Tommy covers the "Original Nose" Phantoms pretty well, here
http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2009 ... m-iis.html
and Kim Simmerlink got a pretty good start on the F-4B noses here
http://phantomphacts.blogspot.com/search/label/EW , however he missed a few things,,,,,so I will go through the entire list of "Short Nose" noses in this post.
Keep in mind that "later" doesn't actually mean "higher BuNo", it means later as in time,,,,,,and there were crossovers of early and late versions in use by the squadrons,,,,,sometimes with a mix in any given squadron.
The first F-4B nose looked just like the latest F-4A (in fact, in order to tell the "basic" F-4B from a late F-4A, you have to see the BuNo)
It is the nose shape that everyone knows is on the F-4A, F-4B and F-4C. That is the basic "lump" that housed the IR sensor. This had a metallic glass front end at first on the F-4A and F-4B, and appeared later on on the F-4B and F-4C with a fibreglass front end instead of the sensor (because the sensor had been removed from the F-4B)
This second nose of all fibreglass was used to house updated sensor equipment instead of the IR, and could also be used if it was empty in there. The Fibreglass bottom part (Donky Dick) could be swapped from one "F-4B type" Radome to another. This part could also be seen with a flat plate over the front, if the IR sensor was removed, but, no other gear put in there.
Next came a bump that is seen on some F-4B and many F-4D aircraft, it had a sort of "sled or skid" look to the bottom of the equipment fairing. There was also a rounded off bottom of this version that was seen only on F-4B aircraft.
After this is the type that many call the "Parrot Beak", because of its hook and bump shape. Seen only on F-4B. ("common knowledge says this", but, I have at least one photo of a Parrot Beak on an F-4N)
Then comes the Herpes Mod nose bump, seen on late F-4D aircraft)
And now comes some controversy,,,,,,I have started this list many times, on different forums, and when I get to this part, I get shouted down. That is because it doesn't agree with what "everyone knows". That is the so-called "F-4N nose". The most often seen F-4N nose looks a lot like the very first F-4B/C nose, except that the front cover of the bump stands farther forward, but, if you look at enough pics of F-4B noses, you will see this same nose on late F-4B as well. (that this was used on F-4B at all is where the trouble starts,,,,,,,If you look at enough late F-4B photos that you know is still an F-4B, you will see this "F-4N only" nose on them,,,,,,,once you know it, it is very hard to miss that extra length)
There is one more "F-4B nose" that can be seen,,,,,that is the nose bump with a camera installed for usage on the QF-4N.
So, the "noses with the bumps" list is this
F-4A/B shape with IR lens
F-4A/B/C shape without IR (same shape as above)
F-4B/D shape with the sled
F-4B that looks like the sled is shaved down
F-4B Parrot Beak
F-4B/N extended length cup on the front (think of a longer front cup on the old F-4A/B/C fairing)
F-4D Herpes Mod for later F-4D
QF-4N with camera in the bump
8 different bumps under the US Short Nosed Phantoms,,,,,,not just "any ole bump is good enough" as many kits box them up
There were also "no bump" late F-4C, early F-4D,,,,,,these were produced in the same blocks and used the F-4K/M smooth radomes. (late C and early D were built in the same production blocks for a while,,,,the Phantom didn't have a "full stop" cutoff between C and D models. The same thing happened with the F-4B and F-4J and later on it happened again with late RF-4B and RF-4C production)
These same bare radomes were used on the Blue Angels "F-4J with F-4B engines",,,,,,and the birds kept those when they went to other squadrons after the Blue's got "real" F-4Js. ("real" F-4J radomes had an equiment bump of their own, smaller and towards the rear of the radome)
Geez, I hope I didn't skip any, lol.
