Beware On Topic Post: F-4 Radome Colors

[Don McIntyre]

Recently while reading an article on the F-4J it got me to thinking.
(Scary, I know).

Some of the F-4Js had white radomes and some had black. Any particlar
rhyme or reason as to why, or was it merely for cosmetic purposes? When
I was on active duty I saw F-4s all the time and the thought never
occurred to me, now 30 years later it does!?!?!?

[Leanne]

"Don McIntyre" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Recently while reading an article on the F-4J it got me to thinking.
> (Scary, I know).
>
> Some of the F-4Js had white radomes and some had black. Any particlar
> rhyme or reason as to why, or was it merely for cosmetic purposes? When
> I was on active duty I saw F-4s all the time and the thought never
> occurred to me, now 30 years later it does!?!?!?

When I was a member of VMFA-451, we had blue to match the rest of the paint
scheme.

Leanne

[Don McIntyre]

Yes, I remember seeing pix of those, I think one of the other VMFA F-4
sqdns had Red radomes. The black and the white ones appear to be more
common, though.
Thanks for the info.



Leanne wrote:
> "Don McIntyre" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > Recently while reading an article on the F-4J it got me to thinking.
> > (Scary, I know).
> >
> > Some of the F-4Js had white radomes and some had black. Any particlar
> > rhyme or reason as to why, or was it merely for cosmetic purposes? When
> > I was on active duty I saw F-4s all the time and the thought never
> > occurred to me, now 30 years later it does!?!?!?
>
> When I was a member of VMFA-451, we had blue to match the rest of the paint
> scheme.
>
> Leanne

[Leanne]

"Don McIntyre" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Yes, I remember seeing pix of those, I think one of the other VMFA F-4
> sqdns had Red radomes. The black and the white ones appear to be more
> common, though.
> Thanks for the info.

Don here is a sample of the paint scheme for the bicentennial cruise on the
Forrestal.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2279370138&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX_Stores

Leanne

[Mike Weeks]

Don McIntyre wrote:
> Recently while reading an article on the F-4J it got me to thinking.
> (Scary, I know).
>
> Some of the F-4Js had white radomes and some had black. Any particlar
> rhyme or reason as to why, or was it merely for cosmetic purposes? When
> I was on active duty I saw F-4s all the time and the thought never
> occurred to me, now 30 years later it does!?!?!?

I believe the early radomes for the F-4s were coated w/ a substance
which came only in black, then later there was a white coating.

After a number of years other "colors" were available -- I don't think
the radomes were actually painted, but were coated. This all had to do
with the workings of the radar of course.

Perhaps by the time of the F-4J a paint had been developed for use on
the radomes. Someone with F-4 maintenance experience might be able to
shed more on the subject.

MW

[Leanne]

"Mike Weeks" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Perhaps by the time of the F-4J a paint had been developed for use on
> the radomes. Someone with F-4 maintenance experience might be able to
> shed more on the subject.


I remember that our paint people did the painting of the radomes and used
some of the type paint used by airlines. The supply people went wild when
they found out the cost of the stuff.

Leanne

[Harry Andreas]

In article . com>, "Mike
Weeks" > wrote:

> Don McIntyre wrote:
> > Recently while reading an article on the F-4J it got me to thinking.
> > (Scary, I know).
> >
> > Some of the F-4Js had white radomes and some had black. Any particlar
> > rhyme or reason as to why, or was it merely for cosmetic purposes? When
> > I was on active duty I saw F-4s all the time and the thought never
> > occurred to me, now 30 years later it does!?!?!?
>
> I believe the early radomes for the F-4s were coated w/ a substance
> which came only in black, then later there was a white coating.
>
> After a number of years other "colors" were available -- I don't think
> the radomes were actually painted, but were coated. This all had to do
> with the workings of the radar of course.
>
> Perhaps by the time of the F-4J a paint had been developed for use on
> the radomes. Someone with F-4 maintenance experience might be able to
> shed more on the subject.

IIRC this is an anti-static coating.
Static will build up on non-conductive surfaces such as e-glass radones.
The static field will interfere with radar and other instrument performance.

--
Harry Andreas
Engineering raconteur

[Max Richter]

Hallo,

i just read in the German Airforce Website that the F4F Fighter with a
Hornatradar modified for Amraam use, got grey noses
and the unmodified kept their black ones. This is nessesary because of
the differnt radars.

Greetings
Max

Harry Andreas schrieb:

>In article . com>, "Mike
>Weeks" > wrote:
>
>
>
>>Don McIntyre wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Recently while reading an article on the F-4J it got me to thinking.
>>>(Scary, I know).
>>>
>>>Some of the F-4Js had white radomes and some had black. Any particlar
>>>rhyme or reason as to why, or was it merely for cosmetic purposes? When
>>>I was on active duty I saw F-4s all the time and the thought never
>>>occurred to me, now 30 years later it does!?!?!?
>>>
>>>
>>I believe the early radomes for the F-4s were coated w/ a substance
>>which came only in black, then later there was a white coating.
>>
>>After a number of years other "colors" were available -- I don't think
>>the radomes were actually painted, but were coated. This all had to do
>>with the workings of the radar of course.
>>
>>Perhaps by the time of the F-4J a paint had been developed for use on
>>the radomes. Someone with F-4 maintenance experience might be able to
>>shed more on the subject.
>>
>>
>
>IIRC this is an anti-static coating.
>Static will build up on non-conductive surfaces such as e-glass radones.
>The static field will interfere with radar and other instrument performance.
>
>
>

[Ralph_S]

Don McIntyre wrote:

> Recently while reading an article on the F-4J it got me to thinking.
> (Scary, I know).
>
> Some of the F-4Js had white radomes and some had black. Any particlar
> rhyme or reason as to why, or was it merely for cosmetic purposes? When
> I was on active duty I saw F-4s all the time and the thought never
> occurred to me, now 30 years later it does!?!?!?

This same topic showed up a while ago (in 2003). Search
rec.aviation.military.naval for radome colors and you'll find it.
The outer coating was only available in a few colours. Some where
delivered fresh from the factory with white radomes, others with black
radomes, probably depending on the production batch. AFAIK, when the
aircraft were repainted at a later date, the colour they received
depended on squadron practice. For instance, VF-31 almost always had
black radomes and even continued this when they started operating
Tomcats, as did VF-41 (until the introduction of TPS).

Cheers,
Ralph

[[email protected]]

Ralph_S wrote:
> Don McIntyre wrote:
>
> > Recently while reading an article on the F-4J it got me to thinking.
> > (Scary, I know).
> >
> > Some of the F-4Js had white radomes and some had black. Any particlar
> > rhyme or reason as to why, or was it merely for cosmetic purposes? When
> > I was on active duty I saw F-4s all the time and the thought never
> > occurred to me, now 30 years later it does!?!?!?
>
> This same topic showed up a while ago (in 2003). Search
> rec.aviation.military.naval for radome colors and you'll find it.
> The outer coating was only available in a few colours. Some where
> delivered fresh from the factory with white radomes, others with black
> radomes, probably depending on the production batch. AFAIK, when the
> aircraft were repainted at a later date, the colour they received
> depended on squadron practice. For instance, VF-31 almost always had
> black radomes and even continued this when they started operating
> Tomcats, as did VF-41 (until the introduction of TPS).
>
> Cheers,
> Ralph

Yep, we werre called the 'pencil noses' in the airwing(F-14, on
Forrestal)....Flew F-4s with black(VF-33-F-4J, USAF-F-4D) and
blue/grey-VF-151-F-4S, and white in the RAG....cosmetic altho I think
black glared less...