Jeff Rankin-Lowe posted this in the Mil Aviation Group as: “A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle conducts operations over eastern Afghanistan on November 26, 2009. The Strike Eagle is assigned to the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller/Released)”
I found these NASA photos many years ago and kept them, as they reminded me of the tuft tests I did in the early 1960’s while in my first stint in Flight Test.
When the company didn’t want to go to the expense and time to build a model and conduct a wind tunnel series of tests, we painted the wings white, attached tufts with “500” mph industrial duct tape and flew the aircraft. The chase plane would take photos or we would mount cameras on the moldline for photos. If I remember correctly, my tests were on F-4A #9.
On the photos above, notice the straight flow over the wings except for the outer wing panel.
From Kim Simmelink of Phantom Phacts:
These photos were of the tests of the spanwise blc tests. Instead of having blc in the leading edge and trailing edge flaps there was a duct above the wing (just below the I in AIR FORCE) and one just above the lowered flap which blew blc air "spanwise" across the wing and flap. According to the report I have, it worked just fine, and needed less ductwork.
The 5,000th U.S. built Phantom was delivered on May 24, 1978, in ceremonies that also marked the 20th anniversary of the fighter’s first flight, and McDonnell Douglas delivered the last St. Louis-built Phantom II in October 1979.
F-4E phantom #80744 78-0744 was transferred to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) under the Foreign Military Sales program Peace Pheasant II and assigned to the 17th Tactical Fighter Wing based at Cheongju International Airport (CJJ). One source says that it was “written off,” but details are lacking.
The 5,067th and final F-4 built in the United States, an F-4E serial number 78-0744 which was completed on 25 October 1979. It was finished in the Compass Ghost Scheme comprising a disruptive pattern of FS36375 light ghost gray and FS36320 dark ghost grey. The lettering No 5057 LAST ST. LOUIS BUILT PHANTOM is worn on the left hand side of the nose in white.
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Another Crazed Plastic Article from CP #20. This time an article on AV-8B Harrier II paint schemes by Bill Drescher.