Space Tiger Hobbes Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 How prevalent were F-4Es with unslatted wings in Vietnam, especially the shark-nosed marked jets? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Finn Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 The hard wing F-4E saw lots of action in Vietnam, scroll down: https://366th-tfw.net/bruce-hill_photos2.htm Those with slats, very little near the end: Jari Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Niels Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 The slats are a modification to the F-4E that only appeared towards the end of the war in VietNam as Finn says. Originally the F-4E didn't have the slats. The process of updating the F-4E fleet to all-slated wings took some time, but all were completed by mid-70's from what I know. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Space Tiger Hobbes Posted August 6, 2017 Author Share Posted August 6, 2017 Thanks! So probably all the shark-nosed F-4Es from Korat were unslatted? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 Interesting lack of tailcodes on both those Phantoms. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Niels Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 Space Tiger, As already stated, the slats were introduced during the last year of the VietNam war. It is hence not possible to make such an assumption - you must instead check your references as it most likely varied between various jets, sharkmouth or no sharkmouth. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Space Tiger Hobbes Posted August 6, 2017 Author Share Posted August 6, 2017 Got it. Thanks. How about the TSIEO thing on the left wing? Did that come after Vietnam? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ben Brown Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 The TISEO arrived in Vietnam around the same time as the slatted wing. I don't think they ever fitted the system to any hard-wing F-4Es. Of course, now that I've said that, someone will post a photo of a hard wing E with TISEO! Here's a quote from Jay Chladek I found on the USAF SIG web site: Some 71 model F-4Es with LES and TISEO were sent to the 432nd TFRW (later 432nd TFW) under project Rivet Haste. They were assigned to the 555th TFW which had exchanged their F-4Ds for F-4Es either shortly before or during Linebacker II. The Rivet Haste F-4Es were uncoded and initially had RRRRIBIT in yellow on the tail, which was later painted out and just the fin cap was painted green. From Smoke Trails, Vol. 3 # 4, Tail Codes, 432 TFRW, by Harley Copic. By 1975, when Saigon fell, I'm sure that the F-4Es still flying in Thailand had the LES installed. Most of them were later sent to Clark and Korea. I think the shark mouths were applied to F-4Es of the 366th and 388th Tactical Fighter Wings, which flew hard wing F-4Es. There may have been others. A pilot from the 4th TFW told me they made shark mouth stencils for their F-4Es while they were on TDY at Ubon RTAB, but never used them. Ben Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Niels Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 TISEO was only installed on FY71, 72, 73 and 74 versions of the Phantom. Most F-4E's flying in VietNam was FY67, 68 and/or FY69, although as already mentioned some FY71 may have been fighting around 1972. As for 555TFS, they were equipped with F-4D's until wars end, however units usually loaned aircraft from oneanother - as an example 2 of Richie's kills were in F-4E 67-0362, aircraft assigned to the 58TFS but flown by Ritchie (555TFS). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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