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Colour of F-4 intake interiors


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Hello,

 

This is a question about the colour of the intake interiors on various Phantoms. 

 

I am building 4 Phantoms:

 

1. F-4E from 1972 in USAF SEA scheme

2. F-4G from the 1980s in the two-tone ghost grey scheme

3. F-4N from 1975 in US Navy grey/white

4. RF-4B from 1979 in overall light gull grey.

 

I am thoroughly confused over what the colour of the intake interiors should be and where the demarcation would be with the main scheme. The only one I'm confident about is the F-4N, which I think should be white on the inside right up to the intake lip. I suspect the same should be true of the RF-4B. 

 

Can anyone provide any further clarification?

 

Many thanks

 

Jon

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As an ex RAF groundcrew member on 17 Squadron I can confidently say that  F-4M's ( AKA FGR 2 ) in the early Dk. green and Dk. sea grey camo were painted back to a point in line with the wing leading edge, as were the Viet Nam camo F-4c, F-4D & F-4E. Royal Navy Phantoms had white intakes right up to the rear of the splitter plate.   :cheers:

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In my USAF experience my observations agree with Ben and hooter. I’ve been around lots and lots of F-4s and although nothing is cast in concrete, i think their advice is a safe bet. Oh, as an interesting side note, the intakes became discolored, i guess from heat and the occasional compressor stall. To me they almost became a dingy or yellowish white. Another interesting fact is that the USAF authorized using paint rollers to repaint the intakes in liu of spraying. Not that this matters in something as little as a scale model!

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6 minutes ago, BillS said:

 Another interesting fact is that the USAF authorized using paint rollers to repaint the intakes in liu of spraying. Not that this matters in something as little as a scale model!

That would be good for making a prototypically accurate diorama that the judges would reject out of hand as being an impossible farce.

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On 6/23/2018 at 8:13 AM, hooter said:

...   F-4M's ( AKA FGR 2 ) in the early Dk. green and Dk. sea grey camo were painted back to a point in line with the wing leading edge, as were the Viet Nam camo F-4c, F-4D & F-4E. Royal Navy Phantoms had white intakes right up to the rear of the splitter plate.   :cheers:

 

"Actually", for the USAF, the extent of the camo inside the intake varied from right at the lip to ~ 36" back. Most common were: 1) "several" inches in, roughly lining up vertically with the  the vari ramp break; and 2) around 36 in deep. Here's an  example of the former on an F-4C back in '69 -  it's grainy and rough, but you can get the picture. 😎

 

ojYZJiU.jpg

 

The deep 36 inch spraying  was usually nicely masked, but the splitter plate demarcation featured, well  ... lots of freehand. Likely a matter of depot versus field painting.

 

Gene K

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Thanks very much everyone. I think what I'm going with is:

 

F-4E: demarcation near the splitter plate

F-4G: demarcation back around 36"

F-4N: demarcation near the splitter plate

RF-4B: demarcation near the splitter plate.

 

Cheers

 

Jon

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4 hours ago, Gene K said:

 

"Actually", for the USAF, the extent of the camo inside the intake varied from right at the lip to ~ 36" back. Most common were: 1) "several" inches in, roughly lining up vertically with the  the vari ramp break; and 2) around 36 in deep. Here's an  example of the former on an F-4C back in '69 -  it's grainy and rough, but you can get the picture. 😎

 

ojYZJiU.jpg

 

The deep 36 inch spraying  was usually nicely masked, but the splitter plate demarcation featured, well  ... lots of freehand. Likely a matter of depot versus field painting.

 

Gene K

Well that's something I never knew, so thanks for that.  Just proves that you should always be wary of " Standard " practices !

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