The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II[1][2] is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic The term supersonic is used to define a speed that is over the speed of sound . At a typical temperature like 21 °C (70 °F), the threshold value required for an object to be traveling at a supersonic speed is approximately 344 m/s, (1,129 ft/s, 761 mph or 1,238 km/h). Speeds greater than 5 times the speed of sound are often referred to as jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Aircraft.[2] Proving highly adaptable, it became a major part of the air wings of the United States Navy The United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than 3,700 aircraft. The U.S. Navy is the largest in, Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the U.S. In the civilian leadership structure of the United States military, the Marine, and Air Force The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947. It is the most recent branch of the U.S. military to be formed.[3] It was used extensively by all three of these services during the Vietnam War The Vietnam War occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975. The war was fought between the communist North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other member nations of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, serving as the principal air superiority fighter for both the Navy and Air Force, as well as being important in the ground-attack and reconnaissance Reconnaissance is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information. Militarily, its shorthand Canadian, and British form is recce (pronounced /ˈrɛki/), its American usage form is recon (pronounced /ˈriːkɒn/). The associated, linguistic forms are the verb reconnoitre in British spelling, and reconnoiter in roles by the close of U.S. involvement in the war.[3]

First entering service in 1960, the Phantom continued to form a major part of U.S. military air power throughout the 1970s and 1980s, being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. Developed for the United States Air Force, it first flew in July 1972, and is one of the most recognized modern fighters. The F-15 is expected to remain in service until 2025. Despite originally being and F-16 Fighting Falcon The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, day-time Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft. The Falcon's versatility is a paramount reason it has proven a success on the export in the U.S. Air Force; the F-14 Tomcat The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing aircraft. The F-14 was the United States Navy's primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor and tactical reconnaissance platform from 1974 to 2006. It later performed precision strike missions once it was integrated with the Low Altitude and F/A-18 Hornet The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. Designed in the 1970s for service with the United States Navy and Marine Corps, the Hornet is also used by the air forces of several other nations. It has been the aerial demonstration aircraft for the U.S in the U.S. Navy; and the F/A-18 in the U.S. Marine Corps. It remained in use by the U.S. in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel roles in the 1991 Gulf War Iran-Iraq War – Opera – Al-Anfal Campaign – Gulf War – 1991 uprisings – Provide Comfort – Southern Watch – 1993 cruise missile strikes – Kurdish Civil War – Desert Strike – Northern Watch – Desert Fox – Kurdistan Islamist Conflict – Southern Focus – Iraq War, finally leaving service in 1996.[4][5] The Phantom was also operated by the armed forces of 11 other nations. Israeli Israel officially the State of Israel ( מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל (help·info), Medinat Yisra'el; Arabic: دَوْلَةُ إِسْرَائِيلَ‎, Dawlat Isrā'īl), is a country in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Phantoms saw extensive combat in several Arab–Israeli conflicts, while Iran Iran (pronounced /ɪˈrɑːn/; Persian: ايران [ʔiˈɾɒn] ), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persia until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. Both "Persia" and "Iran" are used used its large fleet of Phantoms in the Iran–Iraq War. Phantoms remain in front line service with seven countries, and in use as an unmanned target An unmanned aerial vehicle is an unpiloted aircraft. UAVs come in two varieties: some are controlled from a remote location, and others fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans using more complex dynamic automation systems. Currently, UAVs perform reconnaissance as well as attack missions. They are also used in a small but growing in the U.S. Air Force.[6]

Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981, with a total of 5,195 built.[3] This extensive run makes it the second most-produced Western jet fighter, behind the F-86 Sabre The North American Aviation F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. The Sabre is best known for its Korean War role where it was pitted against the Soviet MiG-15 and obtained UN air superiority. Although developed in the late 1940s and outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved adaptable and continued as a front line fighter in at just under 10,000 examples.

Contents

Overview

The F-4 Phantom was designed as a fleet defense fighter for the U.S. Navy The United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than 3,700 aircraft. The U.S. Navy is the largest in, and first entered service in 1960. By 1963, it had been adopted by the U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947. It is the most recent branch of the U.S. military to be formed for the fighter-bomber role. When production ended in 1981, 5,195 Phantom IIs had been built, making it the most numerous American supersonic military aircraft.[7] Until the advent of the F-15 Eagle, the F-4 also held a record for the longest continuous production for a fighter with a run of 24 years. Innovations in the F-4 included an advanced pulse-doppler radar Pulse-Doppler is a radar system capable of not only detecting target location , but also measuring its radial velocity (range-rate). It uses the Doppler effect to determine the relative velocity of objects; pulses of RF energy returning from the target are processed to measure the frequency shift between carrier cycles in each pulse and the and extensive use of titanium Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Sometimes called the “space age metal”, it has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant (including to sea water, aqua regia and chlorine) transition metal with a silver color. Titanium can be alloyed with iron, aluminium, vanadium, molybdenum, among in its airframe.[8]

Despite the imposing dimensions and a maximum takeoff weight The Maximum Takeoff Weight or Maximum Takeoff Mass of an aircraft is the maximum weight at which the pilot of the aircraft is allowed to attempt to take off, due to structural or other limits. The analogous term for rockets is Gross Lift-Off Mass, or GLOW. MTOW is usually specified in units of kilograms or pounds of over 60,000 lb (27,000 kg),[9] the F-4 had a top speed of Mach Mach number (generally pronounced /ˈmɑːk/, sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/) is the speed of an object moving through air, or any fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance. It is commonly used to represent an object's (such as an aircraft or missile) speed, when it is travelling at (or at multiples of) the speed 2.23 and an initial climb of over 41,000 ft/min (210 m/s).[10] Shortly after its introduction, the Phantom set 15 world records,[11] including an absolute speed record of 1,606.342 mph (2,585.086 km/h), and an absolute altitude record of 98,557 ft (30,040 m).[12] Although set in 1959–1962, five of the speed records were not broken until 1975 when the F-15 Eagle came into service.[11]

The Blue Angels The United States Navy's Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, popularly known as the Blue Angels, first performed in 1946 and is currently the oldest flying aerobatic team. The squadron's six demonstration pilots fly the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet in more than 70 shows at 34 locations throughout the United States each year, where they still employ many flew F-4Js from 1969 to 1974.

The F-4 could carry up to 18,650 pounds (8,480 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, and unguided, guided, and nuclear bombs.[13] Since the F-8 Crusader The F-8 Crusader was a single-engine aircraft carrier-based fighter aircraft built by Vought. It replaced the Vought F-7 Cutlass. The first F-8 prototype was ready for flight in February 1955, and was the last American fighter with guns as the primary weapon. The RF-8 Crusader was a photo-reconnaissance development and operated longer in U.S was to be used for close combat, the F-4 was designed, like other interceptors of the day, without an internal cannon.[14] In a dogfight, the RIO or WSO (commonly called "backseater" or "pitter") assisted in spotting opposing fighters, visually as well as on radar. It became the primary fighter-bomber of both the Navy and Air Force by the end of the Vietnam War The Vietnam War occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975. The war was fought between the communist North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other member nations of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization.

Due to its distinctive appearance and widespread service with United States military and its allies, the F-4 is one of the best-known icons of the Cold War The Cold War was the continuing state of conflict, tension, and competition that existed after World War II between the Soviet Union and its satellites and the powers of the Western world under the leadership of the United States from the mid-1940s to the early 1990s. Throughout this period, the conflict was expressed through military coalitions,. It served in the Vietnam War and Arab–Israeli The Arab–Israeli conflict spans roughly one century of political tensions and open hostilities, though Israel itself only was established in 1948. It involves the establishment of the Zionist movement and the subsequent creation of the modern State of Israel in territory regarded by the Pan-Arab movement as belonging to the Palestinians, be they conflicts, with American F-4 crews claiming 277 aerial victories in Southeast Asia and completing countless ground attack sorties Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it of aircraft, ship or, in older times, of columns of troops from a fort. The unit usually has a purpose of accomplishing a specific mission, whether alone or with other aircraft or vessels.[15]

A formation of F-4 Phantom IIs fly during a heritage flight demonstration to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Air Force.

