F-4 Phantom exhaust

[Sgt Shultz II]

I spent 10 years working on RF-4C's but on the front end not the back so how do you get a realistic looking exhaust??

 

Thanks

Ron

[ScottsGT]

I usually start with a bright silver base and then use my airbrush to layer on shading using a combination of translucent blue and smoke.  When good and dry I’ll go over it with a black wash.  

[ringleheim]

This is Part 1 of a two part video from a good modeler.  Shows you at least his approach to paint exhausts, albeit on an Su-35.

 

The overall techniques are the same for most jet aircraft.

 

 

[Sgt Shultz II]

My main concern is the Phantoms were notorious for being "smokers". The pilots complained that you could find an F-4 from the smoke trail they left.

So how much soot would be seen in the tail pipe and exhaust feathers and what technique to use to achieve this.

[Sgt Shultz II]

Both actually but I found a video on YouTube of a J79 that was taken apart for overhaul and it explained the "green" tube aft of the afterburner ring and showed how the tail feathers work.

 

Edited September 3, 2019 by Sgt Shultz II

[Tony T]

 

The Vietnam era nozzles were quickly caked in soot, with just the pleats where the nozzles opened up wider and closed tighter being scraped soot free. 

The higher EGT allowed in the very late 1970s introduced "smokeless" and the nozzles thus require the burnt metal look.

 

Tony