F-4G belly straps

[phantomdriver]

when did they start being fitted?

Were they on Vietnam birds..?

[phantomdriver]

 

Navy/Marines never had the G's.........

 

[Dave Williams]

According to the Reid Air modern Phantom Guide, the belly strap was added during the slatted wing refit on F-4Es through 71-0236.  71-0237 and later had internal wing strengthening, so never had the belly strap.  Straps, on those so fitted, stayed on during G conversion.  The first production slatted wing F-4Es started being delivered in 1972, so it’s unlikely that they were seen on Vietnam F-4s.  I believe the strap was only added to USN/USMC F-4s went they got slats as part of the -S mod.
 

HTH.

Edited May 27, 2020 by Dave Williams

[Chek]

All F-4Gs were from FY 69 Blk 42- 45 F-4E conversions so all were slat wing conversions with the strap.

 

 

Edited May 28, 2020 by Chek
photos added

[thierry laurent]

It is possible that some F-4Es with the strengthening strap did a short stay in SEA when some CONUS-based units sent planes for short deployments. I should have a look in the French Docavia book written by Jean-Pierre Hoehn many years ago. As far as I know, this is the best source to find pictures showing such planes whereas there has been no equivalent published in English for some weird reason. Note that even for units based in SEA, the documented F-4Es are not that numerous out of the Korat-based ones. 

[Tony T]

11 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

According to the Reid Air modern Phantom Guide, the belly strap was added during the slatted wing refit on F-4Es through 71-0236.  71-0237 and later had internal wing strengthening, so never had the belly strap.  Straps, on those so fitted, stayed on during G conversion.  The first production slatted wing F-4Es started being delivered in 1972, so it’s unlikely that they were seen on Vietnam F-4s.  I believe the strap was only added to USN/USMC F-4s went they got slats as part of the -S mod.
 

HTH.

 

Sort of, except that it wasn't so much internal strengthening on ab initio slatted Phantoms but via a thicker lower torque box skin. You can actually see the resultant lip or step at the rear of the wing box skin structure, roughly coincident with the rear of where the strap would have been. 

 

The first few F-4E LES/TISEO examples received slats out of station as a plant retrofit at McDonnell-Douglas, so a few FY71 TISEO Es had the strap. Some Rivet Haste deployed to SEA in late 1972: these had slats, TISEO,  Combat Tree and the new Mod 566 radarscopes which, in theory, allowed them to use HOBOS and Maverick smart weapons as well as the emerging Pave Spike and built-in Northrop TISEO for aerial target ID, inter alia.

 

A fascinating period of massive change. My info came from McAir's "Mr Maintenance" Lt.Col John J. Harty. 

 

Tony 

Edited May 28, 2020 by Tony T
edit

[Derek B]

As an aside, RAF FGR.2 and F-4J (UK) aircraft also had the strengthening straps (I worked on these aircraft with British Aerospace as part of the 100FI RTW programme, when the straps were installed).

 

Derek

[Ben Brown]

9 hours ago, Derek B said:

As an aside, RAF FGR.2 and F-4J (UK) aircraft also had the strengthening straps (I worked on these aircraft with British Aerospace as part of the 100FI RTW programme, when the straps were installed).

 

Derek

There’s a great shot out there somewhere of a Spey F-4 going vertical and the strap is very visible. I can’t find it to post a link.

 

Ben

[Chek]

1 hour ago, Ben Brown said:

There’s a great shot out there somewhere of a Spey F-4 going vertical and the strap is very visible. I can’t find it to post a link.

 

Ben

 

Probably this one XV421 of 19 Sqn, 1989

 

 

[Ben Brown]

That’s the one!

 

Ben

[Chek]

That photo I posted was from a Twitter post.

A larger, sharper photo with more detail is the original on https://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Air/McDonnell-Douglas-F-4M/2151796/L

 

[chuck540z3]

Here's another on likely a post-Vietnam F-4E

 

Chuck

 

Edited May 29, 2020 by chuck540z3

[Jack]

Guys, i'm not that familiar with the Phantom, but reading your comments and looking at the pictures, i'm still wondering:  what to look AT or FORE, to recognize these "belly straps" ?

In other words; what is a belly strap?

 

Jack

Edited May 29, 2020 by Jack

[Juggernut]

It looks like a U with legs just forward of the main gear.  It runs from left gear to right gear across the bottom of the fuselage.

 

 

See it?

 

Edited May 29, 2020 by Juggernut

[Jack]

2 minutes ago, Juggernut said:

It looks like a U with legs just forward of the main gear.  It runs from left gear to right gear across the bottom of the fuselage.

 

 

Right!! Now i see it, thanks.