F-4 2000 Kurnass 579 at Tel-Nof Israel in 2009

[CBR]

Maybe someone can help me?.

I pictured this F-4 2000 Kurnass at Tel-Nof Israel in April 2009 with serial 579. https://www.airfighters.com/photo/93923 ... rnass/579/

Now I found this picture of a F-4 2000 Kurnass pictured in 2012 which is exactly the same, colourscheme, unit, mig kills, weapons etc but now registered as 630 https://www.airfighters.com/photo/98217 ... rnass/630/

Scramble showreports show the following F-4 at Tel Nof events where the 630 was seen multiple times but never the 579 again.

2004 614
2005 630
2006 630
2007 715
2008 630
2010 604 ex 634
2011 584
2014 630

My question : was I the victim of the Israeli serial painter? Please let me know your opinion ...

[Bennie]

The colourscheme on the nose (the green part) is not 100% the same on both images... I doubt that both images show the same airframe, unless a modification to the radome area was made in between both dates.

[Gerard]

The excellent book „Air war on the edge, a history of the Israeli Air Force and its aircraft since 1947“ mentions both 579 and 630 in their serial list.
It also states that, after Kurnass-conversion, serials in the 100-series were most probably reserialled in the 500-series, the 200-series in the 600-series. That suggests that 579 is the former 179 and that 630 is the former 230.
Maybe this info is useful for your further research.

By the way, the wrecks & relicks bible „WMOOS 2015/2016“ states that 579 was “processed” (=scrapped?) in a yard in Ashdod! That would explain the lack of sightings of 579. According to the same book 630 is preserved at Tel Nof!

[witje]

Here more info about 579. It seems it has a different scheme here. So I think your 579 is false.
https://www.sky-high.co.il/site/detail/ ... rdPage=579

[CBR]

Wow, great info Bennie, Gerard and Witje, thanks for sharing.

Would be interesting to know when the 579 was demolished as pictured ...

More info is of course still welcome

[CBR]

The colourscheme on the nose (the green part) is not 100% the same on both images... I doubt that both images show the same airframe, unless a modification to the radome area was made in between both dates.

You're right Bennie but seeing the pictures below I still believe something fishy is going on ... they are too similar.
Look at the faded colourlines near the nose cone.

579 in 2009 https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/6552912

604 in 2010 https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/6832736

630 in 2014 https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/7963884

[Stratofreighter]

Local correspondent -and Scramble user "Starman" has read the above,
but like many others,
he currently cannot log in onto the new Scramble messageboard.

He did provide me with this information, though:

579, 584, 604 & 634 were all wfu Ovda by 2004.
630 is (or was) the only F-4E at Tel Nof from 2005,
614 is possible for 2004,
later that year it was already preserved at Hatzerim.

I hope this helps.

[CBR]

Thank you very much Stratofreighter and especially Starman for your reply. This confirms my idea that they do not have a hanger full of pristine preserved Phantoms at Tel-Nof

So most likely all the featured Phantoms at Tel-Nof public events since 2005 is the 630.

I hope your login problems are solved soon, thanks again.