archive has confirmed my dodgy memory banks.

 

Duncan B

Early is right: XT597 was the No. 3 F-4K as it was known at McAir (I was a McAir flight test engineer, beginning with preflight of No. 1, XT595)