F-4 Favourite of UK Pilots claim
Now look you lot! In my early teens the Phantom was the best of the best of the best - please do not shatter my childlike illusions! Thank you!
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I always reckoned it was certainly in it's element operating in fairly austere conditions down in the Falklands post conflict, operating off Stanley's metal strip,
Thread Starter
Well the other side of this story is that despite the limitations at high level when it all worked the Spey'd F-4 was a pretty mean machine in the low level A/D role - Pulse Doppler radar, tooled up with 8 missiles and possibly the gun. The one thing the RR engines did provide in that environment was stacks of excess power which, combined with a high IAS limit (varied with configuration), could be handy when dealing with high speed possibly multiple targets .......oh, and one must not forget the hook.
I always reckoned it was certainly in it's element operating in fairly austere conditions down in the Falklands post conflict, operating off Stanley's metal strip,
I always reckoned it was certainly in it's element operating in fairly austere conditions down in the Falklands post conflict, operating off Stanley's metal strip,
FB
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I was luck enough to fly the F4D, E and M (FGR2) between 1976 AND 1987. In that time I achieved 2500 hours in both Air Defence and Air To Mud.
In the late 70s and early 80s the FGR2 was at the top of the list of Premier Air Defence Fighters. What it lacked in high level performance it more than made up for in weapons and weapons system. At that time the RAF and RN were the only nation to master the complexities of the Pulse Doppler PD radar.
In Europe in 1980 the RAF Phantom squadrons (19(F) Sqn and 92 Sqn) were the best AD fighters on either side of "the wall". Earlier than that in the 1970s the Air to Ground squadrons at Bruggen and Laarbruch were better than anything else around. All weather, low level, self escorted with a good range and a massive payload.
It was a difficult aircraft to fly well, and I only truly mastered its eccentricities when approaching 1000 hours on type! The E model was easier to fly in combat with it's "Soft Wing" (Slats). I however preferred the Hard Wing F4. I do wish that the FGR2 had some of the Navy Mods. The Slotted Stabilator, Drooped Ailerons and Rapid Reheat would all have been welcome. Although designed for Carrier Ops I understand that with a couple of Circuit Breakers (CBs) pulled these Mods would enhance the aircrafts performable in combat.
As a 23 year old 1st tourist the F4 Phantom was the absolute best (and meanest) aircraft around.
In the late 70s and early 80s the FGR2 was at the top of the list of Premier Air Defence Fighters. What it lacked in high level performance it more than made up for in weapons and weapons system. At that time the RAF and RN were the only nation to master the complexities of the Pulse Doppler PD radar.
In Europe in 1980 the RAF Phantom squadrons (19(F) Sqn and 92 Sqn) were the best AD fighters on either side of "the wall". Earlier than that in the 1970s the Air to Ground squadrons at Bruggen and Laarbruch were better than anything else around. All weather, low level, self escorted with a good range and a massive payload.
It was a difficult aircraft to fly well, and I only truly mastered its eccentricities when approaching 1000 hours on type! The E model was easier to fly in combat with it's "Soft Wing" (Slats). I however preferred the Hard Wing F4. I do wish that the FGR2 had some of the Navy Mods. The Slotted Stabilator, Drooped Ailerons and Rapid Reheat would all have been welcome. Although designed for Carrier Ops I understand that with a couple of Circuit Breakers (CBs) pulled these Mods would enhance the aircrafts performable in combat.
As a 23 year old 1st tourist the F4 Phantom was the absolute best (and meanest) aircraft around.
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