I always laugh at the part in Brian Davies' book 'Fly no More' when the F4K was experiencing even worse pitch up problems on launch than the USN Phantoms. Any slight rearward stick movement during the launch would cause a severe overrotation even with the extended nosewheel strut. A hands-off technique ala Buccaneer did not prevent the problem either because the stick would move on its own due to the violent acceleration required on the Ark's relatively short stroke catapults.
The solution was typically British. A Stick Positioning Device (SPD) was installed to keep the control column in the optimum position for launch. It consisted of a small metal ring on the end of a piece of cord which pulled out of the bottom of the instrument panel and hooked onto the front of the pole. I think this device must have had a weak link in it somewhere otherwise a pitch down on launching would have been exciting!
Any ex naval Phantom drivers out there remember this device?