The F-4 Phantom has the distinction of being the last United States fighter flown to attain ace A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of air victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more status in the 20th century. During the Vietnam War, the USAF had one pilot and two WSOs,[16] and the USN one pilot and one RIO,[17] become aces in air-to-air combat. It was also a capable tactical reconnaissance and Wild Weasel (suppression of enemy air defenses) platform, seeing action as late as 1991, during Operation Desert Storm Iran-Iraq War – Opera – Al-Anfal Campaign – Gulf War – 1991 uprisings – Provide Comfort – Southern Watch – 1993 cruise missile strikes – Kurdish Civil War – Desert Strike – Northern Watch – Desert Fox – Kurdistan Islamist Conflict – Southern Focus – Iraq War.[4][5]

The F-4 Phantom II was also the only aircraft used by both US flight demonstration teams.[18] The USAF Thunderbirds The Thunderbirds are the Air Demonstration Squadron of the U.S. Air Force, based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. The squadron tours the U.S. and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially-marked USAF jet aircraft (F-4E) and the USN Blue Angels The United States Navy's Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, popularly known as the Blue Angels, first performed in 1946 and is currently the oldest flying aerobatic team. The squadron's six demonstration pilots fly the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet in more than 70 shows at 34 locations throughout the United States each year, where they still employ many (F-4J) both switched to the Phantom for the 1969 season; the Thunderbirds flew it for five seasons,[19] the Blue Angels for six.[20]

The baseline performance of a Mach 2-class fighter with long range and a bomber-sized payload would be the template for the next generation of large and light/middle-weight fighters optimized for daylight air combat. The Phantom would be replaced by the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon in the U.S. Air Force. In the U.S. Navy, it would be replaced by the F-14 Tomcat and the F/A-18 Hornet which revived the concept of a dual-role attack fighter.[21]

Design and development

Cockpit of F-4 Phantom II

Origins

In 1952, McDonnell's Chief of Aerodynamics, Dave Lewis, was appointed by CEO Jim McDonnell James Smith McDonnell was an aviation pioneer and founder of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, later McDonnell Douglas to be the company’s Preliminary Design Manager.[22] With no new aircraft competitions on the horizon, internal studies concluded the Navy had the greatest need for a new and different aircraft type: an attack fighter.[23]

In 1953, McDonnell Aircraft began work on revising its F3H Demon The McDonnell F3H Demon was a United States Navy carrier-based jet fighter aircraft. The successor to the F2H Banshee, after initial problems, it served from 1956 until 1964 naval fighter, seeking expanded capabilities and better performance. The company developed several projects including a variant powered by a Wright J67 engine,[24] and variants powered by two Wright J65 engines, or two General Electric J79 engines.[25] The J79-powered version promised a top speed of Mach Mach number (generally pronounced /ˈmɑːk/, sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/) is the speed of an object moving through air, or any fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance. It is commonly used to represent an object's (such as an aircraft or missile) speed, when it is travelling at (or at multiples of) the speed 1.97. On 19 September 1953, McDonnell approached the United States Navy The United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than 3,700 aircraft. The U.S. Navy is the largest in with a proposal for the "Super Demon". Uniquely, the aircraft was to be modular—it could be fitted with one- or two-seat noses for different missions, with different nose cones to accommodate radar, photo cameras, four 20 mm (.79 in) cannon, or 56 FFAR unguided rockets in addition to the nine hardpoints under the wings and the fuselage. The Navy was sufficiently interested to order a full-scale mock-up of the F3H-G/H, but felt that the upcoming Grumman XF9F-9 The Grumman F11F/F-11 Tiger was a single-seat carrier-based United States Navy fighter aircraft in operation during the 1950s and 1960s. Originally designated the F11F Tiger in April 1955 under the pre-1962 Navy designation system, it was redesignated as F-11 Tiger under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system and Vought XF8U-1 The F-8 Crusader was a single-engine aircraft carrier-based fighter aircraft built by Vought. It replaced the Vought F-7 Cutlass. The first F-8 prototype was ready for flight in February 1955, and was the last American fighter with guns as the primary weapon. The RF-8 Crusader was a photo-reconnaissance development and operated longer in U.S already satisfied the need for the supersonic fighter.[26]

The McDonnell design was therefore reworked into an all-weather fighter-bomber with 11 external hardpoints for weapons and on 18 October 1954, the company received a letter of intent for two YAH-1 prototypes. On 26 May 1955, four Navy officers arrived at the McDonnell offices and, within an hour, presented the company with an entirely new set of requirements. Because the Navy already had the A-4 Skyhawk The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a carrier-capable ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The delta winged "Skyhawk", powered by a single turbojet was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company . The "Skyhawk" was originally designated the A4D under the US Navy's pre-1962 designation for ground attack and F-8 Crusader for dogfighting, the project now had to fulfill the need for an all-weather fleet defense interceptor. A second crewman was added to operate the powerful radar.[2]

XF4H-1 prototype

The XF4H-1 was designed to carry four semi-recessed AAM-N-6 Sparrow III The AIM-7 Sparrow is a medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, as well as various allied air forces and navies. Sparrow and its derivatives were the West's principal beyond visual range air-to-air missile from the late 1950s until the 1990s radar-guided missiles, and to be powered by two J79-GE-8 engines. As in the F-101 Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military fighter flown by the USAF and the RCAF. Initially designed as a long-range bomber escort for the Strategic Air Command (SAC), the Voodoo served in a variety of other roles, including that of an all-weather interceptor aircraft with the Air Defense Command / Aerospace Defense Command (ADC) and, the engines sat low in the fuselage to maximize internal fuel capacity and ingested air through fixed geometry intakes An intake ramp is a rectangular, plate-like device within the air intake of a jet engine, designed to generate a shock wave to aid the inlet compression process at supersonic speeds. The ramp sits at an acute angle to deflect the intake air from the longitudinal direction. At supersonic flight speeds, the deflection of the air stream creates an. The thin-section wing had a leading edge sweep of 45° and was equipped with a boundary layer control system Blown flaps are a powered aerodynamic high-lift device invented by the British on the wings of certain aircraft to improve low-speed lift during takeoff and landing. The process is sometimes called a boundary layer control system . They were a popular design feature in the 1960s, but fell from use due to their complex maintenance needs. Today a for better low-speed handling.[27]

Wind tunnel Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight. The wind tunnel was envisioned as a means of reversing the usual paradigm: instead of the air's standing still and the aircraft moving at speed through it, the same effect would be obtained if the aircraft stood still and the air moved at speed past it. In that way a testing had revealed lateral instability requiring the addition of 5° dihedral to the wings.[28] To avoid redesigning the titanium central section of the aircraft, McDonnell engineers angled up only the outer portions of the wings by 12°, which averaged to the required 5° over the entire wingspan. The wings also received the distinctive "dogtooth" for improved control at high angles of attack Angle of attack is a term used in fluid dynamics to describe the angle between a reference line on a body (often the chord line of an airfoil) and the vector representing the relative motion between the body and the fluid through which it is moving. In general, the reference line could be any line on any arbitrarily shaped body in a flow. The. The all-moving tailplane was given 23° of anhedral to improve control at high angles of attack while still keeping the tailplane clear of the engine exhaust.[27] In addition, air intakes were equipped with movable ramps to regulate airflow to the engines at supersonic speeds. All-weather intercept capability was achieved thanks to the AN/APQ-50 radar. To accommodate carrier operations, the landing gear was designed to withstand landings with a sink rate of 23 ft/s (7 m/s), while the nose strut could extend by some 20 in (50 cm) to increase angle of attack at takeoff.[28]

Naming the aircraft

There were proposals to name the F4H "Satan Satan (Standard Hebrew: השָׂטָן ha-Satan ) is a term that originates from the Abrahamic religions, being traditionally applied to an angel in Judeo-Christian belief, and to a jinn in Islamic belief" and "Mithras The Mithraic Mysteries or Mysteries of Mithras was a mystery religion which became popular among the military in the Roman Empire, from the 1st to 4th centuries AD. It is best attested in the cities of Rome and Ostia and in the Roman provinces of Mauretania, Britain, and in the provinces along the Rhine and Danube frontier", the Persian god of light.[29] In the end, the aircraft was given the less controversial name "Phantom II", the first "Phantom" being another McDonnell jet fighter, the FH-1 Phantom. The Phantom II was briefly given the designation F-110A and the name "Spectre" by the USAF, but neither title was used.[30]

Prototype testing

On 25 July 1955, the Navy ordered two XF4H-1 test aircraft and five YF4H-1 pre-production fighters. The Phantom made its maiden flight on 27 May 1958 with Robert C. Little at the controls. A hydraulic problem precluded retraction of the landing gear but subsequent flights went more smoothly. Early testing resulted in redesign of the air intakes, including the distinctive addition of 12,500 bleed air Bleed air in gas turbine engines is compressed air taken from within the engine, after the compressor stage and before the fuel is injected in the burners. While in theory bleed air could be drawn in any gas turbine engine, its usage is generally restricted to jet engines used in aircraft. This compressed air can be used within the aircraft in holes on each ramp; and the aircraft soon squared off against the XF8U-3 Crusader III. Due to operator workload, the Navy wanted a two-seat aircraft and on 17 December 1958 the F4H was declared a winner. Delays with the J79-GE-8 engines meant that the first production aircraft were fitted with J79-GE-2 and -2A engines, each having 16,100 lbf (71.8 kN) of afterburning An afterburner is an additional component added to some jet engines, primarily those on military supersonic aircraft. Its purpose is to provide a temporary increase in thrust, both for supersonic flight and for takeoff (as the high wing loading typical of supersonic aircraft designs means that take-off speed is very high). On military aircraft the thrust. In 1959, the Phantom began carrier suitability trials with the first complete launch-recovery cycle performed on 15 February 1960 from USS Independence.[28]

Production

A flight of USAF F-4Cs refuel from a KC-135 tanker before making a strike against targets in North Vietnam. The Phantoms are fully loaded with 750-pound general purpose bombs, Sparrow missiles and external fuel tanks.

