F-4 Phantom
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Fast, rugged, good radar, huge load carrier.
Compared with many contemporary fighters it had double the number of missiles for a start.
and with more time
In RAF service it could carry 9x1000lbs or bombs and the SUU. As an interceptor it could actually get to height.
It also outstanding as it was a naval fighter turned MRCA.
It had its problems though. Initially a hit on its aileron jack could cause total loss of flying control hydraulics. Too much burner could empty the fuselage tanks and with no wing fuel tanks you could be a glider with 14k fuel remaining. It had no fire extinguishers.
Compared with many contemporary fighters it had double the number of missiles for a start.
and with more time
In RAF service it could carry 9x1000lbs or bombs and the SUU. As an interceptor it could actually get to height.
It also outstanding as it was a naval fighter turned MRCA.
It had its problems though. Initially a hit on its aileron jack could cause total loss of flying control hydraulics. Too much burner could empty the fuselage tanks and with no wing fuel tanks you could be a glider with 14k fuel remaining. It had no fire extinguishers.
Last edited by Pontius Navigator; 25th Feb 2009 at 16:28.
Read and enjoy this thread (when you have a few spare hours):
http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...4-phantom.html
http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...4-phantom.html
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The F-4 Phantom? A triumph of thrust over aerodynamics!
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It didn't have fire extinguishers
They don't tend to work on fires, (but are useful for mech-fails) because the air flow tends to blast the foam out of the engine before it can do its job. Because of the extra weight of a system vs usefulness, the UK Typhoon doesn't have them. Because it doesn't matter with one engine, the F16 doesn't either.
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Before the arrival of the F15A we had the only pulse doppler equipped, look down shoot down, beyond visual range fighter in Europe. King of the roost - for a short time anyway.
Great aircraft in its day
Great aircraft in its day
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Blues
In 1970 used the F4. LOUD. BIG. Very large Loops. Huge ops area. Not a nimble Beast, there was plenty of SMOKE, but most of it was Black.
Did I say LOUD?
Delivered w/o a gun. Missiles, ya know?
A Friend flew it FAC in umm...... Thailand, Right?
The last of the Best.
AF
Did I say LOUD?
Delivered w/o a gun. Missiles, ya know?
A Friend flew it FAC in umm...... Thailand, Right?
The last of the Best.
AF
My lasting memories:
The beast had a very, very impressive envelope at lowish level ( 750 KIAS clean at Sea Level AFAIR), but with the Spey engines you could be bust said envelope very quickly if you weren't paying attention. Seem to remember somone bugging out on an Aggressors sortie and the canopies starting to melt .
The best AD weapons platform in Europe for a short while (
Geehovah).
As for: "It didn't have fire extinguishers".....
The beast had a very, very impressive envelope at lowish level ( 750 KIAS clean at Sea Level AFAIR), but with the Spey engines you could be bust said envelope very quickly if you weren't paying attention. Seem to remember somone bugging out on an Aggressors sortie and the canopies starting to melt .
The best AD weapons platform in Europe for a short while (
Geehovah).As for: "It didn't have fire extinguishers".....
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The F-4 fast FACs were indeed out of Thailand. A couple of the callsigns were Atlanta and Wolf. Spent many a night near the Thai/Laotian/Cambodian border providing fuel to those guys. As a former FAC in Vietnam, I could only envy them for the job they had and the airplane they had to FAC from...
Come on BEagle. Where are you?
The F-4 was an excellent aircraft. During our OCU, the USMC exchange officer gave us some figures and said that the F-4 was regarded even by the US, with its F-14, F-15, F-16 and F-18 fleets, as one of the most capable fighters around.
With a powerful radar, 4 x SkyFlash, 4 x AIM-9L and the SUU gun, it was a very potent beast indeed.
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Best beat up ever I've seen in Deci during the late 80's
Same Det as the "other" Uk visitors(XV) from RAFG decided it would be a jape to paint their no plate on our a/c. SEngo went ballistic and demanded their SEngo paint out the XV's on the a/c.
However a lot of the tail numbers were XV123 etc....
You can guess the rest
Same Det as the "other" Uk visitors(XV) from RAFG decided it would be a jape to paint their no plate on our a/c. SEngo went ballistic and demanded their SEngo paint out the XV's on the a/c.
However a lot of the tail numbers were XV123 etc....
You can guess the rest
It's the only aircraft I worked on where the groundcrew toolkit included a sledgehammer. Pass me that big hammer, pass me that big spanner: this aeroplane was BIG.
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What were the doors on the aft fuselage used for on the Spey engined F4's ?
In some pics I've seen I recall that they were open on take off. Always intrigued me.
Thank you.
K
In some pics I've seen I recall that they were open on take off. Always intrigued me.
Thank you.
K
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Auxiliary Air Intake Doors - I believe