Swender's F-4C

[Netz]

Ok, here we go…….

This is how History gets a bit distorted when photo documentation is speculated rather than researched completely.

How many people have desired to build Bill Swendner’s heavily worn F-4C? I know I’m one, but is this really his A/C that he actually flew during his Mig Kill? Well I’m afraid it’s not, but does it really matter? No, but I think what we need to do is clarify Who’s or What this A/C that he is posing in front of really is, and we will all just have to coin it with another name to describe this great Mig killer.

Mistakenly named as Swendner’s Mig killer in the Book “And Kill Migs” as He posed in front of a heavily worn F-4C, it naturally became "Swenders A/C" and we all had to do that ratty but unique paint job.

Well that ragged A/C is F-4C-21-MC 64-0660 a Triple Mig Killer and a TRUE Gun-Fighter, with 2 of the Mig Kills falling to the 20mm cannon, Yes this A/C was assigned to the same Squadron so a photo op was readily available, and what a better subject than a battle weary warrior like that.

I’ve collected most of the photo’s available and have edited then to highlight the identifying marks of these 2 a/c.

Curt.

First up is Swender’s actual F-4:

F-4C-18-MC 63-7489.

1 Mig-21 Kill Sidewinder

There are not too many photo’s of this a/c as it was lost just a year and a half after the kill.

Photo 1:Note this is a very clean paint scheme with just the normal amount of wear and the peeling just beginning at the nose cone, notice the high demarcation line on the intakes just aft of the nose, 37489 marked on the tail and 89 on the nose gear door, and of course the flamboyant Mig Kill marking.

Photo 2: an up-close picture of the left hand nose, a bit of wear and tear, no more than other F-4’s from that period, and of course that huge kill marking.

Now F-4C #2 the so called Swendner A/C.

F-4C-21-MC 64-0660

Mig-17 Aim-9 Sidewinder

Mig-17 20mm

Mig-17 20mm

I’ve picked out a few unique and identifiable paint chips to show that the a/c pictured and correctly identified as 40660 by Osprey is in fact the F-4 mistakenly identified in And Kill Migs as A/C 489.

Note the nose gear door with 60 clearly visible (6[][]0), and the lower paint demarcation on the intakes just aft of the nose.

Edited May 8, 2012 by Netz

[zark]

Hi Netz, I can feel your fustration trying to get all the available info about this particular aircraft. I faced the same problems about a year ago when I tried to built it. I had exacly the same pictures as references and I decided that I go on with them or I put the "brakes" on and... built something else. Well here is the link and a picture of my model.

http://s362974870.onlinehome.us/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=229495&st=0&p=2188791&hl=f-4&fromsearch=1entry2188791

[Exhausted]

Nice, I want to make one.

[phantom]

100% correct or not your model is AWESOME!!!!!

[PHIL25102]

jolie présentation!!!

[Knight of twin tail]

beautiful work, nice weathering