20 years ago!

[claron]

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the last operational flight of the F4 in RAF service. Where have all the years gone.

F4 gone but never forgotten!!:D

[CoffmanStarter]

You can't start a thread like this without a pic old chap :ok:

http://www.wingweb.co.uk/wingweb/img/RAF_Phantom_FGR-1.jpg

[Lyneham Lad]

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the last operational flight of the F4 in RAF service. Where have all the years gone. F4 gone but never forgotten!!:D

...and I first worked on them forty five years ago :0 (Aug '68, Coningsby). Anyone for a pint down at the 'Mucky Duck'?

[NutLoose]

Perhaps time to splash out on a little ornament for the garden then to celebrate

Stock Details | Malcolm Harrison Auctions (http://www.malcolmharrison.co.uk/StockDetailPlant.aspx?lot=0&regno=AG1-4&sale=323)

[Rhino power]

XV497 performing the very last RAF F-4 flight...
(credit & copyright - Rick Brewell)
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1397911_10200204281104614_1338803322_o.jpg?dl=1

-RP

[CoffmanStarter]

Rhino ... Outstanding pic :ok:

[superq7]

V good thread any more pics ?

[Rhino power]

A few more...
(all three, credit & copyright - Rick Brewell)

-RP
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1052430_4622247089075_653560748_o.jpg?dl=1

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1276094_10200204281544625_2098901767_o.jpg?dl=1

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1398784_10200204281464623_615776803_o.jpg?dl=1

[cornish-stormrider]

I got me a full on robot chubby over these.......
Goddamn that's a mighty purposeful beast.

[MPN11]

You mean it's a bit bigger than a Corsair? ;)

Lovely beast, though. Just reminds me of how bloody long it is since I left the REAL Air Force, and now just look at the remnants and wonder where it all went. Gawd, when I joined there were about 12 Commands, not 12 Stations. :eek:

[smujsmith]

Superb shots, and a reminder of years gone by. The "toom" to many of us techies was a fantastic piece of kit. I'm sure that the fun the Pilots and Navs (GIB's ?) must have had flying it is beyond understanding. Thanks again for the cracking photographs.

Smudge :ok:

[Saintsman]

I noticed that the ground crew had to append their names with chinagraph to mark the occasion.

[Liffy 1M]

XV471 at Valley in 1983.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6114/6998110469_29013408b9_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/24101413@N03/6998110469/)
XV471 Phantom FGR.2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/24101413@N03/6998110469/) by Irish251 (http://www.flickr.com/people/24101413@N03/), on Flickr

[Toadstool]

Great pictures. Got to see the lucky Turks fly the F4 in Konya a few years back.

[tartare]

It is one mighty brute of a jet.
I still shake my head at how on earth they managed to land something of that size and weight, travelling at the speed it did on the Ark Royal...?

[PPRuNe Pop]

Guys! Please re-size your pics. The PPRuNe size is no greater than 850 x 850 to avoid exactly what is happening now - a massive lateral page spread, which means people have to scroll across the page to see the pics. One or two are OK but others spoil the opportunity to view them correctly.

850 x 850 please asap.

[Rhino power]

Sorry PPRuNe Pop, i can't re-size the pics i posted as they are linked from a specific webpage, and because i don't have the copyright i don't want to alter them and post to an image hosting website lest i incur the wrath of the original photographer!

-RP

p.s. I don't need to scroll across to view the pics on my monitor, its a widescreen model! ;)

[BEagle]

Of course you can re-size the pictures - it would also bring them into sharper focus. Save as, resize, rehost, link to the rehosted URL....

The PPRuNe 850 pixel limit is there for a reason - if you don't want to abide by it, then please don't bother to post them; instead post a direct link to the website.

Your photos are something like 53% bigger than the limit. Which, as PPRuNe Pop says, makes reading the text difficult.

As for the F-4, it was a fine jet for its time. But by the standards of even the mid-80s, the radar was archaic (there must be navs who still have nightmares about Man Track 1 & 2!!), manoeuvrability was rather poor and the RAF's restricted 'g' limits tried to keep the dear old things staggering on until the mighty ADV :rolleyes: was ready...

Of course we should have gone for the F-15 instead, although there would have been much weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth from the half-wingers.....

[1.3VStall]

Beags,

In 1975, M*** S***, who was then Boss of 228 OCU, was sent Stateside to fly the F15 and report back. I know he was v. impressed!

Nearly 40 years on all the mighty ADVs have gone to the boneyard, while the F15 is still being produced.:ugh:

Makes I think.....!

[airborne_artist]

Guys! Please re-size your pics. The PPRuNe size is no greater than 850 x 850 to avoid exactly what is happening now - a massive lateral page spread, which means people have to scroll across the page to see the pics. One or two are OK but others spoil the opportunity to view them correctly.

850 x 850 please asap.

If the Pprune tech support guys installed vBulletin Image Resize (http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=287476) the problem would not exist.

[CoffmanStarter]

AA ... That's an elegant solution ... get's my vote :ok: