"Peter Stickney" wrote:
In article ,
(Pechs1) writes:
stobey- Correct me if I'm wrong, but, I don't believe the Blues ever
flew the
F-4B.
If my memory serves me correctly they received brand new F-4Js when they
transitioned from F-11s to the Phantoms (early 1969?). BRBR

Not sure the F-4J was around in 1969 but the F-4s in 'Threshold' have -8
engines, not -10s found on the 'J'. No 'J' had -8 engines, AFAIK.

I've never flown an F-4, but I do happen to have NAVAIR NATOPS
01-245FDD-1 handy (The F-4J book, May '75 revision), just in case I
find one in a barn, or somebody leavis it to me in their will, or
something, and, when thumbing through it, I found this, which may
help.

Page 1-58:
"The airplane is powered by two General Electric J79 engines. Aircraft
153071z thru 153087aa have J79-GE-8 engines installed, with a thrust
rating of 10,900 pounds each. Afterburner operation increases the
maximum thrust to 17,000 pounds. Aircraft 153088aa and up have
J79-GE-10 engines installed, with a thrust rating of 11,870 pounds
each. Afterburner operation increases the maximum thrust to 17,900
pounds each."

The airplanes with the -8 engines would be the Block 26z and 27aa (Why
does the Navy have to have a different name for everything?)
airplanes, for a total of 18 ships.

Guess what according to Joseph Baugher's web site those include aircraft
flown by the Blue Angels:

http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/thirdseries19.html