If you mean the top pic then that’s actually a Buccaneer not a Javelin 
The S2 Buccs used the same Rolls Royce Spey engines as the British F-4K and F-4M variants. I don’t think there’s any F-4Ks or Ms left in a flying or taxyable state left in the UK so I guess they’re recording the Bucc’s Speys as an alternative.
Looks like the Bucc pictured is this exact one: Buccaneer S.2B XX894 – The Buccaneer Aviation Group
Those Phantoms are looking Phabulous. So looking forward to getting up in them soon.
Phabulous Phantom Phriday update time! For those without FB, I thought I would just direct quote @DEAN01973 this time - thanks as always for all your work sir, and I cannot wait to get in the cockpit and start her up! 
Just a small update this week, working on cockpit modelling details in the Phantoms while adding CodenameJack’s coding work for systems and visuals. Dynamic gunsight added, along with early working radar and some basic radar modes. This is the phase where the systems and cockpit layout are coordinated and tested to make sure everything is working correctly.
All navigation and TACAN functions will be present, and I think that we’ll actually be putting in the INS after all ( which is the RIO’s responsibility ) allowing for pin-point navigation, but will have to confirm that as it’s an older system with analogue gauges and might be tricky to code correctly. Everything progressing well though.
I’m away at the end of the month for a week, can’t promise the Phantoms will launch before that but hoping to have everything wrapped up ready for launch before I leave. Not long now though for sure.
For the Blue Angels livery, is it just me or do the colors seem a little off? Specifically, the blue looks a bit dark and the yellow looks closer to the green spectrum than it should be (more toward orange).
The most common shades I’m finding are called Blue Angels Blue/Yellow:
Photographs vary greatly depending on lighting/aging/exposure etc, but they’re generally consistent with the common shades:
I agree it seems too dark, going to check with the livery artist, they’re very thorough though and said it’s the scheme from 1969 so maybe they were darker then.
Probably is fine, according to this shot that I found. Most years’ they were lighter in colour though.
I think your right there the BA’s of the prop era e.g Hellcats were much darker blue indeed
I by no means claim to be an expert on this subject. In fact, the more I learn about the Angels, the more I see just how complicated the color history actually is. I just hope to make it as accurate as possible.
The Hellcat was indeed painted a much darker blue, close to the Gloss Sea Blue common to the era. It brightened significantly with the introduction of the Bearcat. I found 2 really interesting reads about the Angels’ history and colors:
From the second link, concerning the F-4 Phantom II:
1969-1973 F-4J: With the retirement of the F11F, the Blue Angels reportedly specified specific commercial aircraft paints that did not correspond to a particular Federal Standard color. According to Elliot, the yellow was to match 13538 but was bought as De Soto Company number 826-L-001. The Blue was bought as De Soto Company number 823-L-722. FS 15050 is supposedly at least in the ballpark for the blue. However, some people think that it photographs “dark” and others that 15052 is a better match. I have to admit that 15052 looks like the real deal on my monitor.
What spiked my interest was the “photographs dark” comment. Some photos from the F-4 era do indeed have a very dark look to the blue, like the one photo above, but I’m still not sure how accurate that is (to be fair I’m not sure of the brighter blue either for much the same reason). At the least, I think the yellow should have a little more orange in it. My best guess for the Blue Angels Phantom would be:
FS 15052
FS 13538
The WIP screenshot again for comparison:
I’d like to point out that relying on photographs of colors for accuracy is major folly. Color reproduction in photographs is typically horrible. And then, just like when reproducing music by copying tape from tape, there’s always some loss in the process when converting to other formats. There’s no way to trust the colors we see in photographs on our screen.
I need only point out the history of what people thought the camouflage colors of the P-51 squadron 361st FG, 375th FS of 1944 as an example. In fact, before they were considered to be insignia blue, the color assumed was even much lighter to the point of silly. I remember modeling E2-C Lou IV back in the 70’s and doing more research as the color suggested looked awful. Of course, at the time, I fell for the insignia blue trap. Mustang!
So, having the actual color specifications is great. One of the great things about the U.S. Military colors, those specifications are pretty readily available, although not always.
The second issue, however, is that developers can’t just blithely enter those values in and expect them to look correct in the sim. I have no expertise in color reproduction, but, clearly, the color processing in the sim reproduces color definitions much darker than what they should be, so, it’s up to painters to adjust their color definitions appropriately. For me it’s by guess work. I’m sure there’s a scientific reason behind why the sim makes colors darker than their definition. (But given that, why doesn’t Asobo then make the adjustment back to what they should be?).
