F4H (F-4) Phantom Index

I'm probably not going to get around to consolidating my Phantom posts from three different blogs but it's not too hard to create an updated index for them. The most recent is from today (and I've already revised it three times) on U.S. Navy Aircraft History: http://thanlont.blogspot.com/2013/03/f4h-1-f4h-1f-f-4a.html

It provides a summary of the F-4A versus F-4B designation change history (in brief, the designation change was related to the change to an uprated J79 engine, not because of the raised canopy as some think) along with an illustration of the differences between the F-4A and F-4B production inlets.

While I was visiting the Quonset Air Museum the other day with Larry Webster, I was able to confirm that the F-4B fixed ramp extends about an inch farther forward that the F-4A fixed ramp, since there are examples of both airframes there. I had guessed that to be the case from photographs, based on the relative closeness of the forward edge of the ramps to the access doors and the lower-right kick-in step. (That, of course, is insignificant in 1/72 scale and I doubt that even 1/32 kits are accurate to within an inch.)

There are several other mentions of the F4H/F-4 on that blog that you can find by typing F4H into the search box on the upper left-hand side of the web page.

The first configuration summary for the early Phantoms is here: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2009/11/early-phantom-iis.html

I followed that up here: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2011/05/early-phantom-iis-redux.html

This is a summary description of the major differences between the F-4A and F-4S: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/12/you-cant-tell-phantoms-without-score.html

This post was focused on the stabilator changes over time: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2011/09/f-4-flapstabilizer-change.html

And this one, on the difference between the small and large radomes: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/11/f4h-1-large-and-small-radomes.html

This post provided some pictures of the original canopy and was subsequently updated with an illustration of the inlet development history: http://tailhooktopics.blogspot.com/2013/02/f4h-1-flush-canopy.html

Really diving deep, here is an illustrated description of the early RAT: http://tailhooktopics.blogspot.com/2012/12/early-f4h-rat.html

Note that I revisit these posts from time to time and discover reasons to revise them with changes, corrections, and updates. I'm also in the process of refining some of my illustrations of the early F4H changes, so stay tuned.

Corogard Redux

After reviewing the specs and looking closely at pictures of early Navy carrier-based jets, I decided to revisit my Corogard post, here http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/01/corogard.html. It would appear that the leading edges of most, if not all, of the early blue jets were not painted with Corogard, per se, but clear coated. (I'm pretty sure that some sort of corrosion resistance was required.)

A Brief History of F8U Armament Capability

I've posted a summary illustrated history of F8U armament capability on my U.S. Navy Aircraft History blog here: http://thanlont.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-brief-history-of-f8u-crusader-armament.html

For modelers who want to add a Mk 84 bomb to their Crusader pylons, here is a pretty good depiction of the size and orientation of the pylon/bomb:

Also note that the pylon is angled slightly outboard:

The Emerson Fighter Turret

Once again, something completely different. Jet fighters could more easily intercept a bomber but shooting one down using guns or cannon from any position other than behind it was hard. (It's a geometry problem related to pulling lead.) And being behind it meant dueling with the bomber's tail gunner. A smart warrior avoids a fair fight.

One solution was to put a turret on the nose of the airplane so the cannon could be aimed in a different direction than the airplane was pointed. Radar-aimed turrets were being developed for bombers so this was an extension of that effort. In the late 1940s, the Navy contracted with Emerson for the AERO X17A system that replaced the nose on the Grumman F9F Panther, in this case F9F-3 BuNo 122562.

The nose rotated 360 degrees on the plane's longitudinal axis and the four .50 caliber machine guns pivoted within the nose.

The guns could therefore be pointed just about anywhere.

So the pilot didn't have to fly toward and lead the bomber, he could actually just fly over, under, or by it:

He was provided with a sight that enable him to lock the radar in the nose onto the bomber. The fire control system would then aim the guns so they would hit it if the pilot pulled the trigger.

Unfortunately, the volume required for the fire control system avionics, not to mention its weight and that of the turret, made it impractical for a single-seat fighter and the program was cancelled after some aerodynamic flight testing had been accomplished. Missiles, and to a lesser extent rockets, proved to be the solution.

If you'd like to have a model of this innovative but ultimately unsuccessful concept, Sharkit has developed a conversion for the Hobbyboss 1/72nd F9F Panther kit. See http://sharkit.com/sharkit/emerson/emerson.htm

Philippe Martin, who created the master for the conversion, sent me pictures of the parts.

