All I got for Xmas was...an F-4 Phantom resto - Attn Wixers!

[Rauhbatz]

CB...thanks for the insights...just fired off an email to the USAF Museum....

Check out my previous post with the art work of 64-0693....maybe 64-0683 flew wing to this famous bird...

[lmritger]

Rauhbatz, that's awesome! And as a fellow modeler, I have to confess I'm laughing my tushy off at your comment about the biggest previous job you've undertaken being the Monogram B-52... that's a good start, but I'd say you're moving up to something that's an order of magnitude larger. One very strong suggestion I'd make is to contact any local IPMS chapters to see if any volunteers would like to assist in prep and finishing work- you might get some excellent help from folks with the organization.

Good luck and keep us posted!!!

Lynn

[Rauhbatz]

Lyn, great suggesstion. There is a pretty strong IPMS chapter here with a nice show in February. Who knows, they may have some Phantom modeling fiends amongst them....and could help with creating some of the key transfers needed post-paint phase...

[gunnyperdue]

BTW, how does one open the canopy on an F-4?

There are little hard rubber buttons just below each canopy towards the aft of the canopy on the left side of the airplane... with a charge in the bottle pushing this will open the canopy. You can hand pump a charge on the bottle (in the nose wheel well) if all that plumbing is still installed.... or pull it up by hand... easy does it... can you see the seats/ confirm they are not hot (you never know)... even if they are there is a little braided wire that is attached between the canopy and the banana links on top of the seat (this was a late VN TCTO to prevent the seat from firing unless the canopy had actually left the airplane (seats firing with an intact canopy killed a few WSOs).

Given the assignment history, I suspect there might have been combat damage from it's tour at Ubon... and eventually made its way back to Hill. Ya'll must realize though, that USAF jets periodically go back through Depot to get torn down and put back together again on a regular basis.

The Hill Gray scheme was not USF standard until sometime in the late 80's... so a SEA scheme seems the best choice to me.....

gunny

[N3Njeff]

I did some research on the 15th tfw...looks like they had the first Mig kills of the war...I wonder if these fellas are still around and whether they flew this bird...

U.S. planes continue heavy raids in South Vietnam and claim to have killed 580 guerrillas. U.S. Phantom jets, escorting fighter-bombers in a raid on the Yen Sen ammunition depot northwest of Hanoi, engaged North Vietnamese MiG-17s. Capt. Thomas S. Roberts with his backseater Capt. Ronald C. Anderson, and Capt. Kenneth E. Holcombe and his backseater Capt. Arthur C. Clark shot down two MiG-17s with Sidewinder missiles. The action marked the first U.S. Air Force air-to-air victories of the Vietnam War.

Nope, 15th TFW got their first kills on July 10, 1965. They were beat by a pair of A-1 Skyraiders from VA-25 on June 20.
A F-4 from VF-21 on June 17th and another F-4 from VF-96 on April 9. So that might have made them the 1st unit of the USAF but a "Probable" was on April 4th by a F-100 from the 416th TFS.

[jmkendall]

I actually live in Newark, and am an Army Helicopter Repairer. If you need any help let me know. As an aside years ago one of the local Cable Guys was a Crew Chief on that very bird. He had the pictures to back it up as well. While you are here you should check out the very nicely maintained UH-1B at the American Legion on S 6th. Actually that bird should be the poster child for VFW/Legion displays. They have a dedicated crew that does maintenance work on her every year. They do a very good job.

And before you ask, no; I don't work on her. They only allow the VVA guys to touch her. And we have had our little disagreements in the past. Like they are restoring her as a slick, when she very obviously was a gunship. And; well they got in an argument with Tacom over ownership. Seems Tacom lost the paperwork on her and they had a 1348-6 from the State of Ohio. Tacom had one Serial number and the 1348-6 had another and to make matters more muddled they repainted her using the serial number from a seat belt they found in the bin behind the the Pilots Seat.

I thought I would help them out and pulled the historical records from the files at RANG and matched the serial number from the Engine and Transmission to the Aircraft on the 1348-6. Instead of being Happy you would have thought I just evicted their 92 year old Grandmother onto the street!