Early in production, the radar was upgraded to a larger AN/APQ-72, necessitating the bulbous nose, and the canopy was reworked to improve visibility and make the rear cockpit less claustrophobic.[31] The Phantom underwent a great many changes during its career, summarized in the "Variants" section below.

The USAF received Phantoms as the result of Defense Secretary Robert McNamara Robert Strange McNamara is an American business executive and the eighth United States Secretary of Defense. McNamara served as Defense Secretary for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1968. Following that he served as President of the World Bank from 1968 until 1981. McNamara was responsible for the institution of's push to create a unified fighter for all branches of the military. After an F-4B won the "Operation Highspeed" fly-off against the F-106 Delta Dart The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it has proven to be the last dedicated interceptor in USAF service to date. It was gradually retired during the 1980s, although the QF-106 drone, the USAF borrowed two Naval F-4Bs, temporarily designating them F-110A "Spectre" in January 1962, and developed requirements for their own version. Unlike the Navy focus on interception, the USAF emphasized a fighter-bomber role. With McNamara's unification of designations on 18 September 1962, the Phantom became the F-4 with the Naval version designated F-4B and USAF F-4C. The first Air Force Phantom flew on 27 May 1963, exceeding Mach 2 on its maiden flight.[32]

Phantom II production ended in the United States in 1979 after 5,195 had been built (5,057 by McDonnell Douglas and 138 in Japan by Mitsubishi), making it the second-most produced and exported American military-jet after the F-86 Sabre The North American Aviation F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. The Sabre is best known for its Korean War role where it was pitted against the Soviet MiG-15 and obtained UN air superiority. Although developed in the late 1940s and outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved adaptable and continued as a front line fighter in. Of these, 2,874 went to the USAF, 1,264 to the Navy and Marine Corps, and the rest to foreign customers.[18] The last U.S.-built F-4 went to Turkey, while the last F-4 ever built was completed in 1981 as an F-4EJ by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan. As of 2008[update], 631 Phantoms remained in active service worldwide,[33] while the Phantom also remains in use as a drone operated by the U.S. military.

World records

To show off their new fighter, the Navy led a series of record-breaking flights early in Phantom development:[18]

All in all, the Phantom set 16 world records. With the exception of Skyburner, all records were achieved in unmodified production aircraft. Five of the speed records remained unbeaten until the F-15 Eagle appeared in 1975.[11]

Flight characteristics

F-4 Phantom II flight demonstration video

In air combat, the Phantom's greatest advantage was its thrust, which permitted a skilled pilot to engage and disengage from the fight at will.[39] The massive aircraft, designed to fire radar-guided missiles from beyond visual range A Beyond Visual Range missile usually refers to an air-to-air missile that is capable of engaging at ranges beyond 20 nautical miles . This range has been achieved using dual pulse rocket motors or booster rocket motor and ramjet sustainer motor, lacked the agility of its Soviet opponents and was subject to adverse yaw during hard maneuvering. Although thus subject to irrecoverable spins during aileron rolls, pilots reported the aircraft to be very communicative and easy to fly on the edge of its performance envelope. In 1972, the F-4E model was upgraded with leading edge slats The chord of the slat is typically only a few percent of the wing chord. They may extend over the outer third of the wing or may cover the entire leading edge. Many early aerodynamicists, including Ludwig Prandtl believed that slats work by inducing a high energy stream to the flow of the main airfoil thus re-energizing its boundary layer and on the wing, greatly improving high-angle-of-attack Angle of attack is a term used in fluid dynamics to describe the angle between a reference line on a body (often the chord line of an airfoil) and the vector representing the relative motion between the body and the fluid through which it is moving. In general, the reference line could be any line on any arbitrarily shaped body in a flow. The maneuverability at the expense of top speed.[40]

The J79 engines produced copious amounts of black smoke at military power which made the Phantoms easy to spot from a distance, a severe disadvantage in air combat against smaller aircraft. Pilots could eliminate the smoke by using afterburner An afterburner is an additional component added to some jet engines, primarily those on military supersonic aircraft. Its purpose is to provide a temporary increase in thrust, both for supersonic flight and for takeoff (as the high wing loading typical of supersonic aircraft designs means that take-off speed is very high). On military aircraft the, but at the cost of fuel efficiency.[41][verification needed] Some pilots adopted the procedure of running one engine in dry thrust at normal power setting, and the other in afterburner, resulting in the same total thrust as using both engines at full rated military power without generating the tell-tale smoke trail.[citation needed]

The F-4's biggest weakness, as it was initially designed, was its lack of an internal cannon. For a brief period, doctrine held that turning combat would be impossible at supersonic speeds and little effort was made to teach pilots air combat maneuvering. In reality, engagements quickly became subsonic. Furthermore, the relatively new heat-seeking and radar-guided missiles at the time were frequently reported as unreliable and pilots had to use multiple shots just to hit one target. To compound the problem, rules of engagement in Vietnam precluded long-range missile attacks in most instances, as visual identification was normally required. Many pilots found themselves on the tail of an enemy aircraft but too close to fire short-range Falcons or Sidewinders. Although in 1967 USAF F-4Cs began carrying SUU-16 or SUU-23 external gunpods containing a 20 mm (.79 in) M61 Vulcan The M61 Vulcan is a 20 mm hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style cannon with an extremely high rate of fire. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft for five decades. The M61 was originally produced by General Gatling cannon, USAF cockpits were not equipped with lead-computing gunsights, virtually assuring a miss in a maneuvering fight. Some Marine Corps aircraft carried two pods for strafing. In addition to the loss of performance due to drag In fluid dynamics, drag refers to forces that oppose the relative motion of an object through a fluid (a liquid or gas). Drag forces act in a direction opposite to the oncoming flow velocity. Unlike other resistive forces such as dry friction, which is nearly independent of velocity, drag forces depend on velocity, combat showed the externally mounted cannon to be inaccurate unless frequently boresighted, yet far more cost-effective than missiles. The lack of cannon was finally addressed by adding an internally mounted 20 mm (.79 in) M61 Vulcan on the F-4E.[40]

Costs

F-4C RF-4C F-4D F-4E
Unit R&D New product design and development is more often than not a crucial factor in the survival of a company. In an industry that is fast changing, firms must continually revise their design and range of products. This is necessary due to continuous technology change and development as well as other competitors and the changing preference of customers cost - 61,200 (1965) by 1973 423,608 (2008) by 1973 - 22,700 (1965) by 1973 157,122 (2008) by 1973
Airframe 1,388,725 (1965) 9,612,328 1,679,000 (1965) 11,621,523 (2008) 1,018,682 (1965) 7,051,004 (2008) 1,662,000 (1965) 11,503,854 (2008)
Engines 317,647 (1965) 2,198,655 (2008) 276,000 (1965) 1,910,387 (2008) 260,563 (1965) 1,803,537 (2008) 393,000 (1965) 2,720,225 (2008)
Electronics 52,287 (1965) 361,915 (2008) 293,000 (1965) 2,028,056 (2008) 262,101 (1965) 1,814,183 (2008) 299,000 (1965) 2,069,586 (2008)
Armament 139,706 (1965) 967,002 (2008) 73,000 (1965) 505,284 (2008) 133,430 (1965) 923,562 (2008) 111,000 (1965) 768,308 (2008)
Ordnance - - 6,817 (1965) 47,185 (2008) 8,000 (1965) 55,374 (2008)
Flyaway cost 1.9 million (1965) 13.2 million (2008) 2.3 million (1965) 15.9 million (2008) 1.7 million (1965) 11.8 million (2008) 2.4 million (1965) 16.6 million (2008)
Modification costs 116,289 (1965) by 1973 804,917 (2008) by 1973 55,217 (1965) by 1973 382,195 (2008) by 1973 233,458 (1965) by 1973 1,615,925 (2008) by 1973 7,995 (1965) by 1973 55,339 (2008) by 1973
Cost per flying hour 924 (1965) 6,396 (2008) 867 (1965) 6,001 (2008) 896 (1965) 6,202 (2008) 867 (1965) 6,202 (2008)
Maintenance cost per flying hour 545 (1965) 3,772 (2008)

Note: Original amounts were in 1965 United States dollars The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States and is defined by the Coinage Act of 1792 to be between 371 and 416 grains (27.0 g) of silver (depending on purity). The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that.[42] The figures in these tables have been adjusted for inflation.

