Re: F4 Phantom - Flying Bus???
Some aircraft have been known to enter a stable stalled descent with 200 or 400 pounds of excess ballast removed from the nose. The F-106 in the USAF Museum did that, was recovered from a snowy field in the Frozen North (ND IIRC) and flew until the type was retired.
BTW I recall reading about the Spey-Phantom in the early days, with RR confidently predicting that it would be far better all round than the J79 and would sell in export form - I think there was even an AR.168 designation for an Allison-built AB Spey, ready for when the USAF and USN saw the light. After all, how could a ****ing LIGHTBULB COMPANY possibly beat RR?