Engines, I beg to differ, regarding your numbers of Spey Phantoms
from
Military Power: F-4 Phantom II
In 1964, the
Royal Navy ordered a 'anglicized' F4K, which had a wider fuselage to house the Rolls-Royce Spey, fan engines. Forty-eight machines were delivered to the United Kingdom as the Phantom FG.1. However the premature retirement of the Carrier
HMS Victorious coupled with the prohibitive cost of refitting
HMS Eagle meant that only the carrier
HMS Ark Royal was available to operate the Phantom. As a result twenty aircraft of this order were transferred to
RAF Strike Command, equipping No. 43 squadron at Leuchars. The twenty eight Royal Navy aircraft began trials by No.700P squadron based at Yeovilton in Devon before being passed to No.767 squadron for type conversion training, and finally becoming operational with No.892 squadron, also at Yeovilton. From March 1969 No.892 squadron made a number of cruises with these aircraft aboard HMS Ark Royal using the Phantom. In 1978 these aircraft were transferred to the RAF'S No.111 Squadron for Air Defense of the United Kingdom.....The use of Rolls-Royce Spey engines in the British Phantoms dramatically increased the unit price of the aircraft whilst decreasing maximum speed, height and performance at altitude.
Wow, 10 years worth of carrier ops from 28 aircraft. 48 F4K were made and 116 F4M, and of course, the Ms had Speys as well, and each Spey aircraft DOUBLE the price of the standard model.
Pretty pricey cocktails.