Operational history

See also: F-4 Phantom II U.S. operators

United States Navy

A US Navy F-4J Phantom II BuNo 153769 of VF-31 lands on the USS Saratoga.

On 30 December 1960, the VF-121 "Pacemakers" at NAS Miramar became the first Phantom operator with its F4H-1Fs (F-4As). The VF-74 "Be-devilers" at NAS Oceana became the first deployable Phantom squadron when it received its F4H-1s (F-4Bs) on 8 July 1961.[43] The squadron completed carrier qualifications in October 1961 and Phantom’s first full carrier deployment between August 1962 and March 1963 aboard USS Forrestal.[44] The second deployable US Atlantic Fleet The United States Fleet Forces Command of the United States Navy is the part of the Navy responsible for operations in and around the Atlantic Ocean. Originally formed as United States Atlantic Fleet (USLANTFLT) in 1906, it has been an integral part of the defense of the United States of America for most of the 20th Century. In 2002, the Fleet squadron to receive F-4Bs was the VF-102 "Diamondbacks", who promptly took their new aircraft on the shakedown cruise of USS Enterprise.[45] The first deployable US Pacific Fleet The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean Navy theater-level component command of the United States Navy, under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its homeport is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii, commanded by Commander Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT), a full (four-star) admiral. (The term, also used during World squadron to receive the F-4B was the VF-114 "Aardvarks", which participated in the September 1962 cruise aboard USS Kitty Hawk.[43]

By the time of the Tonkin Gulf incident, 13 of 31 deployable Navy squadrons were armed with the type. F-4Bs from USS Constellation made the first Phantom combat sortie of the Vietnam War The Vietnam War occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975. The war was fought between the communist North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other member nations of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization on 5 August 1964, flying bomber escort in Operation Pierce Arrow.[46] The first Phantom air-to-air victory of the war took place on 9 April 1965 when an F-4B from VF-96 "Fighting Falcons" piloted by Lieutenant (junior grade) Terence M. Murphy and his RIO, Ensign Ronald Fegan, shot down a Chinese MiG-17 'Fresco'. The Phantom was then shot down, apparently by an AIM-7 Sparrow from one of its wingmen.[28] There continues to be controversy over whether the Phantom was shot down by MiG guns or whether, as enemy reports later indicated, an AIM-7 Sparrow III from one of Murphy's and Fegan's wingmen.[47] On 17 June 1965, an F-4B from VF-21 "Freelancers" piloted by Commander Thomas C. Page and Lieutenant John C. Smith shot down the first North Vietnamese MiG of the war.[48]

On 10 May 1972, Lieutenant Randy "Duke" Cunningham Randall Harold Cunningham , usually known as Randy or Duke, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from California's 50th Congressional District from 1991 to 2005 and Lieutenant (junior grade) William P. Driscoll flying an F-4J, call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In some countries they are used as names for broadcasting stations, but in many other countries they are not. A call sign can be formally assigned by a government agency, informally adopted by individuals or organizations, or even "Showtime 100", shot down three MiG-17s to become the first flying aces A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of air victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more of the war. Their fifth victory was believed at the time to be over a mysterious North Vietnamese ace, Colonel Nguyen Toon, now considered mythical. On the return flight, the Phantom was damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile A surface to air missile or ground-to-air missile (GTAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. It is a type of anti-aircraft system. To avoid being captured, Cunningham and Driscoll flew their burning aircraft upside down (the damage made the aircraft uncontrollable in a conventional attitude) until they could eject over water.[17]

During the war, Navy Phantom squadrons participated in 84 combat tours with F-4Bs, F-4Js, and F-4Ns. The Navy claimed 40 air-to-air victories at the cost of 71 Phantoms lost in combat (5 to aircraft, 13 to SAMs A surface to air missile or ground-to-air missile (GTAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. It is a type of anti-aircraft system, and 53 to AAA Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defence, is any method of engaging hostile military aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces or denial of passage through a specific airspace region, area or anti-aircraft combat zone. It is also used in denying entry into national air space to unauthorized aircraft). An additional 54 Phantoms were lost in accidents. Of the 40 aircraft shot down by Navy and Marine Phantom crews, 22 were MiG-17s, 14 MiG-21s, two Antonov An-2s, and two MiG-19s. Of these, eight aircraft were downed by AIM-7 Sparrow missiles and 31 by AIM-9 Sidewinders.[49]

By 1983, the F-4Ns had been completely replaced by F-14 Tomcats The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing aircraft. The F-14 was the United States Navy's primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor and tactical reconnaissance platform from 1974 to 2006. It later performed precision strike missions once it was integrated with the Low Altitude, and by 1986 the last F-4Ss were exchanged for F/A-18 Hornets The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. Designed in the 1970s for service with the United States Navy and Marine Corps, the Hornet is also used by the air forces of several other nations. It has been the aerial demonstration aircraft for the U.S. On 25 March 1986, an F-4S belonging to VF-151 Vigilantes became the last Navy Phantom to launch from an aircraft carrier, in this case, the USS Midway. On 18 October 1986, an F-4S from the VF-202 "Superheats", a Naval Reserve fighter squadron, made the last-ever Phantom carrier landing while operating aboard USS America. In 1987, the last of the Naval Reserve-operated F-4Ss were replaced by F-14As. The last Phantoms in service with the Navy were QF-4 target drones operated by the Naval Air Warfare Centers.[28] These were retired in 2004.[50]

United States Marine Corps

The Marines received their first F-4Bs in June 1962, with the "Black Knights" of VMFA-314 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California becoming the first operational squadron. In addition to attack variants, the Marines also operated several tactical reconnaissance RF-4Bs. Marine Phantoms from VMFA-531 arrived in Vietnam on 10 April 1965, flying close air support missions from land bases as well as from America. Marine F-4 pilots claimed three enemy MiGs (two while on exchange duty with the USAF) at the cost of 75 aircraft lost in combat, mostly to ground fire, and four in accidents. On 18 January 1992, the last Marine Phantom, an F-4S, was retired by the "Cowboys" of VMFA-112. The squadron was re-equipped with F/A-18 Hornets.[51]

United States Air Force

USAF F-4 Summary for Vietnam War action
Aircraft Weapons/Tactics MiG-17 MiG-19 MiG-21 Total
F-4C AIM-7 Sparrow 4 0 10 14
AIM-9 Sidewinder 12 0 10 22
20 mm gun 3 0 1 4
Maneuvering tactics 2 0 0 2
F-4D AIM-4 Falcon 4 0 1 5
AIM-7 Sparrow 4 2 20 26
AIM-9 Sidewinder 0 2 3 5
20 mm gun 4.5 0 2 6.5
Maneuvering tactics 0 0 2 2
F-4E AIM-7 Sparrow 0 2 8 10
AIM-9 Sidewinder 0 0 4 4
AIM-9+20 mm gun 0 0 1 1
20 mm gun 0 1 4 5
Maneuvering tactics 0 1 0 1
Total 33.5 8 66 107.5

In USAF service the F-4 was initially designated the F-110 Spectre[52] prior to the introduction of the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system On 18 September 1962, the United States Department of Defense introduced a unified designation system for the aircraft of the United States armed forces. Prior to this date, each service used their own nomenclature system. The 1962 system was based on the one used by the United States Air Force between 1948 and 1962. Since it was introduced the 196. At first reluctant to adopt a Navy fighter, the USAF quickly embraced the design and became the largest Phantom user. The first Air Force Phantoms in Vietnam were F-4Cs from the 555th "Triple Nickel" Tactical Fighter Squadron,[53] which arrived in December 1964.[54] Unlike the Navy, which flew the Phantom with a Naval Aviator A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard (pilot) in the front seat and a Naval Flight Officer A Naval Flight Officer is an officer in the United States Navy or Marine Corps that specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots (Naval Aviators), per se, but they may perform many "co-pilot" functions, depending on the type of aircraft. Until 1966, their duties were performed by officer and enlisted Naval as a radar intercept officer (RIO) in the back seat, the Air Force initially flew its Phantoms with a rated pilot in the back seat. This policy was later changed to using a navigator qualified as a weapon/targeting systems officer (later designated as weapon systems officer or WSO) in the rear seat. However, because they originally flew with pilots in the rear seat, all USAF Phantoms retained dual flight controls throughout their service life.

