This.

I moved up my turbine 1/2" and it helped. But it still does it. A demon Cortex seemed to stop the tendency almost completely.

Jetnuno, I bought high temp silver paint from my auto store and painted it. Flight metal would be great! I think after moving my turbine up, it has also helped some?

I have a kingtech K-180. But I will putting a P-200 in it for the next flights.

About the CG, keep it back, back, back, BACK!!!

I'm on my second one.

I lost my first one (jolly rogers, I was one of the first ones with a SM f-4) because the elevators would blank out, on full flaps. I was the first one to mention this and then it started to happen to everyone all over the world.

I was able to fully reproduce this: Full flaps, point the phantom down, and I was not able to pull back up until the flaps went back up.

Finally, people started moving the CG back and THAT solved the blanking elevators. It was too late for me by then though. I dumb thumbed an approach, and the nose dropped. I was not fast enough to hit the flap switch.

Believe it or not, those tiny little ailerons have a lot of authority. You will NOT run out of aileron.

The nose gear is NOTORIOUS for not coming down on SM F-4's. I have a little carbon fiber scraper that I put on the nose of my second one (rising sun). You can see it in the pics.

If you go to drop the gear in flight, jiggle the rudder, and it has popped out for me. Mine (thankfully) has not done that for a while.

The main gear in my first one were REALLY weak. Like perfect landing, then hit the brakes and the main gear would pull out, weak.

That is not the case anymore. The gear are very robust.

That little "retarded" door (I like to call it that! LOL) just needs a heavy enough spring. It was trial and error until I got heavy enough springs at my local hardware store to keep my doors closed.

Right now, my F-4 is the biggest maintenance hog I own. But it is full of scale goodies. See pics!

Those are all the bad things about it.

Now to all the good:

There ain't nothing like a phabulous phantom in the sky, or just sitting there.

I would say that SM's F-4 is built like a little tank.

It really does fly well.

Ground handling of a phantom is not matched by ANY jet. Not even a bandit is as good.

It sticks when you land.

It's been around for a while and there are a lot of knowledgeable people around.

It's got LOTS of fuel for long flights.

I've never seen one snap on landing.

Do it!!!