The next civil flying US F-4 Phantom warbird is coming

If we ask nicely would the owner paint her in Royal Navy colours?
Surely the only true Phantoms were flying from the Ark Royal!

Why not in the original markings, as in my photo from May 1963?
Otherwise she will look just like dozens/hundreds of other F-4’s over the last 50 years.

Don’t ask me, send the people who own the aircraft an e-mail.

Here is their website, with contact info:
http://wingsandrotors.org/phantom-f4/

Why not in the original markings, as in my photo from May 1963?
Otherwise she will look just like dozens/hundreds of other F-4’s over the last 50 years.

The photo in the upper left of my earlier post is of 145310 in her current “post-restoration” paint scheme – it shows her with the colors of VF101, one of the USN’s conversion-training squadrons.

This would be her post-development trials scheme, and it appears that this is what she will fly as.

I new to these forums and this restoration. Will the aircraft be returned to its prototype style paint scheme?

Chappie

Very neat, been waiting for this one for some time. Speaking of early Phantoms, does anyone know where 143388 is today? #3 aircraft. I stumbled accross her at Quantico about 10 years ago and was really excited to see such an early survivor. She was in rough shape and pretty much gutted. First time I saw her she was sitting on some grass, then got moved a few 100 yards near the very old hangar that is a gymnasium. She was not there when I returned a few years later. Hopefully inside in storage at quantico.

Interesting this older source lists 142260 (#2 Phantom) preserved at Gillispe (San Diego) and 145310 preserved at New England. Was there a swap? http://thephantomshrine.co.uk/Databases/f4-serials.txt

143388 is still at Quantico but is inside the restoration hangar if you google the serial there is some photos of her in the condition you described but she is inside.

Curlyboy

Very neat, been waiting for this one for some time. Speaking of early Phantoms, does anyone know where 143388 is today? #3 aircraft. I stumbled accross her at Quantico about 10 years ago and was really excited to see such an early survivor. She was in rough shape and pretty much gutted. First time I saw her she was sitting on some grass, then got moved a few 100 yards near the very old hangar that is a gymnasium. She was not there when I returned a few years later. Hopefully inside in storage at quantico.

Interesting this older source lists 142260 (#2 Phantom) preserved at Gillispe (San Diego) and 145310 preserved at New England. Was there a swap? http://thephantomshrine.co.uk/Databases/f4-serials.txt

Of course there were some YF-4s! The one being restored wasn’t one of them, that’s all!

Here she is, BuNr145310, at the Edwards AFB Open House in May 1963.
Above the BuNr on the tail one can see F-4A as type.
Disregard the young enthusiast in front of it.

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She’s even earlier! A YF-4!

There was no such thing.

OK, I’m being picky – “YF-4” is a post-October 1962 designation (or USAF pre-October 1962).

The 2 prototype Phantom IIs were designated YF4H-1 (pre-October 1962 USN designation). There were 5 “block 1” “pre-production” F4H-1Fs.

The article linked specifically states “the 11th built”, so it was a plain old F4H-1F, which was the designation for the initial 5 production batches (F-4A after October 1962).

The BuNo (Bureau Number, the permanent serial for that airframe) is 145310 – the block 2 production batch were BuNos 145307 to 145317.

Note that BuNo 145310 was the first to be fitted for multiple-ejector bomb racks, as the previous aircraft could only carry missiles and external fuel tanks.

Note that these had the early AN/APQ-72 with a 24″ diameter dish (sometimes called the AN/APQ-50mod radar, this was a modified version of that in the F4D (F-6) Skyray). Therefore their nose was smaller than later Phantoms.
These had the J79-2/2A engine, and the rear cockpit was flush with the top of the fuselage in blocks 1 & 2.

Block 3 (5 aircraft), 4 (10 aircraft), & 5 (14 aircraft) F4H-1Fs had the full AN/APQ-72 with 32″ diameter dish and raised rear cockpit.

In all, 45 F4H-1Fs were built. The F-4As were used as developmental and type conversion training aircraft, not as operational aircraft.

The 46th and later production aircraft were the F4H-1 (F-4B), with the more powerful J79-8 engine (retrofitted to the block 3/4/5 F4H-1Fs).

Here are the nose profiles of the early Phantoms:

An F-4A?? That’s crazy! I hope I get to see (& hear) that one at some point.

She’s even earlier! A YF-4!

An F-4A?? That’s crazy! I hope I get to see (& hear) that one at some point.