F-4S, VMFA-112, Heater-Ferris Scheme - Final Pics Coming Through...

[Chek]

Thanks Kevin.

I'll let him know that his sign up has failed somewhere along the line.

[LSP_Kevin]

Thanks Kevin.

I'll let him know that his sign up has failed somewhere along the line.

 

Possibly he didn't validate his email address; he should have received a welcome email upon completing his registration, which would have contained a link to validate his email address. If he didn't click the link, or receive that email, then the system will remove his registration as failed after 36 hours.

 

Kev

[Chek]

Hi again - heard back from Bill with another photo showing the reinforcing plates on the tank.

 

He's also of the opinion that the fuselage sway braces have always been there, and looking through photos that's correct, although generally they tend to be masked by the belly aux intake doors. Here's another photo showing the plates -

 

 

 

and a photo of F-4J 155529 in her VF-74 Sqn colours at Duxford after being ZE360 O of 74 Sqn.

 

 

As can be seen, the sway braces are built into the fuselage, with the aircraft skin forming the contact pad. She was built in 1967, so these aren't a new thing.

 

It's likely that other non-flying and incorrectly displayed airframes have created the wrong impression all along.

Edited May 3, 2016 by Chek

[Marcel111]

Thx Chek! Wow, wouldn't that be something... a fairly significant detail overlooked by modellers all these years. I am doing both sway brace and fin supports on my model, have already performed the cut-outs.

 

Cheers,

Marcel

[jmel]

The sway braces on the centerline are all on F-4s, regardless whether USMC, Navy, USAF, or export.  They can be retracted into the fuselage when not in use.  

 

Be very, very careful when using pics of jets at airshows or museums as reference, as they are often not representative of an airworthy jet on a typical flying day.  

 

Jake

[ghatherly]

Great discussion Guys, and Jake your comment is so, so true.   ONe area I have had trouble finding details is for the rear mounts as they attach to the Fuselage.  I am finishing up my C Weasel and installing the same  CL tank, and finding pictures or line drawings with the fuselage doors open, and pics of what the engagement connections  and the top of the brace look like I cannot find.  

 

Jake,   anything you might have in your files of either of these?

[Chek]

I'm sure Jake will have better photos, but here's what I've got.

 

I think the first is the McDonnell C/L tank, and the following two are definitely Royal Jet. But the sway brace doors will be the same.

 

 

 

 

[ghatherly]

Perfect! Thank you so much.

[jmel]

Jake,   anything you might have in your files of either of these?

I'm sure I've taken pics of them, but it looks like Chek has come to the rescue with those great pics.

[Chek]

Thanks, but not my photos guys.

 

I just collected them off the internet over the years and share in the same spirit as the original posters did, for the benefit of the interested.

[Marcel111]

Thx Check, perfect timeing with those pics since I just cut out the fin brace door sections from the lower fuselarge.

 

Cheers,

Marcel

[Marcel111]

Here is what the inboard slats look like after a coat of Mr Surfacer 1000 and some black wash to check for imperfections:

 

 

 

Here is what the underside looked like before paint.

 

 

I cut the reinforcement plates outside the main landing gear from thin styrene sheet. The GT Resin set provides these plates in resin but I just found it easier to work with styrene and plastic glue.

 

Also, I used the Wingman slat actuators. They are nicely cast and I thought I may as well use something from that set. Gary from GT has since educated me that they are incorrectly sized relative to one another. I have tried to take them off but the superglue bond won't give so I am sticking with them.

 

Here's what that all looks like from closer up:

 

 

I have cut out the sections that the central tank tail fin bracing mechanism folds out of. Note the holes where the sway braces will mount through towards the central area of the tank.

 

 

I have also drilled out the holes at the back of the lower fuselarge, here's why:

 

 

Cheers,

 

Marcel

Edited May 8, 2016 by Marcel111

[Chek]

Looking good with all those S mods Marcel.

 

Curious thing is (to me) that as the latest and (some might say) greatest and last of the Phantoms, it arrived in the dulled down era, and so most look the scrappiest and crappiest of the entire family. A far cry from its full colour glory days.

 

Edited for 'cry' not 'cray'. I'm not that posh.

Edited May 9, 2016 by Chek

[ghatherly]

Looking good! Everyone should take a note as to the correct positioning of the outboard wing pylons. Marcel plugged the incorrectly located kit locations and moved them inboard to their correct pisitions. With the slat actuator fairings installed it graphically shows how off the kit location is, as the new location is centered between the 2 & 3 fairings.

 

Chek, I second your comments on the S. It is my favorite USN version. If not for the Tomcat being to heavy with those crappy TF30 engines to operate off the small Carriers, the S would never have been built.

 

Have a great day, Gary

[Chek]

Very true Gary.

 

And I'd love the F-14D to have survived to see it as a CoNA special in original 1973 Wolfpack markings.

.

In fact having recently been gifted a Revell F-14 I'm thinking along the lines of updating it to the best D version but whatiffed in the old scheme.