Third issue is that the color of the sky and cloud cover and sun angle has a major effect on the look of colors on aircraft, especially when comparing blues, but, any color really, as the blue of the sky reflects off the surface and mixes with what we see.
Finally, nice model, but sorry to say, that modeller had no idea how to reproduce a glossy finish on the plane, and that, too, is going to affect the color reproduced. In their defense, it’s super hard to get right. As it is in the sim. OMG, that chrome toy chrome look we get on so many planes is just horrible.
My case in point… Compare this to other photos being shown… Not to mention it probably looks different on my screen than on yours… #justsayin
Another Phabulous Phantom Phriday update! First, I just wanted to say thank you @DEAN01973 for addressing my concerns with the Blue Angels livery. I’ve learned a lot about the subject while looking into it, and I am quite satisfied with the response. I only ever wanted to point it out as a “double check” out of a concern for accuracy, and I’m glad it was taken that way.
Now onto the good stuff! For those without FB, here’s the direct quote from Dean:
PHRIDAY NEWS UPDATE ( ALL IMAGES ARE WIP )
Hi folks!
So, an unexpectedly BIG update today, as during the week all of the Phantom liveries were delivered and have now been added to the package. I think that Tristan at Novawing24 has done a fantastic job of the texture art, and there are a large number of Phantoms to choose from in the package. I’ve attached a lot of screenshots to this post, and even then not all the liveries that are coming with the package are featured here ( please, no requests, any further liveries not included can be made with the paint-kit that will be supplied ). Please note that the F4J Phantom Blue Angels livery is from the 1969 scheme, which was significantly darker than most other display years. We might change that to the more normal lighter blue scheme, but I think the dark blue looks very striking.
In addition, I can confirm that thanks to CodenameJack’s hard work, both a Radar and a working Inertial Navigation System are now up and running, allowing for proper navigation and intercepts. It’s early days for these sorts of systems in MSFS, but just having them active is a big leap forward ( and no WASM required! ). To add to this, the extendable oleo nose-gear for carrier launches is also now working properly ( it caused issues in MSFS with pilot camera position not moving when the nose was raised ). I just have to finish some extra modelling and animation tasks with the oleo gear compression and the launch bridle the Phantom used when launching from carrier decks. Although there was no switch in the real Phantom cockpit for the oleo-gear raise ( it was in the undercarriage bay and set by ground crew ) I have included a cockpit switch for it near the throttles for ease of use in MSFS.
The Phantoms are now in the closing stages of production, and I’m working hard now to finalise all the work and bring everything together. Cockpits are all but complete, external models are looking good. I have lighting and other effects to add, including the big smoke trails for the engines, but so far everything is coming together really well. I fully expect that the package will be ready to launch with Just Flight early in June, once the custom sound packs are ready. Marketplace will follow soon after.
That’s about it for this week. Happy Friday!
WIP shots:
Very much looking forward to this one
Time for another Phabulous Phantom Phriday update - she’s getting close!! Courtesy Dean on FB:
PHRIDAY NEWS UPDATE ( All pictures WIP )
A very short update as I’m off on holiday for a week for my summer break, so there won’t be an update here next week. The Phantoms are nearing completion as you know, and I have been working on the carrier launch assembly and animation with CodenameJack. We’re getting there, still more to do though as the custom animation doesn’t always want to play ball with the moving carrier’s catapult system. Hopefully this will be resolved before launch.
The Phantom’s Inertial Navigation System is all working well, and this tech will also now make its way into Concorde’s update for the CIVA INS. Custom sound packs should be ready by early June although that’s a flexible date as Sim Acoustics are always very busy.
Upon my return, I will write the manual, tidy up any loose ends and prepare the Phantoms for launch. We’re currently working out a release date with Just Flight, where you can also sign up for notification of the product launch on their Phantom development page.
That’s it folks, I will update you all again in two weeks’ time. Happy Friday!
And to further wet our appetites, the product page is up on Just Flight! That pesky purchase button isn’t active just yet however…
I hope the screenshots are not from the final product, the Watisham based 74 Squadron Phantom’s fin flash looks to be at the incorrect angle and size compared to the real aircraft.
Would that be from the pics marked WIP (work in progress)?
Yes. I understand it’s a work in progress that’s why I said, “I hope”. To be honest it’s the first screenshot you see on the product page and it does stick out because of the very distinctive nature of the real flash fins.
Easy enough to fix liveries you have an issue with when it’s released…
Depends what system you’re on.
I personally can’t stand the ashy black metal textures developers are using for alot of these fighter jet models in MSFS, it just comes off as bland .
Sorry, I should have looked. Dean’s pretty good at taking suggestions on livery’s.