The sad part is the documented Combat History of the real serial number is much more extensive than the wrong serial number.

Having said that those guys really do deserve a lot of credit for actively maintaining that bird.

Let me know if you need help. Oh and tell the local IPMS Chapter it would really be nice if they could, just once schedule their Feb. Show on a NON National Guard weekend! I have not made it once in 12 years! Lol.

[Rauhbatz]

Hi jmkendall...thanks much for the offer of assistance...will keep you in mind as well as go check out that B model huey next time Im poking around Newark/Heath...sounds like a very nice resto.

Amen to the angst caused by serial numbers and the like...our SBD Dauntless is a bit of a mystery which has prompted both debate and deeper research to find out its true heritage.

As a 1 year refugee back to Ohio to be close to family challenges I always wanted to attend that Columbus IPMS show...as you said if work doesn't get in the way!

Will revert back what the airport authority says...sure hope we can refurb something for Newark and all of us to be proud of!

[mustangdriver]

The Grissom Air Museums F-4 was repainted in SEA markings not that long ago. If you need paint codes or anything, let us know. It is great of you to take an interest in the old girl.

[Clifford Bossie]

The Grissom Air Museums F-4 was repainted in SEA markings not that long ago. If you need paint codes or anything, let us know. It is great of you to take an interest in the old girl.

Chris - What type of paint did your group use when the Grissom F-4 was repainted?

I have been corresponding with several museums about painting display a/c. War Eagles will be painting their F-84F early next year and I am trying to get as much advice as I can ahead of time.

[mustangdriver]

I believe that The F-4 was done with real aircraft paint with the help of the base. With many of the aircraft we do ourselves outside, we are forced to use non toxic paint. Rob has found a type of aircraft paint that has an additive that will allow you to roll on the paint and still get a smooth finish. Semi gloss was used. It gets a nice looking finish, and lasts alot longer than straight flat.

[The Inspector]

How about exterior house paint? It's fomulated to be in the suns UV rays and last around 8-10 years, it's cheaper than aircraft paint and you could probably get the local Home Depot to donate the paint as a good will gesture, it'll go on with a brush, roller, or Wagner sprayer, wasn't someone painting a display C-47 in house paint and had posted it here?

[Old SAR pilot]

Whenever the AF down here at Goodfellow AFB repaints the static aircraft, it's done using a latex paint, due to environmental issues. And they use a roller for the large areas, and a low pressure gun to do the edges.

[Mark Nankivil]

Greetings All -

Boneyard was right though it's a later date - I checked with my friend Bill Peake (Mr Phantom to me) and he sent the following info:

Thanks, I am familiar with this aircraft. It was burned out during a hot refueling while assigned to the 4453rd CCTW on 11 Dec 1970, the last date in the history. It went to the Air Force Orientation Group at Wright-Patterson AFB and was restored as a mobile display aircraft. It was painted in Thunderbird markings (but, of course, they never flew anything other than F-4Es) when I saw it at Talladega, Alabama. The people with the display were very accommodating and I wrote them at W-P and that is where I found out about it being burned out. I never did have a date as to when it became part of the AFOG or when it was put on display at the airport.

HTH! Mark

[Rauhbatz]

All...thanks for the paint tips and background on this a/c..

Depending on what paint the airport authority has already purchased its going to be either a SEA 1965 grey or post 1965 4 tone scheme...I'll wait and see on their response.

I have a lot of paint rollers and extension poles as well as access to a paint gun. I like the idea of a semi-gloss...maybe I can find something very UV resistant. Will need a tall ladder to do masking on the tail if we go with the 4 tone scheme....

[Clifford Bossie]

How about exterior house paint? It's fomulated to be in the suns UV rays and last around 8-10 years, it's cheaper than aircraft paint and you could probably get the local Home Depot to donate the paint as a good will gesture, it'll go on with a brush, roller, or Wagner sprayer, wasn't someone painting a display C-47 in house paint and had posted it here?

The March museum uses latex. I talked to the man in charge of their restoration in November. He gave me a list of valid reasons why, including having to deal with the California EPA. It is being considered in restorations I am involved in.