An RF-4C-21-MC (AF Serial No. 64-1019) with auxiliary fuel tanks in flight August 1968. This aircraft was assigned to the 192nd Tactical Reconnaissance Group, Nevada Air National Guard With the consent of state governors, members or units of the Air National Guard may be appointed, temporarily or indefinitely, to be federally recognized members of the armed forces, in the active or inactive service of the United States. If federally recognized, the member or unit becomes part of the Air National Guard of the United States, which. It was retired to AMARC on 27 January 1982

On 10 July, 1965 F-4Cs of the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron, on temporary assignment in Vietnam, scored the USAF's first victories against North Vietnamese MiG-17s using AIM-9 Sidewinder The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. It is named after the sidewinder snake, which detects its prey via body heat and also because of the peculiar snake-like path of flight the early versions had when launched. The Sidewinder was the first air-to-air missiles.[55] On 24 July 1965, another Phantom from the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron became the first American aircraft to be downed by an enemy SAM A surface to air missile or ground-to-air missile (GTAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. It is a type of anti-aircraft system, and on 5 October 1966 an 8th Tactical Fighter Wing F-4C became the first U.S. jet lost to an air-to-air missile An air-to-air missile is a guided missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled. Ramjet engines, as used on the MBDA Meteor (currently in development), are emerging as propulsion that will enable future, fired by a MiG-21 "Fishbed".

Early aircraft suffered from leaks in wing fuel tanks that required re-sealing after each flight and 85 aircraft were found to have cracks in outer wing ribs and stringers.[42] There were also problems with aileron Ailerons are hinged control surfaces attached to the trailing edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. The ailerons are used to control the aircraft in roll. The two ailerons are typically interconnected so that one goes down when the other goes up: the downgoing aileron increases the lift on its wing while the upgoing aileron reduces the lift control cylinders, electrical connectors, and engine compartment fires. Reconnaissance RF-4Cs made their debut in Vietnam on 30 October 1965, flying the hazardous post-strike reconnaissance missions.

Although the F-4C was essentially identical to the Navy F-4B in flight performance and carried the Navy-designed Sidewinder missiles, USAF-tailored F-4Ds initially arrived in June 1967 equipped with AIM-4 Falcons The Hughes AIM-4 Falcon was the first operational guided air-to-air missile of the United States Air Force. However, the Falcon, like its predecessors, was designed to shoot down bombers flying straight and level. Its reliability proved no better than others, and its complex firing sequence and limited seeker-head cooling time made it virtually useless in combat against agile fighters. The F-4Ds reverted to using Sidewinders under the "Rivet Haste" program in early 1968, and by 1972 the AIM-7E-2 "Dogfight Sparrow" had become the preferred missile for USAF pilots. Like other Vietnam War Phantoms, the F-4Ds were urgently fitted with radar homing and warning Radar is an object detection system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The term RADAR was coined in 1941 as an acronym for radio detection and ranging. The term has since entered the English (RHAW) antennae to detect the Soviet-built SA-2 Guideline SAMs.[56]

From the initial deployment of the F-4C to Southeast Asia, USAF Phantoms performed both air superiority and ground attack roles, supporting not only ground troops in South Vietnam but also conducting bombing sorties in Laos and North Vietnam. As the F-105 The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 bore the brunt of strike bombing over North Vietnam during the early years of the Vietnam War. Originally designed and deployed as a single seat aircraft, a two-seat Wild Weasel version was later developed for use in the force underwent severe attrition between 1965 and 1968, the bombing role of the F-4 proportionately increased until after November 1970 (when the last F-105D was withdrawn from combat) it became the primary USAF ordnance delivery system. In October 1972 the first squadron of EF-4C Wild Weasel aircraft deployed to Thailand on temporary duty.[57] The "E" prefix was later dropped and the aircraft were simply known as F-4C Wild Weasels.

Sixteen squadrons of Phantoms were permanently deployed between 1965 and 1973, and 17 others deployed on temporary combat assignments.[58] Peak numbers of combat F-4s occurred in 1972, when 353 were based in Thailand.[59] A total of 445 Air Force Phantom fighter-bombers were lost, 370 in combat and 193 of those over North Vietnam (33 to MiGs, 30 to SAMs, and 307 to AAA).[59]

The RF-4C was operated by four squadrons,[60] and of the 83 losses, 72 were in combat including 38 over North Vietnam (seven to SAMs and 65 to AAA).[59] By war's end the U.S. Air Force had lost a total of 528 F-4 and RF-4C Phantoms. When combined with US Naval/Marine losses of 233 Phantoms, 761 F-4/RF-4 Phantoms were lost in the Vietnam War.

F-4E-43-MC (AF Serial No. 69-7234) "Wild Weasel" modified to the F-4G configuration with an AGM-88 HARM The AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile is a tactical, air-to-surface missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. It was originally developed by Texas Instruments (TI) as a replacement for the AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 Standard ARM system. Production was later taken over by Raytheon missile under the wing. This aircraft was assigned to the 37th TFW, George AFB, California California ( /kælɪˈfɔrnjə/ ) is a state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and, to the south, the Mexican state of Baja California. California is the most populous U.S. state. Its four largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego,, April 1982

On 28 August 1972, Capt Steve Ritchie became the first USAF ace of the war.[16] On 9 September 1972, WSO Capt Charles B. DeBellevue became the highest-scoring American ace of the war with six victories.[16] and WSO Capt Jeffrey Feinstein became the last USAF ace of the war on 13 October 1972.[61] Upon return to the United States, DeBellevue and Feinstein were given vision waivers, assigned to pilot training and requalified as USAF pilots in the F-4. According to the USAF, its F-4s scored 107½ MiG kills in Southeast Asia (50 by Sparrow, 31 by Sidewinder, five by Falcon, 15.5 by gun, and six by other means).[59]

On 31 January 1972, the 170th Tactical Fighter Squadron/183d Tactical Fighter Group of the Illinois Air National Guard became the first Air National Guard With the consent of state governors, members or units of the Air National Guard may be appointed, temporarily or indefinitely, to be federally recognized members of the armed forces, in the active or inactive service of the United States. If federally recognized, the member or unit becomes part of the Air National Guard of the United States, which unit to transition to Phantoms.[62] The F-4's ANG service lasted until 31 March 1990, when it was replaced by the F-16 Fighting Falcon The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, day-time Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft. The Falcon's versatility is a paramount reason it has proven a success on the export.

On 15 August 1990, 24 F-4G Wild Weasel Vs and six RF-4Cs were mobilized to Shaikh Isa AB, Bahrain, for Operation Desert Storm Iran-Iraq War – Opera – Al-Anfal Campaign – Gulf War – 1991 uprisings – Provide Comfort – Southern Watch – 1993 cruise missile strikes – Kurdish Civil War – Desert Strike – Northern Watch – Desert Fox – Kurdistan Islamist Conflict – Southern Focus – Iraq War. The reason for this was that the F-4G was the only aircraft in the USAF inventory equipped for the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) role since the EF-111 Raven lacked the offensive capability of the AGM-88 HARM The AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile is a tactical, air-to-surface missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. It was originally developed by Texas Instruments (TI) as a replacement for the AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 Standard ARM system. Production was later taken over by Raytheon missile, while the RF-4C was the only aircraft equipped with the ultra-long-range KS-127 LOROP (long-range oblique photography) camera. In spite of flying almost daily missions, only one RF-4C was lost in a fatal accident before the start of hostilities. One F-4G was lost when enemy fire damaged the fuel tanks and the aircraft ran out of fuel near a friendly airbase. The last USAF Phantoms, F-4G Wild Weasel Vs from 561st Fighter Squadron, were retired on 26 March 1996. The last operational flight of the F-4G Wild Weasel was from the 190th Fighter Squadron, Idaho Air National Guard, in April 1996.[63] The last operational USAF/ANG F-4 to land was flown by Maj Mike Webb and Maj Gary Leeder, Idaho ANG. Like the Navy, the Air Force continues to operate QF-4 target drones, serving with the 82d Aerial Targets Squadron,[64] it being expected that the F-4 will remain in the target role with the 82d ATRS until 2013/14.[6]