A4D (A-4) Skyhawk Collector

I've posted quite a bit on the Scooter, in addition to writing a book about its development and usage history, but it's sort of an Easter egg hunt to find it all. Herewith a summary (I may have missed a few;  to check for more, just type A4D, A-4, or Skyhawk into the search blog on the upper left hand corner of the page):

Width of fuselage and size of horizontal tail: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2016/08/a4d-skyhawk-one-more-time.html

New Airfix A4D kit notes: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/07/new-airfix-172-4b4p-modeling-notes.html

Also see http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=47356

A4D Nose variations:

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/11/airfix-172-a4d-2-overall-size-and-shape.html

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/10/skyhawk-details.html

A4D external fuel tanks

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/07/douglas-low-drag-external-fuel-tanks.html

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2011/07/douglas-low-drag-external-fuel-tanks.html

A4D cockpit width: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/09/fitting-in.html

A4D configuration difference summary: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2010/07/a4d-skyhawk.html

A4D red "crush points": http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/10/painting-crush-points-red.html

A4D-1 vortex generators: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2011/01/a4d-1-vortex-generators.html

A4D-1 rudder: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/08/a4d-1-rudder-development.html

A4D-1/2 configuration development:

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/12/are-you-going-to-believe-me-or-your_31.html

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-dirty-underside-of-a4d.html

Mk 7 shape: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2009/11/nuclear-banshees.html

VA-72 A4D-2 picture: http://tailhooktopics.blogspot.com/2012/10/va-72-a4d-2-picture.html

A4D ladder and self-boarding: http://thanlont.blogspot.com/2011/09/self-boarding-for-douglas-skyhawk.html

Super Fox: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2011/02/super-fox.html

Scooter! additions and corrections: http://thanlont.blogspot.com/2011/11/scooter-stuff.html

A-4 nose gear steering: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-4-nose-gear-steering.html

A-4F Laser Spot Tracker: http://tailhooktopics.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-4f-laser-spot-tracker.html

There are a few more posts with Skyhawk stuff in my U.S. Navy Aircraft History blog: http://thanlont.blogspot.com/. Just type A4D, A-4, or Skyhawk into the search blog on the upper left hand corner of the page.

All You Ever Wanted to Know About the F7U-1 Cutlass

Almost all of it is in my monograph, published by Steve Ginter late last year:

I say "almost all"  because as usual, somebody finds something new to me after I reluctantly declare victory and turn in the manuscript and illustrations. In this case, it was Rick Koehnen. See: http://thanlont.blogspot.com/2013/01/it-never-fails.html

For reviews, but not to buy it, see Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984611479. For some reason, Amason is not offering it at present. However, it is available from Sprue Brothers (http://store.spruebrothers.com/product_p/gin094.htm), Specialty Press (http://www.specialtypress.com/vstore/showdetl.cfm?Product_ID=2537&DID=8), and the publisher, Steve Ginter. (For this monograph and many more, see his web page: http://www.ginterbooks.com/)

Kinetic 1/48 S-2E/S-2G

First, the Kinetic S-2E/S-2G appears to be a very nice, high-quality kit although I've not fondled its plastic myself. I only build 1/72 kits. However, I've been following the various builds and looked closely at the kit pictures on the interweb. Unfortunately, Kinetic mushed S2F-1 and S2F-3 (S-2E) details together in this kit and also made some configuration assumptions that were incorrect.

My overview of the Grumman S2F/S-2 variants:  http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2010/08/stoof.html  Illustration of and comment on most of the errors and notes listed below are provided in this post.

An excellent Kinetic S-2E/G build article: http://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/builds/kin/build_kin_48024.shtml

Some errors:
1. The crew compartment window is the right size for the S-2A/C (S2F-1/2) but too small for the D/E/G.

2. The bomb bay extends too far forward and the aft fuselage is too long. See http://belcherbitsblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/kinetic-tracker-fuselage-modifications.html

3. A couple of the features on the engine nacelle were not handed: the CSD air cooler inlet (lower side of the cowling) and the fuel dump pipe were located on the right side of both the right and left engine nacelles.

4. The air scoop on the top of the cowling resembles the S2F-1/2's so it is too small for the S-2D/E/G.

5. The cockpit is based on the S2F-1 so the control wheel and seat are incorrect.

6. The opening to the cockpit should have a rounded top rather than a square one. See http://tailhooktopics.blogspot.com/2012/12/s2f-overhead-hatch.html

7.  The engine nacelles do not have the notable concave reduction in width aft of the firewall but few have noticed and my guess is that even fewer will attempt to correct it. The cowling is also circular when in fact it was somewhat flattened at the top.

S-2E/G Specific Notes

1. The retro-firing smoke marker was deleted from the S-2E; it was reinstated on the S-2G. it is represented by the tube extending aft on the lower right side of the fuselage between the crew door and the dust-bin radome.

2. The S-2G did not have the swept-forward barrier-cable pickup on the belly as it had eventually been deleted from the S-2E. It wasn't necessary on angled decks. A folding relay antenna was added there at some point, for sure on the S-2G and to some S-2Es.

3.  The scab-on sonobuoy ejector on the right-hand side of the right engine nacelle is on the S-2G only and on the right engine nacelle only.

Other notes:

1. There is no representation of the searchlight in the searchlight pod on the right wing.

2. The S2F had slots on the wing and not slats. See http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2011/04/kinetic-s2f-kit-redux.html