F-4C Newark Ohio Resto - Phase I Complete!

Rauhbatz · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:24 am

My thanks to the entire team including: Terry, Mike K, Mike B, Steve W, their families as well as my wife for putting up with the "F-4 obsession" for the past several months...

Joscelyn and her firm did the markings...all the way down to the script on the gear doors...

Kudos to Archie of the USAF, Rick from Collings and a host of many other folks for their research and assistance...

Still need to polish the canopy section as well as put a plaque up...but its time for the dedication and BBQ...

Check out facebook for the pics

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 337&type=1

lmritger · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:47 am

What an absolutely MASSIVE improvement... that is outstanding work, and it never would have received this love if you hadn't taken the time to get it back into proper shape. WELL DONE to you and the entire group!!!

:drink3:

Lynn

The Inspector · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:50 am

Since I don't belong to FACEPLANT, I'll have to take your word for it- :roll:

TAdan · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:55 am

Great job! It looks like it is ready to fly.

gale_dono · **Joined:** Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:32 pm **Posts:** 328

Beautiful work! I regret that I didn't come by and help, but I will be stopping in sometime in the near future to get pictures of the new colors!

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2011 4:40 pm

Great job. It looks way tooooo kool!

Clifford Bossie · **Posted:** Fri Oct 07, 2011 12:38 am

Looks good! I hope our F-84 comes out as well.

usaf ssgt · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:24 pm

I've been meaning to ask, what references did you use for the placement of the tail numbers?

I painted RF4C Phantom IIs for four years and we placed the numbers the same distance away from the leading edge of the rudder as the tail code.

Also, shouldn't the Rescue jettision door also be painted yellow?
I know ours were.

Just trying to help, as these F4s have been a passion of mine ever since I worked on them.
I wish I had one near where I live so I could do what you have done.

I think you did a great job making your F4 look the part, and shows that someone really cares for these old birds.
Let me post a picture of the tail of your bird, and then one of the planes I painted back in the day.

Tail code "BA" denotes Bergstrom AFB Austin TX. FYI.

Well done,
Leon

Rauhbatz · **Posted:** Fri Dec 09, 2011 7:43 am

usaf ssgt...thanks for the commentary and inquiry about the tail code positioning..

We do have some more detailing to do...including the RESCUE door, a nav cover panel just behind the canopy as well as a few other bits to round out the finishing. Any other things you see that might need attention pls do send our way for the spring...too cold to paint in Ohio these days!

The positioning of the tail codes and numbers I think took the greatest amount of research. In looking at the technical manuals, pics from the era 683 was in Thailand as well as some great steer and pics from Rick at the Collings group we settled on the alignment found on 683. It appeared that in the later years the tail codes appeared more continguous as well as having to deal with the reflector strip on the tail (early F-4c) didn't have these)...

Email me on WIX and I can send more pics of both sides...any steer you can offer on finishing points is most welcome!!

Ken · **Posted:** Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:03 am

I hesitate to ask because some will take an honest question and turn it into a perceived insult. I don't intend that.

I notice that the "8" and "3" don't have tapered waists, for lack of a better term, their sides are straight and blocked. Maybe the font was different when the SEA camo was still new?

The strip on the tail in the RF-4 photo is formation strip lighting. You can see others mid-fuselage and above where the nose gear retracts. I can only speak to the T-38, but I assume the strips are near universal. Up close they have a fabric/fiberglass texture, sometimes a bit rough to the touch as you might imagine Codura might feel if you drug it on a sidewalk. There was a single rheostat/switch in the cockpit and it was a high emphasis item to ensure the lights were switched off after the sortie and not left on during the next daytime flight. It was explained to us that the strips were built to modulate their intensity relative to the ambient light and would burn themselves out in daytime use. A quick google doesn't turn up much info, as I'm curious to know more.

We didn't do much night formation in UPT. The night 2-ship sortie I remember most was on a crystal clear full moon night. Those white airplanes were quite easy to see and the strips were amazingly bright in a lime green hue that looked alot like a common chem stick. It might as well been daytime on that one, the moon made it too easy and, as a student, I was thankful.

Ken

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

Ken wrote:

The strip on the tail in the RF-4 photo is formation strip lighting. You can see others mid-fuselage and above where the nose gear retracts. I can only speak to the T-38, but I assume the strips are near universal. Up close they have a fabric/fiberglass texture, sometimes a bit rough to the touch as you might imagine Codura might feel if you drug it on a sidewalk. There was a single rheostat/switch in the cockpit and it was a high emphasis item to ensure the lights were switched off after the sortie and not left on during the next daytime flight. It was explained to us that the strips were built to modulate their intensity relative to the ambient light and would burn themselves out in daytime use. Ken

These little doohickey's? :wink:

http://www.astronics.com/products/aircr ... lights.asp

Ken · **Posted:** Fri Dec 09, 2011 2:28 pm

That's them, nice link. I have not used the dual mode type but have used a variety of other IR type lighting.

I flew the first half of my career "unaided" and despite the number of guys who were ready to retire when the NVG conversion started, I love them and miss them when on a vanilla night sortie. NVGs, while they won't be the "forever" solution to owning the night, are, for now, some really neat and powerful gear.

Rauhbatz · **Posted:** Sat Dec 10, 2011 12:49 pm

Hi Ken...thanks for the inquiry on both the font and lighting strips.

The tech manual from the USAF was more for later years and did not address the camo scheme details...so we had to rely on pics from Thailand to get things close.

I had a number of convos with Rick from Collings about the formation lighting. The year 683 was in SEA it looks like that lighting was not yet used...

BTW if anyone knows where we could get a centerline tank pls ping me!!!!

Ken · **Posted:** Sat Dec 10, 2011 2:45 pm

Totally agree that the strip lighting doesn't belong on 683. The numbers were my question, but it's no big deal either way.

RMAllnutt · **Posted:** Sat Dec 10, 2011 2:57 pm

She looks fabulous... you've done a great job working on her. The one thing I did notice was that the tail number seems to indicate that the aircraft was ordered in 1940... just something I saw, and in no way meant to be criticism. I think it's marvelous you've taken the time to get this girl presentable again, and stopped the rot. Well done!

Cheers,
Richard

Warbird Information Exchange

F-4C Newark Ohio Resto - Phase I Complete!

Who is online