halcon Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Hello colleagues, This is my first topic in the forum, please apologise my mistake English writing. I want to build a 1/72 Fujimi´s FGR2 Phantom with opened radome, and I would like to have some pics of FGR2´s opened radome and radar dish (either real aircraft or plastic model). Thanks a lot. Chau, Sebastian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexwh773 Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Cant help with the pics, but theres plenty of folk who will. :bex: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary West Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 I can't help either, but hey it's another post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Hello Sebastian and welcome to Britmodeller. I've been on the same quest for several years now and can thus say with some authority there is bugger all reference pictures available. So far I've come across some grainy black and white photos in a page of the Detail & Scale volume on Naval Phantoms and a single colour photo in a magazine. For the most part I've relied on some colour photos on the 'net from an F-4S restoration in a US museum. If you PM me your email address I'll gather up and scan what I have for you. In the meantime, here's how far I've got on a 48th Hasegawa FG.1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halcon Posted January 6, 2008 Author Share Posted January 6, 2008 Hi Col., Thanks for your reply. I´m eager to see those scanned pics you have, so i´ll send you my email address. Thanks also for the other memebers who replied me. Sebastian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Found the website displaying the photos of a F4-S radar, I'll PM you this and the other photos Sebastian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halcon Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 Hi Col., Excellent pictures!!!. That is what I was looking for!!. Now I can build my RAF Phantom with its radome opened.... Thanks a lot for your help. Regards, Sebastian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousAA72 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Hopefully a Phan-expert will come along to tell me to shut the ph**k up(!!!) , BUT in the deep distant mists of time...do I recall correctly that the radomes on FGR2's did not hinge - but were removed when required - unlike the navalised FG1's which did - due to the need for pholdability on deck? Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHREAK Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Hi Halcon, I'm afraid Bill is correct. It was only the FG1 which had a hinged radome to enable storage in aircarft carrier hangars. The FGR2 radome was removable and not hinged. Rich R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Sebastian You'll find a lot of experts here and a lot of nutters. I hasten to add I'm not one of the latter, despite what the others say. gotta go now, the others are coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troffa Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Hopefully a Phan-expert will come along to tell me to shut the ph**k up(!!!) , BUT in the deep distant mists of time...do I recall correctly that the radomes on FGR2's did not hinge - but were removed when required - unlike the navalised FG1's which did - due to the need for pholdability on deck?Anyone? Hi Bill, That rings true as I seem to recall that on the FG1 the AWG 11 antenna (dish) could be configured so that when the radome was swung open the antenna went with it, The MCS guys (radar techs) could then insert a big square section rail (yellow and black stripes) into the top of the radar pack in order to pull the pack from the front of the fuselage and work on it. (which seemed to consist of gently tapping each LRU with a GS screwdriver until something changed on the navs display!) This was as you state related to the space available on the UK fleet carriers, so that the folded radomes would take up less space on the hanger deck, I also recall a little strut/stay that connected the folded radome tip to a point under a door some where just forward of the starboard splitter plate- but it was a long time ago! The FGR2 had the AN AWG 12 and when we (43) got a few FGR2 towards the end of the eighties I noted that the radar antenna and scanner conventionally stayed fixed on the front of the pack. Maybe some MCS guys are around to confirm this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousAA72 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Just to add a bit of info here....taken from Warpaint No 31....Page 20.... ".......(on the FG1) The AN/APG 59 multi-mode pulse doppler radar....was mounted in the aircraft nose with a 32" diameter scanner at the front, which, together with the radome, was hinged to starboard to reduce the aircrafts overall length to permit stowage below decks on British carriers. On the RAF FGR2 where length was not so critical, only the radome hinged for ease of maintenance..." Now, I'm not sure where that leaves my original thoughts on this, it could well be this I was thinking about(?). Certainly in the same book there's a photo of The A&AEE's Raspberry Ripple FG1 "XT597" with the radome open and the radar dish is not in sight - mind you this may not be a good example as the aircraft had a Doppler system in the radome..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHREAK Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Just to add a bit of info here....taken from Warpaint No 31....Page 20....".......