Non-U.S. air forces

Main article: F-4 Phantom II non-U.S. operators

The Phantom served with the air forces of many countries, including Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the mainland which is the world's smallest continent (also largest island), the major island of Tasmania, and numerous other islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.N4 Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea, Egypt The Egyptian Air Force, or EAF , is the aviation branch of the Egyptian armed forces. The EAF is headed by an Air Marshal (Lieutenant General equivalent). Currently, the commander of the Egyptian Air Force is Air Marshal Reda Mahmoud Hafez Mohamed. The force's motto is 'Higher and higher for the sake of glory' (Arabic: إلى العلا في سبي, Germany Germany /ˈdʒɜrməni/ , officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland (help·info), IPA: [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant]), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and, United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with, Greece Greece /ˈɡriːs/ (Greek: Ελλάδα, transliterated: Elláda [e̞ˈlaða] , historically Ἑλλάς, Hellás, IPA: [e̞ˈlas]), officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, Ellīnikī́ Dīmokratía, [e̞liniˈkʲi ðimo̞kɾaˈtia]), is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan, Iran Iran (pronounced /ɪˈrɑːn/; Persian: ايران [ʔiˈɾɒn] ), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persia until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. Both "Persia" and "Iran" are used, Israel Israel officially the State of Israel ( מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל (help·info), Medinat Yisra'el; Arabic: دَوْلَةُ إِسْرَائِيلَ‎, Dawlat Isrā'īl), is a country in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and, Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters which make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which, Spain Spain /ˈspeɪn/ (Spanish: España (help·info), Spanish pronunciation: [esˈpaɲa]) or the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.[note 6] Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north, South Korea and Turkey.

Australia

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) leased 24 USAF F-4Es from 1970 to 1973 while waiting for their order for the General Dynamics F-111C to be delivered. They were so well-liked that the RAAF considered adopting the F-4E instead.[65] They were operated from RAAF Amberley by No.1 Squadron and No.6 Squadron.[66]

Egypt

In 1979, the Egyptian Air Force purchased 35 former USAF F-4Es along with a number of Sparrow, Sidewinder, and Maverick missiles from the US for $594 million as part of the "Peace Pharaoh" program.[67] An additional seven surplus USAF aircraft were purchased in 1988.[68] Three attrition replacements had been received by the end of the 1990s.[65]

Phantoms in non-U.S. service.[69][70][33]
Received In service as of 2001 In service as of 2008[update]
Australia 24 F-4E None (returned to USA) None
Egypt 45 F-4E 30 F-4E 34
Germany 88 RF-4E 175 F-4F 145 F-4F (110 upgraded to ICE) 59
Greece 121 F-4E and RF-4E 62 F-4E and RF-4E (39 upgraded to Peace Icarus 2000) 53
Iran 32 F-4D 177 F-4E 16 RF-4E 15 F-4D 29 F-4E 3 RF-4E 65
Israel 274 F-4E 12 RF-4E 40 F-4E 53 Kurnass 2000 (all retired) None
Japan 140 F-4EJ 14 RF-4EJ 109 F-4EJ 12 RF-4EJ 91 F-4EJ/EF-4J 26 RF-4J
South Korea 27 RF-4C 92 F-4D 103 F-4E 60 F-4D 70 F-4E 18 RF-4E 138
Spain 40 F-4C 18 RF-4C 14 RF-4C (F-4Cs employed as spares since 1989) None
Turkey 233 F-4E and RF-4E 163 F-4E (54 upgraded to Terminator 2020) 44 RF-4E 165
United Kingdom 15 F-4J(UK) 50 F-4K 116 F-4M None None

Germany

The German Luftwaffe initially ordered the reconnaissance RF-4E in 1969, receiving a total of 88 aircraft which were delivered from January 1971.[71] In 1982, the initially unarmed RF-4Es were given a secondary ground attack capability, and were retired in 1994.[72]

In 1973, under the "Peace Rhine" program, the Luftwaffe purchased the lightened and simplified F-4F which was upgraded in the mid-1980s.[69] 24 German-owned F-4Fs were operated by the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing of the USAF at Holloman AFB to train Luftwaffe crews until 2002. In 1975, Germany also received 10 F-4Es for training in the U.S. In the late 1990s, these were withdrawn from service, being replaced by F-4Fs.[73] Germany also initiated the "ICE" (Improved Combat Efficiency) program in 1983. The 110 ICE-upgraded F-4Fs entered service in 1992,[69] and are expected to remain in service until 2012.[74]

Greece

In 1971, the Hellenic Air Force ordered brand new F-4E Phantoms, with deliveries starting in 1974. In the early 1990s the Hellenic AF acquired surplus RF-4Es and F-4Es from the Luftwaffe and U.S. ANG.[75] [76]

Following the success of the German ICE program, on 11 August 1997, DASA of Germany received a contract to upgrade 39 aircraft to the very similar "Peace Icarus 2000" standard.[28] The Hellenic AF operates 35 upgraded F-4E-PI2000 (338 and 339 Squadrons) and 22 RF-4E aircraft (348 Squadron) as of May 2008.

Iran

In the 1960s and 1970s, then U.S.-friendly Iran purchased 225 F-4D, F-4E and RF-4E Phantoms. The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Phantoms saw action in the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s and are kept operational by overhaul and servicing from Iran’s aerospace industry.[77]

Israel

The Israeli Air Force has been the largest foreign user of the Phantom, flying both newly built and ex-USAF aircraft, as well as several one-off special reconnaissance variants. The first F-4Es, nicknamed "Kurnass" (Heavy hammer), and RF-4Es, nicknamed "Orev" (Raven), were delivered in 1969 under the "Peace Echo I" program. Additional Phantoms arrived during the 1970s under "Peace Echo II" through "Peace Echo V" and "Nickel Grass" programs. Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat during Arab–Israeli conflicts, first seeing action during the War of Attrition.[78] In the 1980s, Israel began the "Kurnass 2000" modernization program which significantly updated avionics.[28] The last Israeli F-4s were retired in 2004.[79]

Japan

From 1968, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force purchased a total of 140 F-4EJ Phantoms without aerial refueling and ground attack capabilities.[80] Mitsubishi built 138 under license in Japan and 14 unarmed reconnaissance RF-4Es were imported. Of these, 96 F-4EJs have since been modified to the F-4EJ Kai (改、"modified") standard. 15 F-4EJs have been converted to reconnaissance aircraft designated RF-4EJ, with similar upgrades as the F-4EJ Kai. Japan has a fleet of 90 F-4s in service as of 2007 and studies are underway to replace them with either the Eurofighter Typhoon,[81] Dassault Rafale, or one of several others.

South Korea

The Republic of Korea Air Force purchased its first batch of ex-USAF F-4D Phantoms in 1968 under the "Peace Spectator" program. The ex-USAF F-4Ds continued to be delivered until 1988. The "Peace Pheasant II" program also provided newly-built and ex-USAF F-4Es.[82] Currently F-4Ds are being replaced in service by new F-15K Slam Eagles.