(on the FG1) The AN/APG 59 multi-mode pulse doppler radar....was mounted in the aircraft nose with a 32" diameter scanner at the front, which, together with the radome, was hinged to starboard to reduce the aircrafts overall length to permit stowage below decks on British carriers. On the RAF FGR2 where length was not so critical, only the radome hinged for ease of maintenance..." Now, I'm not sure where that leaves my original thoughts on this, it could well be this I was thinking about(?). Certainly in the same book there's a photo of The A&AEE's Raspberry Ripple FG1 "XT597" with the radome open and the radar dish is not in sight - mind you this may not be a good example as the aircraft had a Doppler system in the radome..... Hmmmmm...... not sure about the Warpaint info accuracy.....there's quite a few photo caption errors in that...... the front and rear photographs for instance! XT597 had all sorts of photo gear stashed in the nose during it's life, (I'm sure Speedy will confirm this)....I don't know about the radar fit though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEZ Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Although I can't seem to find any photos of FGR 2's with folded radomes, F4 Cs, Ds, Bs, Js, Es, RF4's all had folding radomes. Why would the FGR2 be any different. Surely it couldn't have been a question of cost cutting on behalf of the MOD not to have kept this facility. This maybe of interest. Taken from Michael Burns book on the UK F-4 he goes on to say that, '...The [for both the K and the M) nose radome hinges to starboard and the installation runs forward on telescopic rails for all-round inspection and maintenance purposes. On the F 4K, to reduce the aircraft's length to the standard limit of 54 ft RN carrier lifts and hangers, the radar dish and attenna fold 180 to starboard with the radome for stowage'. (p.43) Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEZ Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 I have just found a picture at the link below which may settle this debate regarding FGR 2s folding or non folding radomes. The photo, taken by Wayne Button, shows an ex 74 squadron FGR2 with its radome (hinged ?) open on the Wattisham dump. Andrew www.njphotography.co.uk/waynebutton2.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdxtnt Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 I have just found a picture at the link below which may settle this debate regarding FGR 2s folding or non folding radomes. The photo, taken by Wayne Button, shows an ex 74 squadron FGR2 with its radome (hinged ?) open on the Wattisham dump. That's a really sad photo Andrew I'm going back a bit now but I'm 99.9% certain the FGR2 radome was hinged in the same way as the FG1. I worked on FGR2's and F4-J(UK)'s during the 1980's and don't recall ever being collared to assist in lifting a radome off. It would have been a decidedly dodgy operation to lift it off by hand as it was a big unwieldy piece of kit especially being so close to a fragile radar dish. I never worked on FG1's but as mentioned previously the radar dish on these did indeed fold out inside the radome as it was swung back. I can remember a story (probably apocryphal) about a radar guy who had only worked on FGR2's being posted up to RAF Leuchars on FG1's and running into the rects office one night to report that the radar dish was missing Hope that's helps, Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHREAK Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 This all makes sense ...... The FG1 folded including the radar whereas the FGR2 just had the radome folding with the radar dish staying in place. I can only guess that this was yet another cost cutting exercise by the government. Thanks for the intel and that mega sad shot from Wattisham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troffa Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 That was a great, I really enjoy a good Phantom thread! Now I have to track down that Michael Burns book on UK phantoms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdxtnt Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 This all makes sense ......The FG1 folded including the radar whereas the FGR2 just had the radome folding with the radar dish staying in place. I can only guess that this was yet another cost cutting exercise by the government. Thanks for the intel and that mega sad shot from Wattisham Think it was more to do with the Navy needing to have the radar dish out of the way because of the small size of the aircraft lifts on their carriers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 I'm guessing it was possible to fold the scanner dish back from in the radome on FG.1s? If so did it sit against the rest of the processing unit like the FGR.2? Glad I never quite finished my one yet, could have really messed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdxtnt Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 I'm guessing it was possible to fold the scanner dish back from in the radome on FG.1s? If so did it sit against the rest of the processing unit like the FGR.2?Glad I never quite finished my one yet, could have really messed up. Not sure on that one Col but I would have thought they would need to be able to push the dish back into position for testing and maintenance purposes if required once the radome had been swung open. Can remember seeing the radar dish being tested on the FGR2's and it sure did move fast when it was operating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troffa Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Not sure on that one Col but I would have thought they would need to be able to push the dish back into position for testing and maintenance purposes if required once the radome had been swung open. Can remember seeing the radar dish being tested on the FGR2's and it sure did move fast when it was operating. I can definitely remember the FG1 radar being tested with the antenna on the front of the radar pack, the central feed horn would nutate around its axis at one part of the bit test- very impressive to a mere radio mech like me! There would normally be a large cylindrical glass resovoir of coolant (coolanol?) and a mk3 hyd rig (universally known as a "Navy Rig") hooked up to the cab during such testing. I just cant believe its been over twenty years since those days! Have we got an old fart emoticon? Troffa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexwh773 Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Have we got an old fart emoticon? Troffa This one do? Bex von CheekyMoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troffa Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Ah, thats the one, Now where are my werthers originals.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entlim Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 and carpet slippers............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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