Spain

The Spanish Air Force acquired its first batch of ex-USAF F-4C Phantoms in 1971 under the "Peace Alfa" program. Designated C.12, the aircraft were retired in 1989. At the same time, the SAF received a number of ex-USAF RF-4Cs, designated CR.12. In 1995–1996, these aircraft received extensive avionics upgrades. Spain retired its RF-4s in 2002.[83][84]

Turkey

The Turkish Air Force received 40 F-4Es in 1974, with a further 32 F-4Es and 8 RF-4Es in 1977-78 under the "Peace Diamond III" program, followed by 40 ex-USAF aircraft in "Peace Diamond IV" in 1987, and a further 40 ex-U.S. Air National Guard Aircraft in 1991.[85] A further 32 RF-4Es were transferred to Turkey after being retired by the Luftwaffe between 1992 and 1994.[85] In 1995, IAI of Israel implemented an upgrade similar to Kurnass 2000 on 54 Turkish F-4Es which were dubbed the F-4E 2020 Terminator.[28]

United Kingdom

Phantom FG.1 of No. 43 Sqn. Royal Air Force

The United Kingdom bought versions based on the USN F-4J for use with the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. The main differences were the use of the British Rolls-Royce Spey engines and of British-made avionics. The RN and RAF versions were given the designation F-4K and F-4M respectively, and entered service as the Phantom FG.1 (fighter/ground attack) and Phantom FGR.2 (fighter/ground attack/reconnaissance).[86][87]

After the Falklands War, 15 upgraded ex-USN F-4Js, known as the F-4J(UK) entered RAF service to compensate for one interceptor squadron redeployed to the Falklands.[69]

Around 15 RAF squadrons received various marks of Phantom, many of them based in Germany. The first to be equipped was 6 Squadron at RAF Leuchars in July 1969. One noteworthy deployment was to 43 Squadron where Phantom FG1s remained the squadron equipment for a remarkable twenty years, arriving in September 1969 and departing in July 1989. During this period the squadron was based throughout at Leuchars.[88]

The interceptor Phantoms were replaced by the Panavia Tornado F3 from the late 1980s onwards, and the last British Phantoms were retired in October 1992 when 74 Squadron disbanded.[28][88]

Civilian use

Sandia National Laboratories used an F-4 mounted on a "rocket sled" in a crash test to see the results of an aircraft hitting a reinforced concrete structure, such as a nuclear power plant.[89]

One aircraft, an F-4D (civilian registration NX749CF), is operated by the Massachusetts-based non-profit organization Collings Foundation as a "living history" exhibit.[28][90] Funds to maintain and operate the aircraft, which is based in Houston, Texas, are raised through donations/sponsorships from public and commercial parties.[91][92]

NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center acquired an F-4A Phantom II on 3 December 1965. It made fifty-five flights in support of short programs, chase on X-15 missions and lifting body flights. The F-4A also supported a biomedical monitoring program involving 1,000 flights by NASA Flight Research Center aerospace research pilots and students of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School flying high-performance aircraft. The pilots were instrumented to record accurate and reliable data of electrocardiogram, respiration rate and normal acceleration. In 1967, the F-4A supported a brief military-inspired program to determine whether an airplane's sonic boom could be directed and whether it could possibly be used as a weapon of sorts, or at least an annoyance. NASA also flew an F-4C in a spanwise blowing study from 1983 to 1985, after which it was returned to the Air Force.[93]

Variants

Main article: F-4 Phantom II variants QF-4E AF Serial No. 74-1652, the second "Q" flown by the 82d Aerial Targets Squadron, c.2005
F-4A, B, J, N and S
Variants for the US Navy and the US Marines. F-4B was upgraded to F-4N, and F-4J was upgraded to F-4S.
F-110 Spectre, F-4C, D and E
Variants for the U.S. Air Force. F-4E introduced an internal M61 Vulcan cannon. F-4D and E were widely exported.
F-4G Wild Weasel V
A dedicated SEAD variant with updated radar and avionics, converted from F-4E. The designation F-4G was applied earlier to an entirely different Navy Phantom.
F-4K and M
Variants for British military re-engined with Rolls-Royce Spey turbofans.
F-4EJ
Simplified F-4E exported to and license-built in Japan.
F-4F
Simplified F-4E exported to Germany.
QF-4E AF Serial No. 74-0626 at McGuire AFB, 12 May 2007 with an A-10 in the background
QF-4B, E, G, N and S
Retired aircraft converted into remote-controlled target drones used for weapons and defensive systems research.
RF-4B, C, and E
Tactical reconnaissance variants.

Culture

Nicknames

An F-4F on display described as the "World's largest distributor of MiG parts", because of the high number of this type of enemy aircraft shot down

The Phantom gathered a number of nicknames during its career. Some of these names included "Rhino", "Double Ugly",[94] the "Flying Anvil", "Flying Footlocker", "Flying Brick", "Lead Sled", the "Big Iron Sled" and the "Louisville Slugger".[95] In recognition of its record of downing large numbers of Soviet-built MiGs,[96] it was called the "World’s Leading Distributor of MiG Parts"[94] As a reflection of excellent performance in spite of bulk, it was dubbed "the triumph of thrust over aerodynamics."[97] German Luftwaffe crews called their F-4s the Eisenschwein ("Iron Pig"), Fliegender Ziegelstein ("Flying Brick") and Luftverteidigungsdiesel ("Air Defense Diesel").[98]

Imitating the spelling of the aircraft’s name, McDonnell issued a series of patches. Pilots became "Phantom Phlyers", backseaters became "Phantom Pherrets", fans of the F-4 "Phantom Phanatics", and call it the "Phabulous Phantom". Ground crewmen who worked on the aircraft are known as "Phantom Phixers".[18]

The Spook

The Spook

The aircraft's emblem is a whimsical cartoon ghost called "The Spook", which was created by McDonnell Douglas technical artist, Anthony "Tony" Wong, for shoulder patches. The name "Spook" was coined by the crews of either the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing or the 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing at MacDill AFB. The figure is ubiquitous, appearing on every imaginable item associated with the F-4. The Spook has followed the Phantom around the world adopting local fashions; for example, the British adaptation of the U.S. "Phantom Man"[99] is a Spook that sometimes wears a bowler hat and smokes a pipe.[100]

Survivors

See also: F-4 Phantom II survivors The Collings Foundation F-4D Phantom II, with Vietnam-era "Ritchie/DeBellevue" markings, taxis at Selfridge ANGB, May 2005.

There are a number of F-4 Phantom IIs on display in the USA and worldwide. For example, a Phantom II F-4C-15-MC 37699, which is on loan from the USAF Museum, is on display at the Midland Air Museum, Coventry, England;[101] a Phantom II F4H-1, BuNo 145310, U.S. Navy,[102] is located at French Valley Airport, Murrieta, California;[103] and there is a dwindling number of reserve F-4s stored at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.[104][105]

One aircraft, an F-4D, is operated by the Massachusetts-based non-profit organization Collings Foundation as a "living history" exhibit.[28][106] Funds to maintain and operate the aircraft, which is based in Houston, Texas, are raised through donations/sponsorships from public and commercial parties.[91][107]

Specifications (F-4E)

Data from The Great Book of Fighters[69] Quest for Performance,[27] and Encyclopedia of USAF Aircraft.[42]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Military of the United States portal
United States Air Force portal

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

References

Notes

  1. ^ The aircraft was originally designated the AH, and later re-designated F4H. The F-4 designation came about in 1962 when the designation systems for all branches of the military were unified by the order of U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. Within McDonnell Aircraft, the F-4 was referred to as Model 98.
  2. ^ a b c Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p. 301.
  3. ^ a b c Integrated Defense Systems: F-4 Phantoms Phabulous 40th. Boeing. Retrieved: 19 January 2008.
  4. ^ a b Donald Spring 1991, p. 26.
  5. ^ a b Donald Summer 1991, p. 22.
  6. ^ a b Carrara 2006, p. 48.
  7. ^ F-4 Phantoms Phabulous 40th: First to Last. Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. Retrieved: 19 November 2007.
  8. ^ F-4 Phantoms Phabulous 40th: Current Uses of Titanium: F-4 Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. 1971. "F-4B/C 1,006 lb. 7.7% of Structure, F-J/E 1,261 lb. 8.5% of Structure". Retrieved: 14 February 2008.
  9. ^ Donald and Lake 1996, p. 268.
  10. ^ Dorr and Donald 1990, p. 198.
  11. ^ a b c Integrated Defense Systems: F-4 Phantoms Phabulous 40th - Phantom "Phirsts". Boeing. Retrieved: 14 December 2007.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i Integrated Defense Systems: F-4 Phantoms Phabulous 40th - World Record Holder. Boeing. Retrieved: 14 December 2007.
  13. ^ McDonnell Douglas F-4D “Phantom II”. National Museum of the USAF. Retrieved: 20 January 2008
  14. ^ Angelucci 1987, p. 310.
  15. ^ Angelucci 1987, p. 312.
  16. ^ a b c Dorr and Bishop 1996, pp. 200–201.
  17. ^ a b Dorr and Bishop 1996, pp. 188–189.
  18. ^ a b c d Integrated Defense Systems: F-4 Phantoms Phabulous 40th. Boeing. Retrieved: 22 May 2007.
  19. ^ Lake 1992, p. 190.
  20. ^ Lake 1992, p. 203.
  21. ^ Donald, David. Warplanes of the Fleet. London: AIRtime Publishing Inc., 2004. ISBN 1-880588-81-1.
  22. ^ Thornborough and Davies 1994, p. 13.
  23. ^ Thornborough and Davies 1994, p. 11.
  24. ^ Dorr 2008, p. 61.
  25. ^ F-4 Phantoms Phabulous 40th - Phantom Development 1978 Commemorative Book. Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. Retrieved 14 February 2008
  26. ^ Lake 1992, p. 15.
  27. ^ a b c Loftin, Laurence K. Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft, SP-468. Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, History Office, Scientific and Technical Information Branch, 1985. Retrieved: 19 November 2007.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Donald and Lake 2002
  29. ^ Kunsan Airbase F-4 Phantom II
  30. ^ Angelucci 1987, p. 316.
  31. ^ Lake 1992, p. 21.
  32. ^ Knaack 1978, p. 266.
  33. ^ a b "DIRECTORY: WORLD AIR FORCES". Flight International, 11-17 November 2008.pp.52-76.
  34. ^ Lake 1992, pp. 16, 17.
  35. ^ Stein, Alan J.Seattle native Dick Gordon orbits the moon on November 18, 1969. HistoryLink.org. 13 June 1999. Retrieved: 13 February 2008.
  36. ^ Grossnick, Roy A. "Part 9 - The Sixth Decade 1960–1969". United States Naval Aviation 1910-1995, Naval Historical Center, 1997.
  37. ^ McDonnell F-4A (F4H-1) Phantom II "Sageburner" National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved: 13 February 2008.
  38. ^ Thornborough and Davies 1994, p. 15.
  39. ^ Goebel, Greg. Phantom Over Southeast Asia. Vectorsite.net. Retrieved: 18 January 2008.
  40. ^ a b Higham and Williams 1978
  41. ^ McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom. MAPS Air Museum at Akron-Canton Airport. Retrieved: 19 November 2007.
  42. ^ a b c Knaack 1978
  43. ^ a b Thornborough and Davies 1994, p. 260.
  44. ^ Lake 1992, p. 199.
  45. ^ Lake 1992, p. 200.
  46. ^ Dorr 1995, p. 196.
  47. ^ Burgess 1985, p. 388.
  48. ^ Dorr and Bishop 1996, p. 44.
  49. ^ Grossnick 1997.
  50. ^ Hunter, Jamie and Collens, Richard. "In Relentless Pursuit of Excellence:VX-30 Bloodhounds" (PDF). Naval Aviation News, September–October 2004, p. 26–29. Retrieved: 18 December 2007.
  51. ^ Crowther, M.J. and Baker, Rusty. The History of VMFA-112 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112, U.S. Marine Corps. Retrieved: 13 February 2008.
  52. ^ National Museum of the U.S. Air Force fact sheet discussing the F-110, retrieved 05/26/2008
  53. ^ 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Triple Nickel", 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office, Aviano Air Base, U.S. Air Force. Retrieved: 25 January 2008.
  54. ^ Dorr and Bishop 1996, p. 37.
  55. ^ Dorr and Bishop 1996, p. 48–49.
  56. ^ Knaack 1974, p. 274.
  57. ^ Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p. 188.
  58. ^ Baugher, Joe. Baugher's Phantom Service with USAF. Joe Baugher's Home Page. Retrieved 25 January 2008
  59. ^ a b c d Correll, John T. "The Vietnam War Almanac", (PDF), AIR FORCE Magazine, September 2004. (with attribution to USAF Operations Report, 30 November 1973). Retrieved: 19 November 2007.
  60. ^ Thornborough and Davies 1994, p. 222.
  61. ^ Dorr and Bishop 1996, pp. 198–199.
  62. ^ 183rd Fighter Wing (183rd FW). Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved: 19 November 2007.
  63. ^ Integrated Defense Systems: F-4 Phantoms Phabulous 40th - Last to Serve. Boeing. Retrieved: 19 November 2007.
  64. ^ Bosco, Albert. 'Team Target' keeps Air Force on mark. Air Force Press Release (23 October 2002). Retrieved: 14 December 2007.
  65. ^ a b Lake 1992, p. 209.
  66. ^ "RAAF Aircraft Series 3 A69 Phantom". RAAF Museum Point Cook. Retrieved 14 November 2008
  67. ^ Fricker 2000, p. 59.
  68. ^ Fricker 2000, p. 60.
  69. ^ a b c d e Green and Swanborough 2001.
  70. ^ Baugher, Joseph F. Index of Phantom Variants and Operators. Retrieved on 2008-01-29.
  71. ^ Lake 1992, p. 210.
  72. ^ Fricker 2000, p. 80.
  73. ^ Fricker 2000, p. 81.
  74. ^ List 2006, p. 51.
  75. ^ K. Dimitropoulos (1997) (in greek). F-4 Phantom. Constantinidis Publications. ISBN 960-8426-01-4.
  76. ^ D. Manakanatas and D. Stergiou (2002) (in greek). Phantom F-4.
  77. ^ Fricker 2000, p. 64.
  78. ^ Nordeen 1991, p. 99.
  79. ^ Directory: world air forces: Israel Flight International, 16-22 November 2004. Retrieved: 14 February 2008.
  80. ^ Fricker 2000, p. 85.
  81. ^ Grevatt, Jon. "Japan narrows next-generation fighter requirement choice." Jane's Defence Industry, 21 March 2007. Retrieved: 19 November 2007.
  82. ^ Lake 1992, p. 218.
  83. ^ "McDonnell Douglas F-4C -Phantom II". (Spanish) Ejército del Aire, Ministerio de Defensa, España. Google translation. Retrieved: 19 November 2007.
  84. ^ Wierenga, Eddy. Spanish Air Arms Other Air Forces, Ejército del Aire, FAMET, Armada, Scramble Magazine. Retrieved: 19 November 2007.
  85. ^ a b Fricker 2000, p. 88.
  86. ^ Donald 1999, p. 11.
  87. ^ Donald 1999, p. 5.
  88. ^ a b Jefford 2001.
  89. ^ Fact sheet (PDF). Sandia National Laboratories (2004). Retrieved: 19 November 2007. Note: Although the fuselage was secured to a rocket sled, it could be facetiously considered possibly the one and only "rocket-powered" F-4.
  90. ^ Collings Foundation website, Collings Foundation. Retrieved: 19 November 2007.
  91. ^ a b Collings Foundation Background. Collings Foundation. Retrieved: 11 January 2008.
  92. ^ Sponsors, Collings Foundation. Retrieved: 11 January 2008.
  93. ^ "NASA Dryden F-4 Graphics Collection". NASA. http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/graphics/F-4/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
  94. ^ a b Integrated Defense Systems: F-4 Phantoms Phabulous 40th - Gee Whiz! Boeing. Retrieved: 20 January 2008.
  95. ^ Basic Aircraft Wisdom and Aircraft Nicknames. Bluejacket.com. Retrieved: 19 November 2007.
  96. ^ Thornborough and Davies, 1994. p. 202.
  97. ^ More QF-4s - And A New Trick for Old Dogs? Defence Industry Daily, 22 January 2008. "These large 2-seat multi-role fighters were a triumph of thrust over aerodynamics, and formed the mainstay of the USAF and US Navy fleets for many years." Retrieved: 26 January 2008.
  98. ^ Zwei Alarmrotten mit dem "Luftverteidigungsdiesel" (German) Hamburger Abendblatt. 25 November 2004. Google Translation. Retrieved: 26 January 2008.
  99. ^ F-4 Phantoms Phabulous 40th, Gee Whiz, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. Retrieved: 13 February 2008.
  100. ^ F-4 Phantoms Phabulous 40th, UK Spook, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. Retrieved: 13 February 2008.
  101. ^ "Midland Air Museum, Our Aircraft - Full Listing." Midland Air Museum. Retrieved: 19 November 2007.
  102. ^ "The McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom II BuNo 145310." Wings and Rotors Air Museum. Retrieved: 11 January 2008.
  103. ^ "Wings and Rotors Air Museum proudly presents the McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom II BUNO 145310." Wings and Rotors Air Museum. Retrieved: 11 January 2008.
  104. ^ "The Davis-Monthan Air Force 'Boneyard' via Google Maps/Google Earth." Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, smaller field. Retrieved: 16 February 2008.
  105. ^ "The Davis-Monthan Air Force 'Boneyard' via Google Maps/Google Earth." Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, larger field. Retrieved: 16 February 2008.
  106. ^ Collings Foundation website. Collings Foundation. Retrieved: 19 November 2007.
  107. ^ Sponsors. Collings Foundation. Retrieved: 11 January 2008.
  108. ^ From 1978 replacing the AIM-7 Sparrow

Bibliography

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